Scouting is all tied up in knots

Both young and old Boy Scouts across the land are saddened and maddened by what is happening at the national level, with the apparent meltdown of a once-esteemed organization that stood tall and proud for more than a century.

Bankruptcy for the Boy Scouts of America? Dabnabbit all to heck; who would have imagined?

Writing for Newsday, Michael Dobie commented that the “Scouts’ future is all in knots.” That may be putting it mildly. We could have a Gordian knot situation here, seemingly unsolvable.

Scouts must keep the faith, however.

It’s time to re-read the words of John Henry Goldfrap, who was born in England in 1879 and moved to the United States, where he became a newspaper reporter at the New York Evening News. Goldfrap also was a prolific writer of action books “for and about boys.”

He always used a pseudonym and went by several different pen names. One was Lieutenant Howard Payson, who appeared as the author of a series of 14 volumes of “Boy Scout” books. The second in 1911 was “The Boy Scouts on the Range.”

One of the lead characters is Bob “Tubby” Hopkins, who tells us: “Boy Scouts don’t cry when they get in a difficulty; they…try to figure some way out of it.”

Learning by doing is a hallmark of the Scouting program, and every Scouting experience requires an application of problem-solving skills.

The Boy Scouts organization was founded in 1907 in England by British Army Gen. Robert Baden-Powell. He was knighted as Lord Baden-Powell in 1909.

He was an articulate man and offered pearls of wisdom to guide adult leaders. Some were:

“The open-air is the real objective of Scouting and the key to its success.” Nature is a great teacher, an inspiration and a source of lifelong experiences. The word “Scouting” is 75% “outing.”

“A week of camp life is worth six months of theoretical teaching in the meeting room.” A leader may describe and demonstrate a Scouting skill at a meeting, but the way Scouts truly learn outdoor skills is to do it themselves.

All that is right about Scouting was on display Jan. 25, 2020, when five members of Troop 130, sponsored by the First United Methodist Church in Morehead City, N.C., were awarded their Eagle Scout badges. Former Scoutmaster Bob Guthrie served as the chief celebrant at the Court of Honor.

He reaffirmed that Baden-Powell determined that Scouting “would be centered on the concept of ‘God and Country’ above all else. So, from the very start,” Guthrie said, “a boy had to raise his hand in the Scout sign and promise to do his duty….”

“The emphasis on religious duty has been carried over into the Scout Law as well, which states, in part, that a ‘Scout is Reverent,’” Guthrie said. “The Scout Oath and Law and all other precepts of Scouting conform to the goals of Christianity.” He noted that Scouting’s core group of sponsoring units are religious institutions.

Guthrie commented that “recent controversial events and efforts to modernize our brotherhood have not altered the fact that Scouting still has much ‘that is of supreme value and importance’ to offer to those within its ranks, and to the church and society as well.”

Some adult leaders have tarnished the image of Scouting through their heinous acts of sexual abusiveness and must be held accountable. Many people believe Scouting should be more inclusive and diverse, and open to boys and girls of all races, creeds and ethnicities. Some think a youth’s sexual orientation should not block his or her ability to participate.

These and other issues can be thorny, but within the faith-based framework of Scouting, there ought to be enough brainpower to heed Tubby’s advice and “figure out” how to overcome the obstacles.

Perhaps this is a “collective Eagle Scout project” that would truly be worthwhile.