Where Men and Heroes are Made

If you saw or heard any news today you know about the tornado that hit a Boy Scout camp in Iowa.  You know that four Boy Scouts died.  You also know that many of those Boy Scouts who did not die ended up being heroes.

The loss of the four boys was tragic and I don’t want to gloss over or take away from that in any way.  But in my mind the larger story is the boys who were heroes.  The news media isn’t missing that point but they aren’t taking it to its logical conclusion.

There have certainly been boys who were not Boy Scouts who ended up being heroes.  But who seriously believes that if the same events that occurred in Iowa had occurred in some other kind of camp than a Boy Scout camp the same heroic actions by boys would have happened?  I don’t believe that and I suspect most other people don’t either.

The actions of those Boy Scouts illustrates just what a fantastic organization the Boy Scouts of America really is.  People have, of course, known that for decades and longer but in recent years it has become fashionable to attack the Boy Scouts of America.  Organizations such as The United Way have withheld funding for the Boy Scouts.  Cities like San Francisco have tried their best to run the Boy Scouts out of town.  In locale after locale the Boy Scouts have been denied meeting space.  They’ve been sued and hounded relentlessly.  And through it all they’ve remained true to their principles.  They exist to teach boys how to be men.

Let’s face it, real men are in short supply these days.  From the feminization of men to the loss of strong moral values in America, a large percentage of adult males today could not live up to the ideal of manhood.  Manhood is more than mere male adulthood.  Being a man means having principles and ideals that you are willing to fight for, sacrifice for, even die for.

These Boy Scouts performed far better than most adult males could have.  Number one, they were prepared as the Boy Scout motto is “Be Prepared.”  They knew their first aid, they had leadership training and it kicked in.  They knew what to do in and after a tornado.  In short, these boys were better prepared, both for an emergency and for leadership, than the vast majority of American adults today, male or female.  They were prepared because the Boy Scouts of America existed to prepare them!

Number two, they knew how to lead.  Leadership training is integral to the Boy Scouts.  A well functioning Boy Scout troop is lead by the boys, not the adults.  The Scout Masters are their to guide and direct, not to plan and do everything for the boys.  Boy Scouts learn to lead by leading.  They take on leadership.  Sometimes they fail but the system is set up so they can learn from their failures and grow.

Number three, the Boy Scouts serve others, not just themselves.  What a concept that is!  The average person today has been taught to get all you can because no one is going to do anything for you.  In contrast, the Boy Scouts teach that being a leader and being a man means serving others.  That’s what the “good turn” is all about.

I’ve no doubt that within months we’ll see another round of attacks on the Boy Scouts.  Whacko liberals in San Francisco or somewhere simply won’t be able to resist the urge to attack an institution that stands in such contrast to their “live for yourself alone” approach to life.  The Boy Scouts couldn’t be more diametrically opposite if they tried and the liberals simply can’t tolerate it. 

When those attacks come, I hope people will remember what happened in Iowa yesterday.  I hope they’ll remember the boys who lost their lives but I also hope they’ll remember those heroes too.  I hope you’ll realize that without the Boy Scouts of America, we are far less likely to have strong men of principle and leadership skills to rely on in this country.

The Boy Scouts of America deserve the support and admiration of all Americans because they’ve contributed so much to this country.  Remember that when the ACLU or The United Way says we can’t tolerate the Boys Scouts of America.