Has the Boy Scouts of America Gone Soft?

Today I read an article in the Washington Times (link below) about the BSA banning water gun fights under the premise that it simulates pointing a firearm at somebody. If someone wanted to shoot a water gun then they would have to shoot at a designated target and be wearing eye protection. Now, I understand the importance of not aiming a gun at somebody and they do drill gun safety into your head but taking some things to these extremes is a little asburd. It makes the BSA look like they are trying to be too protective but these kinds of rules do little to improve actual safety.

Water guns aren't the only thing. For example, sports such as contact football and shooting high caliber rifle rounds are not technically allowed either. Now it's understandable if you don't want some 13 year old kid shooting a 30-06 or driving around in an ATV but you can prevent one person from doing this without preventing, lets say a 17 year member of the troop from partaking in it. Of course, every troop breaks many of these strict "corporate" guidelines mainly because they are easy to get around or non-enforceable especially if you're not around other troops. When I was in scouts we never had water gun fights but we definitely played tackle football, shot all kinds of weapons, and did things that were considered more rugged but we were safe about it. While some of these activities are banned more or less, other equally dangerous activities such as rock climbing and snowboarding are completely encouraged. Which they should be. That's the whole point of growing up, learning to push you beyond your mental and physical limits, and unfortunately in the process you will get hurt somehow. 

Here is a list of other activities or items that scouting has banned:

- Boomerangs

- Potato guns

- Marshmallow shooters

- Boxing and any type of martial arts

- Football

- Laser tag 

- Parsailing

- All Terrain Vehicles

- Shooting high caliber rounds

- Chainsaws

For those of you who don't know, the Scouting Movement has its origins as a para-military organization and was founded by Lord Baden-Powell, a British officer who was involved in several military campaigns in South Africa in the late 19th Century, who noticed that many young men lacked essential outdoor survival skills. While Powell was completely against the idea of having the scouting movement be a pool that the military could dip its hand into and pullout fighters when they were needed we can assume that he probably wouldn't be okay with how bureaucratic scouting has become. Of course, Scouting in the early 20th Century had its share of problems such as segregation within troops, pacifistic elements versus more militaristic ones, and religious differences within the movement. Many LDS and Catholic boys were only allowed to join troops that were led by individuals of their respective religions as it was considered a protestant leaning organization at first.

None the less, the Scouting movement has played an important role in American culture with many of the countries top businessmen and politicians coming out of this movement. Unfortunately it has become so politicized that many complain that you can't have "fun" anymore. Honestly though, this is a much bigger problem than just scouting. It's the culture and every institution changes with the culture. 

My grandfather was telling me about the time when he was going through his initiation with the Order of the Arrow back in the 1940's where they dropped him off in the middle of the California woods with a knife and a compass and he had to survive for 3 days by himself. We can probably assume those days aren't coming back but this doesn't mean you can't still have fun. It really all comes down to your peers, your troop, and who your leaders are. When I was in the scouts we did a great deal of things that most people will never get to do. I hiked Gettysburg Battlefield, the C&O Canal, parts of the Appalachian Trail, and countless other places in Virginia and the surrounding states. Visited Pittsburgh, New York City, and Philadelphia all for the first time. Learned how to woodwork, iron work, track and trap animals, load and shoot muskets, and partook in many engineering projects. We built rope bridges, skinned and tanned animals hides, learned many aspects of wilderness survival, and visited countless historical sites across America.

So for some of the unnecessary things that sometime come out of scouting there are also many aspects that are still great that are sometimes overlooked. 

Sources:

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/may/19/boy-scouts-of-america-bans-water-gun-fights/

http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/HealthandSafety/GSS/gss08.aspx

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Boy_Scouts_of_America

So I have to admit personal blogs don't get much attention and unless your well known it can be difficult to get a strong following. With that being said, I don't really expect many people to read my posts. However, there are different reasons for having one. 

First, I do a good deal of political and economic talk and most of this is done on Facebook. While it is easier and there is more back and forth conversation, you can alienate a lot of people and friends who aren't exactly interested in hearing your opinions or find your constant posts obnoxious. Also, blog writing is a good way to go into deeper detail than you could on Facebook without making it look like your writing a novel. Cultivating your writing skills is another important aspect of it. Going stale on writing is never a good idea, especially if you plan on going onto a professional career. In addition, it's a good way to organize your thoughts and to use as a future reference point. 

Enjoy!