As I attended an Eagle Court of Honor yesterday, there was a recurring theme mentioned by many of the participants: It takes a whole community of people to "make" an Eagle scout. I don’t want to downplay the amount of determination and hard work that it takes for each scout to become an Eagle. But, the fact is, becoming an Eagle scout isn’t a solo achievement – it cannot be accomplished without involving other people. In fact, it takes many people.
Here are some of the other people that need to be there to "make" an Eagle:
The scout’s parents. As a scoutmaster, I’ve never seen anyone make Eagle whose parents I didn’t already know. The scout’s parents usually have provided lots of encouragement and support along the way. They are the first people a scout usually thanks in their acceptance speech.
The unit leaders. Scouting is designed to do most of a scout’s development at the unit level. Unit leaders, who are all unpaid volunteers, dedicate many hours of effort to "make" each Eagle. Eagle scouts almost always point to a leader who was an inspiration to them.
BSA staff. Each unit is supported by staff at the district, council, and national level. Many of these leaders are also unpaid volunteers. These people create the "system", including organization, training and activities, that allows each scout and unit leader to thrive.
Other scouts. To achieve Eagle, a scout must be a leader and manage other scouts in a service project. Each of these requirements necessitates a group of scouts to lead and manage. Plus, I’m sure each Eagle was helped along the beginning stages of the Eagle path by older scouts.
Charter organization. Local scout units are each supported by a charter organization, such as a church or service organization. Without the support of the charter organization, the local units wouldn’t exist. The charter organization anchors the local unit into the community.
There are many more people involved. Merit badge counselors, camp staff, financial sponsors, etc. The list goes on and on…
During the court of honor, we discuss what a unique achievement it is for a scout to become an Eagle. The statistic is that an Eagle is "one in a hundred" – only 1% of the young men who join scouts becomes an Eagle. This seems about right to me. And, I recognize that becoming an Eagle is an outstanding achievement for the scout. But, it also seems to me that it takes about 100 people of the sorts listed above to help "make" the Eagle. Which, when you think about it, is another outstanding achievement for the scout’s community and scouting in general.
Some days I worry that our sense of community is diminishing – at least in the community where I live. It seems that people spend more and more of their time isolated in front of a screen of some sort – be it a computer, television, or video game. (There weren’t any computers or video games to keep me from playing with my neighborhood friends when I grew up.) I’m proud to be a part of an organization that is maintaining and promoting a sense of community in so many ways. And, I hope our Eagle scouts continue to pass along this value as they become parents and scout leaders themselves.
