A New Direction for the National Eagle Scout Association (NESA)
(Mike Walton's response to Hank Voegtle's question and comments on Scouts-L:)
Wow...this is long but it's a GREAT QUESTION, Hank, in view of what some at National are thinking about last and this year.
Hank Voegtle wrote and asked:
I've finally taken the time to look at Fall 1998 "Eagletter." In that issue ational Eagle Scout Association ("NESA") President Robert Gates
(Eagle Scout; former director of Central Intellegience)
wrote of three initiatives that NESA plans to undertake.
First, NESA plans to undertake a program to locate Eagle Scouts both on a local and national level. This program has two major aspects, an effort to compare council lists with national lists and vice versa. Also NESA plans to undertake computerization of existing Eagle records--"from deteriorating microfilm and paper records...."
Much of this effort stemmed from three major events in the lifecycle of the BSA and the NESA; two of which were "self-inflicted" in *my opinion*:
One, the loss of many names and information from the Eagle Scout Service's files as well as other files which were lost in a fire at the BSA's National Office back in the late 80s. The BSA has been trying to recapture many of those names. As mentioned in previous postings about the way the Service "manages Eagles", it's not by computers, but rather by a series of books (the earlier ones have been microfilmed) with written entries into those books. That's how the Service "checks their records." Traditional and it works, even to today!
Two, the BSA's attitude toward Eagle Scouts. To me, while the intent of NESA was grand, it was NOTHING like the old Knights of Dumanis program that existed before 1971 and the start of the NESA. The KD was more than a group of Eagle Scouts.....they actually provided leadership, support and manpower to entire series of community projects and readied a many Eagle Scout for further service in OA and through Alpha Phi Omega and other service organizations. The attitude after the first five years of the NESA's start, was that Eagle Scouts and Scouters were "financial leads" and "ways to find those to serve as Scouters." Many Eagle Scouts took offense at this, and the NESA's numbers started to drop. The NESA went and tried to reforumlate themselves, but by then, it was too late. Self-inflicted.
Three, the NESA's reluctance to stay in touch with those Eagle Scouts that they DID have as part of NESA. The original plan was to do it all through local NESA chapters; when those chapters were taken from the local Councils, NESA should have come up with an alternative plan (regional NESA meetings, national NESA meetings or gatherings, and encouragement of Eagle Scouts to attend Regional and/or National BSA Meetings); but they didn't. Self-inflicted.
Finally, NESA proposes a program entitled "Eagles Helping Eagles." This is essentially a mentoring program, complete with a parenthetical notation concerning youth protection guidelines.
I'll talk more about that later.
The second initiative will be "to establish NESA committees in those councils lacking one, and to strengthen committees that already exist."
To me, the "problem" with this three part initiative is the second part. I realize that NESA is not and should not be a second Order of the Arrow. But the questions are who runs NESA and whether its role should be decided nationally or locally?
Nationally, the NESA is managed by the Eagle Scout Service and the BSA's Boy Scout Advancement Director/Director of the Eagle Scout Service. At the local Council level, it would probably be managed by the Council Scout Executive or his or her appointed representative, usually a senior field or support director. In larger Councils, it may be the Associate Scout Executive.
Currently, the "leadership" of NESA is (or appears to be) in a Board of Regents consisting "of more than 400 holders of the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award."
The Board of Regents meets twice a year, via teleconferencing. Not all 400 holders of the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award participates.
In the time I've been a member I've not seen any announcements of meetings of the Board of Regents, which I would presume would be open meetings, not closed meetings. From what I've gathered, the Board of Regents, if it meets, serves as a rubber stamp for the desires of the National professional staff.
Basically, yeah. The professional and professional-technician serving as the advisors to the body also serves as the lead professional concerning the Boy Scouting advancement program.
Locally, the local Council's Advancement subcommittee of the Program Committee handled NESA in the earlier days so I would imagine that's how it's going to be done locally if the plan of action gets approved and completed.
What the BSA wants to do, Hank, is to bring out the "Eagle Scout banner" anytime an Eagle Scout is presented with his badge. This cannot be done on a national level, but it can be done and done effectively, at the local level.
Recognition is a laudable goal, but how is it to be done. In 1968, when I received my Eagle my council had about 150 Eagles. It was possible for the council advancement committee to have an annual dinner. The council that I'm in now has nearly 400 Eagles per year, and my district has well in excessive of 50 Eagles per year.
It is done more proactively at the local Council level. For instance, NESA members read the letter from the Chief Scout Executive, provide setup and special backdrops, and could even provide special locally-made programming.
With all respect to Mr. Gates, proposing initiative is one thing, but to me first NESA needs to know where its going. Rather than the initiatives, I would have preferred to see a strategic plan.
I REALLY like the strategic plan, Hank, and I feel that you should send it to the National Eagle Scout Association's office at the National Office center!! The plan has a lot of good things going for it....
Hope that I've helped to answer some of your concerns!
Settummanque!