Eagle Scouts

At the end of this blog post, there is a little information on a STEM Merit Badge Jamboree which takes place at the Naval Academy. Four years ago, I went to that Jamboree. That was my first time ever hearing of the Naval Academy. Boy did I get hooked! Now having accepted my Offer of Appointment I really see how everything has come almost full circle. Great article! Thank you for sharing!
 
DS is Eagle w/ Bronze Palm, but he's a Firstie @ USCGA. I believe there are about 20 Eagle Scouts in his class year.
 
DS is an Eagle that just received his USNA appointment today! I DO think it helped. He also received an ISR NROTC scholarship and the CO that awarded the ISR called-out during the interview that he has a lot of respect for Eagle Scouts and was glad to see DS is one.
 
DS just had his Court of Honor with 2 other boys from our troop who also earned their Eagle. Aspiring to attend a service academy really helped motivate him to finish!
 
Glad to see so many in this Thread who are Eagle Sons. I am looking forward to seeing my 14 year old Daughter become an Eagle Scout. She’s been in Venture Crew for a year now and has earned Discovery. She wants to do many things her brother does. Learn to shoot, Box, Juijitsu, Tae KWON Do, XC, etc. She now enjoys the Volleyball Team.

My DS is an Eagle Scout with 11 Eagle Palms. He’s completed 77 Merit Badges. He learned so many things by doing MBs. He did about 14 a year for 6 years. He stopped doing them at the end of 2016. He ran out of things he likes to learn in MB. He’s been in Scouting for 8 years. Took on most of the leadership positions offered in Scouting. He also became a Summit Scout in Venturing in 2017. Took him 3 years to achieve Summit and 3.5 years to achieve Eagle at 14. He ran as the Founding President for his Crew of 15 young men and women. He’s now done. Now serving as a mentor and coach to other Eagles and Crew leadership. He will assume the role of Asst Scoutmaster when he soon turns 18. He’s a life member of NESA. DS has an Appointment to USNA and USCGA. If he enrolls at Annapolis, he will join the USNA NESA and stay active. He misses the youngling years when he was a First Class Scout and a Patrol Leader for 2 years. He learned so much as a Patrol Leader. More than when he was an SPL and JASM. Scouting has been so central part of his youth and manhood, my wife and I cannot thank enough to Scouting. Many of his Scoutmasters and Asst Scoutmasters were Eagle Scouts and Eagle Scout Dads in the Army and Air Force. We are still actively involved. Now with our DD, and our DS has been the coach and mentor to his sister. He trained 10 other Eagles in his Troop and Crew. About half were 2 years older than him. Like the military it’s not the age but the rank you salute and respect.

He just came back from USNA CVW last weekend taking classes with the Plebes. He loved it. He’s now seriously thinking Annapolis. Even considering being a Pilot that he never considered before. We shall see. He plans to Major in Navy’s new Major in Cyber Operations. Annapolis is investing big on this new Major. They are building a new building dedicated for the Major. I guess they want to beat West Point in Cyber. USMA has led Cyber Team in the country. And West Point doesn’t even have the Cyber Major yet. But has a strong Cyber Club Team. He will wait til he hears back from the rest of the colleges and Academies to make his decision.

Outstanding work to all the Eagle Scouts on this thread. I had 15 Eagle Scouts as a Scoutmaster and District Membership and Advancement Chair under my watch so I know all the fun you have, sacrifices you made, and the hard work you all put in to become an Eagle!
 
Eagle Scout gives you a lot of mileage throughout your life. I see it everywhere and people truly respect the rank! Be proud, you deserve it. You earned it!
 
CrewDad said:
He’s now seriously thinking Annapolis. He plans to Major in Navy’s new Major in Cyber Operations.
Click to expand...
DS plans to major in Cyber Operations, as well! Thanks for the info about the additional investment in the USNA's program - I hadn't heard about that. You probably already know, but USNA is a NSA/DHS-designated 'National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense' institution. If your son attends the USNA, I'm sure our sons will meet!
 
CrewDad said:
Eagle Scout gives you a lot of mileage throughout your life. I see it everywhere and people truly respect the rank! Be proud, you deserve it. You earned it!
Click to expand...

I can’t believe the number of men I talk to who regret giving up scouting before earning the rank of Eagle. Especially the former Life Scouts! I’m happy there are opportunities at the Academies for Eagle Scouts to connect and even continue with community outreach to troops, etc.
Sounds like your son accomplished a lot of big things through scouting. That’s also excellent that your daughter has support in her pursuit of the rank of Eagle.
 
Hopeful-Dad. You are absolutely right. We are just learning about the major and the programs. It appears Cyber Ops is becoming the next hot Major on campus and career. Academics is strategic in nature. It is Cyber Space for managers and leaders. It has some computer science coding and network routing understanding, but more integrated with Policy, Law, Ethics, Intelligence, Risk Management, and combating Hacking and learning to Hack back. It is a $100 billion market today and $250 billion market by 2022. Defense and Finance comprise 60% of the market share, equally large and important. You also learn about cryptocurrencies, blockchain, and the possibility of adopting e-Dollars that are disrupting the established order of currency and the global financial regulation. US is behind in this, but Chinese Koreans Swiss Russians are more serious on cryptocurrencies and ready to regulate the use. This is all part of learning Cyber Technology. Very exciting.

Just very few colleges offer the Major to date and so few proficient pros in market place including in the military to assume the roles. That’s good news for our kids. High demand but low in talent supply. Based on the career branch meetings we had with the Army Navy and Air Force in the Program, they all said that start in Operations career first for 2 or 3 years then move into Cyber Intelligence Ops so you have a better understanding of the battle space. You can go direct but then you will not have the platoon level leadership experience that is good to have during your junior rank. And cannot go back to do it once you have reached O2/O3.

We should PM in April to exchange contacts once my DS decides his path to college.
 
MG23Hopeful. You are absolutely right. We meet them all the time. Regretting why they quit at Life Scout before making Eagle. So close but never finished it. Priorities change when you’re 15-17. Friends sports girls academics for some all compete with Scouting and botch the plan becoming an Eagle Scout. We met at least 3 Four Star Generals who are Lifers and didn’t finish. They told my DS how envious and proud they are to see young men with the rank. Once of his Assistant Scoutmaster is also a Lifer and he til this day regret why why he didn’t finish. He’s now 61.

One Four Star General did make Eagle at 17. Our Council presented him with the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award just before his retirement. In his speech with tears running he said, “receiving this Distinguished Eagle Honor is more special to him than when he received his Fourth Star.” With his wife by his side he said, “my wife then his girl friend at 17 was there at his Eagle Ceremony when he was presented the Eagle Rank. Today she’s here again to witness the Distinguished Eagle Honor. She never let me quit Scouting over her. She supported him in Scouting like she supported his long career in the Army.” That’s something isn’t it!

We saw that distraction in teen years happen and we navigated around that reality and stayed on course and my DS achieved at a younger age. Riskier to complete at 16 or 17, especially when your teens go through their adolescent hormonal and emotional changes. We are very fortunate our DS grew up straight line thanks to his motivation obedience respect for structure and rank and conservative personality.

I am very proud of ALL Eagles and ALL Scouts. There’s a special bond and feels like a family when we meet and greet.
 
DS and some cadet friends were out hiking about two years ago. One of the cadets fell and broke his collarbone. DS and another cadet treated the injured cadet, immobilized the arm with a sling and cravat, treated for shock and transported the injured cadet to a local ER. The ER attending physician asked where the two cadets learned their first aid skills. Answer - We are both Eagle Scouts!
 
DS (who is an Eagle), has commented several times on how similar USNA's mission statement is to the Scout Oath. As I have noted in other posts, DS is heavily involved staffing NYLT in our Council and that group has dedicated themselves to "living the Scout Oath and Law fiercely, every day". He would have never had USNA on his radar if not for Scouting and becoming an Eagle. Scouting is transforming to those who chose to embrace it. The opportunities he has had to practice leadership in so many situations over the years is quite amazing. His teaching, public speaking, and group communication skills have been keenly developed through Scouting. Interestingly, very few of his classmates, teachers, and teammates in high school even know he is in Scouting. I have been on many Eagle Boards of Review and I almost always ask,"Do your friends in high school know that you are about to become an Eagle Scout?" The answer is almost always, "No, it's not something you talk about in high school." I have challenged DS to be prepared to explain WHY and HOW becoming an Eagle Scout has prepared him to be an officer in the Navy and not simply assume that everyone knows what it means to be and Eagle Scout - not your BGO, not your MOC nom committees, not your guidance counselor.
 
My DS also is an Eagle Scout.
The Mids he hung out with during his CVW were all Eagle Scouts.
 
My DS achieved his Eagle Scout March 30th. I have no doubt the principles and morals he learned from scouting have guided him to serve his country. He is already looking into joining the Venture Crew at Norwich and volunteering with the BSA.
 
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