October 1999October 1999
It was ironic that I received the May-June issue of Scouting the day after the Littleton, Colo., tragedy, [because] your cover story, "How Society Fails Boys [And What We Can Do About It]," was so appropriate.
In the wake of this tragedy, Americans are reaching out for answers as to how this could have happened and how we can prevent it from happening again.
Our President has said that Americans must instill a sense of morality in our youth. A local Colorado district attorney said we have got to seek out assets outside the school for our youth to focus on. ...
... As Scouters, we need to know what to say to our Scouts regarding this terrible, senseless act, as well as what to say to the public about what we are doing about it. Your article goes a long way in answering these questions. ...
Tom Herrian
Scoutmaster, Troop 770
Keys, Okla.
In our May-June 1999 cover story, writer Janis Leibs Dworkis detailed author Michael Gurian's views on what parents, mentors, and educators can do to shape adolescent males into exceptional men. Gurian, a family therapist, educator, and the author of six books about male development, is credited with first bringing "the boys movement" into the national spotlight.
In response to the many requests from readers for additional copies of the article to share with others, reprints are available and may be ordered by credit card in the following quantities: 100 for $25; 200 for $50. Call (972) 580-2376 to place orders.
We added a surprisingly successful twist to our pack's annual Klondike derby this year. Normally, each Cub Scout begins by fishing a souvenir "gold nugget" (a painted pebble) from a "lake" (a large blue tarp) before starting the derby's relay circuit of challenges (a hill climb, sledding, a log pull, a knot-tying competition, a ringtoss, and the favorite rubber mallet "tomahawk throw").
But this year we let each boy choose either a "treasure coin" or a nugget (with the knowledge that one "lucky" nugget or coin would win its owner an official Cub Scout knife). We bought the coins from a local dealer for about $10 a pound. They included no silver or gold, were from a variety of foreign countries, and dated back as far as 1833. (Coins can also be purchased by mail order, and because coin collecting is an option in both the Boy Scout and Cub Scout advancement programs, some dealers will give Scout groups a discount.)
As more Cub Scouts finished the circuit and caught their breath, they began to ask questions about the coins: "Where's this one from?" "How old is this one?" "What's this made of?" "What language is this?"
We realized that by introducing them to a fun, educational hobby, we had whetted the boys' interests in much more than knot-tying and wintertime fun.
Mark Benvenuto
Assistant Cubmaster, Pack 1607
Royal Oak, Mich.
It occurred to me that our council executive board might include a unique group of "outdoor" names. We have a [Clayton] Camp, [Donna] Wolf(e), [Mike] Fisher, [Steve] Boil (Boyle), [Jerry] Lake, [Carl] Sparks, [Bill] Bush, Rocky [Spencer], [Dan] Hay, [John] Carver, [Walter] Ray, [Claude] Fiddler, [Brad] Barn(es), and [Gaylen] Young.
We even have a [Jim] Reed as our Scout executive. I am only disappointed that we don't have a Knotts on our board.
Mike Randolph
Assistant Scout Executive
Southern Sierra Council
Bakersfield, Calif.
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