I had a very brief and exceedingly undistinguished career in the Boy Scouts of America. I am going to attribute the briefness to the frequency to which my family moved due to the nature of my father’s work. I started the Boy Scouts in Toms River, New Jersey. I do not remember much about that experience except we met in the basement of a church of some Protestant denomination. I remember learning the Scout salute, handshake and some knots.
Best I recall I went on one camp out with the troop to a larger jamboree of some sort. I remember spilling my dinner and being afraid to ask for a replacement. Fortunately, an adult noticed and I did not go hungry. I also remember standing in “formation” with a bunch of other Scout troops for who knows what. Several boys fainted from the heat or exhaustion of standing so long. The only other memory I have of that time is of being in a parade. I and another boy were selected to carry the American flag at the front of the Scouts. We were supposed to alternate who carried the flag. The other boy basically told me go f*** off, and he carried the flag the whole way. Even then I had enough sense to not have a wrestling match with the boy in the middle of a parade with the flag probably being collateral damage.
Fast forward a bit and we had moved to Naples, Italy where I joined the Scout troop there. I remember going to two troop meetings and one pack meeting. What I remember about the pack meeting was going to the roof of the pack leader’s house, the pack leader being a slightly older boy. In southern Italy most houses have a flat roof that functions like a big balcony. We spent the pack meeting throwing paper airplanes off the roof. Next troop meeting he reported that we had studied aerodynamics and wind currents! I really do not remember whose decision it was to drop scouting at that point, but it happened.
My best memory of that time was the Boy Scout Handbook. I was utterly fascinated by it. I did not read it systematically, but flipped around in reading sections or looking at pictures. I remember the sections on knots, and there was a section on camp cooking with several basic recipes. One of the recipes I have used multiple times when the kidrens were little and we went camping. For a brief period I had a dream of working hard and becoming an Eagle Scout, but at this period of my life, I definitely lacked focus and discipline.
A couple years ago, for some reason, I started thinking about the Handbook again and I decided to get a copy. I found one on eBay from 1967 whose cover matched my memory of the 1963 Handbook. It arrived and I flipped through it for a few days, looking at the recipes, knots, etc. I then forgot about it for a while. A month ago I decided I was going to read it from cover to cover. To accomplish that task I put the book in the “meditation” room. I read a section or two every day until a few days ago I had read through the whole book, completing a task I started when I was 11 or so!
Reading this book which was printed 53 years ago with adult eyes was interesting. One thing was the advancement in camping techniques of the 60s to what can be a very technical experience for us backpackers. I also found interesting how often they pushed various BSA products in the book. I suppose, like all organizations, they needed money and this was one way to generate income.
I was raised more or less a military brat with a family whose religious roots were in fundamentalist Protestantism. In 1963 the book did not strike me as particularly religious or patriotic. I really wanted to say nationalistic, but that word has bad connotations. I do think their goal was to instill patriotism in young men. I love my country and at times I have felt very patriotic, but patriotism currently seems more like nationalism which can lead us to many dark places.
They paid lip service to the other religions, but it seemed to me that it was Christianity that they were focusing on. Since I have moved away from religion, those sections bothered me a bit.
Apparently, I never got to the end of the book in the 60s. There was a section on health that surprised me a bit. It addressed nocturnal emissions and masturbation.
“At times the glands discharge part of their secretions through the sex organs during sleep. This process is called a nocturnal emission or a ‘wet dream.’ It is perfectly natural and healthy and a sign that nature has taken care of the situation in its own manner.
There are boys who do not let nature have its own way with them but cause emissions themselves. This may do no physical harm, but may cause them to worry.
Any real boy knows that anything that causes him to worry should be avoided or overcome.”
It did have the grace to suggest that the boy should talk to a parent, physician or spiritual advisor about it. Yeah that is what my 13 year old self would have done, pass the hand lotion please.
It also promoted healthy tanning and salt consumption for hot weather. Times, how they do change.
The language used in the book from the 60s sounds a bit “gay” to my ears in 2020. The way they used of such terms as ‘the fellows’, ‘the guys’, ‘the gang’, etc. Also their promotion of male bonding seems a tad suspect given all that has come out about some of the Scout leaders. I did not want to put the picture in my blog, but there is a picture of a naked young man showering on page 420 that my wife found a bit shocking as did I.
Having said all that, the mission of the Boy Scouts of America is to instill religious and patriotic values in young men through fun, outdoor activities. There is really nothing wrong with that, and lord knows I could have used some help setting my rudder in the right direction. Somehow or another throwing paper airplanes off of roofs was not doing that. At this point in my life, I cannot say I am a big fan of those religious and patriotic values as they are now practiced in this country. I also know that for many young men scouting is a wonderful experience.
Anyway, I can now say that I have completed at least one task from scouting.
Out of curiosity, I looked for a current BSA Handbook. The book was a glossy, spiral bound presentation with lots and lots of pictures that cost around $50. Wow. The first Handbook was printed in 1911 and reproductions are available. It would be vaguely interesting to go through those versions to see how values have changed over more than a century of scouting.