[Philmont] Outside Rag

I don't think they printed my response to the article "demerit badge", either, as I would not buy the magazine to find out. I ended my subscription long ago because they had too many articles about windsurfing with the Hottentots and kayaking in the Andes when I wanted to know something about activities I was actually likely to do. Also, their "gear guides" seemed like wish lists for those only interested in owning the most expensive piece of gear.

Well, here's my response. Hope it comes through. I retrieved it from my Trash folder having just deleted it from my email yesterday (coincidentally).

Bill Sheehan

-------------- Forwarded Message: --------------
From: bill55@comcast.net
To: bill55@comcast.net
Subject: Re: demerit badge
Date: Sun, 14 Oct 2007 10:27:01 +0000

-------------- Original message --------------
From: bill55@comcast.net

Dear Editor: Annette McGivney leads off her article "Demerit Badge" with the story of Michael Auberry, who Ms. McGivney reports "wandered away" from camp and had "gotten lost". It is my understanding that young Michael in fact fled from camp, secretly, and then hid himself in the woods, ignoring the cries of those searching for him for some four days.

Short of tying the young man to a tree, it is hard to see what the Scout leaders could have done to, in Ms. McGivney's words: "make sure he doesn't wander off in the first place". Master Auberry and his parents clearly had some issues to address. He didn't want to go on the trip in the first place, and chose this means of getting his own way, at significant cost to others. Unbeknownst to his Scout leaders, the boy's father had wagered $5 with the lad on the proposition of whether or not he would enjoy the trip.

As a volunteer Scout leader, I would not be willing to take such a youth with me on any future trips. In this manner, I would "make sure he doesn't wander off in the first place". It was a poor example for Ms. McGivney to choose to make her point. Her tortured attempt later in the piece to juxtapose gays and atheists with safety issues made little sense and should have been omitted.

Sincerely,
William A. Sheehan
24 South Broad St
Woodbury, NJ 08096
856 853 8636

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Received on Sun Oct 14 05:40:02 2007