"A scout is trustworthy..."

These are the first four words of the Scout Law, so I was naturally disturbed to see this article on the front page of cnn.com this morning. According to the story, the FBI is investigating the Greater Alabama Boy Scout Council for padding its membership rolls in a possible effort to bring in more funding from organizations like the United Way. And, they were pretty blatant about it, apparently making frequent use of the surname "Doe." Although this seems to be an isolated incident, and the Boy Scouts of America has certainly seen its fair share of controversies in the past, I am still a firm believer in its mission to help young people build the values of character and leadership.

I have a lot of fond memories from my own scouting experience. Sure, there were some jerks we had to put up with, as was always the case in group settings growing up, but overall I gained a lot from scouting. I learned many skills that are still useful today and through that process I "learned" many values along the way, some without my conscious knowledge at the time. To this day, I still find myself blindly following the part of the Scout Oath that talks about "help[ing] other people at all times." In recent years I've jumped in to help out in several medical emergencies, car accidents, and the like. And, if the situation presented itself, I'm sure I'd gladly help an old lady cross the street! (I also partly blame the Boy Scouts for my habit of overpacking for trips, but, as they say, "Be Prepared.")

My only regret is that I did not stick with it longer. My heavy involvement in high school band took me away from scouting, and although I have many fond memories from the band years, I wish I would have made the time to stay involved with scouting as well. So, to make up for the time lost, I long for the day when I can pick up this book again and share the experience of scouting with my son. The values listed so matter-of-factly in the Scout Law are many of those that I wish to instill in him.