Scouting, Volume 63, Number 4, September 1975 Page: 4
112 p. : ill. ; 28 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
GREETINGS FROM SCOUTING'S
NEW PRESIDENT-ARCH MONSON, JR,
When Robert W. Reneker, president of
Esmark, Inc., laid down his gavel last
June as two-term President of the
Boy Scouts of America, it was picked
up by a corporate executive ivith 27
years of service as a volunteer
Scout er.
Arch Monson, Jr., of San Fran-
cisco, is the president of Monson-
Pacific, Inc., a director of Signal Com-
panies, Inc., and the Ampex
Corporation.
He brings an outstanding
Scouting record of achievement that
began with service as a troop commit-
teeman. He is a former president of
the San Francisco Bay Area
Council; member of the Region 12
Executive Committee from 1964 to
1972; member of the Western Region
Executive Committee since 1972.
Mr. Monson has served on the Na-
tional Executive Board since 1965
and was vice-president of the Boy
Scouts of America in 1973 and 1974.
He holds three of Scouting's highest
awards — the Silver Beaver, the
Silver Antelope and the Silver Buf-
falo — for distinguished service to
boyhood on the local, regional and na-
tional levels.
He and his wife June have four
grown sons — Eminel, Arch 111,
Dwight and Jay —all former Scouts.
During May, it was my privilege to
attend and participate in all six of
the regional meetings. I can't tell you
how impressed I was with the more
than 4,000 Scouters and their wives
who were there. Their sincere enthu-
siasm for Scouting was an inspiration to
me and gave me a strong measure of
confidence as I prepared myself for
this job. 1 knew that Scouting was very
much a part of the American scene,
but I don't think 1 quite realized how
strong it really was until I had the op-
portunity to meet with so many region-
al Scouters.
My appearances at the regional
meetings gave me an opportunity to
think about what Scouting really means
to America. 1 observed that in terms of
years, Scouting isn't very old. In the
context of our Bicentennial Celebra-
tion, 65 years is not a long time. But in
that relatively short period, the Boy
Scouts of America has touched more
than 60 million lives directly and mil-
lions more indirectly. Perhaps it's an
understatement to say Scouting
"touched" so many lives, because in so
many cases Scouting's influence has
been profound. It has determined the
course of countless lives. We could
spend a great deal of time talking
about our distinguished Eagle Scouts
and our other illustrious alumni. One
happens to reside in the White House.
I explained at the regional meetings
that Scouting, in my opinion, has been
successful through the years for two
reasons. First, because it's right for
America. The program suits the needs
of boys and young adults and their
families. Second, Scouting has been
successful because its founding fathers,
in their wisdom, established the part-
nership idea as the basis for organiza-
tion. Today, there are more than 144
national partner organizations that
make homes for more than 162,000
packs, troops and Explorer units. Along
with a program that has captured the
imagination of the country, the under-
lying genius of Scouting in America, it
seems to me, lies in what we refer to as
"The Great Partnership." This concept
of national organizations providing the
leadership, meeting places and support
for Scouting through their community
institutions is, all too often, taken for
granted, I'm afraid.
This concept is unique to Scouting.
No other movement employs it. And 1
would remind us of its special impor-
tance at a time when the voluntary pri-
vate sector's ability is being tested as
never before by the crises we face and
the growing belief that the ultimate so-
lutions lie with government.
1 don't have to tell you that America
is going through a very critical period.
The problems with our economy and
our experiences with Watergate and
Indo-China have shaken all of us.
Americans have always been proud of
their righteousness and their "can do"
philosophy, and now both have been
questioned. The effects of this could
be serious. Our country must not be-
come a rigid society that depends on
the government for everything. Amer-
icans have always been able to choose
their course of action. This has stimu-
lated the concept of voluntarism in
America, which, with all of its ramifi-
cations, is a mighty force for good. I
think there is a potential danger that
the recent traumatic experiences that
we, as a people, have suffered could
cause widespread discouragement. The
result could be large numbers of peo-
ple turning off, for a while at least, to
our social needs. I say this not out of a
sense of pessimism, but as a word of
warning.
We in Scouting have a special advan-
tage. We are privileged to observe the
exuberance of youth which, almost by
osmosis, has a revitalizing effect.
Once a Scoutmaster was asked, "Why
do you do it?" Why do you spend so
much time and effort doing what you
do for Scouting? What's in it for you?
And this is what he said:
"You crawl out of your sleeping bag
in the cold, gray dawn. Maybe it's the
first night out and you didn't sleep so
well. You're hungry and you have to
build a fire before you can cook break-
fast. "Why?" You say to yourself,
"What am I doing out here when 1
could be home in a soft, warm bed?"
But then you start the fire and sink
your teeth into some hot food — a
breakfast twice as big as you eat at
home.
"The sun comes up and begins to
warm your back. The boys start piling
out of their sleeping bags, and soon the
place is ringing (continued on page SO)
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Periodical.
Boy Scouts of America. Scouting, Volume 63, Number 4, September 1975, periodical, September 1975; New Brunswick, New Jersey. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth353698/m1/4/: accessed April 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Boy Scouts of America National Scouting Museum.