Are you sure that’s why it was turned down? Anytime you build something like a structure you have to get permits and other extra expensive and legal things.
Yep. We were told he wouldn’t demonstrate leadership, even though it would have been a) an original idea, b) organized and supervised by him (including getting materials donated and obtaining volunteer expertise from craftsmen). Permits and liability were never an issue; they just didn’t like the idea of an actual service project that wasn’t “everyone bring food donations to stake conference and put them in the big box outside the chapel. Oh, and can you guys put it in your programs and make announcements in your wards for our son. Thanks!”
Ridiculous, considering what gets approved and what the projects usually entail. The “Eagles” usually don’t even make the phone calls to set up the “donation” projects — the parents or leaders do.
We don’t have that problem around here. And, the brother who build a return system for the shot puts didn’t either. When you build a structure in which people are protected and under, every state requires expensive permits and inspections.
As to anyone having an Eagle Scout project picking up food for the poor, I don’t know about that. Sounds suspicious. Maybe you are being facetious.
I’m not. That’s all that get approved in my stake.
Or planting trees at the park. Which would be fine, but the Eagle never does anything. Adults get the trees, get permission from the city, put out announcements for volunteers to meet and plant trees, etc. The Eagle projects in our area are literally worthless as far as their intended purposes.
Or sending care packages to soldiers abroad. But the same applies: announcements to bring donations to stake conference, and then volunteer solicitation to assemble them. Little to nothing done by the Eagle.
Most of the current group of eagle projects are weak. However, the last one in our ward was done when a scout restored a big sign at a trail head north of our town that was burned in the fires. It was legitimate. He got the wood donated, made the phone calls and supervised the reconstruction.
None of this nonsense about food drives and other stuff.
My own son built a couple of shade and rest structures with little or no help from the city when they were redoing a park with new playground equipment. He spent way more time than he needed to and did way more work than is usually to be expected. It was hard work and he did his best to supervise it.
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Great post ARO. The BSA is dead as far as I am concerned as a specific program to help boys become men.
Texcoug,
I was a scout master about 40 years ago in a branch in San Marcos, Texas. I had never participated in scouting growing up in Utah. I was probably one of the few return missionaries who shunned scouting growing up. I wasn’t raised in a very active family and scouting wasn’t discouraged, but it wasn’t encouraged either so I spent my summers playing ball and goofing off with my friends. I must have been call by God to be a scout master because no man in his right mind would have called me to the position. One thing I realized is that scouting was a very good thing. Years later I was an 11 year old scout leader for just over 4 years from late 1996-2001 Later on I served in the stake as a scout specialist for cubs and 11 year old boy scouts from 2005-2006. I don’t write any of this to give anybody the impression I am some expert on scouting but I did learn that it WAS a great organization with a great purpose and I am very grateful for the opportunities I had to serve and learn how good it was. It was only coincidental that scouting started to bow to social pressure a few years after my last service in the BSA.
The BSA has always been in a bit of precarious position because they accept some federal assistance in various ways.
Scouting has been under attack for years over its principles. The atheists have attacked scouting for the wording in the Scout Oath because they considered it offensive to young atheist boy scouts because of the requirement to have to pledge to do ones duty to God. Then the LGBT cabal got in its licks and won a victory and then the change in the organization to move it from being an organization to build young men to include girls. Scouting has been under siege by Satan for years because anything that is praiseworthy or good he will attack and attempt to destroy. Any organization that moves away from its founding core principles is in peril.
Wow. Impressive and excellent post, Aro.
Excellent!
Funny,
I was never really into scouting as a youth either. If it did not have a ball involved, I was not interested. I did go on several over nighter’s, but the Scout merit badges were not part of it.
Then I had two sons, I volunteered for every camps (including the week long camp) and anything else they needed to help with. I supported the Scouting program as best I could because I saw value in the merit badges and the code of life they taught. In fact, when my oldest son left for the next group in Scouting (Ventures) I was asked by the Scout Master if I would continue to come to the camps? I told him “Any time!” I then take my youngest (son) with me on those camps.
Over the years, Scouting has gotten to much PC. It has diminished the reputation that they earned over the decades.
I hope the church will create an “Outdoor” program for the youth, because as Chris (Fish) can attest, there is nothing like being outdoors learning what Nature has too teach you.
In fact, I spent last Saturday at East Canyon fishing… caught some nice rainbow’s, but more importantly, saw the beauties of Nature.
Aro is a beast. Then again, so is Floyd.
Grasshopper has his moments…
