Boy Scout Earns Eagle Scout Rank for Videogame Project

Andy Chalk

One Flag, One Fleet, One Cat
Nov 12, 2002
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Boy Scout Earns Eagle Scout Rank for Videogame Project


The Boy Scouts of America [http://www.scouting.org/] recently awarded the first Eagle Scout rank ever given out for a project based on videogaming.

It was just a few days ago that we found out the Cub Scouts of America has begun handing out Eagle Scout [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/100299-Cub-Scouts-Award-Pins-and-Loops-for-Mad-Gamer-Skills] soars.

When Zach Hamber decided to incorporate videogames into his Eagle Scout project, he realized that it might be a tough sell to the Scoutmaster and the committee members. "I didn't want to have to beg for them to accept the idea, so it needed to be planned to perfection," he said. His planning paid off: The idea was well-received by the committee and Hamber was off to the races.

There was just one problem. He originally planned to make a series of tutorial videos for the StarCraft [http://www.starcraft2.com/], researching competitive StarCraft leagues, talking to well-known players and eventually putting together a StarCraft gameplay guide based on professional-level gaming.

And then it was judgment day. Hamber was proud of his project but admitted, "I was a little nervous because I had only memorized some of the Scout Test info that day." Once again, he needn't have worried. "I had some really, really good reactions from the trial," he said. "They complimented me and said how it's cool that there can be interesting projects like this for the Eagle Scouts."

It's good to see Scouts embracing videogames as a normal part of a boy's life, but why, with all the games on the market today, did Hamber pick the decade-old StarCraft? "I truly think that even though it's 11 years old, StarCraft is the best of its genre and that's why I have a passion for it," he explained. "It's most balanced and makes a great spectator sport as well as a match of minds and finger flexibility."

Spoken like a true gamer.

Source: IncGamers [http://www.incgamers.com/News/22328/boyscouts-award-gamer-highest-honour]


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TheDoctor455

Friendly Neighborhood Time Lord
Apr 1, 2009
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Ah...
Now if only the Boy Scouts would stop discriminating against Atheists and the Homosexual Community.

To be clear:
I'd only fall under the Atheist category here...
 

Lunar Shadow

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Dec 9, 2008
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TheDoctor455 said:
Ah...
Now if only the Boy Scouts would stop discriminating against Atheists and the Homosexual Community.

To be clear:
I'd only fall under the Atheist category here...
Most don't really care, I was an open Atheist (now Buddhist) when I was in. Still in as an Adult leader, albeit not as active as I once was due to moving off to college.
 

Danpascooch

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Apr 16, 2009
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Lunar Shadow said:
TheDoctor455 said:
Ah...
Now if only the Boy Scouts would stop discriminating against Atheists and the Homosexual Community.

To be clear:
I'd only fall under the Atheist category here...
Most don't really care, I was an open Atheist (now Buddhist) when I was in. Still in as an Adult leader, albeit not as active as I once was due to moving off to college.
Just wait till you burn in hell you son of a b-tch!

lol, kidding, I'm an athiest too, I could care less if people don't like it, after all, I can imagine it's hard for someone so heavily invested in a belief of their origin like that. Although it's still not okay to discriminate against us.
 
Feb 13, 2008
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Well, it's one thing the Cubs and Gamers share. "Be prepared" :)

TheDoctor455 said:
Ah...
Now if only the Boy Scouts would stop discriminating against Atheists and the Homosexual Community.
How is swearing allegiance to a "non-existant deity" discriminatory? If you're in court, do you refuse to touch the Bible?

(On the Homosexual front, they've already got enough Camp ;) See Penn & Tellers Bullshit for the real reason...)
 

Jared

The British Paladin
Jul 14, 2009
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Didnt take long for that to happen...well, good on him I suppose XD
 

Nightfalke

Just this guy, you know?
Sep 10, 2008
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Ok. Sure. I guess that falls under 'service project'.

I'll buy it. Good job.
 

RheynbowDash

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Jan 26, 2009
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Andy Chalk said:
Spoken like a true gamer.
This pretty much sums up what I was gonna say.
I mean this is pretty awesome, i just wish they would have handed out cub scout pins when I was in scouts. (oh how i want that Legend of Zelda pin, but i cant make it past this damn water temple!)
 

TheDoctor455

Friendly Neighborhood Time Lord
Apr 1, 2009
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danpascooch said:
Lunar Shadow said:
TheDoctor455 said:
Ah...
Now if only the Boy Scouts would stop discriminating against Atheists and the Homosexual Community.

To be clear:
I'd only fall under the Atheist category here...
Most don't really care, I was an open Atheist (now Buddhist) when I was in. Still in as an Adult leader, albeit not as active as I once was due to moving off to college.
Just wait till you burn in hell you son of a b-tch!

lol, kidding, I'm an athiest too, I could care less if people don't like it, after all, I can imagine it's hard for someone so heavily invested in a belief of their origin like that. Although it's still not okay to discriminate against us.
Yeah... it was mostly the discrimination against ANY group that bothered me... and well... while I'm sure there are plenty of troops that don't discriminate like that, there are still too many other troops that do.
 

Frank_Sinatra_

Digs Giant Robots
Dec 30, 2008
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TheDoctor455 said:
Ah...
Now if only the Boy Scouts would stop discriminating against Atheists and the Homosexual Community.
You do know that the LDS Church has a rather large say in what goes on in the Boy Scouts?

OT: This is kinda cool I guess, but it's mostly ironic since the BSOA are suppose to be about outdoors stuff.
 

Tom Phoenix

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Mar 28, 2009
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As a fellow StarCraft fan, all I can say is more power to him. With StarCraft II approaching release, it is important to spread knowledge of this great game to as many people as possible. I am glad that he did as well as he did with the project.
 

Mortons4ck

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Jan 12, 2010
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Frank_Sinatra_ said:
TheDoctor455 said:
Ah...
Now if only the Boy Scouts would stop discriminating against Atheists and the Homosexual Community.
You do know that the LDS Church has a rather large say in what goes on in the Boy Scouts?

OT: This is kinda cool I guess, but it's mostly ironic since the BSOA are suppose to be about outdoors stuff.
True, but it isn't really strictly enforced by anyone other than the LDS sponsored troop. (My city had a huge LDS presence, but my troop was fairly liberal). Individual troops have a lot of power in how they want to run themselves.

OT: Maybe, but our troop had a yearly Halloween LAN party lock in.

Andy Chalk said:
but why, with all the games on the market today, did Hamber pick the decade-old StarCraft?
StarCraft has staying power and tradition, much like the Scouts.
 

Geoffrey42

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Aug 22, 2006
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Nightfalke said:
Ok. Sure. I guess that falls under 'service project'.
If I were on his committee, I'd have troubling identifying the part where this demonstrates "leadership of others". Then again, I'm not entirely sure how I sold the "leadership" of my project to my committee either, so fair enough.

@ generic gamer/Frank_Sinatra_ : I don't think you two quite get the BSA. There are plenty of activities that they encourage that don't take place outdoors. And the point of the Eagle Scout Project is leadership and service: neither need to have anything to do with being outdoors. generic gamer in particular, quit being such a hateful troll, especially on the basis that an organization is not conforming to your uninformed preconceptions.

As to the BSA as a whole, I think the organization has some issues with being a bit too socially conservative, but as others mentioned, that's not all that pervasive, and will vary heavily by troop. I never experienced any amount of homophobia, and when I got older and decided I didn't like the whole "God" thing that much, they didn't really care about that either. Not to mention, the experiences I had through the Scouts were some of the best things I ever did as a child (both inter-socially and individually-world-broadening), and I don't know of any other organization that is as widespread and similarly geared.

Now, the Girl Scouts, on the other hand, don't even get me started about how lame they are.