As ‘Life to Eagle Coach’ for Troop 455, I work with Life Scouts to encourage them to make regular progress toward achieving the Eagle Scout rank if that’s their goal and desire. If you’re a Life Scout, and we haven’t talked yet, give me a call (with your parents on the line for YPT) and we can discuss your plan to get to Eagle.
We discuss various topics including fulfilling their leadership responsibilities (POR), developing plans for completing any required merit badges, and helping them select an Eagle Scout Service Project that they have enthusiasm for. I am not looking over their shoulders or nagging them to do a specific step, but rather, asking them to report on a semi-regular basis what they have accomplished toward their goal.
I have seen a number of scouts achieve their Life rank and hit the ‘pause button’ on advancement. Thinking they have ‘just one more step’ and they’ll achieve Eagle!! Days pass, weeks pass, months pass and with each day/week/month delayed, it becomes harder to re-engage and knock out advancement and merit badge requirements. For parents of aspiring Eagle Scouts, I ask you not to nag about a particular item but instead, ask what they have accomplished lately toward their goal, and encourage them to contact me if they become stuck.
I view my coaching position as a cheerleader to make sure they progress, no matter how small, stay engaged in their rank advancement, and don’t lose the enthusiasm for achieving their Eagle Scout rank. I have sat on Eagle Board of Reviews for scouts where 2 or 3 years have passed since achieving Life. They had done very little, if any, advancement planning. Then there is a mad dash to finish. It’s always rushed, and not nearly the quality work we expect of an aspiring Eagle Scout.
Hopefully, scouts will consider me a resource for discussing their challenges and for identifying solutions. I don’t have all the answers, but we can develop and explore other avenues to find the path that’s right for them.