The ACLU's 30 Years War by Scott Johnson (Powerline has an excellent piece on the on-going war on Scouting waged by the ACLU. Johnson is much too nice about the ACLU. I was in Scouting off and on for a very long time. I was a Life Scout and, much later, an adult leader.
Some of the finest boys and adults were part of Scouting. The long-time Scoutmaster of the troop was also President of the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association. He was one of the finest people I've known. One of the adult leaders got into Scouting because, while in the military, he ran across a kid, who had nothing, but tried to start a Scout Troop without adults. Ted got involved and was, for the rest of his life, an avid supporter of Scouting because of that young man.
My Troop was not the best in town. But, with hard work by the kids and some very dedicated adults, we managed to have more than our share of Eagle Scouts. Those are young men who, not only show up and have fun earning a few merit badges, but show leadership, committment to service, and have the drive and gumption to set goals and complete them. If you pooh-pooh the leadership thing, try leading a bunch in a volunteer organization. Try it as a kid leading a bunch of other kids.
I was always more impressed with the kids who showed up scared and helpless on the first campout and had confidence grow from the first fire they built and the first edible meal they cooked. I enjoyed the fun they had learning the mysteries of knots, map reading, first aid and other Scout things. Our troop did a number of "Wilderness Survival Merit Badge" campouts. We always did them in the late fall. We could count on cold, snowy wet weather. The kids loved the challenge and wanted more of it.
Yes, we did the "Trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind..." "Do a good turn daily" "on my honor ...." things. Yes, we meant every word of it. However, if you live the Scout oath, law and motto, you don't have to get very strident about the words. The troop expected its members to live up to those things. The Troop expected its members to show leadership. The kids usually lived up to the Troop's expectations. I learned a long time ago that people will live up (or down) to your expectations. There are a couple of young men who probably would have been in jail before the end of high school had it not been for Scouting. Instead they turned into excellent leaders, good students and exemplary young men.
One of my favorite Scouts was a young man with speech and learning disabilites. Scouting helped is other schooling by giving him something concrete to work for. When I first started, we spent hours learning how to build a fire for First Class. When I left he had earned the Rank of Eagle and was working on his third palm. Joe made it with no "gimmes." Just a dedicated effort from the young man and dedicated work from several adults. Joe could get there, it just took him a bit longer than most folks. He gave more to the rest of us, than we ever gave him.
I get steamed every time I hear about the latest assault by the ACLU on Scouting. For more than 100 years, Scouting has been a positive force in many young lives. I fail to understand why the ACLU wants to destroy, or remold it in their on image. How many government social programs have tried to do half as much as Scouting has done with volunteers? How many of the social programs have succeeded, much less lasted?
Scouting gets all this done and keeps the one element none of these social programs seem to come up with. Good Scouting makes it fun. If they don't the kids find something else to. How many in the ACLU would take a group of kids 12-18 years old for a week on the Appalachian trail with all they eat, wear, use on their backs. How many would do it with 2-3 adults? Hell, how many of the attackers of Scouting would go camping monthly with a group of kids, and the kids are responsible for food and activities? Happens regularly in Scouting and no one thinks its exceptional.
Yep, we surely don't need programs like that.
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