Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967 Posted December 31, 2021 Share Posted December 31, 2021 Earning the rank of Eagle Scout requires a TON of work over the course of a few years, completion of a project, and passing a review board interview. About five years ago I chaired an Eagle Scout Review Board for a young Scout. Some would argue too young; he was, as I recall, a few days shy of his fourteenth birthday. I will confess to having been a mite curious about how this could be - in my experience, the lion's share of new Eagle candidates had scrambled madly to complete the requirements by their eighteenth birthday - the mandatory cutoff age. When we completed our interview and the youngster stepped out of the room, I turned to one of the other board members and said, "we have just met 'Doogie Scouter.'" He indeed earned his Eagle. He is now an eighteen-year-old junior at California State University Fresno. Well... last night, I was on the Review Board for his sister, Zoë, who is now our county's first female Eagle Scout. At age fourteen. At first meeting, she comes across as a typical fourteen year old, happy and cheerful. Actually, she is a typical fourteen year old, and a whole lot more. She's a fourteen year old high school sophomore - skipped her freshman year, and is looking at early graduation. She has already completed sixty semester units of college courses, is active in 4-H and FFA, does multiple school extracurricular activities, is active in her church, and does a ton of volunteer work. And the youngster has already earned 57 merit badges. Her favorites? Rifle and shotgun shooting! Over the last dozen years I have chaired or participated in well over a hundred Eagle Boards of Review. By far, this has been my favorite thing in Scouting - you get to meet some really, really cool kids. If any of y'all have never done this and ever have the opportunity, I encourage you to do it. It'll do wonders toward restoring faith in the youth of our country - there are still a LOT of good kids out there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Riot Posted January 1, 2022 Share Posted January 1, 2022 Thanks for being a guiding hand for these kids, Hardpan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Three Foot Johnson Posted January 1, 2022 Share Posted January 1, 2022 Fourteen is pretty amazing! 17/1973 for me. Good God, closing in on 50 years ago now. The Scoutmasters - Harris, White, Tobol, Deadmond - all long gone now, of course. Good, dedicated men, one and all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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