Scholarship and Public Speaking for Eagle rank

538

Revise

If we're supposed to be turning out the best of the best as Eagle Scouts, can anyone tell me why Scholarship Merit Badge and Public Speaking Merit Badges are not required for Eagle rank?

Scholarship goes without saying. An Eagle Scout should be a decent student who works hard in school. To not make it required suggests that the Organization doesn't value good scholarship in our youth. If you don't do well in school, don't worry, you can still be an Eagle Scout.

Public Speaking should at least be optionally required with something else. How many Eagle Ceremonies have you been to where the new Eagle Scout got up to speak and had no idea what to say, or how to properly present himself? I'm not saying we can create the perfect public speaker, but we should encourage our young men to learn the basics of talking to groups. It's a skill that will carry on with them their whole lives.

Idea # 727Boy Scouting

Comments

Mark Saxon 5 months ago

I can see the merit in these badges but similar arguments could be made in support of adding American Heritage, Entrepreneurship or Law. I think the intent behind the silver's is to give a well-rounded spectrum. Some of the greens are really worth undertaking but are a bit specialized to require for all.

538 5 months ago

I respectfully disagree with the other posted comment. Comparing Scholarship in a young man and, say Golf or Basketry is apples to oranges. The silvers are the ones that the Organization says are important in the growth and development of young men. To minimize Scholarship in that mix is an unsaid way of saying we don't feel good grades in school are important. The other merit badges you named are laudible and are available to those who want to earn them. Getting a good education is not comparable to learning about American Heritage. Scholarship is not "specialized." We should require it from all Scouts - in fact, we do, when we say "keep myself...mentally awake".

As for Public Speaking...that's why I reccomend it as optionally required. It tells people that we value that development in a youth but not above some other things.

Mark Saxon 5 months ago

I agree whole heartedly on the sentiment that we need to signal the importance of education to our young men. To play devil’s advocate however, the current requirements of the badge would be more in line with those of basket weaving than any of the comparable requirements for a silver merit badge. If a boy had a B average he could sit down with his councilor and earn the badge in a half hour. By comparison, Personal Management and all the Citizenships are far more rigorous. I always looked at Scholarship as a gimmie.or reward for what I was doing anyway. Maybe a better solution is to give it the prestige it deserves as suggested here but also beef of the requirements to include some sort of research component about secondary education options. With high school diplomas meaning less and less these days getting boys focused on college and other options is something I could get behind.

Fran Callahan 4 months ago

I would agree with the comment that the criteria for the Scholarship merit badge needs more meat ... but it should not be grade driven. Scouts do their best...that does not necessarily translate into an A average. I do like the idea of a research component for further education/career opportunities.

The public speaking merit badge is valuable but perhaps some kind of public speaking should be a rank requirement associated with Star, Life, and Eagle. Something to do within the unit or before the Chartered Organization. But to play the devils advocate, my son never earned the badge and never did alot in school. However, being a patrol leader and senior patrol leader he learned to express himself to adults and youth in the troop. This had carried over into academic life and sports, and as parents, are amazed at his confidence and competency. He actually volunteers to speak. Our troop was boy run and the leaders encouraged each boy to speak up, express themselves and present their ideas.

kbryan 4 months ago

I disagree with adding both of those badges to the list of Eagle Required badges.

Although it would be beneficial to add a component for continuing education, as it is written now, the Scholarship merit badge doesn't apply.

Public Speaking is a component of the Communications Merit Badge. It is also part of the Scoutmaster Conference, and a part of the Board of Review. I never earned the Public Speaking Merit Badge, but frequently spoke infront of groups both Scouting and non-Scouting as a youth.

There are also opportunities for the youth to learn public speaking skills at the National Youth Leadership Training, Order of the Arrow National Leadership Seminar, even at Den Chief Training. There are people who can speak infront of groups, there are people who cannot. We can train and teach them to do the best they can, but not all are going to be eloquent orators.

The Eagle award is for demonstration of Leadership. Not all leaders are public speakers. Not all Leaders were honor roll students. As long as there is a value for continuing education, and personal growth, even in public speaking, that helps to qualify for the Eagle Award.

I will agree that by the time they're receiving their Eagle award, their first remarks shouldn't be "Ahhhh...... I didn't write anything..."

Counci 538 4 months ago

to kbryan...i quote you..."The Eagle award is for demonstration of Leadership."

I agree, but to limit the award to just demonstrating leadership demeans the award. It's much more than that. It's about helping boys to be the best person they can possibly be, mentally, physically, emotionally and to otherwise prepare them for a life of leadership through experience and training.

I agree that those here who say the current requirements for Scholarship are a bit weak, and could be beefed up if made required. But I hope it's considered for Eagle at some point. No one is saying they need to carry an "A" average. But some demonstration of scholastic achievement should be a consideration for Eagle...and not just "how ya doin in school Billy?" at an Eagle Board of Review.

Joe Connole 4 months ago

I disagree about Scholarship, if we added that then we would have to add Reading as well. A Scout's ability to make A's and B's has nothing to do with his ability to succeed in the world. Just look at President Bush who was a C average History major at Yale University and he became PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.

As for Public Speaking, Communications is required for Eagle and it has a 5 minute speech attached to it.

Joe Connole 4 months ago

Council 538...

I disagree that the Eagle required Merit Badges in some way are less than the Scholarship Merit Badge. Communications, the Citizenships, Personal Management, all of these and more are in many ways far more difficult for a scout than his school work. You don't learn economics until you're a senior in high school in Texas; yet we routinely have boys as young as 14 earning Eagle Scout. There is absolutely no justification to require Scholarship merit badge simply because it encourages a boy to be a better student. What about all those boys who can't do good in school? Are we saying we want to discourage boys from joining simply because they can't do well enough to earn the Scholarship merit badge? The BSA tries to include all boys no matter their abilities and disabilities.

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