My biggest problem with the Scouting program is how it's run in certain places. Currently in my ward the 12-14 year old category of male youth is 3. 3 total boys in the Boy Scouts program-there are more in the 14-16 (teachers and Varsity Scouts) and a couple in the 16-18 (Priests & Venturers).
How does a boy have any leadership positions in a "troop" of 3?? Since it's not looked upon favorably to consolidate all ages of boys into one troop (imagine younger boys learning from the older ones....novel concept) because they are separated by age and Priesthood level, nor is it agreeable to combine my ward's 3 boys with another wards 4 boys to combine to at least a fair sized patrol.
The local council here doesn't stock items for Varsity or Venturer programs, the only registered ones they have are the LDS ones, not a large enough population to justify the inventory. As such the Varsity & Venture programs are non exsistant in the three wards in our area. Scouting effectivly stops at 14 for youth here.
I'm one of those that pushed hard to earn my Eagle as quickly as possible, I acheived it at 13, went on to get 5 Palms, with as little help from my ward as possible. I wasn't in the correct Deacon's quorum leadership positions to get a leadership position for rank advancement with my ward, so I went to my grandfather's stake & ward to become a Den Chief. Because that ward had a really active Varsity program, the focus there was on earning the Varsity letter and all pins possible, those that didn't succeed in rank advancement and merit badges before they turned 14, didn't succeed in getting their Eagle. Of the 35 boys in my "friend" range (my age, one year older & younger) only two managed to get their Eagle, both of us before we hit 14 and moved to the next mandatory fun program.