The troop's leader, a dignified 18-year-old named Henry Lawson, inspects Ollennu in turn.
Ahh, Scoutmasters have to be 21, so something's wrong here....
Other requirements were exercises in self-cultivation: boys had to memorize the contents of a shop window after a brief period of observation, for example, in order to develop mental discipline and attention to the world outside the all-absorbing adolescent self.
It's called "Kim's Game", after a training game described in Rudyard Kipling's novel "Kim", about a young Indian (Asian) boy who was being trained in the arts of espionage on behalf of the British empire in the 19th century. It's on the schedule for my Troop meeting 2 weeks from now.
even all-white troops are an ethnic and religious pot-pourri.
Like mine: Catholic, Protestant, Hindu; Irish, Italian, Hispanic, Indian (Asian), German, Dutch.
You guys are the Boy Scouts; you have to set an example for others, so buckle up your lip,"
After 9/11, I commented on the proliferation of flags in the area, and told the boys that they would be looked to as examples and authorities of how to present and treat the flag. They have taken it quite seriously, practicing how to run a Presentation of the Colors ceremony and how to fold, etc. the flag. It's interesting to see how they react to the concept that being an example to other people is a) possible, and b) an obligation.
Local councils today ought to cast a far wider net to find men, regardless of color, willing to help poor boys.
Local Councils are doing what they can. What I personally find is that there are many men who duck the net, pleading pressures of work, etc. Some of that is doubtless true, but some of it is men who don't understand that it really does take a village, or community, to raise a child, and we all have our civic obligations. Those who decry the presence of women in BSA leadership need to understand that there are many young men who wouldn't have Scouting if it wasn't for women standing in for men who aren't there.
"Okay, the first thing we need to talk about is the Pledge of Allegiance," he announced enthusiastically. "Who knows what it means? What is allegiance?" The boys stare fascinated at Thomas, with open mouths and huge eyes. No response. He cheerfully continues his one-sided Socratic dialogue. "Allegiance is to respect our country. Allegiance is to be true. Who knows what a republic is?"
One of the best parts of being a Scoutmaster is when I have my Scoutmaster Conference with each young man after he completes his rank requirements, but before he goes before a Board of Review. I get to ask, "Repeat the Scout Oath." "Can you tell me what honor means? What does duty mean? What is your Duty to God? What is your Duty to Country? What does mean?" No one else ever asks kids these questions. Heck, the Marines had to institute special instruction for new recruits because most of them don't understand the concepts of duty, honor, and country. By the way, I don't tell the kid specifically what his duty to God is. I want him to understand that he does have one, and that his parents and his religious leaders are the authorities for understanding them. That works even for the Hindu kid.
Forget duty to others; today's academy teaches that only the self and all its polymorphous desires counts.
Self-absorption is the natural state of the child and adolescent. Inculcating an understanding of "duty to others" is one of our chief jobs. There's always a couple of kids to whom the concept that they are obliged to work for the benefit of others, with no reward to themselves, is a foreign and loathsome concept. This usually gets corrected by their peers on the first campout that they blow off cleaning the pots after dinner ....
The press, of course, ate up every challenge, while ignoring the daily good that the scouts perform.
Our local papers puts pictures of Scouts and reports of their activities in every issue they can, including on the front pages. Even the local big-city paper is getting into the act. Things are looking better in the media for the BSA these days.
For those scout funders and sponsoring institutions that have withdrawn their support, it comes down to this: furthering the gay-rights crusade
Actually, my local Park District made our Pack and Troop move out over the atheist issue; atheists pay taxes, too, and they didn't want the expense of defending a law suit, even if they won. Once this hit the local paper, a local Episcopal Church picked us up, and they've been great. The current pastor is an Eagle Scout.
I was a Scout in the 60's and 70's, and have been a leader for the last 10 years. While I feel that National should let local sponsors make their own choice as to whether or not gays are moral enough to be a leader for a given unit, I fully support the BSA's right to set the selection criteria for it's own leaders; I fully support the Supreme Court's verdict in the Dale suit, and I think that the BSA has the finest program for teaching citizenship, leadership, and fitness in the U.S.A.