Quote Originally Posted by .455_Hunter View Post
My son had his final Scoutmaster conference last night and submitted his Eagle Application, finally punching his timecard for completing the achievement before his 18th birthday in two weeks. I am very proud of him. He will now have a Board of Review later in the spring to make it official. I know it's been very popular to crap on BSA over the past few years, but his experiences in the Troop were outstanding, especially the wilderness excursions to UT/AZ canyon country and Alaska. I am sure some Troops are ineffective and deficient, but not all of them are dumpster fires, regardless of what the interwebz proclaim.


Congratulations to your son, and to you for the achievement. I think it's an important hallmark in a young man's development in preparation for a productive and moral life.

I was fortunate to have great scout leaders. We participated in many trainings, charitable events, and campouts every month of the year, summer and winter. Every year, we went on 50-90 mile wilderness backpack trips. Every summer, we visited Camp Tahosa for a week of scouting activities from archery and shooting, swimming and boating, fishing, birding and plant ID. I earned Eagle with a few palms, served as senior patrol leader, and as chapter chief of the Order of the Arrow. As a scout, I served on the district Eagle review board visiting many different troops in the Denver area council. I saw dramatic differences in their leadership that made some very successful and others sadly deficient. The few I saw that were poor were more urban and church based, and they lacked in outdoor experiences. They just didn't have the verve, spirit and enthusiasm of those that had men teaching boys in outdoor skills.

I'm glad to hear of your son's positive experiences and that Scouting is still viable and valuable.