SCOUTING'S
SILVER LEADERS
Buffalo,
antelope, beaver. Perhaps you've had the good fortune to
watch these remarkable wild animals while you're hiking
the backcountry.
You might have noticed them,
too, at meetings of your Scout unit and council. Cast as
miniature silver replicas, each animal serves as a BSA
award recognizing adult leaders for their distinguished
service to youth.
The
Silver Beaver Award is granted to adult leaders making
an impact on the lives of young people by service given
through a council. The Silver Antelope Award recognizes
service at the BSA's regional level.
The
oldest of the three awards is the Silver Buffalo,
bestowed for extraordinary service that is national in
character. Recipients may or may not be directly
connected with the BSA. Like the Silver Beaver and
Silver Antelope awards, the Silver Buffalo hangs from a
colorful ribbon worn around the neck.
Legacy
of the Silver Buffalo
The original silver buffalo
was a statue given in 1926 by the Boy Scouts of America
to the Scouts of Great Britain. It honors an unknown
Scout who helped American businessman William D. Boyce
find his way through a London fog. That encouraged Mr.
Boyce to learn more about Scouting and to bring the idea
to America.
The
first Silver Buffalo Award was granted to Robert
Baden-Powell, founder of the Scouting movement. The
second went to the unknown Scout who had guided Mr.
Boyce, and the third Silver Buffalo was given to Mr.
Boyce himself.
In
the 85 years since then, fewer than 700 adult leaders
have received the Silver Buffalo Award. Among them have
been many notable Americans:
- Artists Walt Disney, Charles Schultz, and Norman
Rockwell
- Musicians Irving Berlin and Marian Anderson
- Charles Lindbergh, after the first solo flight
across the Atlantic Ocean
- Athletes Yogi Berra, Hank Aaron, Ernie Banks, and
Archie Manning, and coaches Vince Lombardi, Eddie
Robinson, and Amos Alonzo Stagg
- Early Scouters Ernest Thompson Seton, Daniel
Carter Beard, and James E. West
- Actors Bob Hope and Jimmy Stewart
- 13 presidents of the United States
The
Silver Beaver, Silver Antelope, and Silver Buffalo
Awards each include an embroidered knot a recipient can
wear above the left pocket of a BSA uniform shirt. The
colors of the knots match the colors of the ribbons for
the awards and serve as reminders of the great service
to youth each award represents.
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LONE
SCOUTS
Silver
Buffalo awardee William Boyce worried during the early
years of Scouting that the BSA was not doing enough to
serve boys who lived on farms and ranches. In 1915 he
sought to answer that concern by starting a separate
organization called the Lone Scouts of America
(LSA).
The
LSA celebrated traditions of American Indians. Members
completed requirements in Communicating
(writing stories for newspapers and magazines),
Woodcraft (similar to the Boy Scout outdoor
skills of the day), and Boosting (gaining new
LSA members). Lone Scouts who earned high marks in all
three areas were recognized as Supreme
Scouts.
In
1924 the Lone Scouts of America program was incorporated
into the BSA. Lone Scouts were soon following the same
pathways to advancement as all others in the BSA. While
some former members kept LSA rituals alive, the Lone
Scouts of America organization faded away.
There
are currently almost 400 Lone Boy Scouts and 200 Lone
Cub Scouts registered through local BSA councils. Some
have homes that are far from any Scout troops or packs.
Others live abroad or deal with situations that prevent
them from attending regular meetings of packs or
troops.
Each
Lone Scout has an adult counselor, often a parent or
guardian, who encourages, instructs, and reviews the
Lone Scout on all steps toward advancement.
Famous
Lone Scouts Long before he became vice-president of
the United States, Hubert Humphrey was a Lone Scout. So
was actor Fred MacMurray, who would one day play a
Scoutmaster in the movie Follow Me
Boys.
Another
Lone Scout was beloved American ballad singer Burl Ives.
Mr. Ives appeared on stage at National Jamborees in the
1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. His 1963 album Scouting
Along with Burl Ives is a collection of great Scout
songs including "Boy Scouts of America", "I'm Happy When
I'm Hiking", "We're All Together Again", and "On My
Honor".
In
recognition for his contributions to Scouting, Mr. Ives
was presented the Silver Buffalo Award by the National
Council of the BSA.
Get
your collector's editions of Scouting Along with
Burl Ives and the movie Follow Me Boys at
www.Scoutstuff.org.
To
show their pride, modern Lone Scouts proudly wear a gold
neckerchief featuring the Lone Scout emblem. It is one
of many neckerchiefs approved by the Boy Scouts of
America.
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An
intent of the Scout uniform is to show that all members
are equal in the Boy Scouts of America.
When
it comes to variety, though, neckerchiefs allow every
Scout unit - and sometimes each Scout - to express
individuality. That begins when a boy joins Cub Scouts
and continues through the most advanced adult leader
training programs.
SCOUTING WITH A
NECKERCHIEF
"At
Santa Barbara following the earthquake and in Illinois
and Indiana during the tornado disaster, the Scout's
neckerchief was a passport to any Scout through the
police and hospital lines. The Scout Uniform in those
stricken areas was the badge of a boy on an errand of
courageous service."
Chief Scout James E. West
wrote those lines to introduce the 1927 pamphlet
Scouting with a Neckerchief, the BSA's first
full exploration of neckerchiefs.
The
pamphlet showed the proper way to wear a
neckerchief.
There
were also illustrated descriptions of 60 ways a
neckerchief could be used. Here are nine of
them:
The
BSA still encourages members to be good problem solvers.
If a sturdy, triangular piece of cloth will come in
handy during a first aid emergency or in some other
difficult situation; a neckerchief could be just the
thing for a positive solution.
For
a wide range of official BSA neckerchiefs, see the
online selection available at
www.scoutstuff.org
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"DO A USEFUL
THING EACH DAY"
The
motto of those long-ago Lone Scouts of America was "Do a
useful thing each day." That's a fine guideline for BSA
leaders who wear the Silver Beaver, Antelope, and
Buffalo awards. It's also a great reminder for Scouts
wearing neckerchiefs, and for those who don't, too.
Make it a habit to look for ways to be of use,
then do them. You'll be joining with Scouts everywhere
who are finding dozens of ways to accomplish that goal,
and then discovering the great value for themselves and
for others as they meet that challenge.
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(This
edition of the Be Prepared Newsletter was
developed and written by Robert Birkby, author of the
Centennial edition of the Boy Scout Handbook.)
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