“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.” — The Scout Oath
Several years ago, an acquaintance approached me and asked, “Why isn’t your son in Boy Scouts?”
kAmq6:?8 E96C6 :D @?=J @?6 3@J :? 2 9@FD6 7:==65 H:E9 q:C5 8:C=D[ x’> DFCAC:D65 :E ?6G6C 4C@DD65 @FC >:?5D 62C=:6Cj vC68@CJ H@F=5 AC@323=J =@G6 E@ 36 :?G@=G65 :? q@J $4@FED] qFE 9@H 5@6D @?6 86E DE2CE65nk^Am
kAmx C6>6>36C E96 $4@FE>2DE6C 4@>:?8 2C@F?5 E@ C64CF:E 7@C rF3 $4@FED H96? x H2D :? 7:CDE @C D64@?5 8C256] pD x C642==[ :E H2D 2 8@:?8 E@ 36 >66E:?8 2E ?:89E 2?5 2D 96 92?565 >6 E96 A2A6CH@C< 96 D2:5 D@>6E9:?8 2=@?8 E96 =:?6D @7[ “*@FC 72E96C 92D E@ 3C:?8 J@F E@ E96 >66E:?8]”k^Am
kAm|J 525 :D E96 92C56DE H@C<:?8 >2? x <?@H] p?5 :? E9@D6 52JD[ 96 H2D >2?28:?8 E96 }@C>2?52=6 (:??\s:I:6 :? |@?E8@>6CJ[ H9:49 H2D @?6 @7 (:??\s:I:6’D D9@HA=246 =@42E:@?D] p== x <?6H H2D 96 H2D 8@?6 367@C6 x H@<6 FA 2?5 8@E 9@>6 27E6C x H2D 2=C625J 2D=66A[ D@ E96C6 H2D ?@ H2J x 4@F=5 6IA64E 9:> E@ E2<6 >6 E@ E96 >66E:?8]k^Am
kAm$@[ 6G6? E9@F89 E96 A2E9H2J E@ q@J $4@FED >2J 92G6 =@@<65 4=62C x ?6G6C 2D<65 >J 525 E@ E2<6 >6 E@ E96 >66E:?8 2?5 ?6G6C ;@:?65] x >:89E 92G6 =62C?65 9@H E@ E:6 D@>6 <?@ED 2 =:EE=6 62C=:6C]k^Am
kAmx ?6G6C 4@F=5 92G6 :>28:?65 2== E96D6 J62CD =2E6C H96? >J D@? H2D :? D64@?5 8C256 E96 C64CF:E>6?E H@F=5 H@C< @? >6] p?5 :?:E:2==J[ x H2D :?E:>:52E65 3J E96 AC@DA64E @7 36:?8 2C@F?5 A6@A=6 H9@ <?6H H92E E96J H6C6 5@:?8 — 27E6C 2==[ x’> 2 52:?EJ >FD:4:2?[ ?@E 2 4C27EJ H@@5D>2?] x 4@F=5 E6== J@F H92E >FD:4:2?D A=2J65 @? $:56 a @7 2? 2=3F> E92E 42>6 @FE d_ J62CD 28@[ 3FE x 4@F=5?’E D6E FA 2 E6?E E@ D2G6 >J =:76] (6 H6?E E@ E92E >66E:?8[ 9@H6G6C[ 2?5 :E’D 366? @? 2?5 6G6C FAH2C5 D:?46]k^Am
kAm%2==2DD66 925 >2?J q@J $4@FE EC@@AD @G6C E96 J62CD[ 2DD@4:2E65 H:E9 |@F?E '6C?@? |:==D[ E96 9@FD:?8 2FE9@C:EJ 2?5 D6G6C2= 5:776C6?E 49FC496D] %96 EC@@A E92E C6>2:?D :D %C@@A dh =@42E65 2E u:CDE &?:E65 |6E9@5:DE r9FC49] (6 2C6 3=6DD65 E@ 92G6 8C62E =6256CD9:A :? @FC @C82?:K2E:@? 2?5 @FC 8FJD A2CE:4:A2E6 :? D@ >2?J 2C62D @7 @FC 4@>>F?:EJ[ :E’D 5:77:4F=E E@ =:DE E96> 2==] x? E9:D H66<’D DA246 @7 %96 %C:3F?6[ x D92== ECJ]k^Am
kAm$4@FE:?8 H2D 7@C>65 3J {@C5 q256? !@H6== @G6C 2 46?EFCJ 28@ 2?5 4@?E:?F6D E@52J 2D @?6 @7 E96 =2DE 32DE:@?D @7 J@FE9 56G6=@A>6?E E92E :D 4@>A=6E6=J 7@4FD65 @? 36:?8 2? FAC:89E 4:E:K6? 2?5 2 8@@5[ H6==\C@F?565 A6CD@?] %@52J’D $4@FED q$p[ H9:49 6IE6?5D :?G:E2E:@? E@ J@F?8 =25:6D 2D H6== 2D J@F?8 >6?[ C2:D6 E96 p>6C:42? 7=28 2E 32== 82>6Dj 25@AE 2C62D 7@C >2:?E6?2?46 2?5 4=62?FA DF49 2D E96 r@@? rC66< 6?G:C@?>6?E2= 2C62j =625 46C6>@?:6D 2E 4:G:4 7F?4E:@?Dj 2?5 >@C6] (6 2=D@ 92G6 >@?E9=J 42>A@FED 2C@F?5 E96 DE2E6 @7 p=232>2 2?5 2EE6?5 >2?J AC@8C2>D 2E =@42= D:E6D DF49 2D r2>A %F<232E4966[ u@CE %@F=@FD6 2?5 (:?5 rC66< $E2E6 !2C<] ~FC $4@FED =62C? 23@FE 3F:=5:?8 7:C6D[ EJ:?8 <?@ED[ AC@E64E:?8 H:=5=:76[ :56?E:7J:?8 7=@C2 2?5 72F?2[ 2?5 :? 86?6C2= 2C6 E2F89E E@ =@G6 2?5 C6DA64E 4C62E:@?]k^Am
kAmuC:52J E96C6 :D 2 $4@FE:?8 C64CF:E>6?E 52J 2E %2==2DD66 t=6>6?E2CJ $49@@= 2?5 E96 7:CDE >66E:?8 @7 E96 J62C H:== 36 |@?52J[ pF8] ae 2E f A]>] 2E u:CDE &?:E65 |6E9@5:DE r9FC49] x7 J@F[ J@FC 49:=5[ 8C2?549:=5[ ?:646[ ?6A96H[ ?6:893@C @C 7C:6?5 :D :?E6C6DE65 :? 36:?8 2 A2CE @7 @FC @C82?:K2E:@?[ H6 :?G:E6 J@F E@ 4@>6] ~FC $4@FE>2DE6CD 2C6 y2>6D s2G:D 2?5 !6CCJ q2?<6DE6C[ 2?5 rF3>2DE6CD 2C6 s2CCJ= !6?56C8C2DD 2?5 qC2?5: (2EED] !=62D6 DAC625 E96 H@C5 2?5 H6 H:== D66 J@F |@?52J ?:89E 2E u&|r]k^Am
kAm“p $4@FE :D ECFDEH@CE9J[ =@J2=[ 96=A7F=[ 7C:6?5=J[ 4@FCE6@FD[ <:?5[ @365:6?E[ 4966C7F=[ E9C:7EJ[ 3C2G6[ 4=62?[ 2?5 C6G6C6?E]” — %96 $4@FE {2Hk^Am
kAm|:4926= q:C5 :D 49@C2= 5:C64E@C 2?5 2 >FD:4 E62496C 7@C %2==2DD66 r:EJ $49@@=D] w:D 4@=F>? 2AA62CD 6249 (65?6D52J :? %96 %C:3F?6]k^Am
