Be prepared

This last August, thousands of khaki-clad, over-excitable teenage boys descended on Bloomington. They were Boy Scouts, and they were here for the National Order of the Arrow Conference.

While being surrounded by so many uniforms might have been a strange experience for other IU summer residents, it seemed almost normal for me. The only weird thing was not being one of them myself. After all, I am an Eagle Scout.

Most impressions I had of scouts during NOAC were positive. However, I closely scrutinize the actions of scouts since I know the principles the organization professes. Moreover, I especially expect the Order of the Arrow, as Scouting’s honor society, to exemplify these values.

However, on two occasions at NOAC, one general and one specific, scouts came up short.

First, I was angered by a group of scouts who obnoxiously taunted cars as they passed by Collins. Such behavior I expect from fraternity houses, not scouts. I do commend, however, several nearby leaders who quickly handled the situation after being notified.

The general public also holds scouts to high standards. One powerful negative impression such as this could forever taint that reputation.

Second, after the conference ended, I found the campus littered with NOAC materials. “Leave No Trace” applies equally to campus as wilderness.

My scoutmaster, who made us canvass every campsite for trash, would have been appalled.

These instances speak to a wider concern I have about trends I notice in Scouting.

Boys are reaching the rank of Eagle Scout too young. Some troops, known as “Eagle factories,” help boys get boxes checked off but don’t ensure that they have reached the required maturity. Fourteen-year-olds generally do not undertake meaningful, independent leadership projects.

I don’t have the space to properly address such ills as rampant pseudo-militarism or the accompanying Don’t-Ask-Don’t-Tell-style intolerance. I do not approve of the latter, and the former should be tempered, even though it is more structural.

These concerns raise the question of the purpose of the Boy Scouts. Is the focus on getting badges or gaining the knowledge they represent? After all, a visit to an embroidery shop would be a more efficient way to decorate a uniform.

Does the organization exist to teach wilderness survival skills or suburban survival skills? If the latter, then the young Eagles get all they need out of the program: a nice looking medal and a resume bullet point.

The first objective of Scouting should be putting boys in contact with nature. In a time when we are constantly bombarded by meaningless communication, going to the woods is more important than ever.

Humans in a modern world are still human. We still need sunrises, exhaustion and fresh air. We still need the basic skills to contend directly with nature. We still need to “be prepared” to make fires, wield an axe, tie knots and grow plants. We still need to know the land.

Scouting is supposed to serve those needs, while teaching boys to be “trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent.”


E-mail: brownjoh@indiana.edu