50 years ago in June of 1969, I was awarded the Boy Scout’s highest rank, Eagle Scout. I was thinking about this recently when Cath and I were attending the Eagle Court of Honor for Mark, the son of good friends of ours. At the presentation, I thought about Scouting, both now, and when I was a boy. I also thought about two important mentors from my youth.

On one level, time hasn’t been kind to the Boy Scouts. They were recently again in the news for cases of possible sexual child abuse. A couple of years ago, after probably taking too long to decide, they opened Scouting to gay youth and leaders, and a year later, transgender youth. Recently, they allowed girls to join. All of these activities have raised passions both supporting and disparaging the Boy Scouts and I sometimes wonder if scouting will survive. I for one, hope it does.

The Boy Scouts of my youth with Troop 45 were great fun, and taught me skills I continue to use. The camping trips, hikes and summer camps provided memories my friends and I still talk and laugh about. We learned about camping, cooking, knots, nature, first aid, and lifesaving among other “hard” skills. Perhaps more importantly, the Scout Oath and Scout Law taught us (or reinforced in us) softer skills. Learning about doing your duty, helping others, and respecting yourself are not bad things to absorb at a young age. Gaining those hard skills and internalizing the softer skills led to my Eagle award in 1969, at the age of 14.

One of the greatest gifts Scouting gave me was two of my first mentors, Farrell Brooks and Don Willy. They were our Scoutmaster and Assistant Scoutmaster. There were other adults involved in our troop, although looking back, it’s easy to see that many were involved either to watch out for their own son, or to fulfill some leadership longing in their personal life. The kind of adult who liked to be in charge of a bunch of kids. We never paid much attention to those guys. As a matter of fact, we tried to figure out ways of outsmarting them, or doing things behind their backs.

Farrell and Don were different. They practiced what today I would call “quiet leadership”. They let us boys run things as much as possible, with the occasional course correction. They set good examples of how to act as a man and we noticed. They didn’t berate us, chastise us, belittle us, or make us feel like kids. Instead, they encouraged, challenged, and listened to us.

In my youth, I don’t think I knew what a mentor was, but I know I respected Farrell and Don and listened to them. As I became an adult, their example formed a part of the bedrock of my own leadership skills that served me in the Army and later in business. Both Don and Farrell passed away several years ago. I wish I had just one more evening as an adult sitting around a campfire with them. I’d enjoy picking their brains about a thing or two. I’d give a lot for that night….

We congratulated Mark after his Eagle ceremony. He’s a fine young man and I believe he will do well in life. Listening to his current and former Scoutmasters speak at the ceremony gives me faith there are still leaders in the Scouts helping boys become good adults. I hope as Mark gets older he reflects back on the mentoring he received and find it a source of strength. I know I have.

Addendum:

1. In the included photo of the four of us receiving our Eagle Scout awards, I’m the only one still alive. Ken, Randy, and Larry all passed away too soon, at relatively young ages. When I look at the picture, I smile remembering the evening, but I’m also sad as I reflect on each of their deaths. The possibilities, and the promises of life seemed endless in 1969, and yet, here I am the last one alive.

2. Since the 1920s, the Boy Scouts have compiled “ineligible files,” listing adult volunteers considered to pose a risk of child molestation. About 5,000 of these files were made public as a result of court action; another 2,000 or so remain confidential. The Scouts say when a BSA volunteer is added to the database for suspected abuse, “they are reported to law enforcement, removed entirely from any Scouting program and prohibited from re-joining anywhere.”

Boy Scout Oath

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.