Twelve Reasons Why Your Next Hire Should Be An Eagle Scout By John D. Verlin

WANTED: Candidate with the following traits:

Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean & Reverent

Whenever you make a move--one of the toughest decisions to make, is what do you keep--and what do you toss?

Having made a downsize and move four months ago--I was cleaning out my closet, when hanging in the back--behind several shirts and old suits--was my Boy Scout shirt from 1973. It still had a small burn hole in one sleeve from a renegade spark from a campfire.

A flood of memories came as I held it out and remembered my struggle to get Eagle, the Boy Scouts highest award of achievement.

My father was our scoutmaster--and an Eagle scout. My brother who was two years ahead of me--and he got Eagle. 

Now the pressure was on for me to get Eagle. 

When I was thirteen--my father built a balance beam and pull-up bar in the basement for Personal Fitness merit badge. I had to track exercises for a month--how many sit-ups, pull ups, chin ups, etc.

One requirement--was to walk a balance beam forwards and backwards without falling off.

This was a critical merit badge requirement on the road to Eagle as I was stuck in the Life badge rank--and only needed a few more merit badges to Eagle.

Being a chubby kid didn't help as i kept falling off the balance beam. Finally--in a last attempt--I fell off the beam again. I said to my dad, "that's it...I quit! "

I'll never forget the look on his face as he approached me and backed me up against the basement wall.

He raised his finger in my face and said...."don't you ever say quit, you get up there and finish!"

I remember how angry I was and my hand was balling up into a fist! He left me alone and I got back up on the balance beam--and after many attempts--FINALLY passed! (Years later--I found that a hearing loss I had affected my balance).

I ended up getting Eagle when I was fourteen--and then taught two summers at Camp Theodore Naish in the Nature department (forty years later--ran into a fellow Rotarian who joined our club--and he taught at the same camp in the Handicraft department and passed me on Indian Lore and Basketry merit badges).

I continued in Scouting--spending two weeks in the mountains at Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico, earning five more merit badges to receive the Eagle Bronze palm...then five more merit badges to earn the Silver palm....then five more merit badges to earn the Gold palm.

I also participated in Order of the Arrow and achieved Brotherhood membership. (Order of the Arrow was a honorary Scout organization modeled after the Delaware Indians method of honoring their braves).

At the final banquet for our troop--as it was disbanding after thirty odd years, the scoutmaster awarded me the Gold palm for Eagle. 

He said something that I've never forgot. He told me that having an Eagle with three palms meant I was the highest ranking scout in the history of our troop!

I retired from scouting right before my sixteenth birthday. 

Years later I was told that roughly 3-5% of scouts obtain the Eagle rank. When questioned about Eagle with three palms--less than one half, of one percent are awarded all three palms.

I've never forgot the Twelve Points of the Scout Law-as listed earlier in the post. 

The Scouting program takes young boys at age 11 and through their hard work gives them exposure to a huge range of interests through their merit badge program.

From Atomic Energy and Space Exploration, to Weather, Conservation of Natural Resources, etc--a scout is presented with abundant learning opportunities and experiences.

The hardest merit badge I had was Lifesaving. I had to rescue a 6 foot, 4 inch man--flailing at me in the high school swimming pool.

All of the camping and canoe trips with my father taught me skills that later in business would be a huge plus. But mainly it taught me "persistence".

For young men to have this kind of training, discipline and achievement at such a young age is a great proving ground for future leaders. This is pre-ROTC days, pre-college days.

What is your 11-15 year old doing this summer?

Scouting can and does provide a great foundation all centered around the Twelve Points of the Scout Law.

Most importantly--it's all about developing "character". The struggles, the sacrifices, etc--all help to produce the winning attitudes and behaviors employers seek today--but are having a hard time finding.

Businesses can "train" employees in job functions, company styles, etc. But how do you train, "character"?

That's what Scouting does so well! If you enjoyed this post, please tell a friend!

And if you'd like to learn more about winning attitudes and behaviors in your advertising--CLICK HERE !