Scoutness

Original home of Earl Hamner, creator of "The Waltons." photo from WaltonsMountain.com

I cannot remember if I saw this on as part of a television show or if this was one of my silly "television show dreams." All I know is that the show or dream is based upon Scouting heritage and lore and that I remember it being "true" in the application.

So the backstory is that a guy gets hired to work for a company as a sales guy of some sort. I can't remember what exactly he was selling, but he was doing a decent job of it on his own merits. One day, his boss approaches him and ask how things are going. The man admits that things are slowing down -- that he started out great, with lots of sales and people buying whatever it was he was selling.

"You need to increase your reach," the boss tells him. "Add a few more sales in your report, I'll sign off on them, and we'll meet the quarterly goal in advance...and we'll both benefit from it" and to illustrate the benefit, the boss rubs his thumb and index finger at the man.

"You sure about this?" the man asked.

"Absolutely." The boss leaves and the man sits there imagining the increase in sales -- which equates to an increase in profits for the firm and for him. "What I can do with all of that extra money," the man says to himself.

He does as his boss says, and over a few months, both the management and the employee get big raises and accolades for their increased successes.

Well, at the end of the quarter, something happens to the man. I must of went to the restroom or turned the channel or something because in viewing the program, the man was telling himself, "I can't do this anymore. I've got to stop fudging (that's what he said) the numbers."

He marches into his boss's large office, sits, and waits for the boss to appear from a meeting and walks over to the corner of his desk. He slaps a medal and a piece of paper on his desk.

"I'm leaving. I can't do this anymore...it's not right. I'll make payments to repay the difference in what I earned and what I took. This is the reason why..."

The camera zooms in on the man's Eagle Scout medal.

"What -- you're going to give up your success -- this office's successes -- all because of a tin medal and your conscious getting to you? Come on, man, get a grip! Everyone does it...how did you think I got to be your boss?"

The boss picked up the medal from the corner of the desk and added, "And what am I supposed to do with THIS?"

"I don't care," the man exclaimed, turning to leave the office. "It's not mine anymore."

The end credits of the show started, and that's all I remember from the show. As I said, I don't know if it is something I actually remembered seeing on TV or something I dreamed of, and my mind recalled the scene.

I bring this up because I feel that our nation has a crisis in doing what is right as opposed to doing what "profitable" for the individual, firm, or group is. I termed it "Scoutness" -- the actions, performance, and willingness -- "heart" -- to be a Scout. Those of us engaged in the Game of Scouting are well familiar with the outline. We try our hardest to be trusted"profitable" for the individual, firm, or group is everyone. No man -- or woman -- is without fault or error. We were not engineered that way. We falter, stumble, and in a large number of cases, we fall flat on our faces or sides or butts because of the actions -- or inactions -- we do. Unlike many, we have that "internal compass" called the Scouting Ideals: the three parts of the Scout Oath; the twelve parts of the Scout Law; that Motto and Slogan -- we readjust, re-calibrate and set things right.

In the "old days" (days before my time as a Scout but days in which my Scout friends would tell me "this is what you have to live up to when you become a real Scout and not just a Cub Scout"), when you broke or disregarded the Scouting ideals, you were to find your Scoutmaster -- or someone in authority, explain what you did and hand over your Scout badge to that person. That Scoutmaster or other person may hold onto that badge, throw it away, or hand it back to you with some words you may not want to hear. Done, finished, and make you feel like Chuck Conners in the opening sequence of "Branded!"

("Branded!" was a Sunday evening NBC program from 1965 through 1966 set in the post Civil War old West. It starred former First Class Scout Chuck Connors (after his popular show "The Rifleman" ended) as a court-martialed and "drummed out" cavalry Captain following an unjust accusation and conviction of being a coward during a raid. The theme song told the entire story...

https://youtu.be/TXlUS5-ag_g is for your memory's sake.)

Those kinds of actions don't get done today, because if we did that -- stripping youth of their badges of rank, removing their shoulder loops -- parents would be filing lawsuits all around the block for their kids! It would not have the same "punch in the gut" as having to "turn in your badge" back then... Perhaps we need to return to that.

At one time, I considered running for the U.S. Congress seat of my legislative district in Kentucky. I would pledge to run all of my actions on behalf of the people I represent and to do so with two sets of rules: those contained in the Great Commandment ("Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind...and Love your neighbor as yourself"), the guidance set forth in the Scout Oath or Promise ("On my honor, I will do my best: To do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; To help other people at all times; To keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight") and those Scout Law points ("Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean and Reverent").

I saw myself participating in rallies in which I would lead those in attendance with those ideals. I would then explain how I would answer various issues I would resolve or place my name into approval or opposition with. Those in attendance would hear, see, and understand those simple rules for life and their application. I would tell them to please try -- as I do every day -- to follow those rules.

"If you feel that I am the best person to represent you, I appreciate your vote for me. If you feel you can support me and my plans, please donate to my campaign. If you feel that you are in agreement with me, please tell your friends and neighbors and that person down the street from you about me."

The reality of life, however, is that our nation is not quite ready for such "Scoutness." My family is not ready for it -- they discouraged me, and I gave up on that desire. Today, everyone demands to know every detail of others' lives. My family was not willing to be always "on fishbowl watch" so that I could be called "Representative" or "Congressman."

Perhaps not me, but I feel that for several people, running on a platform of "Scoutness" would benefit our nation. Can't hurt.