I suppose one artist who had a huge impact on my life was Norman Rockwell, but not so much from a creative standpoint. I never really gravitated to painting, although I have tried my hand at it. I will never be a master painter like Rockwell. But in my teen years, my life was in utter turmoil; school was hell, bullies were hell... many times I really felt like my safety was at risk in phys. ed. class, so I would cut class and spend time with the art & music teacher to get out of wrestling lessons which were sheer terror. I had been in Cub Scouts while in elementary school, but regretted leaving it. I always felt like there was something left unfinished... I never earned my Bear badge. By the time I got to Junior High School, I discovered that the kid behind me in homeroom was in Boy Scouts. I asked him if I could check out his troop because I wanted to join up. It was probably the best decision I could make as an eleven year old. Scouting gave me stability and a chance to do something for my own betterment. It gave me a life outside of school.
A constant companion to any good Scout is his handbook, and the book we used in the early 80's was richly illustrated with Norman Rockwell's paintings of Scouts of all ages. It's been said that Rockwell painted an America that no longer exists. Others say he painted an America that never existed at all. But to me as a twelve year old, Rockwell painted a world that I believed existed somewhere, and that I wanted to become a part of. The lead image at the top spoke to me as a kid.... it showed the guts and determination it took to stick to your oath and finish the path to Eagle. His paintings left their mark on me in a way I can't otherwise describe. I saw good Scouts in those images, and that's what I wanted to be.
There was something else I saw in his paintings, and that was a possible future for myself. I knew I was getting something out of the program, and it was largely because of good men who devoted their time to us kids. I know I felt a level of gratitude towards them, and I knew deep down that I wanted to be able to someday pay it forward, and make a difference in other peoples' lives. Somewhere inside, I knew I wanted to become a Scoutmaster... like the ones that were in my life, and the ones I saw in these images. There was one image that made a huge mark on me as I was maturing, and it was this one:
The people in this image may very well be the same person depicted over the years. I loved my life in uniform. I wanted to age in the same way as that kid in the campaign hat. Little did I know, my life would take a sudden turn as I finally came to maturity. As I rounded the corner after I made Eagle Scout, the proverbial writing was on the wall. I was desperately in need of coming out of the closet, and there was no way I was going to be able to do that as a member of the Boy Scouts of America. For a short time, I was an Assistant Scoutmaster, and for an even shorter time, Assistant Webelos Den Leader, but this lasted less than a year. My time was cut short, and I drifted quietly away with a deeply broken heart. It would be many, many years until I would sort my life out and come to terms with what amounted to a huge loss and drastic change of life plans.
In 2005, a new opportunity was presented to me. I discovered an online presence known as the Rover Scout Association. It was founded by a good man named Craig Brown who wanted to return the ways of Rover Scouting from the brink of extinction. Rovering had long since been abandoned by the B.S.A., but it was now coming alive with the R.S.A. I joined, and followed along with these adventures that eventually led to Craig, myself, and a handful of other people founding what's now known as the Baden-Powell Service Association (US). The BPSA is a co-ed, non-discriminating, traditional Scouting program for people of all ages. In the 2007-2008 timeframe, I led that fledgling organization as the Chief Commissioner. I had my own Rover Scout Crew here in Connecticut, and for the first time in many, many years, I was back in uniformed service. I remember many nights being the last Scout to hit the sack after every one of my crew was asleep. It kinda reminded me of another of Rockwell's paintings that looks something like this....
I suppose this could all be filed under one of those Facebook memes of "what I think I look like/what I really look like"... it may even be a bit presumptuous or even conceited to try to see myself in work as iconic as Rockwell's. But the truth is, at a young age, they made an immeasurable impression on my young mind... so strong that it took me 20 years to realize that they've been hiding out there, still inspiring me to be the best Scout that I can be. I suppose in this case it may be true, that Life sometimes imitates Art. I like to think of it as Art inspiring Life. Long story short.... the BPSA is now 400+ members strong, with 50 groups across the country. I am still involved with them, as a Lone Rover who occasionally helps out as a trainer with Brownsea Training Camps. While I'm not exactly the Scoutmaster I dreamt of becoming, I am happy to see that there is finally a thriving Scouting option for people like me, and for kids who were like me, and I had a hand in building it.
Anyhow, I hope this blog post comes across in the spirit it was intended. I am rarely this personal with my writing.... My feelings about my past and my life as a Scout are deeply personal to me. Maybe they will do someone else some good out there. If you liked this post, please drop me a line.
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