It doesn't take long for one to realize that Scouting in today's world is still relevant to the life we live and the global nature of our economy and social interactions.  The principles upon which Scouting was founded are being taught and lived daily by many who represent all generations including the next generation of young people coming behind us.

Although, I must tell you that the next generation of boys and girls are immersed in a world that is far more complex than many of us have ever experienced.  For instance, at the Jamboree this year there are kiosks and areas staged with IPODs and Cell phone charging stations, internet Wi-Fi throughout the camp and a computerized Merit Badge system that accounts for each requirement completed (or partially completed) to record the progress of the boys achievements while here.  Broadcast throughout many venues across the campus is the sound of QBSA radio station that features Scouts as the radio personnel spinnin' the vinyl (Oops!, I mean CD's!).  And don't think your boys are being out-done, because we have had four of our Scouts from the Blue Ridge Council "Live, On the Air!  On Scouting's most exciting radio station of the Century!"

So, living in tents, with no electricity, makeshift showers and latrines, sweltering heat (no air conditioning), and the best transportation system is your own two feet, has not hampered the spirit of the contingent!  Why, I would even say that the spirit of the boys has been enhanced by the experiences of the week.  This environment has bolstered the ideals of Scouting to a place higher than you could imagine.  And in the midst of all of the excitement and activity, one realizes that these kids are really all the same.  They have similar needs, desires, wants, fears and experiences.  I have had the opportunity to talk to Scouts and Scouters from all over the world this week getting to know where they are from and what their likes, dislikes, favorite things, backgrounds, and current struggles are.  I have met Scouts from Sweden, Texas, California, Canada, Egypt and many other states and countries.  And what I have discovered is that kids are kids.  Regardless of their backgrounds, experiences, beliefs, or situation, they want someone to care in what they are doing.  They want someone to listen to their story.  They don't have the barriers of prejudice or intolerance.  They thrive on someone who takes interest in them.  From my son, to the kid from Alabama that got his patches stolen, to one of our boys that traded a shirt off his back with the kid from Bangladesh as a souvenir, they each have a story to tell.  And if we listen, we find that their plight is the same.  No matter what state, what country, what continent, they need that connection and input so that they recognize that although we are different, we are the same.  Scouting provides a vehicle we can use to connect to our young people.  It gives us an open door to their world; a place to encourage, to challenge, to direct.  It also provides a set of principles that are known and understood world-wide.  The Scout Oath and Scout Law are universal tenants that ground us and bind us together.  Regardless of your religion, race or creed, we speak a common language of Character, Citizenship and Fitness.  Achievement, Encouragement, Hard Work, Integrity, Values, Respect, Pride, and LIFE!  Whether in Scouting or not, we each have an opportunity to connect to this generation.  We are the link, the example, the mentors and teachers.  No matter what your background, experience, or pre-conceptions, we have one reality we face.  Every one of us will leave a legacy behind.  We get to choose whether that legacy is filled with good or bad.  We get to choose now whether our legacy will have an impact or not.  Yes, no matter which you choose, your legacy will be left behind and when we are done, we are done.

But the good news is that it is simple.  A word at the bus stop, a smile in the grocery store line, a listening ear to a youth trying to reach out, and a note or a word of encouragement that says you noticed something good is all it takes.  Whether the kid is from Asia, Mexico, Tennessee, Anderson County, or Powdersville, they need us to care.  They need us to break down the barriers first.  They need us to connect.  Let me say in our world today that the boys (and girls) from all over are connecting in ways we will never comprehend.  We have an opportunity now to shape their world.  Take a minute to care for the boys (and girls) from all over in your world!

Stand up for what you believe! Speak your mind! If you don’t stand for something, you will fall for anything!

These are all things we want our kids to remember. After all, our forefathers came to the new world looking for religious freedom and freedom from the rule of a monarchy. We believe in our right to speak our minds and celebrate our ability to voice our opinions. We fight for the underdog, help the needy, comfort the afflicted, and enjoy our society and its privileges.

We also have the most powerful and efficient communication tools that have ever been employed. We are in constant touch with each other through our e-mail, text messaging, Facebook, Twitter, you name it! We can status our daily lives through chronicles of words and wisdom.

I have a college friend that posts on Facebook a daily quote from some famous person that really makes you think about your life’s situation and its relevance in this world. I also get status messages from many of our youth that, quite frankly, I believe have forgotten that I am their “friend”. This can lead to some interesting “teaching moments” as we interact through Scouts or Church Youth group. I dare not reveal myself on the social network media for the concern that I may violate the trust I try very hard to build with these youth. The point is that you can really learn a lot about a person by “listening” to what they say. But that, is another article…

So, the subject of this Scoutmaster Minute is Crusaders. I find it humorous how we sometimes become Crusaders through our communication media. I know that we become Crusaders in our vehicles. Just read about the “road rage” incidents that occur on our highways. Some of us can get very aggressive and very bold when we climb behind the wheel of our vehicles. Many times, we may do things, (or people may do things to us) that otherwise we would never do if forced to interact face-to-face. Some of the same behaviors can be observed through our communication media. Some folks say some things that you know they wound not say in one-on-one conversation.

This brings me to a recent example that occurred over e-mail. In Scouting there are three “Aims” to the program: to build Character, Citizenship and Fitness. Many of you know (and probably some don’t) that there are eight “Methods” used in Scouting to achieve these Aims. Among the “Methods” of Scouting are the Patrol Method, Outdoor Program, and Uniforming. Yes, Uniforming is used as a method to achieve Character, Citizenship and Fitness! After all, what Sports Team can you think of that doesn’t require a uniform for the team on game day? What military doesn’t require a uniform for its troops? A uniform is a source of pride and belonging; an identity with a group or cause. “Well, what happened over e-mail, you ask?” The Blue Ridge Council, Jamboree Troops have decided that for the 100th Anniversary of Scouting, we want to present ourselves in the Centennial Uniform. This uniform was introduced in 2008 and has been optional for Scouting units since it’s inception. Now comes the point. Because the Jamboree Troops have made this uniform decision, some participants (parents), have become “Crusaders” against the cause! I’m not attempting to debate the issue here.

My Scoutmaster Minute is focused on the Crusader behavior. One Dad wrote in e-mail, “Seems to me that the goal of Scouting seems to take a back seat to the moneymaking game.” Well, I was offended by this comment and I will tell you why. The goal of Scouting is to teach Character, Citizenship and Fitness. This e-mail was sent to all of the participants of our Jamboree Troop. Wow, every kid and every parent was influenced by this “Crusader” style e-mail. As a matter of fact, this e-mail was not even the instigator to the discussion. So, more emails, more Crusader behavior, was exchanged for all to read! And you know what? I know this Dad fairly well. I believe he would never say these things in a one-on-one conversation.

Have we lost our ability to communicate? What are we teaching our kids? Are we demonstrating Character and Citizenship in our communication? Have the communication tools we have grown to love made us lazy? Inappropriately aggressive and bold? Are we using our communication tools to promote our common goals or for rhetoric against the “opposition” of our opinions?

Scouting is a great program. My face-to-face with this Dad will include a discussion of our common goals and the use of our “communication tools” to build upon those goals as opposed to “Crusading” against the cause because it is easy!

Stand up for what you believe! Speak your mind! If you don’t stand for something, you will fall for anything! Yes, these are things we want our kids to do. But our actions should demonstrate how to do it right in every situation, even when we have the desire to “Crusade” against the cause.

Bill Edge is the Scoutmaster for Powdersville Troop 210.
Here is where you can see this article at the Powdersville Post site.

As seen in the Powdersville Post.

On Monday, Feb. 8, 2010, the Boy Scouts of America will be 100 years old!

The Boy Scout movement was founded in 1907 by British General Lord Robert Baden-Powell. And on February 8, 1910, a Chicago businessman, William D. Boyce, helped start the American Boy Scout movement based on the “Good Turn of an Unknown Scout.”

I would like to present a re-print of passage from my old Boy Scout Handbook titled The Story of a Good Turn (BSA Handbook, Ninth Edition, February 1979), and has been repeated in subsequent editions of the Boy Scout Handbook.

**************************************

The Story of a Good Turn

One day in the fall of 1909, the great city of London was in the grip of a dense fog. An American businessman, William D. Boyce, stopped under a street lamp to locate himself. Out of the gloom a boy approached him and asked if he could be of help.

“You certainly can,” said Boyce. He told the boy that he wanted to find a certain business office in the center of the city.

“I’ll take you there,” said the boy.

When they got to the destination, Mr. Boyce reached into his pocket for a tip. But the boy stopped him.

“No thank you, sir. I am a Scout. I won’t take anything for helping.”

“A Scout? And what might that be?” asked Boyce.

The boy told the American about himself and his brother Scouts. Boyce became very interested. After finishing his errand, he had the boy take him to the British Scouting office. There the boy disappeared.

At the office, Boyce met Lord Robert Baden-Powell, the famous British general who had founded the Scouting movement in Great Britain. Boyce was so impressed with what he learned that he decided to bring Scouting home with him.

And so, on February 8, 1910, in Washington, D.C., Boyce and a group of outstanding men founded the Boy Scouts of America. Ever since then, this day has been known as the birthday of Scouting in the United States.

What happened to the boy? No one knows. He was never heard of again, but he will never be forgotten. In the British Scout Training Center at Gilwell Park, England, a statue of a buffalo was put up in honor of this “Unknown Scout”. His Good Turn helped bring the Scouting movement to our country. One Good Turn to one man became a Good Turn to millions of American boys. Such is the power of a Good Turn. You never can tell….

**************************************

While this story is true in its essence, the details vary among true Scouting historians. But one thing is not debated, the movement of the Boy Scouts of America was significantly influenced by Mr. Boyce’s encounter with that unknown Scout.

“Do a Good Turn Daily is more than simple good manners. It is a special act of kindness,” says the current Boy Scout Handbook. But it truly is more than that. A Good Turn can become a life changing habit. I am reminded of the 2000 Movie, Pay it Forward, where 12-year-old Trevor McKinney believed in the goodness of human nature.

Like many other kids, he was determined to change the world for the better. In countless Boy Scout Troops across the world, the practice of Do a Good Turn Daily is being taught and encouraged.

But you don’t have to be a Boy Scout to perform a Good Turn daily.

One point that we all can internalize is that when the hand of a Good Turn is extended toward you, take it, cherish it, and pay it forward. You may never know the life you may be changing with your simple act of kindness! Heed the Boy Scout slogan, Do a Good Turn daily.

Bill Edge is the Scoutmaster for Powdersville Troop 210.