<p>jshain… we used the driver’s license leverage and it worked like a charm. It was just the little extra push he needed. And I also agree with having them go through the ranks before they get to 10th, 11th grade. There is just far too many other things that become important at that age.</p>
<p>My S was a life at 14. After that, he whiled away the time to get the Eagle scout done and finally completed at the nth hour. Paperwork got in 2 days before 18th birthday. I don’t regret it. We didn’t nag, he just decided one day he wanted it. By then it was his project. I personally would never “bribe” him or use incentives of any kind. It’s supposed to be his award. If he wants it, he needs to have the motivation.</p>
<p>We feel that if he’s going to do it, then it’s really important to finish before the college applications go out, so that it can be included. Also, there are scholarships to apply for if you have Eagle. Why not take advantage of those benefits if you are going to get it done anyways?</p>
<p>^^Because it’s his decision to make whether he gets his eagle or not. Kids should make their on successes and mistakes. He got his eagle done in the fall and college apps in the late fall early winter. He needs to learn his own time management skills, not mine. At 17/18, he’s plenty old enough to learn by experience as long as it’s not harmful to him or others. I just don’t agree with bribes and/or incentives to accomplish something that he should be internally motivated to do. I never used such tactics for grades, studying, etc.</p>
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<p>Ditto, 5boys.</p>
<p>And they have also been on the other side of the interview table, as most troops are largely boy-run, and the older scouts have opportunities to sit on the BoRs of the younger scouts along with the adults. The entire process can be very empowering as these boys grow into young men. </p>
<p>I agree with GTalum in that I would be hesitant to bribe my son into finishing, but I do think there’s some truth in the saying that every Eagle Scout has the boot print of his mom on his rear end. Figuratively, of course. ;)</p>
<p>In my son’s case, it was the Scout Leader, not his parents, who wouldn’t have let him quit. I think by the time he was a senior, however, he felt it would be kind of ridiculous not to have the title after the enormous amount of time and energy he put into scouting.
All through college he continued to help out at the troop’s bi-annual rock-climbing weekends. It’s wonderful for younger boys to see 20 year olds who came up through the troop give back, and I’ve been very pleased that my son is still somewhat involved.</p>
<p>Eagle Scout is a great achievement to put on the college apps. No, it isn’t a hook that will bring you up to the accepts despite being below in stats, but will be something that makes you stand out among equals in the process. It shows dedication, motivation, and that is a great trait to have.</p>
<p>As an aside, it is also helpful as a character reference for a number of things, including if you are trouble at court.</p>
<p>Is it typical to list the accomplishment of Eagle scout on one’s resume? I recently received a resume from a young man who graduated from college this past May, and his Eagle rank is listed on it. Just wondering if this is common practice.</p>
<p>as I said when I posted on this thread over 2 years ago being an Eagle these days doesn’t really help that much with college admissions, the exception being the service academies. In my son’s experience it helped with finding a job or internship. I think it is something worth putting on your resume for the rest of your life because your prosepective boss may also be an eagle. We wanted our S to participate in scouting because he is an only child and he found for himself a kind of second family. It helped him develop organizational skills and leadership skills that will serve him well the rest of his life. Recently, one of his fellow eagles from his original troop was killed in a tragic car accident. I was awestruck watching these young men in church supporting each other and their fallen friend’s family. There is alot of fellowship that transpires during all the years of scouting and sometimes its is often overlooked because it can seem like just fun and games but I have to say that I was holding back tears as the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. Who cares about an ivy hook. This is real life - and scouting is part of it for some.</p>
<p>“Is it typical to list the accomplishment of Eagle scout on one’s resume?”</p>
<p>Yes.</p>
<p>I think having Eagle on your resume would be an okay idea for your first job out of college when your resume is pretty sparse. But I would think it very odd to get a resume from a 40 year old who listed it.</p>
<p>^^I agree with GTalum. This is the one accomplishment that you have to complete prior to age 18 and you can still put this on your resume when you are over 50 years old! I know it sounds odd, but I have a friend who hires for some government jobs and she told me that middle aged men put Eagle Scout on their resumes (she did laugh about it). Oh, and btw, for her, listing this when you are middle aged was not a + or a - (just seems a bit odd to her).</p>
<p>Cross posted with intparent.</p>
<p>It’s fine to put it on your resume when you’re older. There’s always a chance that an Eagle Scout will be reviewing it!</p>
<p>I read obituaries all the time where being an Eagle is included in the list of accomplishments. I have know men in their 40s and 50s who have told me that one of their great regrets was that they did not get their Eagle. Maybe it depends on what part of the country you live in but where we live it is a pretty big deal. And not looked down upon or considered geeky or anything like that. I do think peer pressure helps a lot. Every single boy in my son’s 8th grade class (12 boys) ended up earning their Eagle-- there were a couple that the others had to pretty much drag across the finish line to get the Eagle project done by the 18th birthday but they all managed to do it.</p>
<p>“Once an Eagle, always an Eagle.” I tell this to kids all the time as a Scout leader and I find it wholly appropriate to put this on a resume as an adult. In a related vein, I once heard a story about a young man having little success on his job search until he was advised to wear his Philmont belt and large brass buckle with his business suit. It was noticed by the interviewer who was not a Scouter and he asked about the odd belt choice. The young man opened up to talk about Philmont and showed a passion that was probably missing in other interviews. He got that job offer plus some others with his new belt choice.</p>
<p>As for getting Eagle after 16, that only helps with having the ability to do a more substantial project. I do not believe in discouraging younger Scouts from attaining the rank young and the boys who made it at 15 were more likely to stay involved than the ones who made it at 17 1/2. I would rather see a more modest proposal at 15 than no proposal from a kid who was a Life Scout for four years. At that age they get exposed to the “fumes” that derail many a Scout career. Gas fumes and Per-fumes.</p>
<p>I would probably look favorably on a middle-aged guy who listed Eagle Scout on his resume. But I would probably ask him whether he is now a Scout leader…so maybe it would be better only to list it if you are still involved in Scouting. I would certainly suggest listing it for anybody who is in his 20s.</p>
<p>Oh my - Yalegrad: Our troop also refers to the ‘fumes’. Had no idea it was “known” everywhere ! That is so true, many boys quit when they are too busy with the girls and driving.</p>
<p>Once you get out of your 20s, it seems to me that it would just be sort of like trying to relive those “glory days” to list it. I can see how it might go in an obituary, but if you haven’t moved beyond your Eagle scout in accomplishments by the time you are in your early 30s, that wouldn’t impress me on a resume. You ought to have plenty of other things to put on it by then. </p>
<p>Also, as much as many people admire the accomplishment, the Boy Scouts have taken some dings in recent years regarding their treatment of gays, and to a lesser extent, atheists. If your resume lands in the hands of a gay hiring manager (or one like me, with a gay child who would not be welcome in the Boy Scouts organization), it might not be seen as an entirely positive thing. I’d be looking pretty hard at that candidate to make sure they were tolerant enough to work well with people who weren’t like them. So while it could be a benefit with some people, it could be the opposite for others.</p>
<p>^I agree with this above concern but I will tell you that this National BSA position is at odds with most every Scouter I know and these policies must be changed. I think it would make for a very interesting job interview to say “I see you listed Eagle Scout on your resume. What do you think about BSA efforts to exclude gays and atheists from its membership ranks?” I could see that conversation go in so many directions and I would learn a lot about how that job candidate thinks on his feet and recognizes the challenge of being in an organization where you don’t necessarily agree with all the policies. If the applicant thought this was a good idea that might suggest intolerance or just a dogmatic belief that organizations should hold like minded individuals which may or not be right for your company. For those unfamiliar with BSA policy, they would support this latter concept. These are our rules, we’re a private organization and we can make our own rules, and if you don’t like it don’t join. Apparently the Supreme Court agrees.</p>
<p>I think BSA is a great program to get kids outside and learn good values. While I was never a scout, I do know a few Eagle Scouts. Many who are trying to become Eagle Scouts do so to help their chances of attending a better college, and many of them are doing very well in life and really enjoyed scouting. They had to put much time into it, but I didn’t see anything overwhelmingly difficult going on. It was just as much work for their parents who had to help financially and with their time driving and camping with the troop. I think parent involvement has a huge amount to do with becoming an Eagle Scout. Just from what I have read in the news from more recent projects, they seem to be watered down and dull for the most part. Becoming an Eagle Scout should be a great honor and congratulations to all you who are. Very time consuming in my opinion.</p>
<p>@YaleGradandDad,</p>
<p>I’m not sure that exclusion of atheists and an agreement that it’s justified constitutes intolerance. I would hardly find a religious organization intolerant for restricting members to, wait for it, religious people. The gay Scout issue is clearly different, but the Mormon influence in Scouting makes it unlikely to change.</p>
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<p>Clearly the only appropriate answer to this question is, “I do not discuss politics or related issues of any kind in the workplace.” Any other answer if I were the interviewer would result in a very short interview and a definitively final thank-you and good-bye.</p>