[Eagleprojects] Drake Myers

[Peter Reich]

As the Scoutmaster, Erik has the role of deciding whether a given scout should proceed with his Eagle project.  Erik can evaluate the leadership and maturity of the scout.  Although scouts in the Troop have proceeded with projects without being ASPLs or SPLs (this is not a BSA requirement) they have demonstrated leadership in other ways.  In this case, Drake has done far too little in terms of leadership, and has not even completed the required merit badges.  There is no emergent reason why he should be allowed to go ahead (eg., terminal illness of parent).  I don't see the harm in making him finish the merit badges and hold some other position beyond patrol leader (which he has not even completed).

I vote to uphold Erik's decision.  I'm not sure who the Chair of the Eagle Committee is, but I would be happy to communicate any action or sentiment of the Committee to Drake.  I do think it would be useful for the Committee to make a statement to Drake and his parents so that Erik is not considered the only obstacle to Drake's becoming Eagle right now. 

Peter
 
>>> "Erik Mayer" <scoutmaster at bsatroop113.org> 02/29/08 5:02 PM >>>
I am having a problem with Drake Myers. He has been a Life Scout for about
three months. He is 13 years old and has 5 required Merit Badges for Eagle.
His Leadership so far has been Chaplain's Aide. When I met with him at his
Scoutmaster's Conference, I went over the first step to do an Eagle Project.
I told him to complete his Merit Badges, but that I wanted him to wait a
couple of years before he does his project and that I would like him to be
an ASPL or SPL before Eagle. He signed the agreement.

 

Dave, Drake's father rode with me to Conrad Chinook. He mentioned that Drake
was working on his Eagle Project. He also said that Drake is trying to be
the youngest Eagle. I told him that there is an approval process for
projects and that I feel he needs to be older, demonstrate more leadership
and mature more before doing an Eagle Project. I was contacted by Drake
yesterday stating that his father told him he needed signatures for his
project scheduled for April 6th. I called him back and told him that I felt
that he needed to wait and needed more leadership as an ASPL or SPL and
needed to mature more. I also told him that there was an approval process he
needed to go through before setting a date. He became a little upset and
hung up.

 

I called Peter Reich and discussed this issue and left a message for Patti
to call me.

 

Peter forwarded me an email and his reply which I have now copied:

 

------Original Message------
From: Peter Reich
Sender: 
To: Carole Myers
Sent: Feb 29, 2008 13:07
Subject: Re: Scout Help
 
Hi Drake,
 
Before you can do the project, Erik needs to meet with you and clear you to 
proceed.  He will want to know where you stand regarding leadership,
completion 
of merit badges, time in the Troop, and anything else he considers relevant
to 
your earning Eagle.  If he says you can proceed, you then write up the
project 
proposal and he sends it out to the Eagle Committee for comments.  There
will 
also be signatures to obtain from the Council and your sponsoring
organization, 
but Erik can tell you about that.  So the first thing you need to do is
contact 
Erik.
 
Sincerely,
 
Peter Reich
Advancement Co-Chair 
 
>>> "Mrs. Myers" <myerscar at aol.com> 02/28/08 10:45 PM >>>
Mr. Reich,
I am starting to work on my Eagle project.? 
 
Erik told me that I needed to get signatures.
?
Would the unit advancement committee signature person be you?
 
And than could you please tell me who at council I need to get?
 
Thank you,
Drake Myers

 

 

Also today, Drake left me another message asking for the approval signatures
that he needs to get for his Blood Drive.

 

Drake is not following protocol in doing his project. The bigger issue for
me is that Drake is not mature enough and does not have enough leadership
experience to do an Eagle Project.

 

Comments?

 

Erik Mayer

Scoutmaster

Troop 113

Culver City, California

Cescent Bay District

Western LA County Council

scoutmaster at bsatroop113.org

erik at bsatroop113.org Black Berry

www.bsatroop113.org <http://www.bsatroop113.org/> 

(310) 202-0113 Cell

(310) 390-2106 Home / Fax