<p>I stopped attending as a Life Scout abt 2 yrs ago (I'm 16 1/2)...I have all my badges/leadership...everything except the project. My main concern is I do not realy want to go back & be <em>required</em> to go camping w/ 5th graders (all my friends are eagles and long gone)</p>
<p>Does it provide that great of a benefit or not?</p>
<p>yeah just finish your Eagle... your situation is similar to mine.. i became inactive when i started high school... and then i got active again when i was about your age and finished it up... all i had left was the service project.</p>
<p>and you don't necessarily have to go camping all the time... maybe once and awhile... you can always use schoolwork as an excuse if you really don't wanna go.</p>
<p>it does prove to be a benefit because it's something unique... i think the statistic somewhere was only 4% of boy scouts ever reach the rank of eagle... so it's not that many.</p>
<p>Why would you be required to go camping? Does your troop have a requirement? My son's troop doesn't - once you're finished with the camping merit badge, you don't have to camp again. Talk to the Scoutmaster to see what would be required - things may have changed in two years.</p>
<p>Go for the Eagle. Trust me, you will regret it later in life that you were THIS close and didn't do it.</p>
<p>It comes down to why do you want to be an Eagle Scout. If it is to put another "feather in your cap" as you start the college application process, then perhaps it is not the best thing for you. Think back to when you were in 5th/6th grade and how much you looked up to the senior members of your troop. There is a certain level of responsibility to mold these younger members into senior scouts and if you do not feel that sense of responsibility then perhaps you are pursuing the rank of Eagle Scout for the wrong reasons. Becoming Eagle Scout should encompass more than just a listing on your college application. Too many young men attain the rank and then leave scouts. It is sad because they are not being good role models for the younger scouts. Going camping with a group of 5th and 6th graders may not be fun, but you are not going on these events to have a social gathering with your friends. The purpose is to teach the younger scouts. My son is about your age - he can't make every camping trip/meeting due to school and work responsiblities, but, fortunately, there is a great group of high schoolers who do make the effort to help out the adult leaders in his troop. That is the true purpose to being a senior boy scout.</p>
<p>If you have been completely inactive from your troop for over a year, you dont deserve to be an Eagle Scout. My troop wouldnt let you become one.</p>
<p>^^^^^
come on, he should still be able to get eagle, but i do think he should have to become active in the troop again as opposed to just immediately jumping into the project.</p>
<p>No. Personally I ignore any scouting related affairs because of their recent stances on homosexuality. "Don't ask, don't tell" is not an acceptable schematic in today's busy world.</p>
<p>Dean Wormer - so you ignore all military service as well? Do you hold the individual servicemen responsible for the stance on homosexuality that our Army, Navy and marines take? It's a volunteer service (for now), and they all know the rules. Does this make them all homophobic?</p>
<p>The scouts stance on homosexuality regarding adult scout leaders is not something that the young boys in the troops all over the country choose. The top administration is run by old men with some old values, and they'll be gone soon, but the layers underneath are as different as the communities they are in. Most troops are don't take an active stance against gays, and certainly not against boys who are gay. Where you see a problem is if an adult who is gay wants to become a Scout leader. This is rare, but it's what the fuss is all about. It's not about young boys being gay and not being allowed into the troop. Usually when a 7 -10 year old signs up for scouts, sexuality isn't all that important one way or another, and they certainly don't have the sophistication to really understand the nuances of the issue as it relates to the debate going on now.</p>
<p>Palermo - you have said it well. To the OP, please don't get your Eagle.
Being an Eagle Scout is about leadership and the giving back to the community, as well as to one's own troop. If you can't see any value in teaching other young boys what you have been taught, then you don't have the spirit required for an Eagle Scout.</p>
<p>yeah... i also agree with what others have said. make sure you are doing it for the right reasons... it's just a added secondary benefit that you get to put it on your college apps. the main thing is giving back to scouting and your community.</p>
<p>but still really think about it... do you really wanna give up when you are that close to being done?</p>
<p>For the record, as I have been attacked quite viciously, the main reason I stopped attending was because all the kids my age getting their Eagle were not good kids (ie I quit when a druggie kid got his Eagle)</p>
<p>However, as I did put in time from kindergarten thru ninth grade (& did it for all the right reasons thru then), I suppose it is a reasonable request to want to finish it.</p>
<p>Sorry if I offended anyone. =)</p>
<p>My intent was not to attack you and I apologize if that is how it came off. However, even with all of the merit badges and leadership requirements met, you still have close to 100 hours of work to become an Eagle Scout and you should do it for the right reason, not just to look good on your resume. It is not easy being a high school student who is active in Boy Scouts. I know several young men who feel a need to keep it quiet so they don't get picked on at school. However, I do encourage you to think about why you want to do it and if you do choose to complete it, please stay active in your troop. There is a huge need for teen leaders and all too often kids stop being active once they have attained the Eagle rank. It is too bad you were left with a bad impression of scouting based on your experience, but as I tell my kids, there are a lot of inequities in life and you do not have control over them - only in how you react to the inequity. Good luck and let us know what you decide to do.</p>
<p>stambliark41: Stop thinking about it, and call your Scout Master NOW! Not tomorrow, or the next day. There was an artical in the La Times 2 yrs ago, that said UC's where giving alot of weight to Eagle Scouts. The project is easy, all you need is ample time to plan. As to the camping with 5th graders, you may have to do it to get eagle. Being Eagle has helped me and my friends out so much. My friend got out of speeding tickets with it, I got many jobs because of it. You will regret it for the rest of your life, if you dont.</p>
<p>Well, it does look good on your resume... it shows that you have shown dedication and service to the community.</p>
<p>stambliark41 ..finish it just for our own good. However, in my opinon, a good 100+ hours of community service and dedication to it is better. JUst my opinion.</p>
<p>how does being an eagle scoutget you out of speeding tickets ??</p>
<p>I am actually going to be doing an "eagle project" anyway...I'm starting this service thing that is as much work as an eagle project. just saying (i suppose this could be my project if i wanted it to be) the work is not the issue, the issue is the amount of excess time that is required when becoming "active" again. sorry for the confusion.</p>