Revisiting My Eagle Scout Medal 50 Years Later
What it meant then and now
When I joined the Boy Scouts in the summer of 1969, I was 11 years old. From the time I put the uniform on for the first time, there was never a doubt in my mind that I would earn the Eagle Scout medal. I’m driven like that. I don’t like to leave things incomplete or stop halfway through something. I clean my plate.
I’m not sure if that’s a virtue or a vice, but it is how I am.
In my hometown, our Boy Scout troop focused mostly on being outdoors. In the summer and autumn, we hiked and camped often. In the winter we spent much of our time learning the skills we would need to advance to the next rank.
In Boy Scouts there are six ranks, beginning with “Tenderfoot.” In order to earn the Tenderfoot rank, a new scout had to demonstrate that they knew the basics of scouting, including things like the Scout oath and slogan, as well as the Scout salute, the history of scouting, and a number of knots such as the square knot, clove hitch, two half hitches, and others.
The second rank a scout would earn was “Second Class,” which focused on things like hiking and cooking outdoors over a fire. Knowing how to read a topographical map and how to use a compass was also part of the requirements, as well as knowing how to sharpen a knife…
