Being a Scout is expensive. I’ve seen the parent walk into the store with camping gear and plunk down the plastic to buy their young man whatever he needs.
But that’s not doing it the right way.
Here’s another approach, which I read courtesy of Ed Darrell over at Millard Fillmore’s Bathtub: a letter from a future President asking for more allowance.
John Fitzgerald Kennedy was our first President who was a Scout as a youth. He rose to the rank of Star Scout, and later served on the Executive Board of the Boston Council of the Boy Scouts of America. Here’s a (very poor) picture of him as a Scout.
John F Kennedy as a Scout in 1930.
President Kennedy receiving Boy Scout greeting – December, 1962 (photo courtesy John Loengard, Life Magazine)
President Kennedy described Scouting:
“For more than 50 years, Scouting has played an important part in the lives of the Boy Scouts of this nation. It has helped to mold character, to form friendships, to provide a worthwhile outlet for the natural energies of growing boys, and to train these boys to become good citizens of the future.”
President John F. Kennedy Visits with the Boy Scouts’ “Scouting Family of the Year”, February 8, 1962.
I’m a bit conflicted about the entire scouting thing right now. My husband was one and has wonderful memories. My sons are not. When I was in girl scouts, we had a great venue for used uniforms, etc…
Yes, uniform exchanges are the way to go. We’ve got used gear sales in our Troop as well that help make sure young Scouts have everything they need. I’m a big supporter of Scouting, but I understand that good leadership is necessary for the success of a Troop. Our sons both earned Eagle … but my daughter’s Troop was not as successful, and she dropped out rather quickly.
Great photos. Where did you find them?
The bottom one was buried (and poorly indexed) in http://www.jfklibrary.org. The middle shot was originally in Life magazine. The top photo was cropped out of a T2 group shot from JFK’s time in that Troop in Bronxville, NY. It’s the only shot I could find of him in uniform.
Henry, you may want to take a look at this page, too: http://www.scouting.org/About/FactSheets/presidents.aspx
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