Scouting at 107

On this day in 1910, at the exact time of this posting, the Boy Scouts of America was incorporated in Washington DC. It stands today as one of the largest youth programs in the United States, and the second largest national scout association in the world (as Indonesia's remains the largest). Much has happened with the BSA since the 1910 centennial year, including some controversial decisions in the area of membership policy. Those are not the subject of today's entry, but rather, a view of two entries from our archives that talk about what scouting has done for yours truly.

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WHERE BUFFALOS ROAM (February 2010)

It might be rather pathetic to make much out of it, but I'm not going to lie about it either. My childhood was, for the most part, not a very happy one. My years in Scouting didn't change that. But of all the experiences I had growing up, it was Scouting that gave me the venue to rise above the fray.

Obviously, it didn't happen overnight.

I actually joined the Scouting movement in the fall of 1963, with Pack 128, sponsored by the Milford United Methodist Church in Milford, Ohio. I was in Cubbing for two years. It wasn't much of an experience, really. Even my dad, who was active in the pack as a volunteer, wasn't impressed with Cubbing as a program. I don't remember why. Two years later, as I approached my eleventh birthday, we decided I wouldn't re-register.

But the following year, in February of 1966, I joined Troop 120, sponsored by Victor Stier American Legion Post 450, also in Milford, Ohio. There were some older boys whom I wanted to emulate, but they mysteriously left en masse after about a year, leaving us with a re-organization that eliminated the Eagle Patrol, of which I was about to be made Patrol Leader. I wouldn't get close to the "green bars" again for several years.

My dad became Scoutmaster after the mass exodus, in the spring of 1967. He had little in the way of outdoor experience, but was a consummate administrator. Our "patrol leaders training" classes were run like adult business seminars, and it was only later that I discovered that they were even supposed to be held outdoor. One night, a young man in his mid-twenties walked in, wearing cowboy boots. Hey, this guy is really cool, I thought. And with that, Phil Rumsey became our Assistant Scoutmaster, and Dad's other half.

One of the problems I've always had with how troop organization is handled in Scouting, is with the "staff" positions, those which are not in charge of people but of things. Jobs like Troop Quartermaster, Troop Scribe, and Troop Librarian. I had those three jobs in that order. Advancing from the rank of Tenderfoot to Life Scout (the one before Eagle) took me only three years. I would spend another three years as a Life Scout, and in the meaningless position of Troop Librarian.

It was a dead end. I knew it, and the idiot grown-ups on the Troop Committee knew it. No one had any ideas, but if Ritalin had been around back then, they probably would have begged my parents to have me put on it.

Finally, someone -- I don't remember who -- suggested I become a Den Chief. That's a Boy Scout who helps a Den Mother or Den Leader in managing a Cub Den, sort of like a support mentor. My pack never had such things, because our affiliate troop was rather insular. But this was with the other Cub Pack in town, the one that went with the program. And, it was a "Webelos" Den, which consisted of ten-year-old boys who would be eligible for Boy Scouting in a year. They were fun kids, if several years younger, and I got along with them well enough. But it was the Den Leader, one Mr Bailey, who first taught me the lessons of leadership.

When the ten-year-olds became eleven-year-olds, most of them actually joined Boy Scouting, my Troop in particular. As remarkable as this was -- there is a high attrition rate from Cub Scouts to Boy Scouts -- no one wanted them, so they stuck them in a patrol that was about to be phased out. And, of course, being desperate as they were, they made me the patrol leader. I can tell you their expectations for these guys wasn't very high.

By this time, I had read everything I could get my hands on regarding patrol leadership; program ideas, team-building exercises, the works. We went on activities as a group by ourselves, without the rest of the troop, something you only read about in the Boy Scout magazines, but never saw in real life. We had a patrol flag, and actually had our own patrol meetings. We all got together and built our own sled, and kicked ass in the competition at the district's winter "Klondike Derby" campout. The weather was near zero that night, and I spent most of it awake, keeping the fire going, and my young charges from freezing to death by sleeping close by.

When I sat before the Eagle Board of Review, in December of that year, one of the panelists said that "Dave started out as being a problem, but he ended up being the solution." I tried to start an Explorer Post (which now would be called a Venturing Crew -- long story) specializing in canoeing and camping. I actually had a few of my friends interested, but couldn't get enough adult support, so the idea tanked. But I passed the Board of Review. I stayed with the troop for another year, passing on a unanimous vote to be made Senior Patrol Leader, opting instead to be a Junior Assistant Scoutmaster, a position common to Eagle Scouts who remain. Sadly, the unit was already going downhill due to poor adult leadership (my Dad was already out of the picture, another long story), and lack of support from the American Legion post (essentially a group of aging drunks).

With graduation from high school, I left Scouting behind -- reluctantly, as with so many institutions of my childhood, they didn't seem to know what to do with someone no longer a boy, but not quite a man. I was getting a part-time job after school, and making plans for college. Barely a year after joining the ranks of eagles, it was all so far away.

My son never got to be in Scouting, mostly due to the lack of cooperation from his mother. I think a few years of it would have done him a world of good, but it's all academic now. With nearly six years back in uniform, I have yet to truly find my niche.

But for a brief episode, it was mine for the taking. The image you see there is of the Buffalo Patrol of Milford Troop 120, in January or February of 1971, as I will always remember them: from left to right, Seth Wallace (whose dad was an architect, and gave me the idea to be one too), Mark Bittner (my faithful, if quiet, assistant), Eric Strathman (who later went on to become "Senior Patrol Leader," the top youth position in a troop), myself, ???? Bollman (whose dad thought he was crazy for being in Scouting when he could be playing football), and Tim Ring (one of my guitar students).

I'm breaking with convention here, by listing names of non-relatives, in the hope that the result is a fitting tribute, to one of the few high points in my childhood, and the colleagues who made it possible. What I wouldn't give to know where they are today, and how they are doing.

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I BLAME THE BOY SCOUTS (November 2010)

Scouting has been the whipping-boy for a number of "enlightened" people these days, as the people who were too cool for it got older, and more obnoxious. Then there's Boyd Matson, a contributing editor and host of National Geographic Weekend on radio.

On this, my third climb up Kilimanjaro, I already know what to expect: six nights sleeping on the ground, no bath for a week, cold wind, thin air, and maybe mild altitude sickness. I keep asking myself, “Why am I doing this, again?” Finally I come up with an answer. I blame the Boy Scouts of America. That organization stole my soul when I was a kid and planted it in the wilderness. I was too young to resist their clever sales pitch built around hiking and camping trips. And their system of rewarding accomplishments with higher ranks and colorful merit badges meant, in effect, there was always one more goal to reach, one more mountain to climb ...

It was the summer of 2003. After a bout with rehab, and from there deciding he wanted me back in his life, I took Paul with me to Seattle. I've described his escapades there in other accounts, but there was what seemed to be a climactic one. We visited a friend of mine who had a little place by the lake there in town -- of course, Seattle is surrounded by lakes and inlets, so that isn't hard -- and she had two kayaks. I hadn't been on one in twenty years, but I tried it, and it was just like riding a bike. Then, of course, Paul just had to try it. He had NEVER been in a kayak before, and when he tried it, it was like riding a bike for him too. When he got to the middle of the lake (right in the middle of potential motor traffic), he just sat there, for about ten minutes, and looked around. We were yelling at him to come back before the Harbor Police showed up, but I don't believe he knew we were there.

He never said later what it was that possessed him, but from a distance, I could swear he was having an epiphany. It was as if the events leading up to that day were coalescing into a sign, a message of where to go next.

Had he ever been in Scouting, he would have had a lot of those. I did.

(H/T to Tom Turba.)

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Scouting Goes Rogue: Part 1 (Introduction)

Earlier this year, we reported on the decision of the Boy Scouts of America to revise its membership policy with respect to youth members and sexual orientation. The relevant section of the policy up to this time, one that was supported by the 2000 Supreme Court decision in Boy Scouts of America v Dale, is as follows:

Youth membership in the Boy Scouts of America is open to all who meet the membership requirements. Cub Scouting, Boy Scouting, and Varsity Scouting are for boys. Venturing is for young men and young women. (Updated March 15)

The adult applicant must possess the moral, educational, and emotional qualities that the Boy Scouts of America deems necessary to afford positive leadership to youth. The applicant must also be the correct age, subscribe to the precepts of the Declaration of Religious Principle, and abide by the Scout Oath or Promise, and the Scout Law.

While the BSA does not proactively inquire about the sexual orientation of employees, volunteers, or members, we do not grant membership to individuals who are open or avowed homosexuals or who engage in behavior that would become a distraction to the mission of the BSA.

The new policy, voted on at the National Meeting this past May, effective the beginning of next year, is as follows:

Membership in any program of the Boy Scouts of America requires the youth member to (a) subscribe to and abide by the values expressed in the Scout Oath and Scout Law, (b) subscribe to and abide by the precepts of the Declaration of Religious Principle (duty to God), and (c) demonstrate behavior that exemplifies the highest level of good conduct and respect for others and is consistent at all times with the values expressed in the Scout Oath and Scout Law. No youth may be denied membership in the Boy Scouts of America on the basis of sexual orientation or preference alone.

In the world of Catholic new media, there has been discussion on this topic at one time or another this past year, as would-be pundits advise Catholic families on what they should or should not do. They draw their conclusions with little in the way of hard evidence, that continued association with the BSA, as of the 23rd of May last, is definitive cooperation with an objective moral evil. Or something.

As poorly thought out as this is, at least it heads in the right direction. What's more, it pales in comparison to the vascilating stance taken by the National Catholic Committee on Scouting.

The Catholic Church teaches that people who experience a homosexual inclination or a same sex attraction are to be treated with respect recognizing the dignity of all persons. The Church's teaching is clear that engaging in sexual activity outside of marriage is immoral. Individuals who are open and avowed homosexuals promoting and engaging in homosexual conduct are not living lives consistent with Catholic teaching.

Now, contrast this relatively innocuous position with the official statement by Bishop Paul Loverde of Arlington, Virginia, released last May in the wake of the BSA decision.

As an organization founded on character and leadership, it is highly disappointing to see the Boy Scouts of America succumb to external pressures and political causes at the cost of its moral integrity. Additionally, it seems clear that the result of this policy change will likely not bring harmony, but rather continuing controversy, policy fights, and discord.

The above has probably been the most forthright statement to date by any Catholic bishop on the issue.

We hear a lot about how people with same-sex attraction (and the assumption is that "sexual orientation" is limited to that issue) should be treated "with respect recognizing the dignity of all persons." The reality is, that this is not what the Church teaches on homosxuality; it is what the Church teaches on everything! “In omnia, caritas.” In all things, charity. Our mother the Church does not call us to condemnation, but to conversion. She wants us to unite with the Bridegroom, and be happy with Him forever in Heaven. Hers is a message of love, not of hate. What appears at a distance to be a bitter pill, is simply the Bread of Life.

Meanwhile, we hear little from the NCCS on how unnatural sexual proclivities are "an objective disorder," and are an inclination towards "an objective moral evil." That is most assuredly what the Church teaches on homosexuality. A genuine teaching moment has been reduced to a public relations campaign, trying to assure everybody that we promise to be nice, please don't hurt us. As a result, there is little in the way of authoritative direction. And so, at the local level, pastors decide not to sponsor Boy Scout troops at the end of the year (often without even discerning their own bishop's position, as though the Church operates on a congregational polity), parents pull their kids out of Scouting, in some cases as they are about to be eligible for the Eagle Award -- all this without guidance, without an alternative, without much of anything.

To limit the concern of Church officials to merely explicit sexual activity is morally problematic in itself, not so much for what it says, as for what it does not say. Dr Denise Hunnell is a wife and mother with a long history of involvement in Boy Scouting. Not content to rest on those laurels, she brings up the obvious:

What constitutes sexual conduct? It would be normal for a high school age Boy Scout to post pictures on Facebook of his girlfriend. He might be seen holding hands with her. He might even be seen giving her a kiss. None of this would be considered as inappropriate sexual behavior. Now consider the Boy Scout with a same-sex attraction. Would it also be acceptable for him to hold hands and kiss his boyfriend? This policy opens the door to a Clintonian parsing of the definition of sexual relations. Will the Scout invite his boyfriend to the Court of Honor to share in the celebration of his Scouting achievements? Will other Scouts and their parents be expected to look upon this behavior with tolerance and acceptance? For Catholics, that would be impossible.

Unfortunately, the tepid response that is evident in the NCCS position has been the extent of intellectual rigor among so many Catholic leaders involved in Scouting until now. I have spoken to a number of such leaders at the local level. The responses, including to such as the above, are no less depressing.

A local commissioner who liaises with a Catholic unit: "I don't see the difference here, David."

A decorated Scout leader and recipient of a religious award for his service to Catholic scouting: "I don't have a dog in this hunt."

The scoutmaster of a Troop sponsored by a Catholic parish: "It's above my pay grade."

No kidding. Grown men actually say this stuff.

In the roughly three months this past spring, during what the BSA referred to as a "family discussion," little more than a staged exercise of consultation as prelude to a foregone conclusion, was like a bad remake of Invasion of the Body Snatchers once the "pod people" started taking over. I heard more inane and ill-formed observations in two or three months from seasoned and otherwise-sensible veterans of Scouting, than I had in the nine years I had been back in uniform.

The good Doctor, on the other hand, is quite correct to imply elsewhere in her treatise, that the leadership of the NCCS has been naive in its approach to the subject. Even children who prepare for First Communion are taught (or should be taught) the Act of Contrition, that they may make a proper Confession, in which they promise "to sin no more, to avoid the near occasion of sin, to do penance, and to amend my life ..." In other words, it is not enough to avoid sin, but also to avoid those situations which invariably lead to sin. It is what the Jews refer to as "building a wall around Torah." The purpose of the wall (or the fence, depending on your translation) is not only to keep something in, but to keep something else out. To put it another way, in the words of Father Peter Stravinskas: "If you want to avoid the unthinkable, you draw the lines well in advance." Those among the Catholic leadership who advise the BSA do not appear to see this as a problem, which is not about a deficiency in theology, but a more basic level of catechesis -- from bishops, no less, and the intellectual dwarfs who do their bidding!

Over the next few weeks at this time, man with black hat will be laying out the new landscape of the scouting movement in the United States, particularly as it has emerged in the last year.

Part 2 of this series will introduce the reader to what are referred to as the "aims and methods of Scouting," and will give some background on the history of so-called "independent scouting." It will provide a brief glance at how a traditional scouting program would look and operate, and what it would provide, based upon the writings of Lord Baden Powell of Gilwell, the father of the scouting movement, and his 1907 Brownsea Island experiment.

With Part 2 as a basis for comparison, Parts 3, 4, and 5 will each present a possible alternative to the Boy Scouts of America (in the form of Trail Life USA, Troops of Saint George, and the Federation of North American Explorers, respectively). Finally, Part 6 will show why remaining with the Boy Scouts of America, all else notwithstanding, may or may not still be the best alternative over the long haul.

If you are a mother or father of a Catholic household with boys in Scouting, you want to read this series.

If you are a parish or diocesan youth minister, or a Catholic priest whose parish has sponsored a Scout Troop, and you want to know what to do next (while waiting for the diocesan youth ministry office to get it together), you want to read this series.

If you are with a diocesan youth ministry office, or a diocesan Scouting chaplaincy, and are tired of waiting for said dicastery to get it together on this subject, you want to read this series.

Concern is raised in this venue over the limiting of the problem to explicit sexual engagement, when the problem is really broader than that. Most people who think beyond the ends of their noses know, that nobody ever joins Boy Scouting with the expectation of getting laid. (There, I said it.) We must conclude, therefore, that there is more to this issue than the one-dimensional approach employed up to now.

If you agree (or if you don't, and would dare this writer to prove otherwise), you want to read this series.

(NOTE: If you are a parish priest, and need to know a few things sooner rather than later, you know where to find me.)

The thing is, many Catholics with boys in Scouting are willing to listen to anybody with enough initials after his or her name, or enough visibility in Catholic new media, who would accuse them of leading their child down the road to perdition had they not burned his uniform sometime after May 23rd, without even suggesting a viable option. (By "viable," I refer to concept of scouting as described above, as opposed to a Catholic boys club whose members all wear the same polo shirts and pray the Rosary around the campfire.) Maybe it's about time we all brought the conversation up a notch, don't you think?

Or don't you? Stay tuned ...
 

“JamboLive dot org”

As this is written, the final Jambopalooza is about to begin at the 2013 National Jamboree of the Boy Scouts of America, located at its permanent and already way the hell over budget site, the Summit Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve, located in the mountains of southern West Virginia. The opening acts are from earlier this week are shown here, including a band from the United States Army, as well as local country music recording artists Taylor Made, with more than one album to their credit, but no mention on Wikipedia.

Meanwhile, the identity of the closing act, to begin shortly as this is written, is a well-guarded secret, what with all the champions of tolerance picking on the BSA over that membership policy thing. (Picking on the Boy Scouts. So what else is new???) You can find out with the rest of the crowd at three o'clock Eastern time by clicking here at "jambolive dot org."

It's the next best thing to being there, and you don't have to climb up a hill for three miles (never mind with a full pack).

UPDATE 1: Two things have happened since this was posted. The first is that we lost the embed from the Jamboree site, so we chucked it for now. The second is that, due to contractual obligations, the featured and long-kept-secret star performer for today, Universal Republic recording artists Three Doors Down of Escatawpa, Mississippi, was not allowed to be streamed for all you freeloading SOBs out there. That obviously didn't bother the guys who performed at the 2010 Centennial Jamboree, namely lowercase people/Atlantic recording artists Switchfoot from San Diego, California, and (frankly) they were way better, as the substitute videos here will demonstrate.

Be honest, guys, that was totally awesome, don't you think?

Or don't you?

UPDATE 2: Archived video clips of the opening and (eventually) closing arena shows can best be viewed here.
 

Now We Are Eleven

This little corner of the Catholic blogosphere turned eleven years old today, but why the hell should you care?

Admit it, people. Life in the Catholic blogosphere has been rather boring of late, or at least predictable. How many times can you watch my close personal friend Mark Shea pick on somebody and get two hundred combox addicts taking to the ramparts, or Rorate Caeli most of whose contributors show their courage of conviction by not using their real names uncover yet another excuse to whine about a pope who won't do the Papal Mass in the traditional form even though no one is alive who knows how, or Michael Voris who never returns my calls spend eight minutes saying something that others could have said in three minutes -- about three decades ago, or some other "mommie blogger" who doesn't exactly move in the same circles as yours truly brag about her dream boat of a husband who probably sits there scratching himself and reading the paper wondering when the hell dinner's gonna be ready? Not too much to get excited about, dear minions.

I mean, yeah, we got a new pope and all that, but really! When I start reading drivel from the Catholic celebrity circuit, in the form of some neophyte barely out of his baptismal robes ...

"Today, the Holy Father appeared at the papal audience hall, and sat in one of the seats towards the back before giving his address. What is he trying to tell us about humility?"

I just want to shake them into some form of alignment and tell them ...

He's trying to tell us that he's seventy-six years old, has two hip replacements, one working lung, and he's really f@#$ing tired, you poncy schoolboy!!!

... but I never really get that chance.

The rest of you might be taken in by those innocent puppy-dog looks and that unpretentious wave to the crowd from the balcony, but I'm not fooled. As a Jesuit provincial in Argentina, he ruled with what one priest called "an iron fist." And when he's not kissing babies or setting a poor example with liturgical norms and making every other conscientious parish priest look and feel stupid, he speaks of sin and the Devil with a bluntness that would warm the cockles of any Lefebvrite's heart. Who knows, maybe we'll get to see what His Holiness does to clean up the Roman Curia. We can watch the heads of insolent paper-hangers roll down the Vatican steps. That's when I'll be impressed. And you'll all be wetting yourselves. Until then, I'll miss my Papa Benny if I want to.

Meanwhile, things have been kind of quiet here at the Black Hat Corral. At my day job, we just got done moving a makeshift video production studio back into the real one in the renovated headquarters building, and I was more or less put in charge of that. (Actually, they only renovated about half of it, and slapped a fresh coat of paint on the other half. Long story. Let's just say the midterm elections caused a lowering of expectations, okay?) After thirty years as a professional graphic designer, or as they call it, a "visual information specialist," I'm still getting used to being what is called an “audiovisual production specialist” (which became official in my personnel file about three weeks ago). But the fact is, I had gone about as far as I could go in my now-former profession, and when dealing with the issues of midlife, it was either a career change, or buying a high-performance automobile that I really couldn't afford.

Instead, I got a 2010 Honda Element about two months ago, essentially a compact miniature SUV with four-wheel drive, manufactured in my home state of Ohio. The model was discontinued in 2011, but I wanted one anyway. I couldn't find one with a sunroof, but I did find one with an overhead rack. And I love the way those big-@$$ doors open wide for light hauling, and how I can sit tall in the saddle. And it's silver, as in “Hi, ho, Silver!” Get it?

Last month I did a piece on the recent change in the membership policy of the Boy Scouts of America. It got more attention than I usually get, but the response was still less than remarkable. Then that guy who claims to showcase "the best in Catholic blogging" posted links to just about every other dilletante's piece on the subject, most of whom wouldn't know a sheepshank from a sheet bend. But find someone who is not only Catholic, but actually belongs to the Boy Scouts of America, and who might know what the hell is actually going on? No, that would be w-a-a-a-a-a-y too outside the box for this astute audience. Then there was that piece I did two weeks ago on the Sacred Heart. That's the sixth consecutive year I've posted that particular story, but it hardly got a notice until this year, when my new close personal friends at NewAdvent.org posted it at the top of their page. I got 1344 visits to my site that day! After eleven years, that is an all-time one-day record. My piece on the Latin Mass remains my biggest hit, but even that one only got about eight or nine hundred visits the first day. (Only? Geez!)

So, as I contemplate finally attending the annual Catholic New Media Conference in Boston this year, on the chance that someone won't get up in front of several hundred people and tell me little more than the obvious, I have to ask myself this burning question: What the hell is the matter with you people?

Thankfully, I have my answer.

Only a small number of you are reading all the way through articles on the Web. I’ve long suspected this, because so many smart-alecks jump in to the comments to make points that get mentioned later in the piece. But now I’ve got proof. I asked Josh Schwartz, a data scientist at the traffic analysis firm Chartbeat ... [his] data shows that readers can’t stay focused. The more I type, the more of you tune out. And it’s not just me. It’s not just Slate. It’s everywhere online. When people land on a story, they very rarely make it all the way down the page. A lot of people don’t even make it halfway. Even more dispiriting is the relationship between scrolling and sharing. Schwartz’s data suggest that lots of people are tweeting out links to articles they haven’t fully read. If you see someone recommending a story online, you shouldn’t assume that he has read the thing he’s sharing.

That means that just under half of you have made it this far. And that the rest of you have abysmally short attention spans.

Hopefully some of you made it this far with other articles as well. This past year has seen our most popular work. Last fall saw two of them. “The Latin Mass: Why You Can’t Have It” remains our perennial champion, pleasing so many who are devoted to the traditional form of the Roman Mass (except for those pansies at Rorate Caeli, who know that the only way to accomplish anything is through superior posturing and incessant bitching). It was followed shortly thereafter by a revised version of a piece on the history of women and the diaconate that I did years ago, that was hidden in the recesses of the EWTN Online Library, until “Deaconess: A Rose By Any Other Name” hit the Catholic blogosphere. Suddenly there was a guy who knew the whole story. For once.

Were it not for the success of the two pieces just mentioned, this venue may have been shut down for a forty-day sojourn in the virtual desert, if not permanently. But fate, and just the right topics at just the right times, intervened.

And so, we shall press on for another year, with material too original for the average blog reader, some with complex subject matter, multi-syllabic words, and without pictures of nuns riding on surfboards via Photoshop. There will be one or two more stories on the Boy Scout situation, now that those in upper echelons realize the size of the egg they've just laid, and are in full damage-control mode. You'll learn how that's shaping up, what other alternatives are in the works, both Catholic and otherwise, and why yours truly has not abandoned the BSA just yet. (Yes, there's a reason.) There may be at least one more significant piece on the state of Catholic worship, as well as what my son Paul is up to. We might even do a political piece, just to see if anyone at the National Security Agency has enough time to kill to read this. But if they don't, it's just as well. This writer has all the fame he can handle at the moment.

“Mommy, there’s that guy with the black hat that we see in church standing next to the priest. Is he a deacon or something?”

And so it goes.
 

“Say you want a resolution, well, you know ...”

Earlier today, some 1400 delegates to the annual National Meeting of the Boy Scouts of America voted to remove sexual orientation and/or preference as an impediment to youth membership, while retaining it for adult membership. (All in good time ...) The resolution passed by a vote of 63.7 to 31.3 percent.

Following the almost certain approval of the National Council, the policy will take effect on the first of January, 2014.

There will be more upon which to comment in the days to come. But for now ...

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The story is told of a little boy, who on his fourteenth birthday gets a horse. And everybody in the village says, "How wonderful, the boy got a horse."

And the Zen master says, "We'll see."

Two years later, the boy falls off the horse, breaks his leg, and everyone in the village says, "How terrible."

And the Zen master says, "We'll see."

Then, a war breaks out and all the young men have to go off and fight, except the boy can't because his leg did not heal correctly, and everybody in the village says, "How wonderful."

And the Zen master says, "We'll see."

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And so it goes. Stay tuned ...
 

Scout’s Honor Reconsidered

For more than thirty years, the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) have deemed it necessary to state for the record, that those who openly declare themselves to be homosexual -- that is, inclined toward same-sex attraction -- are ineligible for membership. They have cited the basis for this as fidelity to the ideals enshrined in the Scout Oath ...

On my honor, I will do my best
To do my duty to God and my country,
and to obey the Scout Law,
To help other people at all times;
To keep myself physically strong,
mentally awake, and morally straight.

... and the Scout Law.

A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent.

In 1990, a Rutgers University student and Eagle Scout by the name of James Dale was relieved of his position as an Assistant Scoutmaster, and expelled from the membership, after an interview with him was published in which he admitted to being openly gay. His legal action against the BSA eventually found its way to the United States Supreme Court, in the case of Boy Scouts of America et al. v. Dale, which found in favor of the BSA.

We are not, as we must not be, guided by our views of whether the Boy Scouts' teachings with respect to homosexual conduct are right or wrong; public or judicial disapproval of a tenet of an organization's expression does not justify the State's effort to compel the organization to accept members where such acceptance would derogate from the organization's expressive message. While the law is free to promote all sorts of conduct in place of harmful behavior, it is not free to interfere with speech for no better reason than promoting an approved message or discouraging a disfavored one, however enlightened either purpose may strike the government.

In 2004, the BSA released a new policy statement in light of the High Court's decision.

Boy Scouts of America believes that homosexual conduct is inconsistent with the obligations in the Scout Oath and Scout Law to be morally straight and clean in thought, word, and deed. The conduct of youth members must be in compliance with the Scout Oath and Law, and membership in Boy Scouts of America is contingent upon the willingness to accept Scouting's values and beliefs. Most boys join Scouting when they are 10 or 11 years old. As they continue in the program, all Scouts are expected to take leadership positions. In the unlikely event that an older boy were to hold himself out as homosexual, he would not be able to continue in a youth leadership position.

In 2010, a study was commenced by the BSA to determine the feasibility of admitting members who were openly homosexual. After two years, the study was completed, and then-Chief Scout Executive Bob Mazzuca announced that “The vast majority of the parents of youth we serve value their right to address the issues of same-sex orientation within their family, with spiritual advisors and at the appropriate time and in the right setting.”

And yet, in the face of numerous corporations pulling funding from the BSA due to "non-discrimination policies" in philanthropic giving, and press conferences by celebrities like Madonna, the national leadership attempted to revise their membership policy early this year with a minimum of fanfare, and leave the decision to individual units. But word of their plans was leaked to the outside, which provoked a storm of protest by the general membership. The BSA then pulled back on their plans, agreeing to a three-and-a-half-month long "family discussion" in several phases. Last month, in the wake of an executive summary report on this discussion, and a more detailed report made public (as opposed to the two-year study, which was not), the BSA announced the resolution that would be brought before the 1400 voting delegates at their annual National Meeting which began today.

Youth membership in the Boy Scouts of America is open to all youth who meet the specific membership requirements to join the Cub Scout, Boy Scout, Varsity Scout, Sea Scout, and Venturing programs. Membership in any program of the Boy Scouts of America requires the youth member to (a) subscribe to and abide by the values expressed in the Scout Oath and Scout Law, (b) subscribe to and abide by the precepts of the Declaration of Religious Principle (duty to God), and (c) demonstrate behavior that exemplifies the highest level of good conduct and respect for others and is consistent at all times with the values expressed in the Scout Oath and Scout Law. No youth may be denied membership in the Boy Scouts of America on the basis of sexual orientation or preference alone.

Note that the resolution applies only to youth membership, and that the ban against "avowed homosexuals" in the adult membership would be maintained.

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How did things get this far? How did the largest youth organization in America, the second largest scouting association in the world, reach the point of questioning the very ideals for which it was established, and which has woven itself into the very fabric of American life? How did a policy which was supported by the overwhelming majority of the general membership come under such scrutiny by its own leadership within less than one year? How does this resolution even be considered, when even the most recent reports show that a majority of the current membership still favors the current policy?

Many have commented on this subject, including the various pundits in the Catholic blogosphere. Especially where it concerns the latter, very few if any have a long association with Scouting, much less have any expertise on the movement. On the other hand ...

I was in Cub Scouting for two years, and in Boy Scouting for seven years, before "aging out" at eighteen years. In August of 1969, I was inducted into the national honor society of the BSA, the prestigious Order of the Arrow. In December of 1971, under the authority granted them by the National Council, BSA, I passed the Board of Review convened by the Dan Beard Council, BSA, and was designated an Eagle Scout, an honor achieved by only four percent of those who ever join the program. In July of 2004, after more than thirty years, I once again put on the Scout uniform, and joined the Commissioner Service. I currently maintain a correspondence with Scout leaders all over the world. In 2010, I was one of a group of veteran Scout leaders in the United States, approached independently by leaders of the Uganda Scout Association, to advise and assist in reorganization after years of political unrest. That same year, I led a collection drive of used BSA training material to facilitate the re-establishment of Scouting in the Jalalabad province of Afghanistan.

I am presently an Assistant District Commissioner with the National Capital Area Council, Boy Scouts of America.

In addition to the aforementioned bonafides, I have over the last two months, with my research assistant working nearly full time, conducted a thorough study in subject areas related to the issue at hand, including the history of gay activism, pedophilia and other adverse behaviors, as well as medical risks, all as they relate to same-sex attraction, legal issues pertaining to both the current BSA policy and various proposed alternatives, as well as the moral issues among the various religious confessions who have played a part in Scouting. I have spoken to and corresponded with more than a dozen Scout leaders with access to the leadership of the BSA, all on the condition of anonymity, concerning what has transpired in the minds of the powers that be. I have engaged in lengthy and often impassioned debates with other veterans of Scouting. I have had brief audiences with regional Scout officials, often called upon with little notice, to state my case. (When that happens, you'd better know what you're talking about.) In March of this year, I submitted a one-page summary report on “Critical Issues Pertaining to Review of BSA Membership Policy” to the Executive Staff of the National Capital Area Council, which was forwarded to their Chief Executive as well as the President of the Executive Board. Finally, I have spoken to several Catholic priests on the issue, including one specialist in ministering to those struggling with same-sex attraction, and those who work with Scout units.

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"Norm" was at the Boy Scouts of America's national headquarters in Irving, Texas (between Dallas and Fort Worth) this past February, when this issue was being discussed.

I was personally present in the meeting where Wayne Perry, the National President who is a lifelong member of the LDS [Mormon] Church and a lifelong Scouter and the founder of a billion dollar company, was in tears about having to go to Salt Lake City and discuss with his Prophet why he believes that a change in the membership standards (gay policy) is essential to the health of the organization to protect, among other things, the right of the BSA to maintain the Duty to God standard. NEVER ONCE DID HE MENTION MONEY. He, and Tico Perez, the National Commissioner, and Wayne Brock, the Chief Scout Executive, did mention the personal values and beliefs of todays youth and today's parents and the persons that we serve. There also was mention of the personal heartache caused by communication from parents and Scout leaders of older youth who realize they are gay. Wayne Brock too appeared close to tears when he discussed a phone call from a Scout leader who said that one of his older Scouts had been a member of the group of boys since they were 8. The boys all love each other in the best, Scoutlike, familylike sense. That boy is now 16 and has realized he is gay and so informed the Scoutmaster. The Scout leader asks "Am I supposed to tear this group of youth apart by expelling this one boy? His friends know about and don't care about his sexual orientation. What will it say to each of these older boys if we expel their highly respected friend. Should we not expect to lose all of them to Scouting and to the Scout Oath and Scout Law?"

I heard a 78 year veteran Scouter who has received every honor the BSA has, in a public meeting, discuss the heartache caused when his Eagle Scout youngest son came to him and said he was gay. The heartache was not over the son's sexual orientation. Rather, when he asked his son "when did you know?" the son said, "I realized my feelings about this were different when I was about 10." Then when he asked his son "Why did you take so long to tell me?" and the son said "I know how important the Catholic Church and the Boy Scouts are to you and I didn't want to cause trouble for you." There were a lot of us close to tears there. NEVER ONCE WAS MONEY MENTIONED.

I'm not saying money is not a factor; just that it appeared there are many, many other factors just as compelling if not more so ...

They cannot kid themselves, never mind the general membership. Money is a HUGE factor in this decision. The BSA was recently bequeathed an extensive property in the mountains of southern West Virginia. Even now, work continues apace to prepare the Summit Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve for this year's National Jamboree, as it will become not only the permanent site for the National Jamboree, but also that of the 2019 World Jamboree. In the interim, it will be the newest High Adventure Base of the BSA. Historically, such events are held on broad, flat land, facilitating travel from one point to another, and the throngs of family and friends who come to visit. This represents a complete rethinking of the very concept of a Jamboree, on a site that is a challenge just to access. To prepare the site, millions of dollars must be spent on infrastructure -- roads, administrative, service, and staff buildings, water, electrical power, wireless communication, health and safety, and so on -- in one of the poorest areas east of the Mississippi. With philanthropic and public sentiment mounting against "exclusionary" policies, the Boy Scouts are under tremendous pressure to maintain any viable program at all on a national scale.

And those who would change the face of Scouting to suit their own agenda know this.

"Brian" provided the following from an attorney by the name of Kelly Shackelford, who specializes in issues of religious freedom.

Making the proposed policy change would have profound implications regarding religious liberty and First Amendment rights. Your organization won at the Supreme Court regarding your current policy by a single vote. But the Supreme Court's majority opinion rested in part on the premise that BSA, as an organization, has a right to define its own mission and its views regarding morality and the values BSA seeks to instill in boys and young men. Delegating that decision to local subsidiaries necessarily means that BSA no longer has a national, organization-wide position on the morality of homosexuality. As such, those local affiliates would be beyond the limits of the Supreme Court's holding in Boy Scouts of America v. Dale, and each would be subject to new lawsuits under antidiscrimination laws and policies in whatever city and state each troop and pack is situated in.

While it is possible many of those local units would prevail in their lawsuits, many others might not, and the costs of litigation in either event would be nothing short of crippling for BSA. The legal safe harbor you currently enjoy could only be restored by a second victory at the Supreme Court, if this matter reaches the justices a second time and if the Court again sides with you, during which process you will again incur very significant legal costs.

As "Bill" reports, the threat of long, sustained litigation is very much a factor in the decision, but there is more than one few weighing in, adding to the complexity of the issue.

Based upon multiple conversations I have had, face to face all over the country, on the telephone through this and other forums like it and via various back-channels that I have access to, it is clear to me that our national leadership strongly believes that if we do not change to a more inclusive policy, we will swiftly become embroiled in a battle in the courts on multiple fronts ... constitutionality of exclusion ... tax exempt allowance ... public property use ... and that we will lose in every case. My read of the courts is consistent with that view. We will lose. And we will waste a lot of our treasure and standing in the country defending ourselves. And we will be broadly perceived in a negative way across a wide spectrum of society. And our eagles will no longer confidently and proudly put “eagle scout” on their resume’s for fear that the politics of a particular potential decision maker will be anti-scouting. (this is actually already beginning to happen) Yet, we will have some troops and councils able to survive this and thrive once again in time, perhaps 20 years or so. But they will have gay members. Openly. If not, they will be a church group, but not allowed to claim to be “Boy Scouts of America”. And we will have been incredibly limited in the number of youth we can impact. But our lawyers will make a bunch of money via a transfer of BSA’s wealth to them.

Of course, without the protection now afforded by the BSA through the Supreme Court's 2000 decision, it is small wonder that they would be vulnerable. This makes the above (which really does reflect the opinion of many Scout leaders, and some legal experts who guide them) all the more perplexing. The highest court in the land has ruled in their favor, and they're prepared to give that up, roll the dice, and see what happens, all to placate the popular culture.

That said, we must face the realization that the "gay lifestyle" is slowly becoming acceptable as "mainstream" in American society, and the primary demographic to which recruiters of Scouting must appeal, is parents between the ages of 30 and 40. And in the extensive membership survey conducted this year, younger members, and even the boys themselves, are more sympathetic to the idea of gays being in Scouting. At this level of the conversation, it is not about the reality of what the Church refers to as an "objective disorder," the acting upon of which is strongly held to be an "objective moral evil." It all comes down to that kid down the street who is wired a bit differently than most others, but isn't such a bad guy after all.

But this isn't about that one guy. And it isn't about any one guy. It is about whether a particular conduct is consistent with the ideals of Scouting or not. But what if it is only about "orientation" or "preference"? It is not as if it will be acted upon ... right?

James Weaks of Hillsborough, North Carolina, answers that question with ... more questions.

What is a “sexual orientation?” What is a “sexual preference?” Sexual orientation has no real definition, but instead an ever changing clinical and legal argument. Sexual preference is an even broader term. This language brings into view an expanding range of behaviors that includes: homosexuality, pedophilia, exhibitionism, voyeurism, bestiality, bisexuality, frotteurism, fetishism (of multiple sorts), gender identity disorder, klismaphilia, necrophilia, partialism, sexual sadism, sexual masochism, transgenderism, transsexuality ... and this is a limited list. There are more of these orientations than I have listed and more of them coming.

The paraphilias (abnormal sexual desires) as defined by the American Psychiatric Association have been shifting for years and continue to do so ...

Notice that the list includes “transgenderism” which one Scout executive told me was "not on our radar." Will they be recalibrating their radar anytime soon? Consider the following scenario, which has been the topic of discussion at an official BSA weblog known as "Bryan on Scouting."

A transgendered [male] scout leader at summer camp insists on being allowed to shower during time reserved for female adult leaders (and yes, there are camps that still have old-style, open shower houses).

... and the response of one renowned veteran Scouter, with experience at both local, regional, and national levels. You'd better be sitting down.

Depending on the camp, we allow her [sic] to do so. If she [sic] self-identifies to both camp staff and her [sic] unit as female, we let her [sic] shower with other females. This is only a big deal to people who cannot keep their heads out of the gutter. We do the same thing when we allow young children to go to the bathroom with their female or male adults. This isn’t sexuality — this is getting a shower and being clean.

Not complicated in the least. This is a LOCAL ISSUE. The other females know her [sic] as a “her” [sic]; and those who do not know her [sic] as a “her” [sic] would be counseled when the unit showed up for camp. Non-issue here. Just like if an adult showed up and required a shower every 12 hours for health reasons. Just like if an adult showed up and required the shower stall area be emptied because he (or she) has burn grafts which would be awful to “look at” in a more “opened” shower.

We use COMMON SCOUTER SENSE here ...

Oh, is THAT what they're calling it, as opposed to a subtle form of brainwashing? Whenever these subjects come up at Scout meetings lately, it feels like a bad remake of "Invasion of the Body Snatchers," and the Pod People are starting to take over. (Just when you think you know a guy, never mind every other guy in the room ...)

You also have to wonder whether any of this was taken into account by leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons), when they announced their acceptance of the proposed resolution. Here is where we should take "the Mormon factor" into account. Early in the BSA's history, the Mormons in the United States decided to adopt Scouting as a component of their training of young men. Every Mormon boy between the ages of eleven and fifteen is a registered Boy Scout, and it remains an integral part of their formation in "the Aaronic priesthood." It is also why Mormon congregations are responsible for just over 16 percent of the total youth membership (although some put the number as high as 20 percent). Mormons dominate life in Scouting. In areas where there are a lot of Mormons, there are times when it seems as though there are two "tracks" in the Scouting programs -- Mormons, and the rest of us. But to be fair, they are largely congenial to a fault, and manage to contribute an overall sense of civility to the proceedings.

Even so, units sponsored by religious congregations account for SEVENTY PERCENT of the youth membership. And when you read a finding like this in the summary report ...

Many religious chartered organizations stated their concern is with homosexual adult leaders and not with youth. They estimate a membership policy change that includes both youth and adults could cause the BSA to incur membership losses in a range from 100,000 to 350,000. It is believed any gain in membership because of a change to the membership policy related to youth and adults would be in the range of 10,000 to 20,000 youth.

... you have yet one more reason to wonder how it got this far.

The truly sad thing is, that boys who struggle with issues of gender identity will be the biggest losers if the resolution passes. There will be no presumption of the need for guidance if the product of any amount of confusion in adolescent development is immediately dismissed as "normal," despite the bulk of civilized history speaking to the contrary. A seventeen-year-old candidate for Eagle Scout who believes he is gay can be handled one way, while the eleven-year-old girl who "self-identifies" as a boy and wants to join a Boy Scout troop can be handled another way. The point is, there is presently the potential for options. If the resolution passes, there is only one.

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But what has happened of late has been the most troubling. It wasn't enough to attempt to slide a policy change through the back door and get caught. The National President of the BSA has just made his own feelings known in an editorial in USA Today.

Today's proposed resolution reaffirms our core belief in doing one's "duty to God." It would remove the restriction denying membership to youth on the basis of sexual orientation alone and would maintain the current membership policy for all adult leaders. Further, the resolution reinforces that Scouting is a youth program, and that any sexual conduct, heterosexual or homosexual, is contrary to the virtues of Scouting. It also prohibits the use of the organization to promote or advance any social or political positions or agendas ...

Oh? With a change in the policy for youth membership, how in the name of heaven can a change for adult membership be that far behind? Do they honestly believe they are not simply voting, not just on a resolution, but to continue voting on resolutions? Are they in fact hoping that the subsequent and invariable litigation will fit into the plans they had made all along? Is the general membership really that gullible?

Mr Brock is entitled to his own opinion, but the general membership of the Boy Scouts of America have been entitled to a fair and balanced discussion, and with this tome, and those of others among the Powers That Be -- Randall Stephenson, CEO of AT&T and a member of the Executive Board, has expressed similar sentiments in a recent issue of Business Week -- that prospect of a level playing field is brought into question, especially in light of how they have conducted themselves up to now. Was this really an open and honest "family discussion" over the last few months, or one with a carefully guided and pre-determined ending?

Which brings something else to mind, something that appeared in every Scout handbook, from the first edition in 1911, and for the next sixty years thereafter, in elaborating on the first point of the Scout Law.

A Scout's honor is to be trusted. If he were to violate his honor by telling a lie or by cheating or by not doing exactly a given task, when trusted on his honor, he may be directed to hand over his Scout Badge.

If the proposed resolution passes, it will be the end of Scouting in America as we know it, as the BSA slowly becomes indistinguishable from any other youth organization. If the resolution fails (and it may yet do so), the very notion of Honor itself demands the immediate resignations of Chief Scout Executive Wayne Brock, National President Wayne Perry, and National Commissioner Tico Perez. It would also demand those of two members of the Executive Board most responsible for instigating this malfeasance; AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson, and Ernst and Young CEO James Turley.

Shall we be forced to choose between our duty to God, or our loyalty to a corporation? Whatever the choice, we who are in Scouting are all on our honor, an obligation that does not go away after the meeting is over.
 

“Once a Scout, always ...”

Today was the day that Scouts and Scouters across the nation were called upon, to wear their Scout uniforms to work. This is as far as I got. I couldn't find my Eagle Scout lapel pin, so I went with my old First Class Scout pin.

Back in the day, they would pin this on you, and you would have the real thing sown on later. But the First Class rank was the original pinnacle of what Lord Baden-Powell of Gilwell, father of the Scouting movement, referred to in his original 1908 Handbook for Boys as representing the complete outdoorsman, or as he would say, “the all around perfect Scout.” To this day, we encourage boys who join Scouting to at least make First Class, ideally within a year. The number of boys in any unit that do, is considered a benchmark for that unit's effectiveness.

This call to witness was made at the behest of OnMyHonor.net, which is ...

... the nationwide coalition of concerned parents, Scout Leaders, Scouting Donors, Eagle Scouts and other members of the Boy Scouts of America who are united in their support of Scouting’s current membership policies and their opposition to the proposed resolution which requires open homosexuality in the Boy Scouts.

We talked about this here and here, remember?

How effective have they been so far? Well, a few weeks ago, the empty suits, most of whom have never spent a night out under the stars in their lives, at the BSA headquarters sort of asked them to knock it off, and they sort of said, uh ... no. Hopefully, we'll have more on this later. We'd better, because the voting is at this time tomorrow, at the annual National Meeting. Stay tuned ...
 

Scout’s Honor: A Note of Caution

Over the next week, we here at man with black hat will be bringing you up to speed on an issue which has consumed our research efforts, at the cost of publishing the usual volume of work. It concerns efforts in the past year by the Boy Scouts of America to exclude what have been termed “avowed homosexuals” from its membership. This time last year, the National Council BSA announced the results of a two-year study, as a component of reaffirming their policy. In the space of less than a year, outside pressure and further withholding of corporate donations -- don't kid yourselves, fellas, it's always been about the money -- has caused them to reconsider. With the recent completion of a semi-annual “Voice of the Scout” survey which focused on issues related to the membership policy, a resolution is being formed by the BSA Executive Board for release later this month, and to be voted on by 1400 delegates from all parts of the nation at the annual BSA National Meeting in Texas. The vote will be completed on the 23rd of May.

Meanwhile, we have this statement from Family Watch International, reprinted here in its entirety without permission or shame.

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As many of you know, the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) is in the closing days of a massive outreach effort to gauge reactions to the proposed policy change to allow openly homosexual boys and men to participate in scouting. BSA leadership says they have sent out nearly 1.5 million questionnaires to volunteers and scout alumni posing some hypothetical questions about allowing openly homosexual individuals to participate in scouting.

We have seen reports indicating that in at least some areas of the country, the response rate has been relatively low.

We and others who have looked at the questionnaire believe it is not adequate to accurately gauge the concern that may be felt by members of the scouting community because it does not inform the respondent of all the implications of changing this policy. It focuses almost entirely on the religious or ethical concerns that have been expressed about the policy, and does not look at the serious implications it would have for the health and welfare of vulnerable scouts who may be questioning their own sexual orientation as part of the normal maturation process.

We have laid these concerns out in more detail with some documentation in the letter Family Watch sent to the national scouts back in February. I have attached that letter below.

In summary, the critical point is that no credible research exists to support the commonly held belief that homosexuals are “born that way.” Instead, there is overwhelming and growing evidence that same-sex attraction is caused largely by environmental factors and the experiences of boys who, for a variety of reasons, are particularly vulnerable to developing it. Clearly, the scouting program can be a particularly strong influence in a young man’s life because it is so effective at teaching not just values and morals, but correct principles and survival skills as well.

If the BSA organization allows openly homosexual men to be scout leaders, they would be setting them up as acceptable role models. This change in leadership could be a significant factor in whether some of these vulnerable young men develop same-sex attraction with all the documented mental and physical health consequences that result from acting out on that attraction. Allowing openly homosexual boys to be scouts can have a similar influence on some of their fellow scouts.

It is not clear whether BSA’s national leadership has considered the health and welfare implications this proposed policy change could have on vulnerable scouts. We have asked whether the leadership has considered it, but they refuse to answer. From their recent statements about the proposed policy change, and especially from conversations we have had with scouting volunteers and professionals, it appears to us that they have not fully assessed the impact of their proposed policy.

If you are involved in scouting and received a questionnaire from the national scout office, we urge you to answer it. If you have already returned your questionnaire, or you are a concerned parent, grandparent or just a friend of scouting, then we urge you to contact the national scout office before the listening period closes on Friday, April 5th and express your concern about the apparent lack of any health assessment the proposed policy would have on vulnerable scouts.

In brief, we suggest that you urge BSA not to adopt this proposed policy change without full, comprehensive and open consideration of the health and welfare implications of allowing openly homosexual men and boys to participate in scouting. You can send your comments to the scouts here. You may wish to include some or all of the additional specific concerns we have outlined in our letter to the scouts attached below.

This is an important issue -- one that has significant implications for the health and welfare of countless scouts. Because of the policy’s fundamental implications for the historic mission of scouting, it has serious implications for the future of scouting as well. There has never been a time when we have had a greater need for the kind of strong young men that scouting has proven so effective in developing.

It would be a major loss if scouting is severely damaged by this poorly researched proposed policy.

Sincerely,

Sharon Slater
President

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Future reports in the next two weeks will concern critical issues related to the matter at hand, a survey of various organizations established to uphold the current policy, the disingenuous nature of various aspects of the conversation as adversely affected by the "culture wars," all with an analysis based upon, among other things, nearly twenty years as a youth and adult member of the BSA, including the distinctions of Eagle Scout, as well as the Order of the Arrow. Stay tuned ...
 

Art-For-Art’s-Sake Theatre: Mumford & Sons “I Will Wait”

Time once again for our usual midday Wednesday feature.

Mumford & Sons are a multi-instrumentalist English folk rock band that has been together since 2007. This selection was performed last year at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado. You know, they should play for the Boy Scouts' National Jamboree instead of that teenybopper who backed out for reasons that weren't the fault of the kids.

But these kids are alright. This is why.
 

Scouting’s Culture War

Recently, in both the national news, and among those active in Boy Scouting, the following announcement has fermented waves of discussion and dissention.

For more than 100 years, Scouting’s focus has been on working together to deliver the nation’s foremost youth program of character development and values-based leadership training. Scouting has always been in an ongoing dialogue with the Scouting family to determine what is in the best interest of the organization and the young people we serve.

Currently, the BSA is discussing potentially removing the national membership restriction regarding sexual orientation. This would mean there would no longer be any national policy regarding sexual orientation, and the chartered organizations that oversee and deliver Scouting would accept membership and select leaders consistent with each organization’s mission, principles, or religious beliefs. BSA members and parents would be able to choose a local unit that best meets the needs of their families.

The policy change under discussion would allow the religious, civic, or educational organizations that oversee and deliver Scouting to determine how to address this issue. The Boy Scouts would not, under any circumstances, dictate a position to units, members, or parents. Under this proposed policy, the BSA would not require any chartered organization to act in ways inconsistent with that organization’s mission, principles, or religious beliefs.

The BSA National Executive Board is meeting this week at the national headquarters in Irving, Texas (located between Dallas and Fort Worth). A decision regarding the aforementioned is expected by Wednesday or Thursday. This writer most certainly has an opinion on the subject, one that is borne not only out of an awareness of this aspect of the "culture wars," but based on years of experience in the Scouting program, both as a youth and as an adult. This includes extensive awareness of the issues at hand, their critical background, and recent history. Research is already in progress, and an opinion piece is coming very soon.

Stay tuned ...
 

The Year of the Eagle

Before we turn out the lights here at Chez Alexandre, we should highlight an historic event of one hundred years ago today. It was on this day in 1912, that the Boy Scouts of America designated its first ever Eagle Scout, a young man by the name of Arthur Rose Eldred, of Troop 1 in Rockville Centre, New York. He received notification from the National Office in a letter dated that day. The medal was awarded less than a month later.

But first, they had to actually make one.

In the "original edition" of the Handbook for Boys, the highest rank was supposed to be the "Silver Wolf." It may have saved the young organization some face, in that this edition was never widely circulated, because by the time the "first edition" of the Handbook came out the following year (yes, there is a difference between the "original" and the "first"), the name was changed to "Eagle Scout." The illustration provided was of an eagle in flight suspended from a red ribbon. By the time Eldred received the award, its appearance took on the one by which it is known today.

The requirements were originally more straightforward. It was earned after achieving First Class Rank, simply by attaining the required number of merit badges, which was (and has been for most of its history) twenty-one. The first five required were in the area of health and fitness (First Aid, Lifesaving, Public Health, Personal Health and Athletics), and so that intermediary rank was known as "Life Scout." The next rank was earned by attaining five more merit badges, and was known as "Star Scout," for the five points of the star. (By 1924, the two designations were reversed, as the requirements for the early stage were altered, and the "star" simply recognized the earning of the first five merit badges.)

The medal itself has varied only in certain details that have been "tweaked" over the years. Eldred went on to distinguish himself in Scouting as an adult, and was the first of three generations of Eagles. (Interestingly, for most of the BSA's history and until a few years ago, he was misidentified with an incorrect photograph. Don't ask me why.) The requirements have been supplemented by Troop service requirements for Star, Life, and Eagle ranks, culminating in the "Eagle Scout Project," now even more challenging than a generation ago.

And through it all, only three out of one hundred Boy Scouts ever achieve the high rank. One USA president, the late Gerald Ford, is an Eagle. (Contrary to popular opinion, John Kennedy only went as far as Star Scout, one rank above First Class.) The first man on the moon, Neil Armstrong, is also an Eagle Scout. Other notable Eagles include New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, some guy named Michael Moore (no kidding!), former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, Antarctic explorer Paul Siple, film director Stephen Spielberg (who helped established the Cinematography merit badge), and many others.

Including this one, in December of 1971.

FOOTNOTE: Hey, you wanna know something cool? Among the original merit badges was one known as Master-at-Arms, which was devoted to learning the "manly arts" such as boxing, a sport which even Lord Baden-Powell, the founder of the Scouting movement, encouraged in young boys as a means of character development. Try calling a guy a sissy after he cleans your clock, eh?