Trustworthy, Loyal, Thrifty. . . and Relevant

By R.Z. Sheppard

SCOUT HANDBOOK

BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA (EIGHTH EDITION) 480 pages. $4.75 hard cover. $1.60 paperback.

A lot of toasted marshmallows have gone over the dam since the Boy Scouts of America was founded in 1910. Like many other institutions that have served the nation with pride and distinction during a simpler era, the Boy Scouts have an image problem. By some granny knot of fate, the inner city has come to challenge the resourcefulness of democratic frontier ideals. But the phrase "Boy Scout" still evokes vignettes of white suburban striplings rubbing sticks together in church basements.

This month the leaders of BSA plan to change that with a new-look campaign aimed at enlisting at least one out of every three American boys in scouting. The push begins with the publication--on recycled paper--of the completely revised eighth edition of the official Boy Scout Handbook. Two changes are immediately apparent to the eye of an old Scout. Gone are advertisements for bicycles, fishing gear, .22 rifles and the first athletic supporter.

More surprising, the word Boy is missing from the title of the new book. "Frankly," says a Scout spokesman, "our surveys indicate that the word 'Boy' has almost gone into disrepute." The favored word among today's boys is "Man." So, getting with it, the Scout Handbook proclaims in its opening pages: "Man, Scouting is a ball!" Then, in a simple, caption-block text that meanders through idealized and racially integrated illustrations, the book goes on to demonstrate that Scouting has become a serious and complex business.

Tree and edible plant identification has been replaced by a section on recognizing dangerous and illegal drugs. There is a picture of a Scout using a Geiger counter. Treatment for snakebite is still discussed, but the text also offers advice on what to do if bitten by such urban wildlife as slum rats. ("Be sure that the animal's saliva is all washed away . . . Get medical help.")

The book deals with such contemporary problems as air and water pollution, rising taxes and the modern pressures that pull families apart. There is also a healthy effort to confront a certain moral complexity. "A Scout is true to his family, Scout leaders, friends, school and nation," states the Handbook. "But what if some friends take your sister's bike? They strip it and sell the parts. Where does your loyalty lie?" In the age of rip-off and radical capitalism, such a dilemma is not uncommon. In reply, the Handbook, unfortunately, takes the tone of Pollyanna rather than the police blotter. It counsels, "Just remember to look at both sides. Listen carefully to the arguments and then do what you believe to be right."

In the revised edition the need to lay down ethical and moral guidelines without trespassing on traditional attitudes leads to some blushing inconsistencies. The Pledge of Allegiance, with its assertion of national indivisibility, is explained and endorsed, as is the need for social change without breaking laws. Yet the book's careful selection of famous people "who have influenced history" includes Confederate General Robert E. Lee and that master of civil disobedience Martin Luther King Jr. While the BSA officially plans to de-emphasize the military aspects of Scouting, uniformed Scouts now have the option of wearing a beret, which gives them a dashing Special Forces look, or a billed forage cap for that nostalgic Afrika Korps touch. There is as yet no official Boy Scout headband, although the Handbook has nothing against "the cut of your hair," as long as it is clean.

Sex education remains a troublesome subject. Ex-Scouts remember the cold-shower-and-vigorous-exercise defense against temptation. Or the masturbation-won't-harm -you -but-it-causes-worry gambit. The eighth edition merely suggests that sex questions be asked of qualified adults. That is probably the wisest course. It represents a break with the tradition of partial enlightenment or downright misinformation, going back to the 1911 first edition, with its terrifying and confused theory of conserving vital fluids.

In other areas, the older Handbook provided more specific and useful information than the new edition. Many of the camping, woodcraft, water and first-aid skills have been dropped or oversimplified. Instead, the accent is on generalizations about leadership training, participatory democracy, and something called "personal communications skills." Fortunately, all the old down-to-earth lore can still be found in the Merit Badge pamphlets and, for $1.95, in the Boy scout Fieldbook. It is "the best value around," says none other than The Whole Earth Catalogue. qedR.Z. Sheppard

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