Well, since no one came right out and said anything good about scouting, maybe I will. This is an American perspective.
My son was involved in scouting when he was in school (now he is in the army) and I was also naturally involved as an adult. I was likewise involved in scouting, though not for a long time, when I was still in school. And a first cousin was a Boy Scout executive.
Although some of the things the Scouts do seems quaint when seen from afar, it was my impression that they enjoyed it greatly, mainly because it gave them the opportunity to do something they would not otherwise be doing. The attitude at scout camps is so different from the contemporary view of camping and outdoor life and that makes it doubly refreshing. At scout camp you can have a fire, sleep under canvas (not nylon), camp in a group, have ceremonies, sing wonderful songs, and carry on all sorts of semi-dangerous activities (like shoot guns, arrows, fool with knives and play with fire). In the places I usually go for my outings, which is a national park, you can't possibly do a single one of those things. About all you can manage to do is fall down and break something.
There was no drill and the uniforms were saved for the ceremonies but were not a big deal. Most of all I think the biggest benefit was taking part in something big, with something of a long tradition. I know it is worldwide but I was never conscious of that. One particularly interesting evening was spent listening to a talk and slide show given by an astronaut.
In the forgotten past (before about 1930, let's say), there were other groups also in being for the purposes of hiking and camping, purely as a recreational activity. Those were mostly adult groups. I suspect that most had disappeared by the time of WWII but some are still going strong and may have received a boost by the completion of the Applachian Trail. In fact, the Applachian Trail is maintained by a confederation of clubs. A couple of the organizations are especially "clubby," I understand, although I belong to none. In one sense, the Sierra Club is one such organization.
There have been very good books published in the past about what amounts to bushcraft that were aimed at boys (and perhaps girls). I am thinking here of a certain Ben Hunt, who was especially interested in handicrafts and Indian lore.
Now, all this about the scouts makes me wonder why there has been no mention of scouts helping out in Louisana and along the coast. The answer to that is probably that this is the day of the professionals. Amateurs need not apply. Donations welcome, however, because we have a large government that believes in small government. This is the paradox.
My son was involved in scouting when he was in school (now he is in the army) and I was also naturally involved as an adult. I was likewise involved in scouting, though not for a long time, when I was still in school. And a first cousin was a Boy Scout executive.
Although some of the things the Scouts do seems quaint when seen from afar, it was my impression that they enjoyed it greatly, mainly because it gave them the opportunity to do something they would not otherwise be doing. The attitude at scout camps is so different from the contemporary view of camping and outdoor life and that makes it doubly refreshing. At scout camp you can have a fire, sleep under canvas (not nylon), camp in a group, have ceremonies, sing wonderful songs, and carry on all sorts of semi-dangerous activities (like shoot guns, arrows, fool with knives and play with fire). In the places I usually go for my outings, which is a national park, you can't possibly do a single one of those things. About all you can manage to do is fall down and break something.
There was no drill and the uniforms were saved for the ceremonies but were not a big deal. Most of all I think the biggest benefit was taking part in something big, with something of a long tradition. I know it is worldwide but I was never conscious of that. One particularly interesting evening was spent listening to a talk and slide show given by an astronaut.
In the forgotten past (before about 1930, let's say), there were other groups also in being for the purposes of hiking and camping, purely as a recreational activity. Those were mostly adult groups. I suspect that most had disappeared by the time of WWII but some are still going strong and may have received a boost by the completion of the Applachian Trail. In fact, the Applachian Trail is maintained by a confederation of clubs. A couple of the organizations are especially "clubby," I understand, although I belong to none. In one sense, the Sierra Club is one such organization.
There have been very good books published in the past about what amounts to bushcraft that were aimed at boys (and perhaps girls). I am thinking here of a certain Ben Hunt, who was especially interested in handicrafts and Indian lore.
Now, all this about the scouts makes me wonder why there has been no mention of scouts helping out in Louisana and along the coast. The answer to that is probably that this is the day of the professionals. Amateurs need not apply. Donations welcome, however, because we have a large government that believes in small government. This is the paradox.
