Brev Moore's Editorial

Undated

     Some time ago in the editorial section, The Capital bemoaned the problems that we are having with today’s youth and sought answers to the problem.  More recently, Secretary Bill Bennett said that in his new committee, commission, or whatever it is, that they are looking for “what works” in a effort to solve some of our most pressing problems pertaining to morality, crime, disdain for the system, etc.  Whereas it may not solve all our problems, I believe I have the answer to many of them.  Moreover, this solution already has the organization, a large cadre of volunteers, a proven method for instilling the values we seek in our youth today, and it almost costs nothing!  It is called the Boy Scouts of America!

            It is the mission of the Boy Scouts of America to serve others by helping to instill values in young people and in other ways, to prepare them to make ethical choices during their lifetime in achieving their full potential.  The values we strive to instill are based upon those youth in the scout oath and law:

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.

SCOUT LAW 

A SCOUT IS: 

TRUSTWORTHY

LOYAL

HELPFUL

FRIENDLY

COURTEOUS

KIND

OBEDIENT

CHEERFUL

THRIFTY

BRAVE

CLEAN

REVERENT

            Scouting uses a fun program to promote character development, citizenship training, and personal fitness for every member.  Of course, scouting means venturing into the outdoors and camping, hiking, canoeing, backpacking, skiing, caving and more.  It also introduces the scouts to many, many activities through its merit badge program which are required for advancement.  Some merit badges are required, but many are left to the boy to choose; the required badges involve citizenship in the nation; community; and world; communications; personal management; family life; safety; camping; cooking; emergency preparedness or lifesaving; environmental science; first aid; personal fitness or swimming or sports.  Twenty-one merit badges are required for advancement to the ultimate goal,  the rank of eagle.  The others that may be chosen from those not already mentioned vary from American cultures, auto mechanics, and atomic energy to computers, bird study, cooking, electronics, graphic arts, Indian lore, photography, oceanography, stamp or coin collecting, theater, woodwork, weather, and dentistry, to name just a few – and there are volunteers all across the country that are already established, some directly involved in scouting and some who are not, who are waiting to coach scouts toward achieving these badges!

            Service to the community has become vogue in some of our schools as of late, and that’s great; but scouting has always promoted service to the community.   In fact, it is required for advancement in rank and the eagle project that one must complete for advancement to eagle is accomplished for the community.  Take a look around.  In my troop’s history I can point to the exercise hill in Truxton Park; benches, shrubbery, and a fence behind St. Anne’s’ Church; benches and stairway sitting area at the West Annapolis Elementary School; bleachers and garden in Bay Ridge community; refurbished cross-country track at Annapolis High School, etc.  And my troop is only one of many in Annapolis and the surrounding area.  In addition, every year the scouting organization has a food drive wherein they collect food for the needy.  Service to the community and country are instilled in the scouts!

            But alas, although there are about four million in the scouting organization, there are less in number than back when I was a boy!  Why is that?  There are many reasons, not the least of which is that having both parents working has robbed us of the traditional den mothers for cub scouts that we could depend upon in the past.  Probably, the same crush of everyday life has kept parents from transporting their sons to their weekly meetings, fund raisers, monthly camping trips, etc.  Certainly, combined with this are the much more organized sport organizations that are available for our youth today.  And then, there are the other things that have always been competition – schoolwork, jobs, and girls!  In addition, we can’t ignore the fact that today we are much more oriented toward the city and suburbs as our population has grown and we have pushed the outer limits of cities further and further and wilderness and the “outdoors” right along with it.  One result may be that there is less interest in pursuing outdoor adventures?

            Of course, there has been the few, but highly publicized, incidents of sexual abuse by some in the scouting organization, as well as the onslaught of  suits challenging the Boy Scouts of America’s policy of requiring allegiance to - or at least recognition of -  God, disallowing homosexuals, and banning girls.  I can assure you that the organization is doing all that it can to screen people who enter as leaders and members, and it has a policy wherein activities between youth members and adults are not permitted; personal conferences must be conducted in plain view of others and at least two adults must attend all activities; if coeducational, leaders of both sexes must be present.  Without being too politically incorrect, I don’t think most people really want a homosexual to take their boys off into the woods!  And as far as the women are concerned, there is the girl scouts; it’s not the BSA, but I’m sure they are dedicated to the same ideals.  In any case, as women take on a more and more predominate role in our society, things may change in this regard!  You see, girls are members in countries overseas, such as in Britain.  But for now it is boys that we are concerned about, and it is to that I am dedicating this epistle!

            It’s my sense that there are other forces at work, however.  One is that scouts are perceived as being sissy.  In fact, it takes a brave young man now to wear his uniform in public for fear that he will be chastised and teased by his peers.  Part of this I believe is because the BSA does gather in many boys who are different, that don’t fit the mold, so to speak.  They are the ones who aren’t athletic, perhaps, or who just do not desire to participate in sports, although there are still some boys who are quite successful in sports and who choose to join the scouts.  The reality, however, is quite the opposite!  In scouting we go on forty, fifty, even eighty mile bike hikes for a weekend, or a ten to twelve mile backpacking trip on the Appalachian Trail with packs that weigh forty or so pounds, or on a twenty-two mile canoe trip down the Potomac, Shenandoah, or Rappahannock Rivers; or a ten mile hike around one of the local battlefields at Gettysburg, Antietam, Fredericksburg, or Manassas.  Even more strenuous are high adventure summer adventures where the scouts canoe fifty miles on the rivers in Maine, backpack fifty miles or more at Lenhox’n in Virginia or at Philmont in New Mexico.

            Yet, whereas rarely have I seen a young scout who did not have a good time on their outing, it seems to be harder and harder to get them to make the commitment to go.  Part of this might be that the parents are stressed out, as mentioned above, or the boy has to go somewhere to spend time with one or other of the parents who are divorced.  I sense, however, that part of it is that it is just easier to stay home!  There they can sleep late, watch television, or play their computer games rather than take the effort to hike, pitch tents, cook, clean up, break camp, etc.

            But I digress! 

     The Boy Scout program works toward three aims.  One is growth in moral strength and character.   We may define this as what the boy is himself: his personal qualities, his values, his outlook.

     A second aim is participating citizenship.  Used broadly, citizenship means the boy’s relationship to others.  He comes to learn of his obligations to other people, to the society he lives in, to the government that presides over that society.

     A third aim of the Boy Scout program is development of physical, mental, and emotional fitness.  Fitness includes the body (well-tuned and healthy), the mind (able to think and solve problems), and the emotions (self-control, courage, and self-respect).

     The methods are designed to accomplish these aims.  Thus it is important that you know and understand the methods used:

IDEALS: The ideals of Scouting are spelled out in the Scout Oath, Law, motto, and slogan.  The scout measures himself against these ideals and continually tries to improve.  The goals are high, and as he reaches for them, he has some control over what he becomes.

PATROLS: The patrol method gives Scouts an experience in group living and participating citizenship.  It places a certain amount of responsibility on young shoulders and teaches boys how to accept it.  The patrol method allows scouts to act in small groups where they easily can relate to each other.  These small groups determine troop activities through their elected representatives.

OUTDOORS: The Boy Scout program is designed to take place outdoors.  It is in the outdoors that scouts share responsibilities and learn to live with each other.  It is here that the skills and activities practiced at troop meeting come alive with purpose. Being close to nature helps scouts gain an appreciation for God’s handiwork and mankind’s place in it.  The outdoors is the laboratory for scouts to lean ecology and practice conservation of nature’s resources.

ADVANCEMENT: Scouting provides a series of surmountable obstacles and steps to overcome them through the advancement method.  The scout plans his advancement and progresses at his own pace as he overcomes each challenge.  The scout is rewarded for each achievement, which helps his gain self-confidence.  The steps in the advancement system help a boy grow in self-reliance and the ability to help others.

ADULT MALE ASSOCIATION: Boys learn from the example of their adult leaders.  In this quest for manhood, every boy needs contact with men he can copy.  The scoutmaster and his assistants provide a masculine image of the vitality and virility of the Boy Scout program.  Providing good examples of manhood is one of the methods of Scouting.

PERSONAL GROWTH: As scouts plan their activity, and progress toward their goals, they experience personal growth.  The Good Turn concept is a major part of the personal growth method of Scouting.  Boys grow as they participate in community service projects and do Good Turns for others.  There probably is no device so successful in developing a basis for personal growth as the daily Good Turn.  The religious emblems program is also a large part of the personal growth method.  Frequent personal conferences with his Scoutmaster help each Scout to determine his growth toward Scouting’s aims.

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT: The Boy Scout program encourages boys to learn and practice leadership skills.  Every scout has the opportunity to participate in both shared and total leadership situations.  Understanding the concepts of leadership helps a boy accept the leadership role of others and guides him toward the citizenship aim of Scouting.

UNIFORM: The uniform makes the scout troop visible as a force for good and creates a positive youth image in the community.  The Boy Scout program is an action program, and wearing the uniform is an action that shows each scout’s commitment to the aims and purposes of Scouting.  The uniform gives the scout identity in a world brotherhood of youth who believe in the same ideals.  The uniform is practical attire for scout activities and provides a way for scouts to wear the badges that show what they have accomplished.

            I think that most would have to admit that scouting provides the kind of training, experience and anchor that is most beneficial to the boys and for the country as these boys become young men, citizens and leaders of the next generation of Americans!  It is predicted that of every 100 boys who join a Boy Scout troop –

                        12 will have their first contact with a church or synagogue

                         5 will earn their religious emblem

                         1 will enter the clergy

                        18 will develop hobbies that will last through their adult life

                         8 will enter a career that was learned through the merit badge system

                         1 will use his Boy Scout skills to save a life

                         1 will use his Boy Scout skills to save his own life

                        17 will become scouting volunteers

                          2 will become eagle scouts

            Also, I know that the service academies look favorably toward scout service, especially those who have the tenacity and industry to hang in there and advance all the way to Eagle Scout!  Many employers do too; I know of an instance when a young man was seeking employment with the airlines.  There were a large number of candidates, but when the interviewer learned that this young man was an eagle scout, he was hired on the spot, and for good reason!  It takes a lot of persistent effort over a long period of time for a young man to succeed in that endeavor!

            Please note that leadership is restricted to qualified adults who subscribe to the Declaration of Religious Principle, the Scout Oath, and the Scout Law.

            Citizenship activities are encouraged, but partisan political activities are prohibited.

            Military training and drills are prohibited.  Marksmanship and elementary drill for ceremonies are permitted.

            The Boy Scouts of America recognizes the importance of religious faith and duty, but it leaves religious instruction to the member’s religious leaders and family.  Members who do not belong to a unit’s religious chartered organization shall not be required to participate in its religious activities.

            Except for daytime patrol activities where adults are not required, at least two adults must attend all activities; if coeducational, leaders of both sexes must be present.

            Corporal punishment and hazing are not permitted.  Parents and unit leaders must work together to solve discipline problems

            One-on-one activities between youth members and adults are not permitted; personal conferences must be conducted in plain view of others.

            All Scouting activities are open to parental visitation.  There are no “secret” organizations within the Boy Scouts of America.

            In summary, I encourage readers to enlist their sons in the cub scouts or boy scouts; there is most likely a pack or troop that meets near your home.  If you don’t have boys of the age for scouting – 11 years old or has completed the fifth grade for boy scouts; first through fifth grade for cub scouts; kindergarten for tiger scouts – offer your support.  Perhaps you could act as a merit badge counselor or be an assistant scoutmaster.  Don’t worry, there are training opportunities to learn the ropes.  Otherwise, support the organization by financial contributions, by offering support or rewards to scouts through your businesses or professional organizations.  Wouldn’t it be great if eagle scouts were granted a free ticket to attend a Ravens or Redskins game?  Can’t we recognize their accomplishments in public ceremonies?  Recognize them at your Civitan, Lions Club, or Rotary meetings.  After all, here are young men who represent the ideal we want to foster for our country!

            At an eagle award ceremony a couple of years ago, Mayor Hopkins attended.  He told me more than once that no one ever invited him to join the scouts!  Well, let me say here that a warm welcome is extended to all boys regardless of race, creed or religion.  Let’s vow to reinvigorate an organization that works and that can only help solve some of the problems our youth face today by giving them focus and direction.  My old troop, Troop 396, meets at the Trinity Methodist Church on West Street every Monday evening at 7:00 PM., but there are about 50 packs and troops in the greater Annapolis area that meet at various times and days of the week.

 Brev Moore

Unit Commissioner, Troop 396, The Capitol District

GO TO TOP OF PAGE