“Where Do I find Eagle Scouts?” (16 Jan 18)

 

That is what the guy behind me in the buffet line asked me.  He had just asked me — actually he was asking the air but my ears happen to catch his question — after a local reporter’s comment on the radio beamed into the general buffet area. The comment was made after the reporter told the story of yet another high-profiled comedian being “busted” for some form of sexual harassment in the workplace. 

“It’s getting like you have to be one of those Eagle Scouts to work in Hollywood”, the reporter commented before moving onward with the other news of the day.

I spoke up to reply to the man, as I inspected the Orange Chicken and remembered that today was a fish day. I ate chicken yesterday. I am on this diet which keeps me from having the same kinds of meats two days in a row. I’ve lost a lot of weight using the diet’s rules and I feel better with the variety of foods entering my body instead of the same old, same old every day. 

“They’re around, but nobody wants to hire them. Too goody-goody for a lot of firms” I said to the man. “Even if you find an Eagle Scout, you wouldn’t understand his value until after he left you for another firm. If I was running a business, that — and Marines — are the ONLY people I would hire…and I’m an Army guy!!”

The man moved his plate over to my side of the buffet line and told me.

“I run a business here in town and I’m scared to death after hearing about all of those allegations and hearing our President. Mind you, I don’t know your politics but I voted for the man and I’d wished I hadn’t now. I didn’t do a lot of homework about that…” he paused to get a scoop of mushrooms added to his plate. He added “Make America Great, yeah. Make Americans sick!” 

I silently added the scoop of rice to my takeout box. No, I didn’t vote for him nor did I vote for the other major candidate either. It would be fun to see a woman running things for real instead of on TV; but I have to admit that I was more than a bit curious as to whether the media personality had the political personality to run our nation too. I hedged my bet that neither one would be the one I would darken the bubble for. So I went for the weed smoker. At least Gary Johnson was a Scout in his youth. Not for a long time, and as far as I could find out, he’s not an Eagle Scout; but he was an active Boy Scout and supporter of Scouting later as Governor of New Mexico.

He knew the Scout Oath and Law and other than his toking habit, which he gave up when he ran for President, he tried to live by those ideals.

“So, you seem to know a lot about Scouts. Where do I find Eagle Scouts? Do I put out an ad? Is what I’m looking for are Eagle Scouts or is there another level about that for men?” I walked with him, scooping up various beef items (removing the broccoli from much of it as I’ve “Xed” out that item from entering my mouth and digestive tract!) and placing the items I wanted to eat into my Styrofoamed container.

“Take out an ad and when they show up for an interview, ask to see their Eagle Scout card before you start asking questions. That’s how you’ll know you’re dealing with the real deal. REAL Eagle Scouts won’t have a problem showing you the card — they’re rather proud,” I said, pausing to say “excuse me” to a woman who was keeping me from the salmon I came into the place to get. I then added to the man, “they’re rather proud that you’ve even asked them.”

“And remember sir,” I said as I closed my container and looked at the man. “We’re not saints. We screw up just like any other man on this Earth. The only difference is, we openly admit to our screw-ups and failings and try to make them right. It’s not just our reputation on the line, but that of every other man who says he’s an Eagle Scout too. Good luck!”

“You got a card or something? I really want to talk some more with you…” The man extended his hand. I met it with my hand and shook it.  

“No sir, I don’t have a card. I keep telling myself I need to carry some with me, but I never do.  I’ll go pay for this and have them to give me a slip of paper and I’ll put my email address on it and you can contact me if you like.”

As I walked back to the lobby area to pay for my dinner meal (and snack for the next evening — it is still sitting in the refrigerator now as I’m typing this), I was thinking about the conversation. If every man — and woman for that matter — took the ideas of Scouting and made it their own, I wonder what kind of community, no nation, we would be a part of? Oh, there would still be crime. People will still attempt to take advantage of each other. We would still have people who think with other organs instead of their brains in their interactions with others. Scouting has not, and will not, remedy all which bothers a country — but . 

If the selection, screening, hiring and yeah, election procedure included “tell us please about your Scouting background. Did you accomplish your program’s highest rank or was there other things you did instead of Scouting which you would like to highlight?

Can you subscribe and pledge yourself to the ideals found within the Scouting oath or promise and laws? Did you engagement make you a stronger citizen with positive character?” and similar questions — would it make many think several times about their actions or inactions — and the impact? I think so.

I hope that man finds an appropriate number of Eagle Scouts for his firm or company.