This week I had the opportunity to do something kind of cool: I was part of an Eagle Scout Board of Review.

For the uninitiated, the Board of Review is essentially the “final interview” for those who’ve met all the other requirements for Eagle Scout – the candidate sits for a group interview with several adult volunteers and representative(s) from the local council, who ask questions regarding the Scout’s experiences and achievements in order to make a final determination that the candidate has truly met the requirements for the award, the highest in Scouting.

As regular readers of this space are probably aware, as an adult, I have a complicated relationship with the Boy Scouts of America. Overall, I think of it as a worthy and beneficial program, having myself worked through the ranks from Cub Scout to Eagle Scout (’92), and spending many hours volunteering with the program as an adult, taking away from the experience many valuable skills, experiences and memories that I wouldn’t trade for anything, and I’m proud that my son is involved, and seems to be starting to have some of the same experiences. However, in recent years, the national organization has made a worrying shift to the political right, taking stands on issues, particularly sexual orientation and religion*, that I find troubling, as they seem, at least to me, to contradict so many of Scouting’s professed ideals.

Luckily, in most cases, at the local troop level, this ideological shift matters not one whit to the people involved, especially the kids, who are way more interested in going camping with their friends, trying new things, and helping out in their communities. The kids don’t let the cranks in the national organization to get in the way of their adventure and service to others, and that’s really the way it should be.

It really was a privilege to play a small part in person’s journey toward the Eagle rank. Getting to this point a lot of work, requiring focus, persistence, determination, and initiative. Getting Eagle is a big deal; only about two percent of scouts do – it’s an accomplishment to be proud of, and one you really let go of: “Once an Eagle, Always an Eagle” really is a true statement. It’s always nice to see someone else succeed and join this relatively exclusive fraternity.

The candidate we interviewed, I’m happy to say, was extremely well qualified, well-spoken, and well-prepared. We were all impressed with his achievements, and the way he presented himself to the board. He spoke frankly and honestly (though still with a degree of pride, as is expected) about successfully planning and implementing his community service project (one of the most challenging requirements), and the lessons he learned about management, organization, and leadership. He answered questions about future plans, and how he might apply the lessons he learned as part of the program in a forthright and articulate way, and really seemed to internalize what I feel are the most important lessons one can take from Scouting – respect, honesty, and self-confidence.

Not surprisingly, our vote was unanimous, and this young person is now and Eagle Scout.

It was in interesting for me, being on the other side of the table, after facing my own Board of Review more than 20 years ago. I’d kind of forgotten that part of the process in the intervening decades, but being there brought some of it back: the anxiety, the pride in accomplishment, and feeling like being part of something larger than yourself for a little while.

I also remembered one question I was asked during my board, and, in the interest of tradition, asked it myself:

What was the last book you read that you weren’t assigned? Why’d you choose it, and what did you think of it when you finished?

It seems like a softball, but you can learn a lot about someone from their answer. His? World War Z by Max Brooks.

Sometimes I worry about how the next generation’s going to handle things. At least in this case, I think the planet’s in good hands.

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* – I understand that the religious aspect has always been part and parcel to American Scouting, what with “Duty to God” being right there in the Scout Oath, and “A Scout is Reverent” being the final point of the Scout Law. However, the interpretations of those points have narrowed significantly in recent years, and are often applied in ways that contradict the other points of Scout doctrine, such as Courtesy, Kindness, Respect, and Service. Last year’s shift to allow openly gay Scouts to enroll in the program is a good start, but the organization still has a long way to go, in my opinion, before its actions truly mirror it’s ideals. I’m not alone in this feeling; Scouts for Equality is a good place to learn more.