Monday, February 8 marks the 100th birthday of the Boy Scouts of America.
I've been a member of this organization since I joined as a boy myself when I was 8 years old. Like most of our recruiting, it was a friend that convinced me to join, and I've been at it ever since. My friend went on to make Eagle, but I did not...something I regret more and more each year. You all know I never left the organization except for a brief period when I was at college; once I graduated I returned to my 'home unit' and became Unit Commissioner, and ever since then I've filled a variety of roles at both the Boy Scout and Cub Scout level.
Now my own son and his friends are following the scouting trail; I'm his den leader (Bears) and Cubmaster, and we're all going along happily.
But what does it mean to be a scout? Most of you are at least familiar with our guiding principles, as outlined in the
Scout Oath and Law. It's pretty straightforward and easy for kids to understand, since this is primarily a youth organization.
Or is it?
For years and years now, it seems that the only time Scouting is in the news is when we kick out an atheist or a gay and they go crying to the media about it. Nevermind the ocassional child predator that's out there. (And I'll note that the incidences in Scouting are statistically no different than any other youth organization or sport...but because it's the
Boy Scouts, we get all the headlines.)
Did you know that there's actually a reason behind the vehement, conservative, right-wing direction that Scouting is headed? Many churches have a youth organization. Many scout troops are indeed chartered by churches. But there's one group that has declared scouting to be their "official" youth organization, and they do not run anything else.
Continue reading...
5 comments )
