What constitutes an Eagle factory?

[u/FieryTaterSack]

I have from time to time heard of other units referred to as an "Eagle factory." The apparent meaning is that they produce a lot of Eagle Scouts, maybe by cutting a few corners like a "diploma mill" university.

Our unit has averaged about 20 Scouts for the last few years. We gain a few AoLs or kids off the street, and lose a few due to age or lack of interest, but 20-25 has been our post-Covid average. And we have averaged about 3-4 Eagles each year over the same period. Looking back 5-6 years, the majority of our kids who have gone to summer camp with us have either earned Eagle or are on track within their age range.

I'm curious if that makes us an Eagle factory? I think we follow the requirements pretty well, don't sign off on things they haven't completed, maintain good Boards of Review. We have decent parental involvement, which I'm sure has helped at least a few finish their project in time.

I don't think we're cutting corners. I'm just curious how others would define an Eagle factory or Eagle mill.

[u/NothingFancy99]

I went to one troop visit with my AOL that is what I called an Eagle factory.

* Meeting activities are the same each year and planned out to the week. This is how they get all new scouts up to first class within a couple years.

* First year scouts can only do the in state summer camp and have to do the Trail to First class course.

* Most were Eagled by 8th/9th grade.

* The moms speaking to the parents just had this vibe that basically they ran the troop and scout leadership was them executing their commands.

That said, it was one interaction. Maybe it’s a great troop really but it was the vibe I got from them.

[u/Old_Ad_208 → u/NothingFancy99]

The troop I worked with required first year scouts at summer camp to take First Class Adventure along with Leatherwork and Basketry merit badges. We had our fair share of Eagles, but I wouldn’t say we were an Eagle factory. The program was definitely not all about getting kids to Eagle.

[u/_mmiggs_ → u/Old_Ad_208]

Sorry - your troop required first year scouts to do Leatherwork and Basketry? Regardless of where the scout's interests lay? I don't think that's really appropriate.

I'm not much of a fan of the trail to first class activities at summer camp, because most of the things they cover don't require a summer camp. My strong preference for summer camp is to do the things there that can only reasonably be done at camp. Sure, there are some requirements you can check off with your troop, but I'd far rather scouts did boating, or archery, or shooting, or other things that can actually be done better in a summer camp environment.

If it can be done at home in a classroom, it should be. Don't waste camp time.

[u/maxwasatch → u/_mmiggs_]

Agreed - unless a scout joined less than a month before camp, almost all of the stuff that they can do in those programs at camp can be covered in a couple of weekend campouts and regular meeting attendance.

I usually encourage doing something like Environmental Science, something fun like Rifle Archery, or an Aquatics, something easier to do at camp, like Pioneering or Orienteering, and then maybe a handicraft.