Re: Purpose
Jim Miller Jr. (jmillerjr@LSFCU.ORG)
Fri, 4 Aug 1995 10:05:00 +0000
I know we all generally understand the purpose of Scouting, but I think we
also need to keep in mind that while the purpose is always the same, the
attraction to the program varies with each individual.
Terry Slade wrote:
> Sesame Street is a show we air on my PBS station. We hope that
>children will learn from the show. Children watch the show because
>they like the puppets and the songs, not to learn their ABC's or
>addition tables. Take away the puppets and the show becomes a baby
>college tele-course. The kids won't watch. The fun stuff keeps the
>kids watching and while watching, they are taught and learn certain
>skills.
This is one of the best parallels I have ever seen.
> The BSA is a program for boys set forth by Congress and started
>by B-P. We hope scouts will learn from the program. Boys join because
>of the camping and hiking, not to earn badges and wear the uniform.
Here's my point. I can tell you in complete honesty that I joined to wear the
uniform and put as many badges on it as possible. Probably the same
reason I was enthralled with the first Police Explorer Post I came in contact
with - they had even niftier uniforms.
>Take away the camping, nomatter how little, and the scouts become
>just another club. Most boys wouldn't stay. The camping and hiking
>keep the boys in the program and while at the meetings and campouts,
>they are taught and learn some skills.
I went to meetings to earn skill awards and advance in rank. They could
have been for camping or dress making for all I cared, as long as I
earned something new. When I ran out of things to earn, I turned to the
teaching part. The camping was just another place to earn things.
[snip]
Let's keep in mind that every youth joins for their own reason, and there
are as many reasons as there are Scouts. If our Scouts weren't different
we would only have the 21 MB's needed for Eagle and there wouldn't
be a need for any others.
|Jim Miller, Jr. <jmillerjr@lsfcu.org> Esquire-BPOE #434|
|Systems Administrator Eagle Scout - '88|
|Liberty Savings Federal Credit Union Vigil Honor - '94|
|Jersey City, New Jersey USA Meechgalhukquot-"Redheaded One"|
|Advisor, Explorer Post 348 Hudson Liberty Council, BSA|
| The Stanley Cup in New Jersey?! The Devils won the Cup!! |
Terry Howerton Sakima Group, Inc. SCOUTER Magazine Kansas City | 
