The Political Scouts

As I said last post, I was a Boy Scout. It was a wholesome activity, sponsored by the Church. I'll admit that I enjoyed scouting most of the time, and because I'm competitive, the system of ranks and achievements appealed to me. I set my sights on the rank of Eagle and I got it. Surprisingly, having Eagle Scout on my resume has elicited more job interview conversation than my military service or my degrees. In no small way, I believe that it's one of the reasons that I've been offered every job I've ever interviewed for.

As a young man, it never occurred to me that the Boy Scouts were a political organization. For me it was a place to get away from my dad, from the church, and from the rest of the world. I never viewed it as indoctrination or conditioning. Not until Large asked me if he could be a Scout did I really look at it objectively.

On the face of it, one might ask how scouting could be anything but good. The motto is “Be Prepared,” the slogan is “Do a Good Turn Daily,” and the Scout law is “A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent.”

If that was it, then there'd be no problem. But Scouting is more than the image. Scouting is a symbol.

The Boy Scouts of America symbolize the destruction and co-opting of an entire continent of cultures. From its beginning in 1910, the Boy Scouts 'honored' the American Indians by imitating their woodcraft, naming ranks including the Eagle after some Native warrior designation, and adopting campfire rituals of storytelling and prayer. Even further, the Order of the Arrow which is the Scouting Honor Society and another organization to which I belonged takes the American Indian stereotypes lifted wholesale and in caricature.  All of this wouldn't be so bad, except that Native American children were banned from joining the scouts for several decades, as were other minorities. Symbolically, the Scouts began to use a stereotyped Native experience at the same time the United States crushed all real Native American rituals or religious expression.

When I was in Scouts, we were taught that all traditional American Indians were thoughtful caretakers of the wilderness and that we were woodsmen learning the skills exactly as they had practiced them. At the same time, in Church with the very same leaders we were taught that the Mormons settled an untamed wilderness in Utah and were sometimes attacked for no reason by savages against which they had to defend themselves.

The honorary President of the Boy Scouts has always been the sitting President of the United States. This should be enough to show that the Boy Scouts is a political organization, but the question was cemented when the organization removed the Presidential signature from Eagle Scout Certificates while Bill Clinton was in office. My certificate had Reagan's signature, and in no small part that contributed to me casting my first legal vote for him in 1984. By removing Clinton's signature and honorary title, by their close association fundamental churches, and by their unequivocal stance on homosexuality they moved from an organization to develop boys into men and flatly declared the Boy Scouts of America to be a Political body.

When Large asked me about the Scouts, I sat down with him and told him about all the good times I'd had as a Boy Scout and the pride I'd held for the ranks I'd achieved. I told him about the uniform and the motto and the handshake. I also told him about Boy Scouting's darker side.  I told him that the BSA excludes a lot people from joining their ranks. Some of our good friends are gay and, to the BSA, those people are inferior, untrustworthy, and evil deviants. I left the choice up to Large and told him that if he wanted to be a scout, I'd go on the camping trips with him and counsel him for merit badges and support him completely. It was up to him, however, to choose to be part of a group that promotes discrimination and prejudice.

A week later, he asked me if I'd teach him scouting skills without being in scouts. Of course I would. He chose not to join.

- rick, reluctant Eagle Scout

Comments

[Success Warrior]

I dropped out of the Boy Scouts of America when I moved to England.

I ddin't really enjoy it except for the camping trips. And, as you've pointed out, it's possible to do that without them.

[CV Rick]

We were in the same troop for a while . . . at least when we were in it, there's wasn't a damned thing about politics, but a lot about helping the scoutmaster build a basement, as I recall.

[Cherise]

I had no idea BSA was political or so politically incorrect in anyway. Color me naive.

[Amy]

Whereas Girl Scouts was set up as an apolitical organization, ostensibly to help girls become well-rounded individuals who contribute to society, but with the secret mission of utterly annihilating the male gender (leaving only enough men in each town to open jars, mow the lawn, and give the occasional foot rub), thus giving females worldwide dominance by the year 2042. The plan is working pretty well so far, but I'm not a Girl Scout anymore so I don't care if I let the cat out of the bag.

[Cherise]

Amy, So that's where my parents went wrong with my upbringing. I was never a brownie/girl scout. I had no idea we were supposed to be working towards world domination! Where are my foot massages?

[Graeme]

I was a member of an even kookier club called "royal rangers." Christian brainwashers for sure. They wanted to make sure we were real mean. I remember one time I was playing flag football and one of the "leaders" was freaking tackling all of us kids. This guy was in his thirties. what a dick. I don't know why I remember such things.

(World domination! I am never buying girl scout cookies again.)

[Success Warrior]

To think I was helping in my own demise by purchasing those yummy Samoas.

I don't remember helping build his basement but I do remember playing video games in it. I also remember that he lost that position when he had an affair with some pyt.

[CV Rick]

The cookies are part of the evil Girl Scout plot. Unfortunately for me, no plot needed. I live in a home with a brilliant woman and a thirteen year old girl whose intelligence shames me.

Graeme, were you part of Jesus Camp? That's some freaky stuff.

SW - You might not have been there, but we dug out an entire sub-basement in his house and hauled the dirt out a bucket at a time. And, this was supposed to be a "fun scouting activity." Yes, he had an affair with his teenage daughter's best friend. Freaky.

[a rose is a rose]

you can ALL rest easy

those cookies are now

SANS TRANS FAT

(i was both a brownie and a grrrl scout and i just liked the way the badges looked. i STILL decorate my body to this day)

[CV Rick]

A tattoo of a merit badge sash would be truly unique, Rose!!

[Dr. Murray]

BSA allows every one to become a member of scouting. One is never asked if he or she is gay or not. Once a member, if one chooses to promote issues that are not in agreement with the values of scouting, then the person is asked to leave. I believe most organizations ask people to leave if they do not believe in the same policies. For example, if I joined a gay organization and said I did not believe in that way of living, I am sure they would ask me to leave. Interesting, these are the same policies as our military.
Frankly, I don't think sexual preference should be a discussion of scouting in any respect so being gay is never an issue unless a person makes it one.
My issue - I find it a bit objectional when someone takes an image (black and white Eagle badge) from my web site (which took hours to prepare) and displays it on theirs for their mistaken statements. I guess theft is okay from their perspective.

[CV Rick]

Welcome to the internet, Dr. I'll swap out the image for another one if that makes you happy, but you published your image on the internet and under fair use I am able to also use that image. If you check on your site, you still have that image, therefore your accusation of theft is incorrect. I didn't steal it, you still have it.

Further, nothing in my post is incorrect. I spent a great part of my life in scouting. I am an eagle scout. I accurately portrayed the political nature of the scouting organization . . . and if an organization is taking such a political stance, they deserve the associated criticism.

It would have been easier just to ask me to not use that image, don't you think? I guess you learned whining and complaining from the scouts.

Good day.