Boy Scouts: How far did you get?

[CH4]

Calling all Boy Scouts!
Tell us about your most memorable experience(s), highest rank achieved, number of merit badges, troop number, OA, Eagle Project, etc.

I made Eagle Scout, but barely. If it weren't for my parents pushing me, I would have never finished. Completed the requirements just two weeks before my 18th birthday, 1983.

After working my way up through Cub Scouts and Weblos, I joined Troop 78, Jackson. CA. I have to say my experience in scouts and making Eagle has played an important role in my success as an adult. If given the opportunity, I'd do all over again in a heartbeat; however, I'd try to make Eagle a little sooner so I could actually wear the rank.

In addition to being a member of T78, I was an ordeal member of of the Order of the Arrow, Mayi Lodge 354.

 

[STCM(SW)]

Assent Scout Master, Assent Sea Scout Master, Order of the Arrow.

 

[Sistema1927]

I started in Cub Scouts on Staten Island, NY. Was in a BSA troop in London, England where we had an Indian dance troupe (horror of horrors! "Cultural appropriation"), and did quite a bit of bad weather camping. One very memorable jamboree with the English scouts as well. Then on to El Paso, TX, where I was also inducted into OA at Camp Dale Resler in the Sacramento mountains of NM. Finally quit after attaining Star, mainly due to the fact that I had discovered girls.

 

[swsig]

I was a Cub Scout and Mom was our Den Mother. All the boys in my den were friends from my elementary school. That would have been great, except my three year old little sister insisted on sitting in on our meetings, annoying me no end. Mom would tell her to go to her room before the meeting, but inevitably, she would sneak out and join the group. Mom didn't want to waste time continuously putting little Sis back in her room, so she proceeded to run the meeting as long as Sis kept quiet. My friends must have felt sorry for me, because they never said anything about Sis.

After a meeting one day, she asked Mom why we always talked about a "plug leak" during our meetings. Sis knew what a plug was and what a leak was, but what she meant by "plug leak" was a mystery to Mom. Finally, after much questioning, Sis said, "It's when you stand up, face the flag, put your hand over your heart, and say the Plug Leak."

Mom was savvy enough not to tell me this story until years later, knowing that I'd have teased Sis unmercifully at the time. (Mom was right.) But now, 70 years later, I still occasionally razz Sis about it. Hey, once an older brother, always an older brother.

I did not go on to Boy Scouts. Instead, beginning at age 10, I spent three years in the Air Force's Ground Observer Corps. I thought protecting my country from Commie bombers was more important than learning to start fires without matches.

 

[twodog max]

I cared nothing for scouting. It was just not for me. My older brother was Star and younger made Eagle. I was not then nor even now much for joining any organizations.

 

[CajunBass]

I was in Cub Scouts for about a year, but other than owning a handbook, I remember nothing about it.

 

[BigBoy99]

I was lacking my Physical Fitness Merit Badge which prevented me from getting my Eagle. The high school football coach was the Physical Fitness Merit Badge councilor and I would fail each time I attempt to pass it. He told me that I would fail until I joined the high school football team. I had to work after school to earn money for college and couldn't play football. I never did get my Eagle because I couldn't get the Physical Fitness Merit Badge.

 

[soFlaNative]

Good men, all WW2 vets and a camp survivor showed us suburban boys things we may have missed otherwise. They managed to keep a rowdy bunch in line just enough to smoke the competition from here to Shining Rock. Scuffles would break out between us constantly but when the districts would gather for the camporee's (hated 'em) Troop 33 would pull as one to build the bridge, race the canoe with 4 guys paddling until the whistle blew, jump out and get back in and go without hardly missing a beat, it didn't matter.
A minor example for some reason sticks in my head. Groups of scouts gathered around small frames with a line rigged to a bucket of water. Build a fire with one wooden match to burn thru the string that would dump the bucket and extinguish the flame. Fuel was a foot long length of 3 or 4" hawser.
Four of us stood there looking at the struggles for a bit then each grabbed a strand and shredded the rope until we had a big ball of thread. Touched of the match and WHOOSH.
Another ribbon we could not care less about.

 

[moosedog]

I was only in Cub Scouts and only got to Wolf when my father, who had a problem with the bottle, got into a huge argument with the Cubmaster over the way he ran the Pine Wood Derby. I was too embarrassed to go back.
Later as an parent, I did work in leadership roles as Cub Master and Scout Master for 11 years while my son worked his way up to Eagle.

 

[cadmike]

Growing up in Ohio, I greatly enjoyed my time in the cub scouts, the weekend campouts were my favorite. By the time I was old enough for Webelos my interests began to change. But one incident in particular led to the end of my career in the scouts.

So as a young Webelos I'm with our scout troop at one of the Boy Scout camps for the weekend. Wish I could remember the name of the place. Lots of older Boy Scouts, younger cub scouts and other Webelos around. There's this boy from another troop, someone I did not know, he starts running his mouth at me, I'm not sure why but I guess he thought he could pick on me. Not very scout-like behavior! Well long story short I corrected his behavior with a round house kick to the jaw. Also not very scout-like behavior. His lip split open and blood gushed down his face and uniform, he starts crying and calling for his Dad.

I'm like oh no his Dad is here? Yeah his dad was there all right, the head scout master of the whole camp! Thought I was done for, but as no teeth were missing, after a good scolding he made us shake hands, say sorry and be friends and all that. This was on the very first night of the weekend trip. There were no other problems between us that weekend, but it made for some awkwardness, to say the least.

After I got home that weekend, I never participated in another scout activity again.

 

[BLACKHAWKNJ]

Eagle Scout here, enjoyed it thoroughly. I didn't attend the Court of Honor where I got my Eagle badge-I was in the Army by then.

 

[Bill Bates]

I made it to Life at 14years old. I only had three merit badges and an Eagle project left to do to make Eagle Scout. Not finishing my Eagle is one of the very few things I regret in this life.

 

[tinkerer]

Made Life, I think. Then lipstick and gasoline got in the way.
My daughter earned her Gold Award in G.S. and both boys earned their Eagle. Same troop I was in at their age.
Committee Chair for many years.
Made sure that the boys who wanted Eagle had a way to accomplish it.
Those that didn't still learned things that served them well and had a good time.
Not sure I could handle the "political correctness" of today.

 

[rockquarry]

Eagle since 1963. I've benefited greatly from the Scouting and Explorer programs throughout life and know many others who can say the same. Scouting may not be what it once was but it remains a worthwhile organization and that's what's important.

Some of my most memorable experiences can be attributed to Scouting, like three summers I spent on the staff at Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico. I still remain in contact with some of my co-workers from back then; people I've known since the '60s.

 

[jeffrefrig]

I was a Cub Scout, actually won the Pinewood Derby for our den, then lost in the final for our Pack. I started in the Weblos but hated it. We had a weekend at someone's camp in the winter. The only heat was a fireplace. I think I remember waking up freezing my rear off, went out to the living room where the men were; all snoring and several beer bottles sitting around. I got in a fight with some kid from another part of town. I was surprised when he wouldn't go down or quit; just stood there and kept trying to hit me. I laughed, then he laughed and a couple older kids made us quit, after we already did. I quit scouts soon after that weekend and learned more outdoors stuff with my dad at our camp. He was an Eagle Scout but went straight to the Navy after high school and never did get his badge or whatever. I still have his Scout manual. Mine disappeared somewhere. His neckerchief is downstairs with a couple other things. I just didn't like the Scouts very well; it was nothing like the TV ads showed with kids camping, etc. That one freezing trip was as close to outdoor "fun" as we ever got.

 

[chief38]

I recently came across my Merit Badge Sash when unpacking some moving boxes. Since them I forgot where the heck I put it! I also came across my OA arrow sash and a bunch of awards I won along the way.

It's a real shame about what has happened to a fine organization of the past. I learned a lot of things still quite useful in the adventure of life!

 

[Buford57]

Made it to First Class by the end of my freshman year of high school. Went to work on a construction crew that summer and that was my extracurricular activity thereafter. My favorite memory is an overnight canoe trip on the AuSable River.

 

[woodsltc]

Our troop had a great Scout Master (a forester in the U.S. Forest Service) that taught us lots of outdoor skills, and we had lots of community support. Myself and two buddies were the first to earn Eagle in our troop, was in the Order-of-the-Arrow, and spent time at the Philmont Scout Ranch. Great learning experience.

Don

 

[robvious]

made it thru Webelos... older brother was an Eagle... younger brother was an Eagle.. I was never a Boy Scout.. I had a job... also, my father was leader for big brother, and it was so frustrating he quit when it was my turn.. new leader thought hazing was wonderful.. nope, I was too smart and stubborn to put up with that crud... so I was a leader for my son... we were both Order of the Arrow... and he became an Eagle... so I was sort of a Boy Scout... just did it as a grown up...

 

[jbtrucker]

1960's all family was in the Scouts I was a Cub Scout brother was Boy Scout dad was Troop Leader. Mom was chaperone and sister Girl Scout, my sister has old photo of all of us in uniform . When a teenager was in couple Troops and made Tenderfoot . One was a ragtag group when camping Troop leaders would grill and drink beer while us boys ran wild in the woods. My niece has my moms cedar chest with my dark blue Cub Scout uniform made with soft thick cotton.