Posted on 11/28/2010 2:13:18 PM PST by NYer
"On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country, to obey the scout law, to help other people at all times, and to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight."
These are the words of the Boy Scout oath. Recited at scout meetings across the nation, every week for the past 100 years, this is an important moment when boys aged 10 to 13 raise their right hands and promise to serve both God and country. I was a scout myself and believe that the Boy Scouts is the only place where young men can practice becoming adults.
The Boy Scouts of America teach independence, self-reliance, and teamwork -- all while having fun. If a young man chooses to do so, he can rise up through the ranks, along the way learning principles that he can apply throughout his life. He may not be good enough to play in a sport (beyond sitting on the bench), but as a scout he is part of a team, and he contributes to everyone's success.
The first time I brushed my teeth without being told to do so by my mother was at scout camp. I was eleven years old. The senior patrol leader was Richie Crocco, a big 16-year-old guy who shaved. Everyone knew you didn't mess with Richie. He woke the whole troop up at 6:30 a.m. to march us down to the latrine so we could wash up, brush our teeth, and comb our hair in time to return for morning flag raising 15 minutes later. Everybody went to latrine, no questions asked. When I saw Richie drag a kid out of his bunk and leave him in the middle of the campsite, I felt the fear of God.
God bless Richie Crocco. After six days, I had learned the routine, and when I returned home from camp, my mother was amazed at my new habits. She never had to tell me again to brush my teeth.
There aren't many places where good character is ingrained in a young man. In addition to the scout oath, which we said at every meeting, we also recited the scout law: "A scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent."
Once during a motivational talk to a crowd of about 250, I was asked, "What do you look for in a salesman?" Without realizing it, I started to say, "I look for a person who is trustworthy, loyal, helpful . . ." Some wise guy in the front row cracked, "What are you looking for? A Boy Scout?" I looked at him squarely and replied, "Why would you settle for anyone else to represent your company?"
We should all aspire to keep the promises made in the scout oath. Having salespeople who exemplify these qualities would bring any business owner peace of mind because those in sales are the face of the company. They are out in the field day after day representing the organization.
Another great thing happens in Boy Scouts. Before a youth advances in rank -- completing the qualifications to move up from Tenderfoot to Second Class, then First Class, Star, Life, and Eagle -- he has to sit down with the head of the troop committee and the scout master or assistant scout master and have what used to be called a Board of Review. (Today it's known as a Personal Growth and Development Conference, but I prefer "Board of Review" because it sounds less intimidating.) The benefit of this evaluation is that the boy is asked, "Since the last time you advanced, how have you lived up to the scout oath and all the principles in the scout law?" He actually has to reflect upon the promises he has made week after week as a scout and then evaluate whether he has lived up to those promises.
The demand of such self-examination at so young an age is rare in this culture. Nowadays, no one is told he has failed; no one is asked to look in the mirror and find himself wanting. Success in the Boy Scouts means that, at every step along the way to the rank of Eagle Scout, a young man has to answer the question, "Am I doing the job?"
Three cheers and congratulations to the Boy Scouts of America on 100 years of helping to raise our young men into adulthood. And thanks, too, to the countless good men who dedicate their time and resources to help train the future fathers and leaders of America.
I’m glad to hear that. Perhaps my perception is skewed since I live in such a heavily democrat area. After years of the ACLU & media attacking the Scouts, painting them as “homophobes” etc I don’t know anyone with a son in the Scouts or who really even gives them a second thought. Very sad. I work in a children’s hospital & most of the kids I meet are couch potatoes who are addicted to their computers & video games. I shudder to think of what the country will be like when these kids are running the show
My father, WWII veteran and COL, USA (ret.), was a Scoutmaster, and my mother was a Cub Scout Den Mother. All three brothers in Scouting, and we all went to Service academies.
One of my regrets is not making Eagle Scout; my middle brother did, and after military service eventually became a multimillionaire entrepreneur and retired at 50. Large percentage of astronauts and other successful people attained Eagle rank.
My hero Roy Rogers also had some good rules by which boys and girls should live.
Roy Rogers Riders Club Rules
1. Be neat and clean.
2. Be courteous and polite.
3. Always obey your parents.
4. Protect the weak and help them.
5. Be brave but never take chances
6. Study hard and learn all you can.
7. Be kind to animals and take care of them.
8. Eat all your food and never waste any.
9. Love God and go to Sunday school regularly.
10. Always respect our flag and our country.
Once DADT falls, the left will focus like a laser beam on scouting.
Yep.
I just moved to a new state. Some of us are trying to start a new troop. I’ll be Scoutmaster. I’ve been an ASM for several years, but I’m a litle nervous.
“LOL...I am the one with the BCEG device on my face (birth control eye glass)”
Very cool, thank you for the picture.
LOL… I thought some of you might get a kick out of it…groan… how I hated those eyeglasses.
Gotta brag. Two sons, two Eagles. One a midnight Eagle. I have had the honor of serving as a Committee Member, Chair, and Scout Master. By no means am I bragging about myself. As I said, my privilege.
Trail the Eagle,
Trail the Eagle,
Climbing all the time.
First the Star and then the Life,
Will on your bosom shine.
KEEP CLIMBING!
Blaze the trail and we will follow,
Hark the Eagles’ call;
On, brothers, on Until we’re Eagles all.
Scoutmaster isn’t supposed to do anything but encourage. That’s the secret
I’m shocked, a BS that joined the military, I would have never expected that one. lol
There is the way Hollywood and the news media wishes and pretends the world were, and then there is the way it really is. In reality certain ways of thinking create certain predictable outcomes. While they’re not 100%, there are trends and statistical facts that allow one to create fairly logical deductive arguments (albeit the liberals will call this generalizing and prejudicial since it’s not in their favor- when it’s in their favor it’s OK).
Let me guess- married, kids, either in a profession or vocation but in either case a productive member of society, possibly divorced (but not proud of it), no real issues with the law, most likely a church going person (but not proud or considering himself intellectual superior over those that do if not), even if poor the living conditions are OK because of self initiative to make the best with what one has............. But we don’t want to be close minded and prejudicial, because we all know the message of hip hop is a positive one and the outcomes of those that want to follow the foot steps of TuPac are equally positive.
It’s culture that makes wealth, not wealth that makes culture. The BS teach a certain culture. Follow that blue print and the likelihood of a successful outcome goes up exponentially.
Don’t follow that blue print and the likelihood of failure, crime or disease goes up exponentially: http://www.cdc.gov/nchhstp/newsroom/ngmHAAD2010PressRelease.html (But that’s very close minded of me)
Eagle Scout, 1979. APO Life Member. Served on their board 2 terms.
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Bravo for the Boy Scouts! And gratitude for all who become Scout Masters or in any way support and help the BSA. Evidence of why the BSA need to keep homosexuals out of the organization, and why the leftists hate the Boy Scouts.
Heh, right on most counts. However, I got my creed of personal responsibility and honor from my father, who lived it. I miss him so much, he has been gone ten years now...I can hardly believe it.
But I do believe, as the Scouts do, that your word is your bond. Honor. Funny, you simply do not hear the word honor mentioned by nearly anyone. Must be a Victorian concept (the Scouts are, right?)
Screw them all. It is all about setting high standards and trying to live up to them. Liberals in particular don’t want any standards being set, because if you don’t have standards, you can’t fail to live up to them. To liberals, hypocrisy is the worst crime you can be accused of. Setting standards and not living up to them is, in their eyes, hypocrisy.
As the son of a 30 year naval veteran, a military brat, a Boy Scout, and a veteran myself, I believe that I want to set my standards as high as I can.
If I fail to live up to those standards, it is not the standards that are at fault, it is me. And because I take responsibility for my actions, I can change.
To me, is not a crime to have high standards that I cannot always live up to.
It is a crime to have no standards at all. And those who are enemies of organizations such as the Boy Scouts of America and the US military are exactly the type of people who have no standards at all.
Exactly.
My husband was a Scout master for 7 years. Scouting trained our sons to be men, while the fellowship and friendship Hubby continues to share with the dads made a better man of him as well.
One of the best organizations for young boys.... excellent... let’s try and keep the filthy hands of the libs off of it.
YES!
God Bless America, and the wonderful organizations like the Boy Scouts that helped make us great.
Fantastic post! You should submit that to a conservative magazine for publishing.
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