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To: Scoutmaster
The Indian-centric theme was and is solely limited to Scouting in the United States. Ernest Thompson Seton, the first Chief Scout of the Boy Scouts of America, merged his former youth organization, the Woodcraft Indians, into the BSA. Seton's interests in American Indian life and lore led to his writings and the incorporation of that focus into the BSA. The American Indian focus has been disappearing since at least the 1970s - unless you're a die-hard member of the Order of the Arrow and one of their American Indian dance teams.

Political correctness must be seeping into the BSA.

105 posted on 11/15/2010 4:09:51 PM PST by Fiji Hill
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To: Fiji Hill
Political correctness must be seeping into the BSA.

Yes, but dropping the American Indian lore and some of the Daniel Boone outdoorsman skills (brought into the BSA from another early Scouter, Dan Beard) in favor of practical skills has been driven much more by being realistic than political correctness.

Teaching boys to make birch bark cups to drink from when camping is a little difficult in much of the country due to lack of birch trees - and I wouldn't want to see a birch grove after my Troop of 70+ Scouts had each made a cup or two in the same area as other Scouts had been doing the same thing.

Teaching CPR is more important than teaching American Indian hand signals (I taught my Scout some military hand signals instead).

It's like a lot of other things taught in "Scouting for Boys." They're good for survival but not everyday use. I'll tell my guys they can strain water through a neckerchief before drinking it - but I'm then going to have them sterilize the water, practicing several modern methods, letting them know that drinking without sterilization is for survival (and people who want intestinal diseases).

Lashing structures from sapling poles is another skill that is best used the Scoutcraft area of our Scout Hut. We have poles and the guys can learn to lash structures.

However, it's not practical to show up on a Friday night, in some forested area where other Troops often camp, and then to cut down enough saplings for each pair of boys to lash a shelter, and each Patrol to lash its accoutrements of camping.

110 posted on 11/16/2010 7:27:45 AM PST by Scoutmaster (You knew the job was dangerous when you took it, Fred.)
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