[15285] in APO-L
Re: Scout Oath and Law discussion
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (benno@US1.IBM.COM)
Wed Nov 6 15:08:20 1996
Date: Wed, 6 Nov 1996 14:47:51 -0500
Reply-To: benno@US1.IBM.COM
From: benno@US1.IBM.COM
To: Multiple recipients of list APO-L <APO-L@VM.CC.PURDUE.EDU>
Classification:
ValidationTesting_1: 0Prologue: Yaneev Benno, IBM Southbury
Office C3-A80, Mail Drop #349
Epilogue: --
Yaneev Benno, User Access and Measurement Reporting
T/L 376-2059, outside (203) 262-2059
IBM Internal: benno@ibmusm00
Internet: benno@us1.ibm.com
Okay, I have kept my mouth shut until now, but there is something I have to say
here. First, I have been quite the active brother in APO ever since Baalzebub
talked me into pledging (I had that whole fraternity issue to deal with, but
that's a different topic). I can honestly say, that I have done tremendously
psychotic amounts of work for my chapter, and for my brothers. I think that APO
has benefitted from my having been a member. I do hold a lot of the
philosophies of APO very dear, but I really couldn't give two shits about the
scout oath and law. I was never a scout, and I don't intend on getting involved
with the scouts. I made up my own version of the scout law, and hammed my way
through the scout oath on my pledge quizzes. I just do not care about these
philosophies. The impression that I'm getting from reading all this stuff, is
that now that I've "come out of the closet" as someone who really couldn't care
less about scouting, people think that I should not be a member of this
fraternity. That's somewhat troubling. If for nothing else, my chapter has
benefitted from the many hours of work that I put in to APO making flyers,
driving my "brothers" all over the place, the two long terms I served as
president, and just being a generally nice guy. Doing this has cost me quite a
bit as well, but that's delving a bit too far into my personal life for this
list. My point is that I agree with Hayyim. What I think APO needs to do is to
sit down and figure out its own traditions, and philosophies. Frank Reed Horton
used the scouts as a MODEL. that does not mean that APO is to follow the scout
oath and law. This, IMHO, is what the dialogue between APO and BSA was about.
Personally, I don't even remember the scout oath and law, and I couldn't care
less. That doesn't make me any less of a brother. If people care deeply about
what the scout oath and law mean to them, that's fine. I'm not saying that's a
bad thing, just don't tell me that I'm not worthy of membership in this
fraternity because I don't give a shit about them. Also, if you're that moved
by them, join the scouts. As for me, I would rather assist APO in coming up
with their own philosophy that can be taught to other people. Oh yeah, you in
the back with the purple pants, I hear your question. You're asking "who are
you to tell me what to think?" Well, I'm not telling you what to think. I'm
telling you what _I_ think, and as for who I am, I'm a real brother, I just
happen to be a real brother who couldn't care less about the Scout oath and
law. Who knows, maybe it's because I was never a Scout, I don't know. What I do
know, is that I turned out to be a decent brother, who honestly cares about
everything except the scout oath and law.
YiLFS,
Sidd
P.S. I forgot who brought up the thread about all male chapters (I think it was
Deb Gallagher), but all I can say is that to make a statement like Deb
Gallagher made about how the fraternity would not survive if it weren't for
chapters admitting women, that seems like a terribly ignorant thing to say.
There are many all male chapters that are doing FAR better than the co-ed ones,
in terms of membership, and overall brotherhood. In fact, many of the all male
chapters seem to have better bonds of brotherhood than the co-ed chapters.
Personally, if I were given a choice between keeping all the all male chapters
or keeping the people who hate them, I'd keep the chapters.
