Boy Scouts in the 21st Century-- Part 1-- Challenges for the Second Century

From the August 1st Chicago Tribune "Scouts work to blend tradition, technology" by Scott K. Parks. Comments in parentheses are mine.

The Boy Scouts of the 20th century were defined by Norman Rockwell's paintings. Times were different back then when the Scouts were formed in 1910. "Most of the country lived in rural settings. People were familiar with hunting, fishing and outdoor labor. By mid century, boys still practically lived outdoors, traveling the neighborhood on bicycles and playing sandlot baseball until sunset."

But, now in it's second century, Scout membership has been declining for five years. Smart phones, iPods and laptops present stiff competition.

(Plus, too many of today's youth regard Boy Scouts as nerds and will not be associated with them.)

Chief Executive of the Boy Scouts, Bob Mazzuca, has three targets for change.

1. Integration of technology into Scouting such as new uniform pocket for smart phones and a teaming with MIT for a new invention badge.

2. More Hispanic boys, including a Spanish language Boy Scout Handbook.

3. Becoming advocates for children's health since the new generation may become the first to be less healthy than the ones before.

(I went through Cub Scouts and two years of Boy Scouts, but never advanced beyond Tenderfoot. I just couldn't learn those knots and I was mostly in it for the camp outs. Now THOSE were a lot of fun.)

What Was That Scout Law Again, Something About "Friendly, Courteous and Kind?" --DaCoot