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CA Scouter comments on last minute Eagles:
It would be interesting to hear your reflections on Scouts putting off Eagle til they’re 17.5 years old and then trying to get their project and missing merit badges done in the small amount of time left. … in a perfect world, the SM has been counseling boys not to let it get to this point, but as you say, Scout aged boys do a lot of things they shouldn’t. Any reflections on this particular situation would be of value.
I hope this helps:
As you note Scout aged boys are still growing, even at 17 and a half. I have to laugh because I have two last minute Eagles working hard on their projects right now. This is peculiarly provoking because I am a bit of a last minute lulu myself. I get a lot less upset about this now than I used to.
Over the years I have developed a way of helping Scouts conceptualize how long it takes to complete Eagle requirements. We diagram a timeline that begins with their Life Scoutmaster’s conference and ends with their eighteenth birthday. We factor in school, church, sport, merit badges, and the average time to conceive, lead and complete a project. When they see the timeline they have (at least for a while) a concept about what they need to do. I always tell them that they will complicate things tenfold if they wait, that they should have a plan and get things moving right away.
Very few of them have ever taken my advice.
This will ever really change. I’ll bet the first Eagle Scout was almost late getting a signature or something.
After two or three late season Eagle Scouts most Scoutmasters set out to fix the ‘problem’. They dream up rules and regulations, policies and procedures designed to make the Scoutmaster’s life easier. Despite all this some Scouts will still get a late start.
This problem can’t be fixed or regulated better than other problems common to developing human beings or ourselves as adults. When we sign on as Scoutmasters we accept that we are working with what Plato called “the most unmanageable of all the animals”. We can’t protect them from all the consequences of their actions, nor do we want to.
Part of the intensive learning process in achieving Eagle is developing an appreciation for planning and timing. I haven’t ever done anything extraordinary to help my last minute lulus, they have to figure things out just like any other Eagle Candidate (only faster).
Whether a Scout starts working on Eagle in earnest with two years or two months left to go the most important thing is that they actually started.
Clark, thank you for posting this last November.
At the time I was aware that we had many Life Scouts who were going to age out in the following year. Having transitioned to Scoutmaster in January of 2011, we had four Life Scouts rapidly approaching their 18th birthday. Fortunately, with a massive effort, all four have completed their projects with the last two scheduled to have their Eagle Board of Reviews next week. Three of the four project proposals to start were turned down and required upgrading. In all three of those cases, each Scout overcame the initial rejection by doubling their efforts gaining the valuable character lesson.
As all the younger observed and participated in these series of Eagle Scout Leadership Service projects this year, most of the 14 to 15 year olds have initiated a lot more planning now rather than developing procrastination into a fine art. The 2011 Eagle Scout Workbooks are already being reviewed by the Life Scouts who are motivated to take action.
Got it.
As a rule of thumb – based on my experience
Eagle project times (from first meeting with Scoutmaster to discuss concept – not Life conference . Until report is completed and signed ready for the Board of Review)
Longest 2 years
Shortest 3 months
Average 4-7 months
Approval process 30-60 days
Report complete 10-60 days
Average merit badge (outside of summer camp)is completed in 30-90 days with the exception of those requiring longer periods of work.
Congrats to you for mentoring two sons through the process!
Thanks Clarke!
I’m not interested in the form, I’m interested in your estimated time scales. My second oldest son just made Eagle! The eldest did it a year and a half ago.
I’m proud to say neither were late lulus, altho the last one felt like it because he wanted to be able to put Eagle on his service academy applications.
You know some time ago I actually made up a form (I have a weakness for forms)but I don’t think I ever used it. Somewhere at our meeting place I have a whole binder full of forms that I have made in the past. We don’t use any of them except for a permission slip blank.
I’ll see if I can put an example of the time line. I am a little reticent to do so because I really don’t want to promulgate the use of forms (try googling ‘Scoutmaster conference worksheet’ to see how a really bad idea can spread.) I’d rather spread ideas and see what people do with them.
We’ve also tried the extra regulation route, but, as you say, we can’t add or take away from the BSA requirements, so all we can do is suggest what we’d like. When push comes to shove, the boy can ignore our preferences.
We still have some last minute lulus and, occasionally, one doesn’t make it because he waited too long to finish a merit badge on time. An occasional failure may be the best incentive to other boys.
Thanks for your reflection on this. It would be interesting to see what your timeline looks like for a well-planned assault on Eagle, even if it addsto the 1.4 million Google references.