Hi!!
Thanks for forwarding me the article. Just so you are aware, this is a rather old story now, as the local Council involved along with the BSA’s Disability Awareness Task Force has responded to the parents and the Scout involved — and everyone is happy. I am posting this as a matter of record and to provide some insight into this issue.
I have read through the article twice and find it basically factual from the perspective of the author. She appears to have little to no Scouting background, and the article basically appears to be lifted from other accounts which are missing some elements.
Since I don’t speak for the BSA, the BSA and the local Council involved should take the lead on any official responses. However, this does not prevent you nor I in responding back to the author and providing additional information to make her story and any follow ups to it more accurate and reflective of the issue.
As I stated to the author, the BSA since the 1920s have been very sensitive to those in our program with physical, mental and social challenges. This stems from our first Chief Scout Executive, James E. West, who suffered from tuberculosis and was crippled, with one leg shorter than the other while serving as our first chief administrator.
The BSA has a policy, which the Scout’s local unit in Utah should have consulted well before accepting him as a member of their Troop. The BSA’s policy for dealing with youth with disAbilities is outlined within the organization’s Guide to Advancement. It explains that advancement has to be approved *in advance* by the unit AND the local Council’s committee dealing with disabilities or advancement. In this manner, a Scout’s participation can be altered officially to extend, and not cheapen or lessen the ability of the youth member to do their very best efforts as well as to keep the standards of the program high. This is all nothing new; youth have been meeting those requirements for decades and is the reason why earning Eagle, the Boy Scout program’s highest rank, is not “a walk in the daylight through the park”.
In addition to the earning of merit badges and being active within the unit for periods of time, there are leadership experiences — a youth member must serve as a leader or supporting leader within his Troop for two periods of time. A variety of experiences and roles are offered, which narrows as the Scout works toward Life Scout and then Eagle Scout. Successful completion of those roles are part of the requirement toward Eagle. Additionally, there are service opportunities which the Scout must meet as early as First Class, the half-way point and “real goal” of every Scout. In order to become a First Class Scout, one must participate in a service project. A different service project participation is required for Star Scout and Life Scout, and as the Scout was attempting to do, a leadership/service project is required as part of the list of requirements toward Eagle Scout.
One cannot “pick and choose” because “this appears to be too hard for him, so we will let it go that he attempted”. The requirements must be met to the satisfaction of the Scout’s unit and in his case, the local Council which must approve any changes to the established written requirements. However, due to a lot of good intentions, misunderstandings and may I say it, ignorance of the established national policy and guidance, this Scout and in return his family, fell through slats and the family struck out to defend their child as any family would.
If the Scout and his family truly wants to move forward from this unfortunate series of events onward to Eagle, it is NOT too late and the BSA, through the local Council, would be willing to assist him toward meeting his goal. First, the family needs to meet with the person in the local Council serving as the chair of that Council’s advancement and recognition committee, along with the professional staff person assigned to assist that committee. During that meeting, everyone goes through the appropriate sections in the Guide to Advancement and makes a plan of action to gather the appropriate documents and the necessary medical and Scouting approvals. Everything is done locally, for the Scouting program is conducted through local BSA Council offices and their volunteers empowered to do this.
Once the Scout’s trail is re-established, the Scout should meet with those people who assisted him in earning the merit badges he had the opportunity previously to work toward. At the same time, he should be given credit for the past unit activities in which he participated within. His trail to Eagle should be as similar to *any other Scout’s* advancement toward Eagle. That is what makes the trail toward earning Eagle common but unique.
It takes a Scout on average 3 years to earn Eagle, meeting all of the requirements. This Scout, because of his personal disabilities, may take him double or little bit more to get there. While his chronological age may say 18, the BSA does not use that as an end point if the *paperwork is submitted and is approved locally*.
Hope that this helps in explaining to your audience how Eagle Scout is earned and why those of us involved in the BSA want to see this Scout earn, not be given, our highest rank status within the Boy Scout program.
The BSA has a policy, which the Scout’s local unit in Utah should have consulted well before accepting him as a member of their Troop. The BSA’s policy for dealing with youth with disAbilities is outlined within the organization’s Guide to Advancement. It explains that advancement has to be approved *in advance* by the unit AND the local Council’s committee dealing with disabilities or advancement. In this manner, a Scout’s participation can be altered officially to extend, and not cheapen or lessen the ability of the youth member to do their very best efforts as well as to keep the standards of the program high. This is all nothing new; youth have been meeting those requirements for decades and is the reason why earning Eagle, the Boy Scout program’s highest rank, is not “a walk in the daylight through the park”.
In addition to the earning of merit badges and being active within the unit for periods of time, there are leadership experiences — a youth member must serve as a leader or supporting leader within his Troop for two periods of time. A variety of experiences and roles are offered, which narrows as the Scout works toward Life Scout and then Eagle Scout. Successful completion of those roles are part of the requirement toward Eagle. Additionally, there are service opportunities which the Scout must meet as early as First Class, the half-way point and “real goal” of every Scout. In order to become a First Class Scout, one must participate in a service project. A different service project participation is required for Star Scout and Life Scout, and as the Scout was attempting to do, a leadership/service project is required as part of the list of requirements toward Eagle Scout.
One cannot “pick and choose” because “this appears to be too hard for him, so we will let it go that he attempted”. The requirements must be met to the satisfaction of the Scout’s unit and in his case, the local Council which must approve any changes to the established written requirements. However, due to a lot of good intentions, misunderstandings and may I say it, ignorance of the established national policy and guidance, this Scout and in return his family, fell through slats and the family struck out to defend their child as any family would.
If the Scout and his family truly wants to move forward from this unfortunate series of events onward to Eagle, it is NOT too late and the BSA, through the local Council, would be willing to assist him toward meeting his goal. First, the family needs to meet with the person in the local Council serving as the chair of that Council’s advancement and recognition committee, along with the professional staff person assigned to assist that committee. During that meeting, everyone goes through the appropriate sections in the Guide to Advancement and makes a plan of action to gather the appropriate documents and the necessary medical and Scouting approvals. Everything is done locally, for the Scouting program is conducted through local BSA Council offices and their volunteers empowered to do this.
Once the Scout’s trail is re-established, the Scout should meet with those people who assisted him in earning the merit badges he had the opportunity previously to work toward. At the same time, he should be given credit for the past unit activities in which he participated within. His trail to Eagle should be as similar to *any other Scout’s* advancement toward Eagle. That is what makes the trail toward earning Eagle common but unique.
It takes a Scout on average 3 years to earn Eagle, meeting all of the requirements. This Scout, because of his personal disabilities, may take him double or little bit more to get there. While his chronological age may say 18, the BSA does not use that as an end point if the *paperwork is submitted and is approved locally*.
Hope that this helps in explaining to your audience how Eagle Scout is earned and why those of us involved in the BSA want to see this Scout earn, not be given, our highest rank status within the Boy Scout program.
I stand ready to assist you or others in helping to clarify this unfortunate but salvable series of errors to your public!
Settummanque!
One Response to Response to Scout Being Denied Eagle because of Disability (March 2018)