Granny_Weatherwax Posted March 6, 2011 Share Posted March 6, 2011 (edited) Thanks. The last 2 Eagle projects I remember hearing about (around here) were a food drive and flag retirement/buring ceremony. :) Those projects wouldn't pass as Eagle projects in my Council. Those are activites the scouts do as a part of being scouts. Edited March 6, 2011 by The Dragon Academy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted March 6, 2011 Author Share Posted March 6, 2011 Those projects wouldn't pass as Eagle projects in my Council. Those are acitivites the scouts do as a part of being scouts. They were both in the news. :confused: They are also things that my Girl Scout does as part of being a scout, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Granny_Weatherwax Posted March 6, 2011 Share Posted March 6, 2011 My oldest is serving time as a Life Scout and finishing up those requirements before he gets to start working on his Eagle. He does NOT want to build a park bench or plant a garden. ;) This is my DS, too. No planting gardens here. I don't want to quote your entire post but it was a great explanation. Getting to Eagle takes years of work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Granny_Weatherwax Posted March 6, 2011 Share Posted March 6, 2011 well, just to offer some perspective, a lot of troops are advancing kids just to say they Eagled out 'another' kid. My guys had to speak up about a recent Eagle Scout's project when it was clear the leadership and attitude were horrendous. But the guy still got his Eagle anyway, and Mr. Boo reported that the same kid still had a sorry attitude at another function. Not cool. Does a disservice to the other kids that worked their bu##s off. There are also some parents who hire merit badge coaches-- they literally schedule the kid and work him through alll the badges. Kinda defeats the purpose of it being BOY motivated, but hey, what do I know? ;) Both of these issues irk my tatter.:glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
posybuddy Posted March 6, 2011 Share Posted March 6, 2011 Both of these issues irk my tatter.:glare: Indeed. And they diminish the value of an Eagle Scout in the eyes of the community, which is a shame, and totally unfair to the young men following the rules. And... merit badge coaches?? What the heck?? You mean, there's someone out there who would be willing to PAY me to nag someone else's children to get out their Bird Study worksheets and get. the. dang. requirement. finished??? ;) (sorry. threadjack finished.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted March 6, 2011 Author Share Posted March 6, 2011 Those projects wouldn't pass as Eagle projects in my Council. Those are activites the scouts do as a part of being scouts. I just googled Eagle Scout and our biggest local newspaper to update myself and found some great projects. 2 boys built wardrobes & a runway and solicited clothing donations for a program that provides women with clothing suitable for job interviews and returning to work. How cool is that? I also found an older article that said a boy had a flag ceremony for his project. He invited a former politician (who is an immigrant) to speak. (The ironic part is the politician is now in jail. I know this has nothing to do with the project...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted March 6, 2011 Author Share Posted March 6, 2011 Indeed. And they diminish the value of an Eagle Scout in the eyes of the community, which is a shame, and totally unfair to the young men following the rules. And... merit badge coaches?? What the heck?? You mean, there's someone out there who would be willing to PAY me to nag someone else's children to get out their Bird Study worksheets and get. the. dang. requirement. finished??? ;) (sorry. threadjack finished.) Don't apologize...I don't believe in threadjacks...it's all good Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justasque Posted March 6, 2011 Share Posted March 6, 2011 My DD likes to do hands-on stuff. She wouldn't have the skills to build a park bench but I know she'd love to paint fire hydrants. She doesn't mind getting sweaty and dirty. :lol: Building a bench isn't rocket science. Get some decent plans, and pretty much it's measuring, sawing, drilling holes, and putting in screws/bolts, all of which can be learned in an afternoon. (Not saying you should go this route, just saying don't rule it out.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted March 6, 2011 Author Share Posted March 6, 2011 Building a bench isn't rocket science. Get some decent plans, and pretty much it's measuring, sawing, drilling holes, and putting in screws/bolts, all of which can be learned in an afternoon. (Not saying you should go this route, just saying don't rule it out.) Thank you! I need to hear that! :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justasque Posted March 6, 2011 Share Posted March 6, 2011 Thank you! I need to hear that! :grouphug: There are quite a few books out there with plans for "2x4 furniture" - perhaps you can get a few inter-library loan, and take a look. The key is to use a design that is based on standard lumber sizes, and doesn't require the use of complicated tools. The designs in these books vary in complexity, but for the most part they're based on that "2x4", basic tools concept. (You can also, with some work, scale down/adapt the basic designs and use them to make doll house furniture!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peek a Boo Posted March 6, 2011 Share Posted March 6, 2011 Both of these issues irk my tatter.:glare: ayup. I do offer it to try to balance the thread from being too heavy boy vs girl, lol, but at the same time, people being people, I'd bet that i could find similar issues in GSA. :( unsinkable-- YES! girls can do all sorts of hands-on stuff! Part of the project is acquiring the skills to do it. One thing I try to keep in mind [at least w/ the Eagle] is that the boy himself isn't expected to do it all by himself-- he's SUPPOSED to organize a team, gather resources, and oversee the project. Sometimes he might not even pick up a hammer himself..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peek a Boo Posted March 6, 2011 Share Posted March 6, 2011 Those projects wouldn't pass as Eagle projects in my Council. Those are activites the scouts do as a part of being scouts. It might have been the scope of the project too...... but I've kinda been left scratchin' my head at some projects, lol, so........ eh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted March 6, 2011 Author Share Posted March 6, 2011 ayup. I do offer it to try to balance the thread from being too heavy boy vs girl, lol, but at the same time, people being people, I'd bet that i could find similar issues in GSA. :( unsinkable-- YES! girls can do all sorts of hands-on stuff! Part of the project is acquiring the skills to do it. One thing I try to keep in mind [at least w/ the Eagle] is that the boy himself isn't expected to do it all by himself-- he's SUPPOSED to organize a team, gather resources, and oversee the project. Sometimes he might not even pick up a hammer himself..... :D DD does do all sorts of hands-on stuff. We're not a "build-it" family, though so the idea of building a park bench sounds like a BIG DEAL, kwim? I probably picked a bad thread title with the "comparison" and the "vs." It's just that the projects seem so different. I know there are Girl Scout troops that seemed like badge factories. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlockOfSillies Posted March 6, 2011 Share Posted March 6, 2011 You mean, "make a list?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlockOfSillies Posted March 6, 2011 Share Posted March 6, 2011 Good for her! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted March 6, 2011 Author Share Posted March 6, 2011 You mean, "make a list?" I don't usually read in threaded mode so I had to switch to see what you were asking about. Why don't they phrase things simply ("make a list") instead of they way they do? :confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In The Great White North Posted March 6, 2011 Share Posted March 6, 2011 I know they added Studio 2B w/the charms to try to modernize the program and give an alternative to badges. But I can't for the life of me figure out why they changed to Journeys??? The GSUSA claims these were the results of surveys they gave NON-GIRL SCOUTS about what they were interested in and what they wanted to do. I'm not really sure why they used the opinions of girls who wanted nothing to do with Girl Scouts to develop program materials :confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ocelotmom Posted March 6, 2011 Share Posted March 6, 2011 The GSUSA claims these were the results of surveys they gave NON-GIRL SCOUTS about what they were interested in and what they wanted to do. I'm not really sure why they used the opinions of girls who wanted nothing to do with Girl Scouts to develop program materials :confused: Because they're trying to appeal to a wider demographic. Though I agree that it doesn't make sense to survey people who would want nothing to do with GS regardless or to exclude the opinions of current scouts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenNC Posted March 6, 2011 Share Posted March 6, 2011 I'm a Junior GS leader and I really dislike the Journeys I've seen for the Junior level. I refused to do the first one and we are modifying the second. I think it is ridiculous to expect 4th and 5th graders to do an energy audit and make recommendations *to a business* and expect to be taken seriously. Auditing at home, sure, but not a business. We're instead going to tour a local building that was LEED certified. FYI, all the tryit/badge/IP books are going away in September to be replaced by combo handbook/award books. There will still be some of the badges (they're all going to be called badges, but will be different shapes) and same information, but it will be interesting to see how it plays out. As far as sustainable, our council has a thing called totable topics, some of which have been the result of Silver or Gold award projects. The girl puts together a badge, etc activity and packages all the materials required (the non-consumables). Other troops can then check them out to complete the activities. Might be an option? I haven't looked at the new Silver or Gold award requirements. I'm focusing on getting as many of my current Juniors through their Bronze before the rules change totally (this is the last year they'll allow the old rules as an option). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luckymama Posted March 7, 2011 Share Posted March 7, 2011 I'm a Junior GS leader and I really dislike the Journeys I've seen for the Junior level. I refused to do the first one and we are modifying the second. I think it is ridiculous to expect 4th and 5th graders to do an energy audit and make recommendations *to a business* and expect to be taken seriously. Auditing at home, sure, but not a business. We're instead going to tour a local building that was LEED certified. Dd's Junior troop toured the newish science "lodge" at the local Girl Scout camp. It's the first LEED-gold certified building in our state. We thought seeing all that technology and discussing it was worth much more than doing an energy audit of a building! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted March 7, 2011 Author Share Posted March 7, 2011 The GSUSA claims these were the results of surveys they gave NON-GIRL SCOUTS about what they were interested in and what they wanted to do. I'm not really sure why they used the opinions of girls who wanted nothing to do with Girl Scouts to develop program materials :confused: I think they did the same thing with the Studio 2B program -- asked non-Scouts. Because they're trying to appeal to a wider demographic. Though I agree that it doesn't make sense to survey people who would want nothing to do with GS regardless or to exclude the opinions of current scouts. :iagree: Yeah, it's not likely that changing to jewelry instead of badges would suddenly make a whole bunch of girls want to become scouts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted March 7, 2011 Author Share Posted March 7, 2011 I'm a Junior GS leader and I really dislike the Journeys I've seen for the Junior level. I refused to do the first one and we are modifying the second. I think it is ridiculous to expect 4th and 5th graders to do an energy audit and make recommendations *to a business* and expect to be taken seriously. Auditing at home, sure, but not a business. We're instead going to tour a local building that was LEED certified. FYI, all the tryit/badge/IP books are going away in September to be replaced by combo handbook/award books. There will still be some of the badges (they're all going to be called badges, but will be different shapes) and same information, but it will be interesting to see how it plays out. As far as sustainable, our council has a thing called totable topics, some of which have been the result of Silver or Gold award projects. The girl puts together a badge, etc activity and packages all the materials required (the non-consumables). Other troops can then check them out to complete the activities. Might be an option? I haven't looked at the new Silver or Gold award requirements. I'm focusing on getting as many of my current Juniors through their Bronze before the rules change totally (this is the last year they'll allow the old rules as an option). Just based on this thread, you are not the only disliker of Journeys! As for the totable topics --it's a neat idea. The Gold project has to address a community issue, not just a Scouting issue. But the idea of making a sustainable kit that can be passed around could be an option to meet the sustainable aspect of the project. Thanks, Karen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted March 7, 2011 Author Share Posted March 7, 2011 Dd's Junior troop toured the newish science "lodge" at the local Girl Scout camp. It's the first LEED-gold certified building in our state. We thought seeing all that technology and discussing it was worth much more than doing an energy audit of a building! That sounds cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenNC Posted March 7, 2011 Share Posted March 7, 2011 As for the toteable topics --it's a neat idea. The Gold project has to address a community issue, not just a Scouting issue. But the idea of making a sustainable kit that can be passed around could be an option to meet the sustainable aspect of the project. Some of the toteable topics we have available are on: learning about hunger and working on a patch in conjunction with a local food bank to do food drives violence prevention and conflict resolution exercise/health/nutrition for girls energy efficiency These would address community issues (hunger, domestic violence, health, energy consumption), so I think it could factor in. I've seen mention of other girls working with a local historic site, museum or program to develop a badge or patch program girls could do there (which could then also include developing the kit). That could also be considered sustainable, I would think. Also, given that all the badges will be brand-new next September, I would think the time would be great to look at developing something like this to help troops. It may mostly be more of a Silver Award than a Gold, not sure. I'm just glad that I'm not leading after this year. My daughter is going into Cadettes, and it's time for her to be able to spread her wings a bit more in a setting where I'm not the leader. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alessandra Posted March 7, 2011 Share Posted March 7, 2011 I forgot to add -- each Journey has a "Take Action" project. I made the comment to some council member that it looks like a Gold project by itself. Her answer; "Yeah, it does," with a big smile and much nodding like she was proud of me for understanding. It's not just the Gold-level Journeys. My younger dd's troop is attempting to work through the requirements for the Bronze Award, but that blasted "Take Action" project is sapping all the time and enthusiasm the girls have for their already-planned Bronze project. Stupidness. Journeys, eeew. I'm a new (GS Jr) leader, and in the training courses I took, most of the trainers sort of dismissed the journeys. In Cub Scouts, we adhered to every rule, because the rules were sensible, but in GS, I am thinking we should game/tweak the system. The GSUSA claims these were the results of surveys they gave NON-GIRL SCOUTS about what they were interested in and what they wanted to do. I'm not really sure why they used the opinions of girls who wanted nothing to do with Girl Scouts to develop program materials :confused: Huh? Why? That explains a lot -- they are not teaching from core values, they are teaching from opinion polls -- that should be clearly stated in the introductions to the books, lol. I'm a Junior GS leader and I really dislike the Journeys I've seen for the Junior level. I refused to do the first one and we are modifying the second. I think it is ridiculous to expect 4th and 5th graders to do an energy audit and make recommendations *to a business* and expect to be taken seriously. Are we ever modifying! But I still want to give the girls the badge. Now, my other complaint -- $5 for the three-part Journey badge, too expensive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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