Seeking proof scouting is not moot

The bad pun in the title is based on an event happening Aug 8-18, mostly in Quebec: the 14th annual World Scout Moot – the first one held in this country.

What’s a moot then, in this case? Wikipedia has this explanation:

The original name was World Rover Moot, which was later changed to World Moot (because the term Rover was less and less used) and later to World Scout Moot. Moot is also a generic term used for a gathering of any size for scouts of this age group. The word “moot” was Old English and originally meant a meeting or assembly.^[1]

The first was held in Switzerland in 1931 and the next one will be held in Iceland in 2017.

This event is for young adult scouts, ages 18-25.  The more-familiar World Scout Jamboree accommodates scouts aged 14-17. According to the Moot Canada 2013 webpage, representatives from 62 countries are participating.

Scouting was once a mainstay among programs for the young. These days it faces fierce competition and a fair amount of controversy. Many skip scouts in favor of organized sports, or staying home with electronic devices. There is only so much time in a week or parent-shuttling to be had, after all.

And then there’s the social/political side of things, like the on-going debate about gay participation in scouting.

I was a girl scout once, over 40 years ago. What I wanted was actually the boy scout curriculum: wilderness and survival skills, camping out etc. What we girls got was a weekly cookies and punch gab-fest in the school library.

The only craft I remember consisted of making something called a sit-upon. Take a newspaper and wrap it with vinyl. Sew it up and add a shoulder strap. Carry as needed – because who can risk getting wet by venturing outside? And girls get tired so quickly, whereupon they will desperately need to sit. Before serving more punch and cookies. (Insert eye roll here.)

I worked on a smattering of badges over the course of a year before I quit. I left pretty disgusted at how out of reach what I wanted was.

Fast forward to my family’s move to a new country and needing to find community for an only child. Should we enroll our son in scouts for the friendships and activities? My concerns shifted to the parental point of view: what values were involved? It seemed to me scouting was born of a colonial/military preparedness/obedience mind-set. Could that really work for a family of ornery individualists?

Knowing it wasn’t likely to be a perfect fit, we did sign up.

It turned out to be a nice experience. The leaders were good, upstanding members of our own community. The activities were engaging. And it should never be forgotten that scout leaders are men and women who volunteer for a civic cause, even in the face of conflicting criticism that can’t always be satisfied.

Shouldn’t there be a place for that? A way for kids to gather, learn, partake and be enriched by service and plain old fun?

But what to do with tomboys, gay kids, gay adult leaders, atheists, conservative or religious families and so forth? Can so broad a mix co-mingle compatibly in a character-based organization without forcing unacceptable compromise?

The modern view tends to favor full access for all. But when deeply held values clash, does that need to get sorted by outlook?

You may disagree, but  I think that can actually be argued both ways – as long as groups that do discriminate, or associate by kind, give up public funding.

What’s your take on scouting past – and present?

Do you see scouting as a relevant institution in the future?

Tags: canada, gender equity, LGBT, mootCanada2013, recreation, scouting, social change