From: dpfabie@csd4.csd.uwm.edu (David Paul Fabie)
Newsgroups: rec.scouting
Subject: Re: Coming Full Circle?
Date: 9 Nov 1992 02:26:44 GMT
Organization: Computing Services Division, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee
NNTP-Posting-Host: 129.89.7.4

The following letter is reprinted not as follow-up to ken's posting, but
as something that unit leaders may want to share with their Boys and Adult
volunteers.

		SCOUT LEADERSHIP CHALLENGE

The Boy Scouts of America has served the youth of our nation exceptionally
well for decades.  Those of us who particpated had adventure, ethical and
moral values reinforced, and learned important lessons about setting goals.
We were taught basic values of our culture and national history.  These
lessons served to underscore the same values most of us learned at home.
school and church.  The task of our education was broadly shared by those
around us and thef Boy Scouts contributed to this process.  Now more than
ever this contribution by Scouting needs to be increased.  We must helf
today's youth learn to set goals and build leadership skills.

Today, single parent and dual career household have increased.  This tends
to reduce the child-parent contact, and in many cases contributes to fewwer
learning opportunities in the family.  Concern over education issues has
made education a major topic on the national agenda.  Youth participation
in organized religious activities has declined.  These reductions in
opportunities to reach and reinforce values to young people do not fully
explain the high secondary school drop-out problem (recently reported at
over 30 percent across California), but I believe there is a connection.

A large segment of our youth seemingly has no goals in the conventional
sense of education or vocational skills to prepare them for life's journey.
At best, this group lacks commitment, self-dicipline and old fashioned
"stick-to-itiveness".  The sheer size of this evolving, ill-prepared will
reduce our competitiveness  as a nation.  This will adversely affect our
standard of living, and if continued unchecked will dramatically alter our
national psychological outlook.  Instead of accessible and limitless
opportunity for growth, exploration and achievement for all Americans, we
risk a narrowing of focus and a declining standard of expectations.

The Boy Scouts cannot solve this problem alone.  However, an important
contribution will be made if every scout professional and volunteer studies
the critical nature of the problem we face.  The lessons we teach and the
expereicnes we make possible, are far more important now than they have
ever been in the past.  We must reach especially the growing minorities
that experience a disproportionaltely high secondary school drop-out rate.
President Bush recently said: "We must decide individually that we are
going to make a difference.  For isn't that why we're here--to live a life
of meaning."  Boy Scout leaders are in exactly the right place at the right
time to make a difference.  Leadership emphasis and Yankee ingenuity are
all that are required.

Scouters, our youth problem has reached critical proportions and must be
solved if we hope to leave our nation stronger and more capable of
defending our way of life.  Thanks for your past successes which have been
abesolutely outstanding.  Good luck as you tackle the even greater
leadership challenge  we face today.

- Brigadier General Kenneth F. Keller, United States Air Force
  Commander, 14th Air Division, Beale AFB, California
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David Paul Fabie                   * "Remember! Editors never reject.  We
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee  *  merely select." - David Kirby
Department of Residence Life       *  ------------------------------------