Ain’t No COVID-19 Virus on Buzzard Mountain

[rayezell_2000]

The month of March marked the 84th anniversary of the Orange Boy Scout hike to a prominent Orange and Culpeper Counties’ landmark and prominent natural geologic formation just north of the community of Rapidan, Virginia. The following essay includes an account of this hiking trip found in the archives of the Orange County Historical Society. It is reproduced here in its entirety, and it describes the outing, in 1936, by members of Orange Boy Scout Troop No. 1 (now Troop 14). Read it here

[SSScout]

Well, I tried to respond to this wonderful memory before but router trouble prevented.

This is the kind of personal adventure we need to remember.  It is what made our Gparents and parents so wonderful.  It is the kind of expedition that today gives the lawyers teeth grinding angst.  One can google month long Scout adventures that involve ONLY the Scouts.  I remember reading about a dozen NYC Scouts set out on the AT, supported by adult supply drop off every so often,I seem to remember 6 make it thru, this in the 1930's.  I will see if I can find it again.     Would any one sanction such a thing now adays?  

According to strict reading of BSA script,  a Scout Patrol should not (cannot?)  even meet together at Panera without a "two deep"  adult presence.   Go explore a rock quarry?   "Not if we know about it."  Hike a five mile trail , as a group (virus not withstanding),  without an adult trailing/leading  with a GPS equipped emergency beacon?  Our Scouts are so conditioned at school (and in Scouting?) that they are reticent to raise their hand,  discuss,  give an opinion,  but will wait for the teacher/ASM to TELL them the where/what/when. 

Ya want to know why BSA is seen as on the skids?   It is not only the poor decisions about youth protection made 40 years ago, or the number of high (?!) paid execs, or the helicopter parent personnae or the selling off of camps, or the cutesy uniform choices or poor PR .... it is also , to large degree, the loss of BSA's  adventure image .  Why are (some) young females wanting to join BSA?  The BSA has been living on it's past glory (yes, getting dirty and falling down rocks and trying to find one's way BY YOURSELF) . That is what folks want to see BSA as being, but . . .  

What has it become?  What is it ,,,, really ?   "All Scouting is local" .   For sure.   If we define a successful Scout Unit as one that attracts and retains members (Scouts !),  the successful Troops/Packs exhibit what behavior?   Can National see that and reinforce it ?  

[qwazse]

So, scouters, if your PL got with his buddies and, with parents approval, did this hike, would you sign them off on the 5 mile land navigation requirement?

[InquisitiveScouter]

4 hours ago, qwazse said:

So, scouters, if your PL got with his buddies and, with parents approval, did this hike, would you sign them off on the 5 mile land navigation requirement?

By the book?  No...

"Two registered adult leaders 21 years of age or over are required at all Scouting activities, including meetings."

"Patrol Activities—A Scouts BSA patrol may participate in patrol activities. Two-deep adult leadership is required."

I hate being a rule-follower, though...

[rayezell_2000]

SSScout,

I'm glad you enjoyed the essay. You made several reasonable and correct points (in my opinion), especially the BSA "living off of past glory", but who's fault is that? My personal opinion is that the past and continual disconnection of former scouts (and especially eagle scouts) from the Movement as adults has contributed mightily to many of the ills you mention. As adults, in the place of eagle scouts, the lion's share of parents that have come into the program were not scouts as youth and were not influenced (in a formative way) by the Movement and the ideals that it was designed to teach...

....and I probably would sign of on scouts who did a 5 mile hike by themselves (but would also let them know that they had operated outside the current rulebook)....

[rayezell_2000]

As recently as the early-mid 1980s (when I did my Scouting as a youth), my patrol (located in a small rural town in East Tennessee) would regularly take hikes in the Smoky Mtns, canoe down the Hiwassee River (with lots of whitewater), and camp at our troop shelter by ourselves---no adults in sight. Of course, we were all in high school and some could drive and we had the GOOD SENSE to know what to do and what NOT to do (most of the time)....Probably the biggest point of difference in the methods of Scouting today vs. the past (pre-1980 or so) is the shift in emphasis from the patrol to the troop. Before..., scouts were members of a patrol foremost....now it's member of a troop (almost exclusively)...

[InquisitiveScouter]

As a Scoutmaster in the 90's, after a patrol showed me their plan, and had at least two First Class Scouts with them, I'd let them go on an outing.  We did keep tabs on them from afar.  They knew they carried my name and reputation, and that of the Troop with them.  If they did something stupid, I would hold them accountable, by recommending to the committee they be dismissed from the Troop.  Never had any issues.  Amazing growth and changes in self confidence upon their return from their trips. They held each other to standard.  It was a beautiful thing.