Comments on: The Quick 10: 10 People Who Have Attained the Rank of Eagle Scout

By: Sarah

Sarah — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 19:20:00 +0000

Right now my son is working on his first year in Cub Scouts but I hope that he will earn it sometime in the future.

By: Alexandra

Alexandra — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 07:38:32 +0000

As a Girl Scout working on her Gold Award currently, and knowing personally a couple of recent Eagle Scouts, I couldn’t resist putting in a few words on the matter.

It really doesn’t matter whether one project or another has the same distinction, does it? The fact is that some projects have larger impacts than others. My Gold Award project, for example, has a far bigger impact on my community than my friend’s Eagle Scout project. How do I know this? He told me himself. Did he have to jump through more hoops to earn his place? Probably. Does it matter? Not really. The idea behind the project is, in theory, that the scout, boy or girl, is contributing to his/her community. The project isn’t earned for honor or distinction, it’s for the good stuff, helping people. I may be one in a thousand, but I’m not working on my project for me – I’m doing it for the kids.

And no, I was not fed lines by any organization. For the record and such.

By: Tristan Hartry

Tristan Hartry — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 04:51:18 +0000

It’s also important to note that when you refer to a racist, homophobic organization you should not refer to scouting in general. There are plenty of national scouting organizations outside of the USA that are tolerant and welcoming to all. The BSA has continually growing farther and farther from the original BP concepts, though this is certainly more prevalent in some troops than others.

As someone who is a Chief Scout Award holder and who was up until recently a cub scout leader the stories I hear about some american troops sadden me.

By: PAUL

PAUL — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 21:07:40 +0000

Interesting, everyone who reads Mental Floss is a boy/girl scout… except me!

By: Jay

Jay — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 20:11:52 +0000

I’m the father of two daughters who are both Boy Scouts, and Eagle Scout myself, and the Scoutmaster of a troop that caters to special needs kids (no we don’t use any government buildings).
Despite its flaws, the Boy Scouts of America is a great program for kids.

By: Nicole

Nicole — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 20:05:18 +0000

Actually, according to an ACLU publication, the Pentagon has a special expenditure for the Boy Scouts that allocates $7 MILLION for each yearly Jamboree, with no other group competing for this funding. Total expenditures from the Pentagon alone have exceeded $29 million in the last two decades. See Winkler v. Rumsfeld (2006) for more information.

By: Zach

Zach — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 16:46:03 +0000

At the very least, many of them use government buildings and don’t pay to use them.

By: bzzyb

bzzyb — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 16:14:37 +0000

Zach – I do not believe the Boy Scouts are funded by the government. I could be wrong here, but I think most of the Boy Scouts funding comes from the United Way.

By: BassMan

BassMan — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 15:14:28 +0000

Wow! Who knew there’d be such controversy here?
Don’t undervalue the cookies. That BS (double entendre intended) popcorn can’t compete.
I was never a scout, but my daughter was a Girl Scout for a while. She quit because she got tired of tea parties and the like.
They could stand to toughen up the GS. More physical activity. No reason the girls can’t do most, if not all, the boys do.

By: Florida

Florida — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 14:06:57 +0000

Considering the Boy Scouts actively discriminate against non-theists and homosexuals, I wouldn’t consider the Eagle Scout badge to be one of honor.

It should also be noted Steven Speilberg resigned from his position as an advisory board member of the BSA
saying he was saddened by their open discrimination.