Boy Scouts Of America: A Century Of Virtue
In a society that increasingly values hedonism over individual virtue, the Boy Scouts of America stands out as the USA’s greatest force for building virtuous men. This year the BSA celebrates it’s centennial.
“They are young symbols of virtue: honest, trustworthy, doers of good deeds and builders of campfires. For a century, the national organization Boy Scouts of America has been living its pledge to do its duty for God and country.
Scouts celebrate 100 years of camping, character building and serving others.Scouts camp, hike and earn merit badges in wilderness survival, computers, farm mechanics, chemistry and more. But while most of Scout activities center on having fun outdoors and exploring nature, these experiences are meant to build character, self-reliance and citizenship. ”
The Scout Motto:
“Be Prepared”The Scout Slogan:
“Do a Good Turn Daily”The 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.”The Scout Law
“A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent.”The Outdoor Code
“As an American, I will do my best to be clean in my outdoor manners, be careful with fire, be considerate in the outdoors, and be conservation-minded.”The Scout Sign
“The middle three fingers are raised and the tips of the little finger and thumb joined, with the upper arm held horizontally and the forearm vertically.”The Scout Salute
“The hand is held in the same position as in the Scout Sign, with the pointer touching the forehead or hat brim. This is a modification of the salute used by militaries around the world.”The Scout Handshake
This is the traditional handshake done with the left hand instead of the right. Several conflicting reasons have been given for this modification
-The left hand is closer to one’s heart.
-A soldier must keep his right hand free to grab his weapon.
-In warfare using simple weapons (practiced in the medieval period, as well as by southern African tribes which Baden-Powell met), a warrior carries a shield in his left hand. To shake with the left hand, he must drop his shield, indicating good faith.The BSA Scout Oath and Law have remained unchanged since they were first developed in 1910.
