Boy Scouts Didn’t Hand Out Badges for Trying

It may be one of the worst kept secrets in modern politics, but before Texas Gov. Rick Perry throws his hat in the Presidential ring and this topic gets all political on us, I wanted to say a few words about a book he wrote.

In 2008, Perry published a semi-autobiographical commentary titled On My Honor: Why the American Values of the Boy Scouts Are Worth Fighting for.  I bought this book as soon as it came out and read it, then read it again…. and held onto it trying to decide how to say what I’m going to say without getting all political on my Scouting blog.  Three years later current events force my hand.  So here goes…

On My Honor is the sort of book I would want to write, should I happen to become successful in public service.  First off, this book is not fine literature.  I’m sure you can pick it apart, and plenty of critics will.  Second, this book is nonpartisan, but not a-political.  In fact, all profits were dedicated to the Boy Scouts of America Legal Defense Fund.  The twelve chapters, like the 12 points of the Scout Law, lay out a lifetime, warts and all.

The book opens with personal recollections of Perry’s time growing up in rural West Texas in Troop 48, and the influence of his Scoutmaster, being elected to the Order of the Arrow and serving as Scribe for the 1964 National Jamboree at Valley Forge, and on earning the rank of Eagle Scout.  ”I can’t say that Scouting planted the idea of public service in my head, but I can say it prepared me for it,” he writes.  The rest, as they say, is history:  Perry moved from the Texas legislature as a Blue Dog Democrat to State Commissioner of Agriculture as a Republican, then Liet. Governor and Governor when G.W. Bush was elected president.

As he explains the values of Scouting to a general audience, Perry also takes on all comers in the “War on the Scouts”, which he links to the larger “culture war” pitting traditional values of service against new doctrines of selfishness and moral relativity.  He takes on feel-good sports leagues and parents looking for Baby-Sitters of America; the 30 lawsuits in 30 years against the BSA’s membership standards; the ACLU and Mitt Romney‘s exclusion of Scout volunteers from the 2002 Winter Olympics at Salt Lake City (that should make for an interesting campaign debate).

It would be easy to think this book is a partisan hack—it prominently features blurbs from David Keene, Sean Hannity, Ken Blackwell, and Newt Gingrich (again with the campaign debates and they shared a book last year).  Yet Rick Perry, like Ronald Reagan, grew up a Democrat.  He talked to former Defense Secretary Robert Gates and FBI Director William Sessions, Ohio State University president Gordon Gee and one-time Democratic presidential candidate Gov. Michael Dukakis.  He talked to J.W. Marriott Jr, CEO of the largest hotel chain in the world, and he talked to his old friend Riley Couch, who remenised, “We completed things, and we received merit badges that proved it.”  As Perry notes:

The Boy Scouts didn’t hand out badges for trying.  They handed out badges for getting the job done.

That’s the thing I see in this book.  Yes, I get excited about defending the BSA, but the thing of this book is that it defends the Values of Scouting.  Its not about defending institutions, although it does that.  On My Honor is about defending the values that make America great.  I can get excited about that.

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A Scouting Movement, not a Program

Is the culture of expertise killing the Scouting Spirit?

We are in our 1st year after the 100th anniversary of the founding of Scouting in America.  The Centennial celebration of the BSA is over, and we can consider the lessons learned from the last century to continue into the next.

As a Scout, I was blissfully unaware of the inner workings of the Scouting program.  I can’t say that my troop was or wasn’t pointed toward the “True North” of Scouting as a boy-led troop.  We got along, we had fun, I made Eagle as did many of my friends.  My Scoutmasters gave much so us Scouts could do what we did.

They did something right, as I came back to Scouting as an adult.  In packs and troops and crews in different Councils along my journey, I realized how different Scouting is from other youth activities.  Scouting has a few paid staff in Council offices, but the program runs on volunteers.  Volunteers who it seems are increasingly difficult to recruit and retain.  And I blame the Soccer Moms.

Many of us in Generation X were brought up believing that if Mom (and Dad) really cared they would get us “professional help”.  Paid day care providers knew better how to raise us and professional teachers knew better than mom and dad how to educate us.  Only losers settled for mom or dad volunteering as coach.  They hired the soccer coach when they really cared.  Plus, it gets mom and dad off the hook for spending time with their kids—just let the experts deal with it.

Scouting isn’t immune to the culture of expertise.  In the early days, the experts were men like Ernest Thompson Seton, and even Lord Baden-Powell himself, but Scouting was a Movement, not a program.  Before BP issued his handbook, boys across the English-speaking world had picked up on Scouting all on their own.  Then volunteer Commissioners picked up the gauntlet.  Then, over time, we have come to rely more and more on professionals and experts.  The Movement gives way to policy and procedure and program.  Edicts come down from Dallas and the rest of us are expected to comply.

Excuse me if I sound less than inspired by the bureaucracy.

I believe the Scouting Movement is the most powerful enabler of change available to young people today.  Where else can a young man or a young woman go and run the program themselves? Where can they go to practice everything they need to know to be a success later in life?  Not on the basketball court where the coach anoints his favorites and yells at the rest.  Not in the classroom where the teachers teach to a test rather than to real life.  Who wants to be that?

Who wants to go to “Scout School”?

Perhaps it is time for us to listen to Prof. Hertz from BP’s homeland (though I have no idea of her opinion of Scouting, as a liberal European I doubt she’s on our side; no matter).  Perhaps it is time to rely less on the Scout Executives and more on the Patrol Leaders Councils.  Now, the Scout Law says specifically that a Scout seeks orderly change, not disobedience, but it may just be time to seek that orderly change by doing what’s right instead of what’s right now.

• It may be time to worry less about the meaning of the term “active”, and more about how we help Scouts do stuff they want to be active in.
• It may be time to spend less time recruiting “Friends of Scouting”, and more time recruiting Friends into Scouting.
• It may be time to do less “training”, and do more learning.
• It may be time to set aside the prescribed Scouting Program, and take up again a Scouting Movement.

I’ll get right on that, right after the next Committee meeting…

-johnS

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Come Visit My Grave

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Written By James D. Rolfes
I am a Veteran under the sod.
I’m in good company, I’m up here with God.
Come to my grave and visit me.
I gave my life so you could be free.
Today is Memorial Day throughout this great land.
There’s Avenues of Flags, Parades and Bands.
I can hear music, the firing squads and taps.
Here come my comrades, the Legionnaires, the Blue caps.
One of them just put a flag on my stone.
Some day he’ll have one of his own.
Some think of this day as just a day free of toil.
While others are busy working the soil.
They say they have plans, other things to do.
Don’t put us aside as you would an old shoe.
Come visit my grave in this cemetery so clean.
This is what Memorial Day means.
There are many of us lying in wake less sleep.
In cemeteries of green and oceans of deep.
It’s sad that for many who fought so brave.
No one comes to visit their grave.
They died so you could have one whole year free.
Now can’t you save this one Day for me?
There are soldiers, sailors, airmen up here.
Who went into battle despite of their fear.
I’ve been talking up here to all of those men.
If they had to do it over, they’d do it again.
Look, someone is coming to visit my grave.
It’s my Family, for them my life I gave.
My wife, I remember our last embrace.
As I left the tears streamed down your face.
I think you knew the day I was shipped out.
I wouldn’t return, your life would be turned about.
There’s my daughter that I used to hold.
Can it be that you’re nearly twenty years old?
Next month is to be your wedding day.
I wish I could be there to give you away.
My son’s here too, Dad’s little man.
Always love your Country, do for it what you can.
There is one thing that really did bother.
Is seeing you grow up without the aid of your Father.
I wish you could all hear me from up above.
That’s a father’s best gift to his children is love.
And what better way to prove my love to the end.
Is that a man lay down his life for his friends.
I see it’s time for you to go home.
Your visit made it easier to remain here alone.
Don’t cry honey, you look too sad.
Our children are free, you should be so glad.
Daughter, thanks for the bouquet so cute.
Thank you son for that sharp salute.
Come again, I forgot, you can’t hear me from up here.
But I know you’ll come visit me again next year.
I hope all veterans are treated this way.
On this day to remember, Memorial Day.

Troop 25 participates in the annual Memorial Day service at the local high school gym.  After the veterans have decorated the graves and returned to town, our Scouts present a wreath of remembrance, while the Girl Scouts lead the Pledge of Allegiance.

The gym is set up for graduation the day before and the Memorial crowd is dwarfed in the large room.  I was honored to be asked to read this poem this year.  As is said, too many have plans, other things to do.  It seems like each year there are fewer veterans and their families gathered there.  I googled the text on a website gone 404 now, but did find this from Iowa nearby:

“As the roster was read this morning, there was a lot of friends on there,” says Jim Rolfes, American Legion 9th District Commander, who served in Vietnam.

“I think you knew the day I shipped out, that I wouldn’t return. Your life be turned about,” reads Rolfes, from his poem Come Visit My Grave…

“Someday my name’s going to be on that list so I suppose it’s getting a little harder,” says Rolfes.

You can see this bit of the author of the poem on camera here.

The Google cache said it was OK to use.  I hope it still is.

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Do Your Best

“If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted or Beethoven composed music or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, ‘Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.’” – Martin Luther King, Jr.

Martin Luther King Jr could have been a Scout leader, since here he is telling us to ‘Do Your Best’. Saw this on Seth Godin’s Blog. Regular pithy observations, somewhere between Tweets & proper-length blogs.

Adverts

JohnScout has a new shiny widget, over there on the left side of your screen.

SocialVibe allows you to raise money for the Cause of your choice by partnering with a paying brand Sponsor.  It doesn’t cost a dime, and only takes moments to configure….

Each time one of your readers clicks to complete a Sponsor activity, that brand will make a micro-donation to your Cause.  This impact will immediately be shown in your widget.

Wikipedia tells me that SocialVibe has over a million members clicking away for their favorite charities.

WordPress gives me limited options on the get-what-you-pay-for free blog format so I thought I’d give this shiny a try.  From the slim selections, I picked the Red Cross, sponsored by PowerBar, as the most closely-related concerns to Scouting and the great outdoors.  This is a bit different from the Google Ads you might see elsewhere (including on my primary blog at jcshepard.com which I’m not supposed to encourage you to click, tho I am certainly grateful when folks do).

Give it a click, just for giggles.  Let me know if it’s annoying, or if you think it detracts from our Scouting message.  And a happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.

-john

Scouting for Food & Sight

Scouting for Food and Sight Annual ‘Good Turn for America’ Drive

Instructions

Place items from the list below in bag and place bag curbside or in plain view outside your front door by 9:00 am this Saturday.

• Soup
• Beef Stew
• Chili
• Cereal
• Canned Fruit
• Canned Meats
• Canned Milk
• Pasta & Rice
• Canned Vegetables

Other items:

• Used eyeglasses, sunglasses & hearing aids

No perishable, frozen or food stored in glass please.

If this bag is missed, please take it to your local food bank.

Learn more about Scouting at www.siouxbsa.org
Sioux Council, Boy Scouts of America thanks everyone for their participation!

[Sponsors]

South Dakota Lions Foundation
BillionAuto.com
Midcontinent Communications
HyVee

United Way Participating Agency

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RIP William Sparkman

This is a bit troubling.

William E. “Bill” Sparkman was a teacher, part-time Census canvasser, and Scouter in Kentucky.  He was found hanged near a rural cemetery, with the phrase “fed” scrawled across his chest.  Bill was an Eagle Scout.

It’s a big, dangerous world out there and we don’t know the whole story.  We can look at the statistics and logically conclude that this type of violence is an anomaly in modern America.  We can rail from the left about anti-government rhetoric or from the right about culture of drugs and corruption.  We can take this as one more reason to cocoon our kids in a constant state of supervision in front of video screens….

We can justify and pontificate all day and all night.   That doesn’t make it any easier when one of our own—somebody trying to do the right thing—pays so high a price.

Rest in peace, Bill.  May the Great Father of All Scouts be with you.

*****

[Edit] Here is a profile of Mr. Sparkman’s education story. h/t to karlbakeman.com.

[Edit2] Reflections from Scouting friends in Florida.

[Edit3] In a strange twist to this tale, the Kentucky State Police have determined that William Sparkman took his own life.  Different questions, no better answers…

 

Metal of Merit for St. Paul Scout

Nice article on St. Paul Pioneer Press website this morning:

A lesson learned allows good scout to save a pal

Boy who applied Heimlich hug gets medal, special day

It’s a short story that begins with the Heimlich maneuver and ends with a cough drop flying out of his classmate’s mouth and hitting the floor with a sound like “Spttwww!”

No joke.

Richard was just a Webelo scout in March of last year when his den, Pack 223, attended first aid training at the Immanuel Lutheran Church in St. Paul. The training was conducted by a group of teens from Troop 90, which is based at the church.

Among the lessons that day was the type of skill most people pray they’ll never be called upon to use: the Heimlich maneuver.

Two days later, he used it….   Richard will receive the Medal of Merit, a national honor achieved by about 200 scouts each year.

(rest of story here) 

This is why we do so much of what we do.  So our Scouts (and Scout Leaders) are Prepared for whatever might come along, when it might come along.  That might be back thrusts in CPR or First Aid training, or responding to bullying or drug pushers on the path to First Class.

BSA’s National Court of Honor awards several recognitions for lifesaving and meritorious action, including the Honor Medal, Heroism Award and Medal of Merit.  Local councils may also award a local certificate of merit or other recognition to Scouts and Scouters.  We don’t do it for the recognition, but it’s sure nice when we can say “Well Done, Scout!”

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A Sioux Elder on the Petroglyphs

Minnesota Historical Society is planning to close Jeffers Petroglyphs except on the weekends, which I previously suggested as a Cub Scout destination to learn more about Native American history and culture.  Today I noticed this video, part of a series posted on Youtube and the Minnesota Stories websites.

Vernell Wabasha, a Sioux Elder, discusses what the Petroglyphs mean to her.  The Jeffers Petroglyphs historic site is arguably one the most significant historic and cultural sites of its kind in the world. Its continued use over 9,000 years attests to its importance in traditional indigenous culture. The Jeffers Petroglyphs podcasts presents a variety of perspectives personal, archaeological, traditional, biological, and geological — in the voices of those who know the site well.

I could say something snarky on the timing, but I don’t want to detract from the heartfelt emotion of this story.  The Historical Society is having to get creative about the budget and there’s no easy answers.

John Hope Franklin, Boy Scout

Lessons of days hopefully gone by:

“It was my first year as a Boy Scout, and I’m very, very excited about fulfilling all of the obligations of the Boy Scouts, and I’ve got so much enthusiasm and so much anxiety to be the best Boy Scout I can possibly be,” he told his son, John W. Franklin, last year.

“One of the admonitions that we had was that we had to do a good deed every day,” he said. So, while standing at a street corner in downtown Tulsa, Franklin was eyeing an opportunity to help while waiting for the light to turn, he recalled.

“And I saw this woman as she was stepping off the curb — and she had a cane — and I thought, ‘Oh my goodness, she can’t see,’ ” Franklin said. “And so I walked up to her and I said ‘Could I help you cross?’ She said, ‘Oh, yes, I’m so glad.’ And she grabbed on my arm as though I was the last person on earth.”

“We got about halfway across the street — and she’s so happy and laughing and talking — she said, ‘Are you white or black?’ And I told her I was colored, and she said, ‘Get your filthy hands off of me,’ and I got my hands off of her,” Franklin said.

John Hope Franklin was a noted historian at the University of Chicago and Duke.  Read the rest of the story, or listen to the audio, on NPR.