Recently, in an e-mail I received a message from the Boy Scouts of America, they asked me to submit a photo of myself, garbed in my scouting regalia. They wanted answers to some questions that they could compile in their yearbook of all the Boy Scouts who had made Eagle Scouts within the past year.
Immediately upon seeing some less than flattering photos of a younger and more naive me in years prior, I decided to take another photo of myself, a more tongue and cheek photo with stubble, a hatchet, short shorts and high socks.
Alongside the photo, I was given some standard questions to answer; such as my favorite author (Hemingway), favorite person/role model (the Apostle, Peter), favorite merit badge and why ("Lifesaving" because it was summer and hot). This short trip down memory lane got me thinking. What had I taken away from scouting? What I had I learned? How had it helped shape the man I am today and am still becoming?
In an ever-increasing world where expectations of young men and boys is ever decreasing, I found some pride. I achieved a goal very few boys make it to, even after having left the program for roughly two years. Even in the scouting community, there have been signs of diminishing expectations. Along with the traditional ones, some of the new badges adhere to the changing societal climate and interests of modern boys.
From the official list, some of the new merit badges are quite passive activities, such as video game designing, coin collecting, dentistry, disabilities awareness, dog care, movie making, public health and traffic safety, just to name a few.
These merit badges sure seem to be a far cry from what was the total list of 57 back in 1911. This is something that should be taken into consideration because the creation of Boy Scouts was done, in part, by the British military, once they noticed that many of their young recruits lacked the basic skills necessary for wartime.
An article by the Art of Manliness goes over, in more depth, the changes both the handbook and, now watered down, merit badges. I’m not saying that the inclusion of these merit badges is awful and boys should leave the program in droves. In fact, some of these skills may be helpful in helping boys become well-rounded individuals as well as possibly leading them toward a future career.
So, what, if anything, did I take away from Boy Scouts? Well, I still believe the program is a wonderful way to help boys get out into nature and do boyish things while instilling in them skills like leadership. There have been many times where I pulled out a random fact I learned in scouts to help with a task, or used one of the millions of knots I mastered to create makeshift objects on trips. If given the chance, I would, without a doubt, enroll my boys in scouts.
The Boy Scouts pushed me to act beyond expectations, to take charge as well as to be a guiding novice new boys. After a cumulative seven years or so in scouts, I can firmly say it was one of the most defining experiences I’ve had in my life at this point. Boy Scouts was very much worth it, and I look back at my times in the program with fondness and pride in hopes that I may one day again help other boys grow into capable men.
