Nonsense.

This is me, too. I was involved in too many activities and took stock and decided, hey, this is so not worth it to me. I switched over to explorer scouts with the BSA, where we did much cooler stuff and didn't have to wear those hokey blue and green outfits.

I've regretted that decision pretty much never.

ok, fair. but by and large.

LDS troops pass off badges en masse at ward campouts, mutuals, etc. It isnt very rigorous.

I was 14 when I received my Eagle Scout rank.

Of course, my dad was scoutmaster so I got it as quickly as I could in order to get out of scouting and doing other things.

Projection doesn't work on this site, friend.

Oh, jeez. No need to start channeling McCain!

Channeling McCain?

No, I just call it like I see it.

Eagle is an interesting award. It can mean very much when a kid shows initiative and completes it the way it was meant to be completed. It can mean very little if it's completed factory style. I can't tell you how many boards of review I've sat in on where the kids can't even answer a simple question about the work they've done.

It's an interesting aspect of LDS culture in that to a large degree, there is a flywheel effect with the Eagle (at least in some wards) that is incomprehensible to scouters outside of the Church.

To LDS, scouting = Eagle. It's a rite of passage no different than getting baptized, receiving the priesthood, graduation seminary/HS, going on a mission, etc. t's "expected"

Are some kids drug through it? Sure. But the same is true of all of the above.

I can comprehend it. I've seen it for the past 2 years now that I am in YMs.

All the scouts get together at weekly mutuals/YM activities and get things passed off whether they really did anything or not. As long as they were there, they get it passed off.

Our ward YM recently did almost all of the 3 citizenship badges in one Saturday morning. They all showed up at the chapel, the adults spoke to the kids, asked questions to the kids (thereby loosely fulfilling the requirements) and everyone passed. There was no real effort on the part of the boys. they just sat there and listened for the most part.

I don't mind, however, since I hate scouts. I am just pointing out my observation.