Two Boy Scout troop leaders were in the news this week and
last for vandalizing a geological formation in Utah. Destruction of our natural
and national heritage is of course contrary to the most basic principles of Scouting
and Woodcraft. This reckless and stupid behavior was rightly denounced by BSA.
One can easily imagine how appalled Seton would have been to hear that the core
value of conservation was so flagrantly violated. He was no fan of ignorance.
Seton did not mention ancient rocks, but no doubt would have if he could have
predicted the behavior of the Utah yahoos. These jokers need a remedial class
in common sense.
Here is a short Seton statement on conservation from the Birch
Bark Roll (1930). I’ll put it in red so as to get the attention of the
uninitiated!
“In my young days some 50 odd years
ago, trees were considered the greatest plague of the settler, and every means
of destroying them was employed with vigor. The man who cut down a tree on his
neighbor’s land was supposed to be doing him a benefit.
Now what a change we see! Forest
destruction has gone so fast and so far that we have been suddenly confronted with
the probability of a woodless waste where once were the American forests famous
the world over; with a desolated deliberately desolated, fatherland.
We know these things today, and wise
leaders are everywhere at work inculcating the methods of true conservation.
With these leaders, the Woodcraft
League co-operates, and to this end, we have in this issue of the Birch Bark
Roll carefully avoided any line of activity that seems likely to lead to
destruction of any of Mother Nature’s blessings.
Collections of butterflies and birds
we no longer encourage, baskets made of materials where their use would be a
menace to our forest resources are not now listed for honors. On the other
hand, the placing of bird boxes, the planting of trees, and dissemination of
wild flowers and the destruction of tent caterpillars, etc., are cited as
honorable Woodcraft activities.
Feel free to pass on this conservation message to anyone you
feel is in need of it.
No comments:
Post a Comment