Scout Service to Nation and Community

[Kahuna]

Greetings all. As I continue doing historical research, I keep coming across examples of national and local service by Boy Scouts in time of emergencies. During WWI and WWII, Scouts collected scrap, grew victory gardens, spotted for airplanes, enforced blackouts, etc, etc. During hurricanes, tornadoes, floods and what have you, Scouts grabbed first aid kits and flashlights, went out with their troops and patrols to direct traffic, secure property, fill sandbags and who knows what all.

 

Scouts were selected to form an honor guard for several dead presidents, Warren G. Harding was one such, and in the pictures of Roosevelt's funeral procession in 1945, Boy Scouts can be seen along the route at precise intervals, saluting the caisson.

 

I suppose liability and parental protectiveness would preclude many of these activities today. How many Scout parents would let their precious little boy go out into a hurricane with a flashlight and first aid kit?

 

However, one cannot help but conclude that these services made Scouts extremely visible and valuable to their community. I wonder if the current image of Scouting would be improved if we had continued to perform in this way on a national level.

[Gold Winger]

Quite often the "Emergency Authorities" don't want volunteer help.

[skeptic]

Also, other than the immediate recipient of survice rendered, hardly anyone even notices scout service, as it does not deserve publication or airing in most news sources. For two years in a row now, I have taken the time to write and submit a synopsis of the past year's Eagle crop, and their total service; that includes the number of Eagles, number of hours (rounded), and a general listing of the various types of public and private entities to whom the service was rendered, such as 35 public schools, 38 churches, and so on. Other than it being posted on the paper website (which you can do yourself) it has not shown up in the paper. This event is attended by numerous county "names", recognizes an adult Eagle with a special award, and is held at a presidential library. Yet, not a word in the press.

 

But, I noticed once again yesterday, a short piece on a teen south of us who committed a felony; the headline led with "Eagle Scout". What can you say?

[Region 7 Voyageur]

Boy Scouts (Arrowmen) are giving service to our nation at this very moment with Arrow Corps 5. This is the largest service project by boy scouts since World War II. I participated at the Mark Twain National Forest location from June 7 - 14th. The work we did was very well received by the U.S. Forest Service.

[Kahuna]

 

"Quite often the "Emergency Authorities" don't want volunteer help"

 

Another reason, I'm sure. Sixty years ago there were not as many well trained rescue people as today. EMTs can undoubtedly do a better job without interference. However, from what I read, the people filling sandbags on the levies in Iowa could use a lot of help and would be glad to have it.

 

"This is the largest service project by boy scouts since World War II"

 

I, along with most Americans I would guess, am totally unaware of the project. As skeptic points out, it ain't easy to get recognized.

[emb021]

Actually, Emergency Service was once a big element of scouting.

 

In the past (30s/40s), there was a program in which scout troop could prepare themselves to be emergency service troops. Boys, by meeting certain requirements, could be so certified, and be qualified to wear insignia for this. By the 1940s or so, Emergency Service pretty much became the preview of the Senior Scout program. Into the 1950s, Explorer Posts doing Emergency Service was seen as a big part of their program. However, by the 1960s and 70s, this started to die out, except for some Post that might specialize in this.

 

The current 'emergency prepardness BSA' pin is kind of a throw back to that era.

 

[Kahuna]

I well remember. I still have my red emergency service armband. Never got to wear it, though.

[OldGreyEagle]

Back when I was a scout, in the mid '60s thorugh early '70s the troop I was in was a Civil Defense unit. I had my White Civil Defense helmet and emergency pack and was supposed to be ready to go at a moments call. I beleive I was in 7th grade at the time. As it was the troop was used to direct traffic for the 4th of July Fireworks exhibition. After a few major snowstorms the boy scouts were driven about in town vehicles clearing snow from fire hyrdrants.

 

[shortridge]

Unfortunately, that sense of national civic committment to a cause Kahuna referenced is largely nonexistent today. I don't think we'll ever again see the large-scale efforts that existed during the world wars.

 

The opportunity would seem ever-present, however, for units to get involved in emergency response on the community level. No matter what one thinks of the current President, the Citizen Corps and Ready efforts that he has pushed are excellent programs, and could be easily adapted to a troop program and community education and preparedness effort.

 

As a young Scout, I was envious of those Explorers I read about in the Fieldbook who were part of search-and-rescue posts. There are volunteer SAR groups all over the U.S., practicing in all environments - urban, suburban, rural and wilderness. The training is tough, but well worth it.

 

I have a troop and patrol activity guide from the '70s with instructions on how to run a community emergency preparedness drill. The idea was that the Scoutmaster would send runners out to various sites in a town - drugstores, post offices, banks, etc. - with a letter for the manager saying the Scouts were participating in a drill and asking him to sign and note the time he received it. Units would then have a good idea of how long it would take to reach certain areas.

 

Even if a disaster never happens, emergency preparedness and disaster response/management are a great way to engage Scouts - especially older ones - in useful service to their community (not make-work stuff). And it would definitely raise the profile of Scouting in the area.

[shortridge]

Forgive me - this is a slight digression, but one close to my heart.

 

Quote from skeptic:

 

"[H]ardly anyone even notices scout service, as it does not deserve publication or airing in most news sources."

 

You're to be commended for your work trying to get publicity. You don't say how large your newspaper is, though. I expect if it was a smaller weekly, community paper, they'd have printed your writeup verbatim - local papers thrive on information such as that.

 

To pay the bills, I work as a reporter at a larger paper, and we often don't cover individual accomplishments except in short briefs or in special community sections. We're looking out more for the big-picture stories, the trends, the big anniversaries, the really outstanding accomplishments above and beyond the average ho-hum of daily life. It's got to have a specific, memorable hook to get attention.

 

If you pitch a story about a new troop that has had 10 Eagles since its founding five years ago (trend)... a really unusual service project, such as the building of one of those new accessible park playgrounds (cheerful feature with good opportunities for photos)... a family where the grandfather, father and son were all Eagles (slice-of-life and history)... a Scout who struggled against a severe disability but persisted and succeeded (overcoming challenges)... a Venturing Crew where the girls run high-adventure treks and the boys do handicrafts and cooking (turning the tables on traditional stereotypes)... or something similar, you're much likely to have a better chance with one of those larger publications.

 

As an example: A reporter at my paper last year did a very large front-page story on the Scoutreach program. It wasn't just a bland article on how the council is trying to get new Scouts, but instead focused on two troops - one majority white from the suburbs, one majority black from the city - and their summer camp experiences and challenges. She and a photographer spent a good deal of time with the boys, and it was a really powerful story.

 

That said, I've been in my current gig for six months, and have been contacted exactly once by a unit, district or council requesting coverage of an event. I covered a local Klondike Derby one weekend, but that was on my own initiative. I suspect folks from the local OA lodge may be part of ArrowCorps, but I haven't seen a news release or even a blurb on the Council Web site about it. Didn't even get a request to cover the start of summer camp.

 

Alas, we're not omniscient... if folks don't tell us, we don't know about it. So please keep those write-ups and releases coming!