Bucks
Boy Scouts Centennial
Dear Friends,
Good morning. “Plus ca change, plus c’est la meme chose,” is a famous French phrase that all French students learn. It means, the more things change, the more they are the same. As I reflected upon former Congressman Michael Fitzpatrick’s entry into the 8th Congressional Primary race and State Representative Paul Clymer’s change of heart (he’s running again), I thought about that old phrase.
As I predicted, Fitzpatrick is urging the Bucks County Republican Committee to refrain from endorsing anyone for the 8th Congressional seat. In the process, he accomplishes two goals simultaneously. First, Fitzpatrick appeals to the Tea Party enthusiasts who want to reinvent the Republican Party from the ground up rather than the top down. And second, he neutralizes his Republican opponents. Besides, Fitzpatrick’s name recognition will make him an easy winner in a crowded Republican Primary.
Paul Clymer must have made Harry Fawkes, the Bucks County Republican County Chairman, deliriously happy when he decided to run again for the 145th legislative district. Clymer has served in the Assembly for more than 30 years and is a shoe-in for reelection if he runs. Had Clymer quit, the GOP could not count on an easy victory in the fall election.
Was Clymer fooling when he first announced that he would not seek reelection? His annual fundraiser letter, the Lincoln Day Dinner, was mailed January 26, the same day that he told the Inquirer that he would run for reelection after all. Or was it just a coincidence?
And now to today’s topic.
Don’t you wish that every male politician had been a Boy Scout? Next week, we celebrate the 100th birthday of the founding of the Boy Scouts. Think of how different the last 20 years would have been had every male President and Congressman been a Boy Scout? Scouting teaches ethical behavior.
Girl Scouts have similar oaths and obligations. In my opinion, women in the congress…the few that are serving…have a better record of unblemished service than the men do. But that’s a column for another day.
“On my honor, I will do my best, to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; To help other people at all times; to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight,” the Boy Scout Oath mandates. And the Scout Law has 12 points: Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean, and Reverent.
“Today, more than three million youth nationwide enjoy the fun and excitement of scouting,” Bill Carter wrote a while back. Carter heads the Scout Reach Program for the Bucks County Council of Boy Scouts in Doylestown. “In Bucks there are 13,000 participants in 230 local neighborhood Cub Packs, Boy Scout Troops, Venture Crews and Exploring Posts,” his press release explained.
There are more than 2,500 volunteer adult leaders in the Bucks County Council. The annual budget for the Bucks Council, one of 304 nationwide, is $2.2 million. “We’ve made our financial goal for the past 25 years,” Carter told me.
The Bucks Council is divided into four areas: Lenape in Central Bucks; Playwicki comprising Newtown, Yardley, and Richboro region; Pennsbury, roughly south of Route 1; and Tohpendel in Upper Bucks.
Dennis Hallman is a volunteer District Commissioner for Tohpendel. “There are 14 Cub Packs (age 7 through 11), 16 Scout troops (age 11 up to 18), and 6 Venture/Explorer Posts for boys and girls (age 14 to 20) in the Tohpendel district,” he began. “There are more than 1,500 boys and girls in the programs.”
Hallman’s been in scouting for 30 years; first as a scout and later, an adult scouter. Three generations of Hallmans’ have been scouts. His son is an Eagle Scout with six palms. Hallman will attend the National Jamboree this summer in Virginia. The Jamboree is held every four years and will attract 45,000 scouts and volunteers. “I’m in scouting till I die,” Hallman laughed.
As Scout Executive, David Hasel heads the Bucks Council. Scouting in Bucks County is celebrating 82 years of service. He says that it costs about $150 per year to have a boy in Scouting compared to more than $350 per day to have a youth in juvenile detention!
Carter told me that the Scout Reach program works with at-risk boys in Bucks County. There are about 80 kids in the program and it sounds like that’s just scratching the surface. Scouting is centered around parents and family. There must be hundreds of at-risk boys in Bucks County who have delinquent parents or no parents at all. Finding ways to involve these boys is a never-ending problem.
As positive as the Boy Scout program is, there is controversy. Homosexuals are excluded from membership either as scouts or leaders. In 2000, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Boy Scouts are a private group and thus have the right of “expressive association” under the First Amendment [to set their own membership rules].
Interestingly, the Girl Scout program runs counter to the Boy Scouts and makes no prohibition. It sounds like the Boy Scouts follow the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy of the U.S. military.
But in its 100-year history, the Boy Scout program has been a tremendous success…a positive influence on boys and young men. Years ago, I was a cub scout, a boy scout, and a scoutmaster. My father, uncle and son were scouts. The ideals and discipline that scouting instilled in all of us was lasting.
I’ll never forget an incident while teaching map reading in the army. My soldier students were having a problem with resection. They were trying to find their position from distant landmarks. I used my Boy Scout manual to explain the solution. It turned out that the Boy Scout manual was easier for the soldiers to understand than the official army field manuals.
But I stray.
In closing, Boy Scouting deserves
your support. You can help by calling
Sincerely,
Charles Meredith
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