1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:02,880 Speaker 1: Guess what will What's So, my father in law has 2 00:00:02,920 --> 00:00:04,560 Speaker 1: this phrase that he uses every once in a while 3 00:00:04,680 --> 00:00:08,000 Speaker 1: that I love. He'll hear a story like this, really 4 00:00:08,039 --> 00:00:11,480 Speaker 1: wonderful story of someone pulling themselves up by their bootstraps, 5 00:00:11,720 --> 00:00:14,760 Speaker 1: and he'll shake his head in awe and say, that's America. 6 00:00:15,280 --> 00:00:17,439 Speaker 1: I mean, I love it when he says that. And 7 00:00:17,480 --> 00:00:19,319 Speaker 1: I read a story this week that made me feel 8 00:00:19,360 --> 00:00:22,799 Speaker 1: the same way. So this is from Hurricane Katrina in 9 00:00:22,840 --> 00:00:25,480 Speaker 1: two thousand five. In the flood. There was his family 10 00:00:25,520 --> 00:00:29,000 Speaker 1: in New Orleans cotton nine feet of floodwater. It's just 11 00:00:29,240 --> 00:00:32,840 Speaker 1: rushing into their house. So this boy, Ashton Pruett, he's 12 00:00:32,960 --> 00:00:36,040 Speaker 1: only fourteen and he just got his swimming badge from 13 00:00:36,040 --> 00:00:39,960 Speaker 1: the boy Scouts a week ago. And Ashton he's ready 14 00:00:40,000 --> 00:00:43,000 Speaker 1: for this. He creates flotation devices out of pants and 15 00:00:43,040 --> 00:00:45,120 Speaker 1: hands them to his family. He comes up with a 16 00:00:45,159 --> 00:00:48,159 Speaker 1: plan to swim everyone to safety. Like he swims them 17 00:00:48,159 --> 00:00:50,040 Speaker 1: out of the house one by one. He gets a 18 00:00:50,080 --> 00:00:52,600 Speaker 1: seventy two year old grandmother to the neighbor's roof, and 19 00:00:52,600 --> 00:00:55,600 Speaker 1: then his blind brother, and then each member of his 20 00:00:55,640 --> 00:00:58,240 Speaker 1: family and they sit there as the water rises to 21 00:00:58,400 --> 00:01:03,120 Speaker 1: eighteen feet high and eventually they're rescued, but it's just incredible. 22 00:01:03,720 --> 00:01:06,080 Speaker 1: So as I was reading this, I was struck by 23 00:01:06,080 --> 00:01:09,360 Speaker 1: the story. Like a kid from the city tying knots 24 00:01:09,400 --> 00:01:13,280 Speaker 1: and being resourceful, staying calm, using his scouting to save 25 00:01:13,360 --> 00:01:17,240 Speaker 1: his family in what has to be the unlikeliest of circumstances. 26 00:01:17,640 --> 00:01:20,759 Speaker 1: To be it's the true meaning of the word boy Scouts. Yeah, 27 00:01:20,800 --> 00:01:23,120 Speaker 1: I mean, that's amazing and almost as impressive as the 28 00:01:23,120 --> 00:01:26,160 Speaker 1: Pinewood Derby car my son made in The Scouts. Maybe. 29 00:01:26,520 --> 00:01:29,640 Speaker 1: So I heard that story and thought that's America. But 30 00:01:29,720 --> 00:01:31,520 Speaker 1: the whole thing made me wonder, why are the Boy 31 00:01:31,520 --> 00:01:35,679 Speaker 1: Scouts such an American institution and how did they conquer America? 32 00:01:36,040 --> 00:02:04,000 Speaker 1: And that's what we're covering on today's show. Welcome to 33 00:02:04,000 --> 00:02:06,120 Speaker 1: Part Time Genius. I'm Will Pearson and as always I'm 34 00:02:06,160 --> 00:02:08,600 Speaker 1: joined by my good friend Manes Ticketer. We've got a 35 00:02:08,600 --> 00:02:11,360 Speaker 1: super fun show for you Today. We're tackling a big question, 36 00:02:11,760 --> 00:02:14,400 Speaker 1: how did the Boy Scouts conquer America? So we'll be 37 00:02:14,440 --> 00:02:16,760 Speaker 1: digging into how the Boy Scouts one American hearts and 38 00:02:16,800 --> 00:02:20,120 Speaker 1: became such an enduring institution, And as usual, we'll have 39 00:02:20,120 --> 00:02:22,600 Speaker 1: a couple of ridiculous quizzes who are we putting to 40 00:02:22,639 --> 00:02:24,720 Speaker 1: the test today? Mango? Well, we found a couple of 41 00:02:24,760 --> 00:02:28,079 Speaker 1: former Scouts to answer our crazy questions. They're basically doing 42 00:02:28,080 --> 00:02:30,119 Speaker 1: their good deed for the day by joining us, right, 43 00:02:30,280 --> 00:02:32,560 Speaker 1: all right, well good, and we've got the incredible Chuck 44 00:02:32,600 --> 00:02:34,720 Speaker 1: Brian and studio with us too. Chuck is the co 45 00:02:34,840 --> 00:02:37,800 Speaker 1: host of the ridiculously popular Stuff You Should Know podcast, 46 00:02:38,080 --> 00:02:40,200 Speaker 1: and he'll be checking in a little bit later. But 47 00:02:40,240 --> 00:02:42,720 Speaker 1: why don't we dive into the topic at hand, Mango? 48 00:02:42,880 --> 00:02:45,400 Speaker 1: Why are the Boy Scouts such an American thing? I mean, 49 00:02:45,440 --> 00:02:48,160 Speaker 1: we have motherhood and apple pie and Boy Scouts really 50 00:02:48,160 --> 00:02:50,840 Speaker 1: aren't that far behind, yeah, which is, of course ironic 51 00:02:50,880 --> 00:02:53,639 Speaker 1: because none of those things are particularly American. I mean, 52 00:02:53,680 --> 00:02:56,040 Speaker 1: I think it's safe to say motherhood was pretty solidly 53 00:02:56,040 --> 00:02:59,480 Speaker 1: a thing before America existed, and apple pies were consumed 54 00:02:59,520 --> 00:03:01,640 Speaker 1: by the Squeets in the Dutch long before it was 55 00:03:01,680 --> 00:03:04,760 Speaker 1: baked state side. And the Boy Scouts they got most 56 00:03:04,760 --> 00:03:06,760 Speaker 1: of their early momentum from the Brits. But the Boy 57 00:03:06,800 --> 00:03:10,400 Speaker 1: Scouts feel so American, I know, and America definitely played 58 00:03:10,440 --> 00:03:13,160 Speaker 1: a big part in the movement, but the biggest influence 59 00:03:13,200 --> 00:03:16,880 Speaker 1: comes from one man, Lord Robert Baden Powell, who actually 60 00:03:16,880 --> 00:03:21,320 Speaker 1: went by the name Stevie. Stevie yeah, or Stevie like. 61 00:03:21,760 --> 00:03:24,280 Speaker 1: He was the guy who really launched the scouting movement 62 00:03:24,360 --> 00:03:26,720 Speaker 1: and got it to catch on across the globe. But 63 00:03:26,800 --> 00:03:29,359 Speaker 1: for him, it wasn't just campfires and pine cone art. 64 00:03:29,560 --> 00:03:31,919 Speaker 1: It was about winning a war. But before we get 65 00:03:31,919 --> 00:03:34,720 Speaker 1: into that, can we talk for a second about masculinity? 66 00:03:36,280 --> 00:03:38,280 Speaker 1: Such a bad transition? All right, Mago, what do you 67 00:03:38,320 --> 00:03:40,440 Speaker 1: want to say about masculinity? And please don't tell me 68 00:03:40,480 --> 00:03:42,120 Speaker 1: this is just your way to slip in your favorite 69 00:03:42,160 --> 00:03:44,200 Speaker 1: fact from a few years ago, which one you know, 70 00:03:44,240 --> 00:03:46,040 Speaker 1: the one about the guinea pig who jumped the fence 71 00:03:46,040 --> 00:03:48,800 Speaker 1: at the animal sanctuary in England and impregnated something like 72 00:03:48,880 --> 00:03:53,000 Speaker 1: a hundred female guinea pigs. Yeah, that's another legendary brit 73 00:03:53,160 --> 00:03:54,880 Speaker 1: The best part of that story is the guinea pigs 74 00:03:54,960 --> 00:03:58,720 Speaker 1: name was Randy. That's right, Randy. No, this has nothing 75 00:03:58,720 --> 00:04:01,640 Speaker 1: to do with guinea pigs. It's about boy Scouts. So 76 00:04:01,800 --> 00:04:03,920 Speaker 1: it occurred to me as I was researching the Scouts 77 00:04:04,000 --> 00:04:06,800 Speaker 1: that about every decade or so there's some big national 78 00:04:06,880 --> 00:04:09,920 Speaker 1: panic about whether we're coddling our sons too much and 79 00:04:10,280 --> 00:04:12,720 Speaker 1: how men aren't raised to be men anymore. I feel 80 00:04:12,720 --> 00:04:14,200 Speaker 1: like you kind of hear echoes of it in the 81 00:04:14,200 --> 00:04:16,640 Speaker 1: air right now. Like for the past few years, schools 82 00:04:16,640 --> 00:04:19,320 Speaker 1: have made a big issue of curbing bullying, right, but 83 00:04:19,400 --> 00:04:21,720 Speaker 1: there's also been a vocal backlash to it. I mean, 84 00:04:21,839 --> 00:04:24,240 Speaker 1: you even hear people like Chris Rock half joking about 85 00:04:24,279 --> 00:04:27,040 Speaker 1: how bullies and fist fights are really what we need 86 00:04:27,080 --> 00:04:29,600 Speaker 1: to toughen up the next generation, and how if there 87 00:04:29,640 --> 00:04:32,320 Speaker 1: weren't bullies, there'd be no comedians. Well who can imagine 88 00:04:32,320 --> 00:04:34,720 Speaker 1: making an argument for bullying now. But yeah, that's a 89 00:04:34,760 --> 00:04:37,640 Speaker 1: common knock against millennials too, that they're a generation that's 90 00:04:37,640 --> 00:04:42,200 Speaker 1: suffered from too many participation prizes and all the helicopter parenting. 91 00:04:42,520 --> 00:04:44,839 Speaker 1: So there's a worry that they're ill prepared for the future. 92 00:04:45,320 --> 00:04:47,039 Speaker 1: And I know what you're talking about in terms of 93 00:04:47,080 --> 00:04:49,719 Speaker 1: being cyclical. I remember back in the early two thousands 94 00:04:49,720 --> 00:04:52,440 Speaker 1: when that book Dangerous Book for Boys became a bestseller, 95 00:04:52,800 --> 00:04:54,880 Speaker 1: and it felt novel because it was telling kids to 96 00:04:54,880 --> 00:04:57,120 Speaker 1: step away from their screens and go shoot a bow 97 00:04:57,120 --> 00:04:59,520 Speaker 1: and arrow and make a ford and come back with 98 00:04:59,560 --> 00:05:02,120 Speaker 1: bruises is and scrape knees. Right, And of course I 99 00:05:02,160 --> 00:05:04,600 Speaker 1: love playing in the backyard and building forts too, and 100 00:05:04,720 --> 00:05:07,080 Speaker 1: I think that stuff is super important for kids. What's 101 00:05:07,080 --> 00:05:09,440 Speaker 1: interesting to me is that this worry about raising real 102 00:05:09,520 --> 00:05:12,120 Speaker 1: men isn't a modern phenomena. What do you mean, Well, 103 00:05:12,160 --> 00:05:14,159 Speaker 1: it's actually one of the biggest reasons the boy scout 104 00:05:14,200 --> 00:05:16,600 Speaker 1: movement took off way back in the early nineteen hundreds. 105 00:05:16,960 --> 00:05:19,120 Speaker 1: You know, it was the age of manufacturing and all 106 00:05:19,120 --> 00:05:22,680 Speaker 1: these new time saving technologies, and as populations were growing 107 00:05:22,720 --> 00:05:24,960 Speaker 1: in cities, there was a real fear of taking the 108 00:05:24,960 --> 00:05:27,600 Speaker 1: boy off the farm and detaching him from the wilderness, 109 00:05:27,920 --> 00:05:29,600 Speaker 1: which is crazy. I mean, we're talking about the early 110 00:05:29,680 --> 00:05:32,080 Speaker 1: nineteen hundreds, right, It's not like all men were working 111 00:05:32,080 --> 00:05:35,640 Speaker 1: in air condition offices. Most things were still done by hand, right, 112 00:05:35,760 --> 00:05:38,400 Speaker 1: But even in the nineteen hundreds, Americans were looking back 113 00:05:38,440 --> 00:05:41,880 Speaker 1: wistfully at the manly men of the past, like pioneers 114 00:05:42,040 --> 00:05:44,440 Speaker 1: and men in the wild West, and the self sufficiency 115 00:05:44,440 --> 00:05:47,000 Speaker 1: of Native Americans. Well, to put it in context, that 116 00:05:47,120 --> 00:05:49,480 Speaker 1: was when called the Wild and White Fang came out 117 00:05:49,600 --> 00:05:53,000 Speaker 1: and were immensely popular. Right when Jack London fueled the 118 00:05:53,040 --> 00:05:55,840 Speaker 1: idea that real boys live in the wild. And at 119 00:05:55,839 --> 00:05:58,240 Speaker 1: the same time you have Teddy Roosevelt in office, I 120 00:05:58,240 --> 00:06:00,280 Speaker 1: mean boxing in the White House at vent Is, on 121 00:06:00,320 --> 00:06:02,919 Speaker 1: the Amazon rough riding and all that. He was the 122 00:06:02,960 --> 00:06:06,560 Speaker 1: poster child from muscular Christianity, absolutely, and all of that 123 00:06:06,600 --> 00:06:09,040 Speaker 1: went into how the Scouts got started. Actually, do you 124 00:06:09,080 --> 00:06:11,760 Speaker 1: want to explain what muscular Christianity was, Like? I read 125 00:06:11,760 --> 00:06:13,480 Speaker 1: about it too, and it plays a big pardon being 126 00:06:13,520 --> 00:06:16,360 Speaker 1: in Pal's life and why the boys got movement took off. 127 00:06:16,400 --> 00:06:18,800 Speaker 1: But you know, it isn't exactly a household term. I 128 00:06:18,839 --> 00:06:20,720 Speaker 1: know what makes me think of priests doing free weights 129 00:06:20,760 --> 00:06:23,560 Speaker 1: at the gym, but that's not so far off. Actually, 130 00:06:23,640 --> 00:06:26,800 Speaker 1: muscular Christianity was a reaction to Victorian gentleman being a 131 00:06:26,800 --> 00:06:29,800 Speaker 1: little too genteel and the Anglican Church being considered to 132 00:06:29,920 --> 00:06:32,680 Speaker 1: a feat But the time women were starting to play 133 00:06:32,680 --> 00:06:35,640 Speaker 1: bigger roles in local churches. So it was partially a 134 00:06:35,640 --> 00:06:38,720 Speaker 1: movement of men reclaiming their religion, but it was also 135 00:06:38,760 --> 00:06:41,760 Speaker 1: this commitment to a more vigorous Christianity where people boxed 136 00:06:41,760 --> 00:06:44,800 Speaker 1: and went to gym's and sweat their aggression out and back. 137 00:06:44,800 --> 00:06:46,760 Speaker 1: Then all of that hitting the gym was about a 138 00:06:46,760 --> 00:06:50,800 Speaker 1: philosophy of actively showing your Christian principles and a healthy 139 00:06:50,839 --> 00:06:54,240 Speaker 1: body through good deeds and actions exactly. And what also 140 00:06:54,279 --> 00:06:57,280 Speaker 1: gets mixed into that philosophy is patriotism, you know, like 141 00:06:57,360 --> 00:06:59,920 Speaker 1: do your best for God and country. So in the 142 00:07:00,000 --> 00:07:02,799 Speaker 1: early the air is thick with this concern that boys 143 00:07:02,800 --> 00:07:05,520 Speaker 1: aren't becoming the right kind of men, and then up 144 00:07:05,520 --> 00:07:07,560 Speaker 1: pop a few scouting groups that are trying to make 145 00:07:07,560 --> 00:07:10,920 Speaker 1: men of boys. There's the Woodcraft Indians launch in nineteen 146 00:07:11,080 --> 00:07:13,400 Speaker 1: two in Connecticut, and there's the Sons of Daniel Boone 147 00:07:13,440 --> 00:07:16,640 Speaker 1: out of Cincinnati in five Like, both of those groups 148 00:07:16,640 --> 00:07:19,280 Speaker 1: harkened back to the manly men of yesteryear. But the 149 00:07:19,280 --> 00:07:21,600 Speaker 1: man who really kicks off the scouting movement in America 150 00:07:21,840 --> 00:07:25,240 Speaker 1: is this millionaire publisher out of Chicago named W. D. Boys. 151 00:07:25,800 --> 00:07:28,120 Speaker 1: As Boys is traveling to London, he gets lost in 152 00:07:28,160 --> 00:07:30,920 Speaker 1: the city's legendary fog, and as he's trying to find 153 00:07:30,920 --> 00:07:33,520 Speaker 1: his way, this kid approaches him and guides him where 154 00:07:33,520 --> 00:07:36,280 Speaker 1: he's going. And when Boys tries to tip his guide, 155 00:07:36,480 --> 00:07:39,000 Speaker 1: the boy refuses and says he's doing his duty as 156 00:07:39,000 --> 00:07:43,080 Speaker 1: a boy scout. Well that's England. But Boys is so 157 00:07:43,200 --> 00:07:45,720 Speaker 1: taken by this unknown scout that he looks up the 158 00:07:45,720 --> 00:07:48,680 Speaker 1: Boy Scouts, which Baden Powell had launched a few years before, 159 00:07:48,960 --> 00:07:51,480 Speaker 1: and Boys gets bidden Powell's blessing to use his manual 160 00:07:51,520 --> 00:07:54,560 Speaker 1: on Scouting to spread the philosophy across America, and in 161 00:07:54,600 --> 00:07:57,600 Speaker 1: the process he helps unite all these splinterd little groups 162 00:07:57,600 --> 00:08:00,320 Speaker 1: of Scouts out there under this big banner, the Boy 163 00:08:00,360 --> 00:08:03,320 Speaker 1: Scout Association. That's right. But before any of that, there's 164 00:08:03,320 --> 00:08:06,040 Speaker 1: a South African war we have to talk about, and 165 00:08:06,080 --> 00:08:08,560 Speaker 1: the first real Boy Scouts, a crafty group of kids 166 00:08:08,560 --> 00:08:12,040 Speaker 1: who helped save a tiny British outpost from complete annihilation. 167 00:08:12,560 --> 00:08:15,200 Speaker 1: Not your typical church basement group. But before we get 168 00:08:15,240 --> 00:08:24,720 Speaker 1: into that, how about we break for a quiz. Our 169 00:08:24,720 --> 00:08:27,360 Speaker 1: guest today is partially responsible for our decision to leap 170 00:08:27,400 --> 00:08:29,840 Speaker 1: into the podcast world. He and his Stuff you should 171 00:08:29,880 --> 00:08:31,600 Speaker 1: know co host have been producing one of the most 172 00:08:31,640 --> 00:08:34,360 Speaker 1: popular podcasts in the world for nearly a decade now. 173 00:08:34,800 --> 00:08:36,640 Speaker 1: But he's certainly one of our favorites and a big 174 00:08:36,679 --> 00:08:38,480 Speaker 1: part of why we decided to come join the house 175 00:08:38,520 --> 00:08:43,319 Speaker 1: Stuff Works family. Chuck Bryant, Welcome to part time Genius. Yeah, 176 00:08:43,480 --> 00:08:46,600 Speaker 1: that's right. I feel intimidated now. I didn't know I 177 00:08:46,640 --> 00:08:51,320 Speaker 1: was responsible for this intimidating We can apologize to the nation. 178 00:08:51,400 --> 00:08:54,240 Speaker 1: I know, we're kind of relieved that we're not recording 179 00:08:54,280 --> 00:08:56,600 Speaker 1: in the studio next to us, which is the studio 180 00:08:56,640 --> 00:08:58,440 Speaker 1: that you guys recording, because it would be a little 181 00:08:58,440 --> 00:09:00,120 Speaker 1: bit weird to have you as a guest and your 182 00:09:00,160 --> 00:09:02,960 Speaker 1: own studio, right guest in my own home. Yeah yeah, 183 00:09:03,040 --> 00:09:06,040 Speaker 1: Plus it's tiny and small and a little stinky. This 184 00:09:06,160 --> 00:09:09,520 Speaker 1: is much nicer. That's actually the main reason. So, you know, 185 00:09:09,559 --> 00:09:11,480 Speaker 1: so josh One said that you guys are on this 186 00:09:11,600 --> 00:09:15,600 Speaker 1: never ending quest to explain absolutely everything on planet Earth 187 00:09:15,640 --> 00:09:18,160 Speaker 1: and beyond. So you guys are now approaching what a 188 00:09:18,200 --> 00:09:22,120 Speaker 1: thousand episodes is that this this November, at some point 189 00:09:22,240 --> 00:09:24,320 Speaker 1: it will be a thousand. We have a listener that 190 00:09:24,559 --> 00:09:27,560 Speaker 1: uh is very sweet and makes a keeps up with 191 00:09:27,559 --> 00:09:30,040 Speaker 1: a spreadsheet for us and since sends it to us 192 00:09:30,040 --> 00:09:32,800 Speaker 1: every few months. I love that, And she told us 193 00:09:32,840 --> 00:09:35,280 Speaker 1: that it would be a thousand in November. You guys 194 00:09:35,280 --> 00:09:37,559 Speaker 1: gonna do anything to celebrate a thousand? Well, I think 195 00:09:37,600 --> 00:09:40,719 Speaker 1: we have a special topic in the kitty for that, 196 00:09:40,800 --> 00:09:44,920 Speaker 1: which I won't ruin now. Um and well, you know, 197 00:09:45,040 --> 00:09:48,079 Speaker 1: we're not much into fanfare, so knowing us will probably 198 00:09:48,120 --> 00:09:51,160 Speaker 1: just reference it, you know, out of the sides of 199 00:09:51,160 --> 00:09:55,160 Speaker 1: our mouths and thank everybody, and that will be it. Yeah, 200 00:09:55,400 --> 00:09:57,920 Speaker 1: or maybe bringing a brass band. I think that's I 201 00:09:58,200 --> 00:09:59,640 Speaker 1: think that's the way to do it. We might plan 202 00:09:59,720 --> 00:10:03,480 Speaker 1: to bring in a brass band. I know you love movies, 203 00:10:03,640 --> 00:10:07,680 Speaker 1: And years ago, Chicago made this recommended reading list for 204 00:10:07,840 --> 00:10:10,280 Speaker 1: the city and they put To Kill a Mockingbird on it, 205 00:10:10,360 --> 00:10:14,120 Speaker 1: And I was curious, what movie you'd make recommended viewing 206 00:10:14,240 --> 00:10:18,320 Speaker 1: for all of America? Oh wow, or movies. It doesn't 207 00:10:18,320 --> 00:10:21,880 Speaker 1: have to be one recommended viewing because it's a little 208 00:10:21,920 --> 00:10:26,079 Speaker 1: bit dicier than just your favorite movie. But I'm gonna 209 00:10:26,120 --> 00:10:29,920 Speaker 1: go with one of my favorite movies and say Jaws. Yeah, 210 00:10:30,000 --> 00:10:33,920 Speaker 1: everyone should see that movie. I think Jaws is uh, 211 00:10:34,000 --> 00:10:35,960 Speaker 1: it's one of my favorite movies, not only just because 212 00:10:35,960 --> 00:10:39,120 Speaker 1: I love the movie, but it's it's a perfect movie 213 00:10:39,200 --> 00:10:42,760 Speaker 1: to me. Um if if you look at the story 214 00:10:42,920 --> 00:10:46,480 Speaker 1: and the way it's played out, and the performances and 215 00:10:47,520 --> 00:10:51,120 Speaker 1: just Spielberg at that age when he was young, and uh, 216 00:10:51,280 --> 00:10:53,440 Speaker 1: I mean he's still great, but I just have not 217 00:10:53,600 --> 00:10:55,760 Speaker 1: been as much into his movies here in the last 218 00:10:55,840 --> 00:11:00,280 Speaker 1: you know, yeah, twenty years, it's Jaws really yeah, yeah, 219 00:11:00,320 --> 00:11:03,320 Speaker 1: basically last forty five years. Um. Yeah, it's kind of 220 00:11:03,320 --> 00:11:04,680 Speaker 1: the perfect movie to me. So I think it's a 221 00:11:04,720 --> 00:11:09,000 Speaker 1: great movie to recommend for just to to learn about 222 00:11:09,080 --> 00:11:12,680 Speaker 1: the craft. Yeah, and you know, every kid should watch 223 00:11:12,679 --> 00:11:15,199 Speaker 1: something that makes them terrified the ocean. It's true. Yeah, 224 00:11:15,240 --> 00:11:18,480 Speaker 1: that's true. Yeah, there's actually I saw Quirkbooks put out 225 00:11:18,480 --> 00:11:20,560 Speaker 1: a book not too long ago that was about I 226 00:11:20,600 --> 00:11:22,400 Speaker 1: forget the name of it exactly, but it was these 227 00:11:22,840 --> 00:11:25,440 Speaker 1: terrible paperbacks that came out really as a response to 228 00:11:25,520 --> 00:11:28,240 Speaker 1: something in popular culture, and it was talking about when 229 00:11:28,320 --> 00:11:30,840 Speaker 1: Jaws came out that there's this immediate rush to put 230 00:11:30,840 --> 00:11:35,559 Speaker 1: out other things like rabbits and like the scary animals, crabs, 231 00:11:35,600 --> 00:11:37,800 Speaker 1: whatever it might be. Yeah, I think I remember, Well, 232 00:11:37,800 --> 00:11:41,000 Speaker 1: that's an entirely different movie. I think I do remember 233 00:11:41,080 --> 00:11:43,520 Speaker 1: a lot of Uh. I think that even John Sales 234 00:11:43,600 --> 00:11:46,880 Speaker 1: wrote the great John Sales wrote one of the Piranha movies, 235 00:11:47,400 --> 00:11:50,920 Speaker 1: I'm not mistaken. And then there were giant alligators and 236 00:11:51,080 --> 00:11:54,400 Speaker 1: uh yeah, but those you know, they can't touch Jaws. 237 00:11:55,920 --> 00:11:58,440 Speaker 1: So on. On a very different topic, I remember listening 238 00:11:58,440 --> 00:12:01,000 Speaker 1: to your episode on Artificial Suite there's not too long ago, 239 00:12:01,520 --> 00:12:04,360 Speaker 1: and it sounded like at least Josh changed many of 240 00:12:04,440 --> 00:12:07,000 Speaker 1: his behaviors, or you guys talked about changing your behaviors 241 00:12:07,000 --> 00:12:10,240 Speaker 1: after learning more about the effects of artificial sweeteners or 242 00:12:10,240 --> 00:12:13,280 Speaker 1: at least the fears around those. Have there been other 243 00:12:13,400 --> 00:12:16,120 Speaker 1: big episodes where you guys have either changed the way 244 00:12:16,160 --> 00:12:18,960 Speaker 1: you thought about something significantly or even changed the way 245 00:12:19,160 --> 00:12:22,079 Speaker 1: you know you lived based on what you've learned. That's 246 00:12:22,080 --> 00:12:25,720 Speaker 1: a good question. UM. I think a lot of times 247 00:12:26,320 --> 00:12:30,839 Speaker 1: little things inform my psyche and maybe have a little 248 00:12:31,040 --> 00:12:35,160 Speaker 1: bit of a more subliminal undercurrent. Uh, maybe not so 249 00:12:35,240 --> 00:12:39,320 Speaker 1: much a conscious a major conscious decision to do things differently, 250 00:12:39,480 --> 00:12:42,040 Speaker 1: although sometimes like we did one on zoos a long 251 00:12:42,080 --> 00:12:44,920 Speaker 1: time ago, and I had just never given much thought 252 00:12:45,000 --> 00:12:48,520 Speaker 1: to zoos and um, but you know, zoos are great 253 00:12:48,720 --> 00:12:52,240 Speaker 1: and zoos can be great. But you know, when you 254 00:12:52,240 --> 00:12:53,880 Speaker 1: you do what we do, which is really digging and 255 00:12:53,920 --> 00:12:56,840 Speaker 1: research all sides of something, UM, it really kind of 256 00:12:56,840 --> 00:12:59,600 Speaker 1: made me think about whether I need to be supporting 257 00:12:59,760 --> 00:13:05,199 Speaker 1: zoos and aquariums and these places that keep animals like elephants, 258 00:13:05,520 --> 00:13:08,560 Speaker 1: and even though here in Atlanta, like it's a a 259 00:13:08,640 --> 00:13:14,440 Speaker 1: great elephant enclosure, but it's tiny compared to what they need. Um. 260 00:13:14,480 --> 00:13:15,959 Speaker 1: But then we heard from a lot of I mean, 261 00:13:15,960 --> 00:13:19,880 Speaker 1: we didn't totally poopa um, but uh, we did hear 262 00:13:19,920 --> 00:13:23,360 Speaker 1: from a lot of zoologists and zookeepers that said, like, guys, 263 00:13:23,520 --> 00:13:25,480 Speaker 1: you know, I see where you're coming from. But we 264 00:13:25,600 --> 00:13:27,800 Speaker 1: do really good work and there's so much research that 265 00:13:27,800 --> 00:13:30,200 Speaker 1: goes on now and it's not the old days of 266 00:13:30,240 --> 00:13:34,520 Speaker 1: animals and cages for the most part in the United States. Um, 267 00:13:34,840 --> 00:13:38,840 Speaker 1: forget about zoos in some other countries like those are abhorrent. 268 00:13:39,480 --> 00:13:42,080 Speaker 1: But um yeah, things like that really made me kind 269 00:13:42,120 --> 00:13:45,200 Speaker 1: of look at like, all right, I really need to 270 00:13:45,240 --> 00:13:49,680 Speaker 1: just at least give more thought two what I'm supporting here. Yeah, 271 00:13:49,679 --> 00:13:52,280 Speaker 1: so we probably won't see drinking a diet cokes throwing 272 00:13:52,280 --> 00:13:55,080 Speaker 1: through the Atlanta zoos sometimes. Now, well, I do go 273 00:13:55,120 --> 00:13:57,040 Speaker 1: to the zoo now though, because of a young daughter, 274 00:13:57,720 --> 00:14:00,280 Speaker 1: and like I said, you know, there is a lot 275 00:14:00,280 --> 00:14:02,800 Speaker 1: of great things and it's great to expose kids. You know, 276 00:14:02,880 --> 00:14:05,000 Speaker 1: she sees elephants and picture books and giraffes and then 277 00:14:05,000 --> 00:14:07,840 Speaker 1: for her to see one a person. Um, as a parent, 278 00:14:07,920 --> 00:14:11,440 Speaker 1: you can't not want to exposure to that stuff. Yeah. 279 00:14:12,600 --> 00:14:14,439 Speaker 1: So yeah, you just hope that they're doing the right thing, 280 00:14:14,480 --> 00:14:17,360 Speaker 1: you know, and they are in Atlanta. My my family lives. 281 00:14:18,080 --> 00:14:21,280 Speaker 1: I've got family in this tiny village in India and uh, 282 00:14:21,360 --> 00:14:24,280 Speaker 1: and they have a local zoo there, and the zoo 283 00:14:24,400 --> 00:14:27,640 Speaker 1: is basically filled with animals that used to be our 284 00:14:27,680 --> 00:14:34,800 Speaker 1: family pets, some rabbits there, docks, just ridiculous. You should 285 00:14:34,800 --> 00:14:40,080 Speaker 1: take your daughter sometimes. Right, this is the kiddycat Room. 286 00:14:40,120 --> 00:14:41,920 Speaker 1: All right? Well, as you know, you've joined us for 287 00:14:41,960 --> 00:14:44,880 Speaker 1: an episode on the Boy Scouts. We asked you if 288 00:14:44,920 --> 00:14:47,320 Speaker 1: you had been a boy Scout as a kid. Um 289 00:14:47,360 --> 00:14:48,760 Speaker 1: you said no, But then we asked you if you 290 00:14:48,800 --> 00:14:51,120 Speaker 1: had heard of boy Scouts and you had, so we 291 00:14:51,200 --> 00:14:54,280 Speaker 1: figured that qualified to uh to join us for today. 292 00:14:54,360 --> 00:14:56,760 Speaker 1: So so what what what game is Chuck playing today? Mega? 293 00:14:56,880 --> 00:15:01,080 Speaker 1: We're playing a game called Discontinued Merit Badge discontinued Billy 294 00:15:01,160 --> 00:15:04,080 Speaker 1: Joel song And actually it's just Billy Joel songs, but 295 00:15:04,320 --> 00:15:06,960 Speaker 1: it's more fun to say discontinued. That's right. You probably 296 00:15:07,000 --> 00:15:13,320 Speaker 1: didn't know that I'm a huge Billy Joel. Yeah, it's uh, 297 00:15:13,360 --> 00:15:16,000 Speaker 1: And people always kind of laugh at that because I'm 298 00:15:16,160 --> 00:15:18,800 Speaker 1: Indie rock guy, but I have been a Billy Joel fan. 299 00:15:18,880 --> 00:15:21,480 Speaker 1: It was the first record I ever bought, and I 300 00:15:21,640 --> 00:15:25,600 Speaker 1: never was like, nah, that's not cool. Since I was 301 00:15:25,800 --> 00:15:29,640 Speaker 1: thirteen years old, I've been a Billy Jewel. Pretty awesome. Well, 302 00:15:29,680 --> 00:15:32,040 Speaker 1: you know what, let's reuse this in the Billy Joel episode. 303 00:15:32,440 --> 00:15:35,120 Speaker 1: We've got planned so great? All right, So as an example, 304 00:15:35,160 --> 00:15:39,640 Speaker 1: if I said cement work, you would say discontinued merit 305 00:15:39,640 --> 00:15:42,680 Speaker 1: badge instead of discontinued Billy Joel song. Though clearly it 306 00:15:42,680 --> 00:15:44,480 Speaker 1: would have gone you know, could have gone either way, 307 00:15:44,480 --> 00:15:47,400 Speaker 1: I think so, So let's play. So we're playing discontinued 308 00:15:47,440 --> 00:15:53,280 Speaker 1: merit badge or discontinued Billy Joel's song number one Traveling Prayer. Well, 309 00:15:53,320 --> 00:15:57,200 Speaker 1: that's discontinued Billy Joel song and really good Billy Joel song. 310 00:15:57,280 --> 00:15:59,240 Speaker 1: Bonus points if you happened to know the album since 311 00:15:59,280 --> 00:16:01,040 Speaker 1: you're a big fan. I just thought i'd thrown out 312 00:16:01,560 --> 00:16:04,560 Speaker 1: that's on piano, man. I believe, Okay, we have we 313 00:16:04,600 --> 00:16:09,800 Speaker 1: have been person for this one. Okay. Question number two, 314 00:16:10,120 --> 00:16:14,200 Speaker 1: nut Culture, that's a discontinued merit badge? Is that? Is 315 00:16:14,240 --> 00:16:17,280 Speaker 1: that right? It was merged into the fruit and nut 316 00:16:17,280 --> 00:16:20,920 Speaker 1: growing badge. I would love to get a nut culture 317 00:16:20,920 --> 00:16:23,200 Speaker 1: badge though on eBay or something. Wear it on my 318 00:16:23,240 --> 00:16:28,120 Speaker 1: hat it's totally worth it, alright. Number three Clerk, Uh 319 00:16:28,240 --> 00:16:31,080 Speaker 1: discontinued Merit Badge. You got it, that's right, that's right 320 00:16:31,120 --> 00:16:33,200 Speaker 1: it It only lasted a year in nineteen ten to 321 00:16:33,280 --> 00:16:36,320 Speaker 1: nineteen eleven, so clerk, you'd have to reach bad for 322 00:16:36,440 --> 00:16:40,320 Speaker 1: back for that one. So alright. Number four World Brotherhood, 323 00:16:40,920 --> 00:16:46,280 Speaker 1: Uh discontinued Merit Badge. Wow, yeah, he's really good. There's 324 00:16:46,320 --> 00:16:49,240 Speaker 1: only three left. He's four for four, alright. Number five 325 00:16:49,480 --> 00:16:54,080 Speaker 1: Running on Ice, Uh discontinued Merit Badge. And and no 326 00:16:54,160 --> 00:16:56,360 Speaker 1: way you know which album this is from? Oh no, no, 327 00:16:56,360 --> 00:16:58,440 Speaker 1: I said, mayor Badge. Is that Billy Joel? It's actually 328 00:16:58,440 --> 00:17:02,000 Speaker 1: a billy This was from a nineteen eighties six album, 329 00:17:02,200 --> 00:17:05,560 Speaker 1: The Bridge. Oh well, that explains it. Yeah, The Bridge 330 00:17:05,640 --> 00:17:08,600 Speaker 1: is probably my least favorite and least listen to album. 331 00:17:09,720 --> 00:17:16,360 Speaker 1: Boy right now Running on Ice with a Badge. Yeah, 332 00:17:17,800 --> 00:17:20,120 Speaker 1: that's all right. You're you're you're four for five two left, 333 00:17:20,119 --> 00:17:24,920 Speaker 1: all right? Question Number six Beef Production even home along 334 00:17:25,000 --> 00:17:27,000 Speaker 1: to this tune to that. I so wish that was 335 00:17:27,040 --> 00:17:28,639 Speaker 1: a Billy Joel song. If it's on the Bridge and 336 00:17:28,880 --> 00:17:32,000 Speaker 1: be mad, I say Merit Badge, and you would be correct. 337 00:17:32,040 --> 00:17:34,919 Speaker 1: This one lasted for about fifty years beef production and 338 00:17:35,000 --> 00:17:43,320 Speaker 1: in all Right, last One Stalker. Uh, well, I don't 339 00:17:43,359 --> 00:17:45,160 Speaker 1: know it is a Billy Joel song, but that would 340 00:17:45,160 --> 00:17:49,119 Speaker 1: be a really weird merit badge. Yes, but sometimes this 341 00:17:49,160 --> 00:17:54,320 Speaker 1: scuts the weird things. Yeah, I'm gonna go with Billy Joel. 342 00:17:55,240 --> 00:17:58,199 Speaker 1: I wish it were, but it was a real merit badge. 343 00:17:58,240 --> 00:18:01,960 Speaker 1: It got changed to the stock and then tracking. Oh 344 00:18:02,040 --> 00:18:04,920 Speaker 1: it was. Of course my brain went to um ex 345 00:18:04,960 --> 00:18:11,160 Speaker 1: girlfriend stalking, animal stalking, which leads to beef production. Yeah, 346 00:18:11,560 --> 00:18:15,400 Speaker 1: so kind Yeah, you got five out of five out 347 00:18:15,400 --> 00:18:21,359 Speaker 1: of seven bonus. So what has what has Chuck one? Well, 348 00:18:21,640 --> 00:18:24,200 Speaker 1: you win the same prize that we give away every week, 349 00:18:24,240 --> 00:18:27,639 Speaker 1: which is our Endless Admirations. I thought you're gonna say, 350 00:18:27,680 --> 00:18:30,320 Speaker 1: a copy of the Bridge. Yeah, I think that might 351 00:18:30,359 --> 00:18:33,280 Speaker 1: be and listen to that song. I'm so mad coming 352 00:18:33,320 --> 00:18:35,879 Speaker 1: as well. So all right, Well, for those of you 353 00:18:35,920 --> 00:18:37,840 Speaker 1: that have not listened to stuff, you should know. I 354 00:18:37,880 --> 00:18:39,919 Speaker 1: don't know how that has possibly happened, but it is 355 00:18:39,920 --> 00:18:42,040 Speaker 1: one of our favorite podcasts. Hope you guys will check 356 00:18:42,040 --> 00:18:44,440 Speaker 1: it out. And Chuck, thanks so much for joining us. Hey, thanks, 357 00:18:44,440 --> 00:19:01,720 Speaker 1: and welcome to the family, guys. Has been great Welcome 358 00:19:01,720 --> 00:19:03,800 Speaker 1: back to Part Time Genius, where we're discussing how the 359 00:19:03,840 --> 00:19:06,639 Speaker 1: boy Scouts conquered America. So remember how I said we 360 00:19:06,680 --> 00:19:09,440 Speaker 1: have to rewind to a war in South Africa, right, 361 00:19:09,560 --> 00:19:11,479 Speaker 1: but I have a bit of a tangent first, and 362 00:19:11,520 --> 00:19:14,199 Speaker 1: I promise we'll get there. So, as you know, my 363 00:19:14,240 --> 00:19:16,400 Speaker 1: parents are from India, and even though I was born 364 00:19:16,400 --> 00:19:18,920 Speaker 1: in New Jersey and grew up in North Carolina and Delaware, 365 00:19:19,119 --> 00:19:21,159 Speaker 1: I've always felt like I needed to learn for myself 366 00:19:21,200 --> 00:19:24,040 Speaker 1: how things really get done in America. Like my parents 367 00:19:24,119 --> 00:19:27,760 Speaker 1: were great for food and shelter and unconditional love and 368 00:19:27,960 --> 00:19:30,280 Speaker 1: you know, help with homework, but they were a little 369 00:19:30,359 --> 00:19:32,520 Speaker 1: clueless about how certain things work. What do you mean 370 00:19:32,520 --> 00:19:35,040 Speaker 1: by that? Well, intentionally or not. I'm always trying to 371 00:19:35,080 --> 00:19:38,560 Speaker 1: connect little things about how people get places. So things 372 00:19:38,600 --> 00:19:41,119 Speaker 1: like the NBC Page Program. Sure, I mean, if you're 373 00:19:41,160 --> 00:19:43,680 Speaker 1: a page at NBC, it's supposedly a real gold star 374 00:19:43,720 --> 00:19:45,920 Speaker 1: if you're trying to work your way up at the networks. 375 00:19:45,920 --> 00:19:48,200 Speaker 1: And the alums from it are incredible, people like Michael 376 00:19:48,240 --> 00:19:51,520 Speaker 1: Eisner reis filled in Aubrey Plaza right. And there are 377 00:19:51,520 --> 00:19:54,560 Speaker 1: other little pockets of this too, like how the Groundlings 378 00:19:54,560 --> 00:19:57,359 Speaker 1: and Second City, or gateways to Sidurday Night Live, or 379 00:19:57,600 --> 00:19:59,600 Speaker 1: I read somewhere that being on the little team that 380 00:19:59,680 --> 00:20:02,280 Speaker 1: is some is the Harper's Index can actually open a 381 00:20:02,359 --> 00:20:04,800 Speaker 1: huge career in magazines. That's where a bunch of big 382 00:20:04,920 --> 00:20:07,080 Speaker 1: editors got their start. Okay, I get what you mean, 383 00:20:07,160 --> 00:20:09,040 Speaker 1: But you do remember that this is a show about 384 00:20:09,080 --> 00:20:12,040 Speaker 1: Boy Scouts, right, Yeah, and I promise we're getting there. See. 385 00:20:12,160 --> 00:20:14,320 Speaker 1: I feel like being an Eagle Scout is another of 386 00:20:14,359 --> 00:20:17,000 Speaker 1: these things that as an outsider, people don't really tell 387 00:20:17,040 --> 00:20:19,400 Speaker 1: you about. But if I'd really wanted to get into 388 00:20:19,440 --> 00:20:22,480 Speaker 1: politics or the military, or even be an astronaut, I 389 00:20:22,480 --> 00:20:25,399 Speaker 1: think there's almost an extra level of perceived patriotism that 390 00:20:25,440 --> 00:20:27,480 Speaker 1: comes with being a Boy Scout at the highest level, 391 00:20:27,560 --> 00:20:30,080 Speaker 1: which is definitely grounded in Boy Scout history. I mean, 392 00:20:30,119 --> 00:20:33,520 Speaker 1: the Boy Scouts are kind of officially patriotic. So just 393 00:20:33,640 --> 00:20:36,360 Speaker 1: five years after being established in the States, the Boy 394 00:20:36,440 --> 00:20:39,840 Speaker 1: Scouts got a charter from Congress in nineteen sixteen, which 395 00:20:39,840 --> 00:20:43,359 Speaker 1: protected it as a patriotic institution from monopoly laws and 396 00:20:43,400 --> 00:20:46,520 Speaker 1: help them consolidate Scout troops across the country. I mean, 397 00:20:46,560 --> 00:20:49,440 Speaker 1: this was a huge deal. Other institutions with this charter 398 00:20:49,520 --> 00:20:52,280 Speaker 1: from Congress include the Red Cross or the Future Farmers 399 00:20:52,280 --> 00:20:54,840 Speaker 1: of America. Oh so, how they scored the Charter Well, 400 00:20:54,880 --> 00:20:58,320 Speaker 1: the fact that Teddy Roosevelt, Mr. Muscular Christianity himself was 401 00:20:58,359 --> 00:21:01,040 Speaker 1: a big booster really helped. And then the charity work 402 00:21:01,119 --> 00:21:03,680 Speaker 1: the Boys did in their early years making sure July 403 00:21:03,800 --> 00:21:07,320 Speaker 1: Fourth events across the country were safe, insane, selling bonds 404 00:21:07,359 --> 00:21:11,359 Speaker 1: for the troops, planning gardens, collecting clothes in wartime. All 405 00:21:11,400 --> 00:21:13,720 Speaker 1: of those things, combined with the fact that Norman Rockwell 406 00:21:13,760 --> 00:21:17,280 Speaker 1: started illustrating covers for their magazine from the nineteen twenties on, 407 00:21:17,720 --> 00:21:21,680 Speaker 1: that all cemented The Scouts is this very American thing. Yeah, 408 00:21:21,760 --> 00:21:24,440 Speaker 1: and the Eagle Scout is like achieving the ultimate American 409 00:21:24,480 --> 00:21:26,840 Speaker 1: boys status. I mean, just take a look at some 410 00:21:26,840 --> 00:21:29,840 Speaker 1: of the names of Eagle Scouts. Former New York City 411 00:21:29,880 --> 00:21:33,200 Speaker 1: mayor and self made billionaire Michael Bloomberg is one. Sam 412 00:21:33,240 --> 00:21:37,080 Speaker 1: Walton of Walmart's fame, Neil Armstrong. It's harder to get 413 00:21:37,119 --> 00:21:40,200 Speaker 1: more American than Neil Armstrong. There's a really fun bit 414 00:21:40,240 --> 00:21:43,520 Speaker 1: from the Astronaut Logs where Neil Armstrong, aboard the Apollo eleven, 415 00:21:43,600 --> 00:21:45,560 Speaker 1: is on his way to the Moon and sends a 416 00:21:45,640 --> 00:21:47,720 Speaker 1: shout out and best wishes to the boys at the 417 00:21:47,840 --> 00:21:51,560 Speaker 1: National Scout Jamboree and Idaho. Can you imagine how psyched 418 00:21:51,560 --> 00:21:53,760 Speaker 1: the Scouts must have been to hear this. I know 419 00:21:53,880 --> 00:21:56,439 Speaker 1: it's such a great story. By the way, JFK was 420 00:21:56,440 --> 00:21:58,359 Speaker 1: the first Boy Scout president. But do you know who 421 00:21:58,400 --> 00:22:01,760 Speaker 1: the first Eagle Scout president was? Gerald Ford? That's right. 422 00:22:02,000 --> 00:22:04,000 Speaker 1: He was so American. He had a dog named Liberty. 423 00:22:04,040 --> 00:22:06,920 Speaker 1: Can I quickly tell you my favorite Gerald Ford's story? Yeah, definitely. 424 00:22:07,040 --> 00:22:09,800 Speaker 1: So David Gergen, you know, the political storian and Honda, 425 00:22:10,240 --> 00:22:12,240 Speaker 1: had this story about Nixon and the White House and 426 00:22:12,280 --> 00:22:15,160 Speaker 1: how Nixon of course needed a bigger, more important chair 427 00:22:15,200 --> 00:22:17,720 Speaker 1: than anyone else at the conference table. But on the 428 00:22:17,800 --> 00:22:21,360 Speaker 1: day Nixon resigned and Gerald Ford took office, Ford had 429 00:22:21,359 --> 00:22:23,600 Speaker 1: that big chair at the table removed, so all the 430 00:22:23,680 --> 00:22:26,680 Speaker 1: chairs were the same size. Gergan's point was that whatever 431 00:22:26,760 --> 00:22:28,679 Speaker 1: you think of Ford as a president, he was a 432 00:22:28,720 --> 00:22:31,879 Speaker 1: pretty good guy, sage boy Scout. But back to my 433 00:22:31,920 --> 00:22:34,359 Speaker 1: Eagle Scout rent. So you have people like Bob Gates, 434 00:22:34,359 --> 00:22:36,920 Speaker 1: who was the head of the CIA, or Rex Tillerson 435 00:22:37,119 --> 00:22:39,800 Speaker 1: from Exxon who's now our Secretary of State, or Hank 436 00:22:39,840 --> 00:22:42,360 Speaker 1: Paulson who was a Goldman. Saxon was also at the Treasury. 437 00:22:42,720 --> 00:22:45,240 Speaker 1: Like they all talk about how they'll take a second 438 00:22:45,280 --> 00:22:48,360 Speaker 1: look at job applications if you're an Eagle Scout. I mean, 439 00:22:48,400 --> 00:22:50,680 Speaker 1: earning all those badges and doing good in your community 440 00:22:50,720 --> 00:22:53,720 Speaker 1: can actually help you get a job even today. Well, 441 00:22:53,760 --> 00:22:56,400 Speaker 1: another thing about those famous Scouts is that almost everyone 442 00:22:56,440 --> 00:22:58,600 Speaker 1: you've named is white, which is the thing we'll talk 443 00:22:58,640 --> 00:23:01,240 Speaker 1: about a little bit more later, but first let's get personal. 444 00:23:01,320 --> 00:23:04,480 Speaker 1: Were you a Scout? Nope? So why not? So this 445 00:23:04,560 --> 00:23:06,240 Speaker 1: sounds stupid, but I think by the time I was 446 00:23:06,320 --> 00:23:09,199 Speaker 1: really interested, I'd seen copies of Boys Life at my 447 00:23:09,240 --> 00:23:11,600 Speaker 1: friend's house and thought the advertisements for things in the 448 00:23:11,600 --> 00:23:14,520 Speaker 1: back were awesome. And then I heard about making Pinewood 449 00:23:14,520 --> 00:23:17,280 Speaker 1: Derby cars and going camping. These were all things that 450 00:23:17,280 --> 00:23:20,360 Speaker 1: appealed to me. But I was turned off by the uniform. 451 00:23:21,000 --> 00:23:23,679 Speaker 1: They just seemed so embarrassing to wear in public. And 452 00:23:23,720 --> 00:23:25,760 Speaker 1: I mean I say this as a kid who wore 453 00:23:25,800 --> 00:23:27,880 Speaker 1: a lot of villure in my earliers and I've seen 454 00:23:27,880 --> 00:23:29,840 Speaker 1: the pictures. Well, you know what's funny is that the 455 00:23:29,920 --> 00:23:32,560 Speaker 1: uniforms have always been a problem. Like there's this great 456 00:23:32,600 --> 00:23:35,360 Speaker 1: quote from David McCloud's book about the Scouts, it's called 457 00:23:35,359 --> 00:23:38,520 Speaker 1: Building Character and the American Boy and he talks about 458 00:23:38,520 --> 00:23:40,880 Speaker 1: this in the town of Lockport, Illinois and the decade 459 00:23:40,960 --> 00:23:43,280 Speaker 1: after b s A launched, And let me just find 460 00:23:43,320 --> 00:23:46,359 Speaker 1: the quote right here. Basically, the mocking and whistling was 461 00:23:46,400 --> 00:23:48,920 Speaker 1: so bad that quote, the Boy Scouts had to beat 462 00:23:49,000 --> 00:23:51,639 Speaker 1: up several gangs of town tuffs before it was safe 463 00:23:51,640 --> 00:23:55,520 Speaker 1: to appear alone in uniform on the street. And apparently 464 00:23:55,520 --> 00:23:58,320 Speaker 1: it only got worse after the nineteen twenties, when the 465 00:23:58,320 --> 00:24:01,399 Speaker 1: Boy Scouts of America started pushing teenagers to wear shorts 466 00:24:01,400 --> 00:24:04,159 Speaker 1: instead of pants because they were cheaper, which makes you 467 00:24:04,200 --> 00:24:06,600 Speaker 1: wonder why they pushed uniforms at all. Well, part of 468 00:24:06,600 --> 00:24:09,200 Speaker 1: the reason the Boy scott started mandating uniforms early on 469 00:24:09,320 --> 00:24:11,399 Speaker 1: was that it showed a commitment to the cause, and 470 00:24:11,440 --> 00:24:13,959 Speaker 1: also because Boy Scout leaders wanted to make sure that 471 00:24:14,000 --> 00:24:16,520 Speaker 1: boys in the woods were immediately recognized as part of 472 00:24:16,520 --> 00:24:18,960 Speaker 1: an organization instead of, you know, just a bunch of 473 00:24:18,960 --> 00:24:21,680 Speaker 1: delinquents up to no good. And I get it. I mean, 474 00:24:21,720 --> 00:24:23,840 Speaker 1: if you saw my elementary school friends trying to start 475 00:24:23,840 --> 00:24:26,679 Speaker 1: a fire with sticks, you probably called the cops. But 476 00:24:26,880 --> 00:24:28,680 Speaker 1: the Boy Scouts have had to walk this very fine 477 00:24:28,720 --> 00:24:30,439 Speaker 1: line of whether they were training boys to be in 478 00:24:30,440 --> 00:24:34,119 Speaker 1: the military, because people were suspicious from the start, like 479 00:24:34,200 --> 00:24:37,679 Speaker 1: the uniforms were certainly advantageous because they conveyed this respect 480 00:24:37,760 --> 00:24:40,919 Speaker 1: and commitment to serving and protecting the community, and the 481 00:24:40,920 --> 00:24:43,359 Speaker 1: Boy Scouts of America like that, they were admired by 482 00:24:43,359 --> 00:24:46,159 Speaker 1: the military. At the same time, the organization wanted to 483 00:24:46,200 --> 00:24:49,680 Speaker 1: court churches, so they secured funding from Andrew Carnegie, who 484 00:24:49,760 --> 00:24:53,320 Speaker 1: McLeod points out was the staunch anti war supporter, and 485 00:24:53,359 --> 00:24:55,320 Speaker 1: they went so far as to eliminate all talk of 486 00:24:55,359 --> 00:24:58,360 Speaker 1: the military from their handbooks, which finally brings us back 487 00:24:58,400 --> 00:25:01,040 Speaker 1: to the real origins of Scouting. Our good friend Robert 488 00:25:01,040 --> 00:25:04,520 Speaker 1: Baden Powell, or as you call him, Stefy. That's right. 489 00:25:05,119 --> 00:25:07,879 Speaker 1: So here's the quick story, or as quick as I 490 00:25:07,880 --> 00:25:11,800 Speaker 1: can tell it, which probably won't be that quick. So 491 00:25:12,160 --> 00:25:14,800 Speaker 1: Biden Pal's dad passed away when he was just a toddler, 492 00:25:14,840 --> 00:25:17,639 Speaker 1: but his mom was like this proud and clever woman, 493 00:25:17,840 --> 00:25:19,679 Speaker 1: and she was determined to make men of her boys. 494 00:25:20,040 --> 00:25:22,439 Speaker 1: So one Pale was growing up, not only were her 495 00:25:22,480 --> 00:25:24,840 Speaker 1: sons encouraged to be off in the wild, but for 496 00:25:24,920 --> 00:25:29,160 Speaker 1: vacation she'd make them backpack incredible distances, like she'd packed 497 00:25:29,160 --> 00:25:31,080 Speaker 1: them off from their home in London and planned to 498 00:25:31,119 --> 00:25:33,840 Speaker 1: meet them in Wales. I know the boys would travel 499 00:25:33,920 --> 00:25:36,000 Speaker 1: light and navigate on their own, and they'd catch and 500 00:25:36,040 --> 00:25:38,760 Speaker 1: cook their own meals while setting up camp and canoeing 501 00:25:38,800 --> 00:25:42,520 Speaker 1: along the way. It's incredible, yeah, and it's not really 502 00:25:42,560 --> 00:25:46,080 Speaker 1: my idea of vacation, but her plan worked. They all 503 00:25:46,160 --> 00:25:49,639 Speaker 1: ended up super capable, and Biden Powell really takes to 504 00:25:49,680 --> 00:25:52,000 Speaker 1: this life, and so he joins the army. And I 505 00:25:52,040 --> 00:25:54,359 Speaker 1: remember all along the way he's felt this loss of 506 00:25:54,400 --> 00:25:56,960 Speaker 1: his father, so he's always looking for an older brother 507 00:25:57,080 --> 00:25:59,560 Speaker 1: or father figure to guide him. So let's fast forward 508 00:25:59,600 --> 00:26:02,399 Speaker 1: to eighteen nine. By this time, he's forty two and 509 00:26:02,480 --> 00:26:05,960 Speaker 1: he's a decorated colonel posted in colonial South Africa. But 510 00:26:06,040 --> 00:26:08,199 Speaker 1: he finds himself in a spot of trouble. He's in 511 00:26:08,240 --> 00:26:11,199 Speaker 1: a region where the Dutch columnists the Bowers, want to 512 00:26:11,200 --> 00:26:13,600 Speaker 1: seize the land from the British, and the British camp 513 00:26:13,640 --> 00:26:17,720 Speaker 1: is seriously outnumbered, like they've got five hundred soldiers compared 514 00:26:17,760 --> 00:26:20,840 Speaker 1: to the eight thousand Bowers surrounding them, and England doesn't 515 00:26:20,840 --> 00:26:22,840 Speaker 1: want to send in reinforcements because they don't want to 516 00:26:22,880 --> 00:26:25,960 Speaker 1: provoke a war, so bab Powell basically has to rely 517 00:26:26,040 --> 00:26:29,439 Speaker 1: on his wits. He consolidates his troops inland at a 518 00:26:29,480 --> 00:26:32,000 Speaker 1: town called maf King, trying to move the bowers away 519 00:26:32,000 --> 00:26:34,640 Speaker 1: from the coast, and then he starts employing the manly 520 00:26:34,880 --> 00:26:38,600 Speaker 1: art of stagecraft. What do you mean like theatrics exactly? 521 00:26:38,880 --> 00:26:40,600 Speaker 1: So Biden Powell does all these things to make the 522 00:26:40,640 --> 00:26:43,680 Speaker 1: area seem better protected than it actually is. He knows 523 00:26:43,720 --> 00:26:45,560 Speaker 1: they're being watched, so he gets his men to act 524 00:26:45,600 --> 00:26:48,440 Speaker 1: like they're ducking through barbed wire around the encampments when 525 00:26:48,480 --> 00:26:50,760 Speaker 1: there actually isn't any and he gets his men to 526 00:26:50,800 --> 00:26:54,080 Speaker 1: build gun turrets even though there isn't any artillery to use. 527 00:26:54,400 --> 00:26:56,840 Speaker 1: He has this whole deception campaign. But one of the 528 00:26:56,880 --> 00:26:59,119 Speaker 1: smartest things he does is to get a group of 529 00:26:59,160 --> 00:27:01,840 Speaker 1: local boys as the maf King Cadet Corps to help 530 00:27:01,920 --> 00:27:05,680 Speaker 1: him out. Decked out in khaki, these boys relay messages 531 00:27:05,760 --> 00:27:08,600 Speaker 1: and watched the hospital and scouting patrol areas for him, 532 00:27:09,080 --> 00:27:11,960 Speaker 1: and in the process he relieves the soldiers of these 533 00:27:11,960 --> 00:27:14,679 Speaker 1: more mundane duties and frees them to fight. So how 534 00:27:14,720 --> 00:27:19,080 Speaker 1: long does this last two hundred and seventeen days. I know, 535 00:27:19,200 --> 00:27:22,960 Speaker 1: it's unbelievable. Like he builds artillery from scrap metal, and 536 00:27:23,000 --> 00:27:25,480 Speaker 1: he keeps morale up while keeping the Boers at bay. 537 00:27:25,760 --> 00:27:28,000 Speaker 1: And when the British finally send in troops and free 538 00:27:28,040 --> 00:27:31,040 Speaker 1: the town Baden, Powell is declared a hero and becomes 539 00:27:31,040 --> 00:27:34,399 Speaker 1: the youngest major general in the army. Oh and thirty 540 00:27:34,440 --> 00:27:37,720 Speaker 1: eight of his young cadets, like those khaki wearing do gooders, 541 00:27:38,080 --> 00:27:41,000 Speaker 1: they also get medals from Queen Victoria. That's great. But 542 00:27:41,040 --> 00:27:43,119 Speaker 1: the craziest thing is that he was actually writing a 543 00:27:43,160 --> 00:27:45,680 Speaker 1: book during the siege, Right wasn't he producing AIDS to 544 00:27:45,720 --> 00:27:48,280 Speaker 1: scouting while he was down there? He was, people didn't 545 00:27:48,280 --> 00:27:52,080 Speaker 1: think he's left. So, just like Teddy Roosevelt, he was 546 00:27:52,119 --> 00:27:54,880 Speaker 1: worried that boys weren't coming into the army well equipped enough. 547 00:27:55,160 --> 00:27:57,199 Speaker 1: So he wrote this book that talked about the training 548 00:27:57,240 --> 00:27:59,480 Speaker 1: he received, and when he went back to England and 549 00:27:59,560 --> 00:28:02,159 Speaker 1: was declared to war hero, the book became a best seller, 550 00:28:02,560 --> 00:28:05,920 Speaker 1: and so he kind of becomes the godfather of scouting essentially. Right, 551 00:28:05,920 --> 00:28:08,960 Speaker 1: so Aids the Scouting informs groups like the Woodcroft Indians 552 00:28:08,960 --> 00:28:11,280 Speaker 1: and other proto Scouts, who then inspire him to do 553 00:28:11,320 --> 00:28:14,399 Speaker 1: a revision of the book Scouting for Boys, which then 554 00:28:14,440 --> 00:28:18,040 Speaker 1: becomes the official Boy Scout Manual. It's this virtuous cycle 555 00:28:18,119 --> 00:28:20,880 Speaker 1: between the efforts in England and the States. But what's 556 00:28:20,880 --> 00:28:23,080 Speaker 1: most interesting to me about Biden Powell is that while 557 00:28:23,080 --> 00:28:25,639 Speaker 1: he's formed the Boy Scouts to instill morality and the 558 00:28:25,720 --> 00:28:28,680 Speaker 1: sense of adventure and boys, what really comes through is 559 00:28:28,720 --> 00:28:30,560 Speaker 1: that this is the group he wished he could have 560 00:28:30,640 --> 00:28:33,480 Speaker 1: been part of in his childhood, growing up without a dad. 561 00:28:33,480 --> 00:28:35,520 Speaker 1: He wanted to create a place where lost boys could 562 00:28:35,600 --> 00:28:38,080 Speaker 1: learn life skills to become good men. Yeah, it's like 563 00:28:38,080 --> 00:28:40,520 Speaker 1: two parts of mcgiver and one part Peter Pan, Right, 564 00:28:40,840 --> 00:28:42,920 Speaker 1: And of course there's still the question of what's a 565 00:28:42,920 --> 00:28:44,959 Speaker 1: good man and who's allowed to be a Boy Scout 566 00:28:45,200 --> 00:28:47,360 Speaker 1: thinks the Boy Scouts of America will wrestle with for 567 00:28:47,400 --> 00:28:49,640 Speaker 1: the next hundred years. But before we get into that 568 00:28:49,720 --> 00:28:59,680 Speaker 1: meaty topic, why don't we take a break for a quiz. So, mago, 569 00:28:59,720 --> 00:29:01,960 Speaker 1: who do having the line? Today? We've got two former 570 00:29:02,000 --> 00:29:04,160 Speaker 1: Boy Scouts on the line. We've got Howard calling in 571 00:29:04,200 --> 00:29:07,680 Speaker 1: from sunny California and Ryan in Maryland. All right, well, 572 00:29:07,720 --> 00:29:10,280 Speaker 1: let's meet each one of them. Howard I hear that 573 00:29:10,320 --> 00:29:13,000 Speaker 1: you became a Scout just because you wanted a subscription 574 00:29:13,040 --> 00:29:15,760 Speaker 1: to Boys Life. Is this true? That is correct, and 575 00:29:15,960 --> 00:29:18,240 Speaker 1: actually you can pay for subscription, But then I learned 576 00:29:18,240 --> 00:29:21,440 Speaker 1: it joint Scouting, you get a subscription for free. So 577 00:29:22,120 --> 00:29:25,080 Speaker 1: that was my main motivator. It's because the back of 578 00:29:25,080 --> 00:29:27,080 Speaker 1: the boy's Life was always the coolest part you could buy, 579 00:29:27,080 --> 00:29:30,440 Speaker 1: like smoke grenades with army knives that were like two 580 00:29:30,440 --> 00:29:35,040 Speaker 1: inches thick, and plans for a hovercraft. But I avoided 581 00:29:35,080 --> 00:29:37,040 Speaker 1: that one because the fine print said you needed to 582 00:29:37,080 --> 00:29:41,400 Speaker 1: take a part of vacuum cleaner to build it. Wow, 583 00:29:41,440 --> 00:29:44,000 Speaker 1: that's true scouting right there. Well, welcome to part time 584 00:29:44,040 --> 00:29:48,200 Speaker 1: genius Howard and Ryan carrying on the boy Scout mission. 585 00:29:48,240 --> 00:29:50,480 Speaker 1: I hear you started a hedge fund where the profits 586 00:29:50,520 --> 00:29:53,840 Speaker 1: actually go to charity. Is this true? Yeah, so pretty 587 00:29:53,880 --> 00:29:55,920 Speaker 1: pretty true. It's not exactly a hedge fun it's a 588 00:29:55,960 --> 00:29:58,440 Speaker 1: student run investment group, but yeah, it's called the Urban 589 00:29:58,440 --> 00:30:01,280 Speaker 1: Philanthropic Funds pretty up fun and it's missing. It's to 590 00:30:01,280 --> 00:30:05,120 Speaker 1: bridge investment education with community service. So the idea is 591 00:30:05,160 --> 00:30:07,760 Speaker 1: that starting in the fall, will be managing a pretty 592 00:30:07,760 --> 00:30:11,000 Speaker 1: small investment portfolio and then using returns to finance nonprofit 593 00:30:11,000 --> 00:30:13,680 Speaker 1: initiatives in New Haven, and in our investment team, we're 594 00:30:13,720 --> 00:30:15,880 Speaker 1: going to have not just you know, undergrads, but also 595 00:30:16,440 --> 00:30:18,680 Speaker 1: uh NBA candidates from the Yal School of Management and 596 00:30:18,720 --> 00:30:20,480 Speaker 1: we're hoping to include some high school students from the 597 00:30:20,520 --> 00:30:23,080 Speaker 1: New Haven community as well. UM and then our returns 598 00:30:23,080 --> 00:30:25,959 Speaker 1: will be used to finance different nonprofit initiatives, but each 599 00:30:26,040 --> 00:30:27,960 Speaker 1: year with a different focus issue. And our first years 600 00:30:27,960 --> 00:30:31,600 Speaker 1: focus issue is going to be education including childcare and jobs, 601 00:30:31,600 --> 00:30:36,840 Speaker 1: trading mango, what are what are we doing with our lives? 602 00:30:37,320 --> 00:30:41,440 Speaker 1: Donate something? So alright, so where it's time to play 603 00:30:41,440 --> 00:30:43,960 Speaker 1: our quiz for the day. What quiz are we playing today? 604 00:30:44,200 --> 00:30:46,240 Speaker 1: We're going to play a quiz called boy Oh Boy, 605 00:30:46,360 --> 00:30:48,520 Speaker 1: And that's because every answer has the word boy in it. 606 00:30:49,000 --> 00:30:51,840 Speaker 1: So if we were to ask the question, uh, type 607 00:30:51,880 --> 00:30:55,200 Speaker 1: of musical act in sync or one direction is? You'd answer? 608 00:30:57,520 --> 00:30:59,640 Speaker 1: All right? So that seems appropriate since we've got a 609 00:30:59,640 --> 00:31:01,640 Speaker 1: pair of boy scouts. So this is how it works. 610 00:31:02,160 --> 00:31:05,400 Speaker 1: We'll pick one contestant, put thirty seconds on the clock, 611 00:31:05,480 --> 00:31:07,840 Speaker 1: and then you'll try to answer as many questions as 612 00:31:07,880 --> 00:31:10,960 Speaker 1: you can get through. And remember every answer has the 613 00:31:11,000 --> 00:31:13,400 Speaker 1: word boy in it. Okay, Howard, are you ready to 614 00:31:13,520 --> 00:31:17,280 Speaker 1: kick this thing off? Alright, so let's put thirty seconds 615 00:31:17,360 --> 00:31:20,520 Speaker 1: on the official clock. Remember, each answer has the word 616 00:31:20,560 --> 00:31:23,520 Speaker 1: boy in it. Here we go. Number one, the magazine 617 00:31:23,560 --> 00:31:28,200 Speaker 1: Hugh Hefner used to edit the spokesperson for Pillsbury, is 618 00:31:28,240 --> 00:31:32,720 Speaker 1: also known as what. Gandhi and Martin Luther King both 619 00:31:32,760 --> 00:31:37,840 Speaker 1: advocated for this type of protest slogan on trucker hats 620 00:31:38,000 --> 00:31:43,080 Speaker 1: used to read Jesus is my recent Richard link letter movie? 621 00:31:45,040 --> 00:31:47,560 Speaker 1: Oh and times off? Times up? So how many did 622 00:31:47,560 --> 00:31:52,320 Speaker 1: you get mango? He got four, which is really good answer. 623 00:31:52,360 --> 00:31:58,560 Speaker 1: The last one was boyhood. Okay, al right, here we go, Yeah, alright, 624 00:31:58,960 --> 00:32:02,440 Speaker 1: let's put thirty seconds on the clock. It's Ryan's turn. Ryan, 625 00:32:02,480 --> 00:32:05,160 Speaker 1: are you ready? Alright? Ready, here we go. Number one 626 00:32:05,240 --> 00:32:11,240 Speaker 1: nickname for Robin Batman's sidekick, right, person who clears tables 627 00:32:11,280 --> 00:32:16,120 Speaker 1: at a restaurant, boy right. Type of toy Woody is 628 00:32:16,360 --> 00:32:22,800 Speaker 1: in Toy Story Cowboy Chris Farley and David Spade movie. 629 00:32:23,280 --> 00:32:31,400 Speaker 1: Um uh, I don't know, So how did Ryan do 630 00:32:31,440 --> 00:32:34,280 Speaker 1: you mango? So? Ryan got three in a row, which 631 00:32:34,320 --> 00:32:37,160 Speaker 1: is not bad at all. Um, and Howard was in 632 00:32:37,240 --> 00:32:40,280 Speaker 1: with four. Okay, so what what what prize has Howard 633 00:32:40,320 --> 00:32:43,200 Speaker 1: one today? So as always, first place wins a handwritten 634 00:32:43,240 --> 00:32:45,640 Speaker 1: note from us to your mom or your boss, singing 635 00:32:45,640 --> 00:32:48,440 Speaker 1: your praises, and this week that goes to Howard. And 636 00:32:48,520 --> 00:32:51,400 Speaker 1: because we don't want Ryan's mailbox to feel lonely, will 637 00:32:51,440 --> 00:32:54,600 Speaker 1: be mailing you a Horsemanship Merit badge, the cheapest Boy 638 00:32:54,640 --> 00:32:59,280 Speaker 1: Scout badge we could find on eBay. Thank you, Thank 639 00:32:59,320 --> 00:33:17,800 Speaker 1: you both for thanks. Guys, have a great one so much. Okay, 640 00:33:17,840 --> 00:33:19,600 Speaker 1: I can see now how the Boy Scouts got their 641 00:33:19,640 --> 00:33:22,920 Speaker 1: start and why they quickly became an American institution. I mean, 642 00:33:22,960 --> 00:33:25,280 Speaker 1: the Boy Scouts actually give a report to the nation 643 00:33:25,320 --> 00:33:28,040 Speaker 1: every year, and in two thousand and sixteen, troops across 644 00:33:28,080 --> 00:33:32,280 Speaker 1: the country contributed an astounding fifteen point four million hours 645 00:33:32,320 --> 00:33:35,600 Speaker 1: of service. It's stunning how much volunteer work they do. 646 00:33:35,840 --> 00:33:37,760 Speaker 1: But what are some of the threats and opportunities Boy 647 00:33:37,800 --> 00:33:40,280 Speaker 1: Scouts will face in the future. Well, one of the 648 00:33:40,320 --> 00:33:42,440 Speaker 1: things that's been tricky for the Scouts is that if 649 00:33:42,440 --> 00:33:44,360 Speaker 1: you're all about raising the American boy to be the 650 00:33:44,400 --> 00:33:46,640 Speaker 1: all American man, and you have to reckon with who 651 00:33:46,640 --> 00:33:49,960 Speaker 1: gets to be American, And that's some pretty thorny territory. 652 00:33:50,600 --> 00:33:52,520 Speaker 1: You know, we were talking earlier about the way they 653 00:33:52,520 --> 00:33:55,360 Speaker 1: were perceived as linked with the military and how Scouts 654 00:33:55,360 --> 00:33:58,520 Speaker 1: had to downplay their uniforms at times. Recently, of course, 655 00:33:58,600 --> 00:34:00,640 Speaker 1: the Boy Scouts have had issues with whether to allow 656 00:34:00,720 --> 00:34:03,280 Speaker 1: gay scouts into the fold and whether gay adults can 657 00:34:03,320 --> 00:34:05,360 Speaker 1: be part of the leadership. Part of this issue comes 658 00:34:05,400 --> 00:34:08,840 Speaker 1: down to who sponsors troops. Like overt of the troops 659 00:34:08,840 --> 00:34:11,160 Speaker 1: in the US were sponsored by the Mormon Church, and 660 00:34:11,239 --> 00:34:13,319 Speaker 1: so the Boy Scouts of America are constantly trying to 661 00:34:13,360 --> 00:34:17,440 Speaker 1: balance their more socially conservative base with the more progressive troops. 662 00:34:17,800 --> 00:34:20,359 Speaker 1: And today, boys who identify as gay or in fact 663 00:34:20,400 --> 00:34:22,840 Speaker 1: allowed to be Scouts and the parent organization of b 664 00:34:23,040 --> 00:34:26,080 Speaker 1: SA refuses to discriminate, but individual troops can decide who 665 00:34:26,120 --> 00:34:28,479 Speaker 1: their leaders are, right. This is sort of tricky terrain 666 00:34:28,600 --> 00:34:30,600 Speaker 1: for the Scouts, and has also happened with issues like 667 00:34:30,640 --> 00:34:34,279 Speaker 1: atheism and certainly with race before that. That's right, though 668 00:34:34,280 --> 00:34:37,120 Speaker 1: the early Boy Scout text didn't discriminate against creator race, 669 00:34:37,360 --> 00:34:39,560 Speaker 1: it was a little different in practice. I mean, the 670 00:34:39,560 --> 00:34:42,040 Speaker 1: Boy Scouts were very middle class and upper middle class 671 00:34:42,080 --> 00:34:44,560 Speaker 1: institution from the start, in part because of the money 672 00:34:44,600 --> 00:34:47,400 Speaker 1: you needed, like JFK supposedly asked for his allowance to 673 00:34:47,400 --> 00:34:49,160 Speaker 1: be up just so you could pay his scouting fees. 674 00:34:49,560 --> 00:34:52,319 Speaker 1: And you know, canteens and camps don't come cheap. So 675 00:34:52,360 --> 00:34:54,640 Speaker 1: initially at least Scouts didn't really try to recruit in 676 00:34:54,640 --> 00:34:57,640 Speaker 1: lower class areas. But the Boy Scouts had a very 677 00:34:57,680 --> 00:35:00,560 Speaker 1: I don't know whether you call it pragmatic or exceedingly 678 00:35:00,640 --> 00:35:04,520 Speaker 1: cautious or sort of inept approach to race. While places 679 00:35:04,560 --> 00:35:07,640 Speaker 1: like Camden and Philly and Buffalo had integrated troops from 680 00:35:07,680 --> 00:35:10,080 Speaker 1: the early days, in the South, the b s A 681 00:35:10,239 --> 00:35:13,200 Speaker 1: went with a kind of states rights plan. They had 682 00:35:13,200 --> 00:35:15,399 Speaker 1: a provision that regional councils of b s A could 683 00:35:15,440 --> 00:35:17,839 Speaker 1: vote whether to integrate its troops or not, and so 684 00:35:18,000 --> 00:35:20,239 Speaker 1: they generally voted to keep the scouts white south of 685 00:35:20,280 --> 00:35:22,640 Speaker 1: the Mason Dixon. Some of it was at least cloaked 686 00:35:22,640 --> 00:35:25,320 Speaker 1: in a sense of caution, like in Memphis, the councilman warned, 687 00:35:25,520 --> 00:35:27,719 Speaker 1: how can we allow black boys to be Scouts when 688 00:35:27,760 --> 00:35:31,480 Speaker 1: adults here are still advocating for lynchings. And in Louisville, Kentucky, 689 00:35:31,680 --> 00:35:35,800 Speaker 1: there were actually five black boy Scouts, which sounds progressive, 690 00:35:35,920 --> 00:35:38,120 Speaker 1: but then I read that they also had a representative 691 00:35:38,160 --> 00:35:41,239 Speaker 1: set up just to feel criticisms for the integration, and 692 00:35:41,280 --> 00:35:44,000 Speaker 1: they weren't worrying about nothing. So the great historian John 693 00:35:44,000 --> 00:35:46,520 Speaker 1: Hope Franklin was a boy scout in his native Oklahoma 694 00:35:46,600 --> 00:35:48,719 Speaker 1: in the twenties. He tells a story of how he 695 00:35:48,840 --> 00:35:50,960 Speaker 1: and his troop were groomed to do one good deed 696 00:35:51,040 --> 00:35:53,720 Speaker 1: every day, and so when he saw an elderly blind 697 00:35:53,760 --> 00:35:56,840 Speaker 1: woman on a street corner, he offered to walk her across. 698 00:35:57,320 --> 00:36:00,200 Speaker 1: She gratefully accepted, and then they began. But and they 699 00:36:00,239 --> 00:36:02,759 Speaker 1: got halfway across the street, she asked him if he 700 00:36:02,840 --> 00:36:05,200 Speaker 1: was white or colored. He answered that he was colored, 701 00:36:05,239 --> 00:36:06,600 Speaker 1: and even though they were in the middle of an 702 00:36:06,600 --> 00:36:09,720 Speaker 1: intersection and she couldn't see, she shook him off, saying, 703 00:36:09,800 --> 00:36:12,319 Speaker 1: get your filthy hands off of me. And, as he 704 00:36:12,360 --> 00:36:14,799 Speaker 1: put it to his son, quote, this woman, who could 705 00:36:14,840 --> 00:36:17,040 Speaker 1: not see and who was in desperate need of help, 706 00:36:17,440 --> 00:36:19,520 Speaker 1: was not as interested in help as she was in 707 00:36:19,600 --> 00:36:23,040 Speaker 1: being certain that a young black man did not touch her. Yeah, 708 00:36:23,080 --> 00:36:25,359 Speaker 1: I mean, that story is so heartbreaking. And there were 709 00:36:25,400 --> 00:36:28,120 Speaker 1: regions where black scouts weren't allowed to wear uniforms for 710 00:36:28,160 --> 00:36:31,000 Speaker 1: a while. It was really messy. But on the other hand, 711 00:36:31,000 --> 00:36:33,440 Speaker 1: you have the Girl Scouts, who Martin Luther King singled 712 00:36:33,440 --> 00:36:36,000 Speaker 1: out as a force for desegregation. It's funny. The Girl 713 00:36:36,080 --> 00:36:38,640 Speaker 1: Scouts have been progressive on most issues, so when someone 714 00:36:38,719 --> 00:36:41,200 Speaker 1: sued about using the word God and their oath, the 715 00:36:41,200 --> 00:36:44,040 Speaker 1: Girl Scouts responded by allowing that girls could insert whatever 716 00:36:44,080 --> 00:36:47,400 Speaker 1: word they wanted there. LGBT issues haven't been much of 717 00:36:47,400 --> 00:36:50,080 Speaker 1: an issue. They allow transgender youth and have worked hard 718 00:36:50,120 --> 00:36:52,839 Speaker 1: towards inclusivity. Well, we should do a whole different show 719 00:36:52,880 --> 00:36:55,000 Speaker 1: on Girl Scouts, if nothing else, to talk about why 720 00:36:55,000 --> 00:36:57,400 Speaker 1: cookies tastes different in different parts of the country. Like, 721 00:36:57,440 --> 00:36:59,239 Speaker 1: I have some theory, I can't wait to hear this, 722 00:36:59,400 --> 00:37:02,360 Speaker 1: but you're it's partially just in the organization's d n 723 00:37:02,440 --> 00:37:05,120 Speaker 1: A while Boy Scouts were intended to look back to 724 00:37:05,200 --> 00:37:08,600 Speaker 1: a romanticized past and turn these coddled boys into men, 725 00:37:08,920 --> 00:37:12,040 Speaker 1: Girl Scouts were constantly fighting against type, teaching women to 726 00:37:12,080 --> 00:37:15,160 Speaker 1: be independent and empowered and to fight for social justice 727 00:37:15,160 --> 00:37:17,400 Speaker 1: in ways that the Boy Scouts were often wary, and 728 00:37:17,440 --> 00:37:20,799 Speaker 1: their founder, Juliette Gordon Lowe was secretly suffragist. But back 729 00:37:20,800 --> 00:37:24,080 Speaker 1: to Boy Scouts. Well, despite some of the challenges we've discussed. 730 00:37:24,120 --> 00:37:26,440 Speaker 1: The Boy Scouts continue to do meaningful work in their 731 00:37:26,480 --> 00:37:30,520 Speaker 1: communities and provide terrific opportunities for their members. I remember 732 00:37:30,640 --> 00:37:34,040 Speaker 1: Scouts being about meetings and churches or schools and mainly 733 00:37:34,040 --> 00:37:36,719 Speaker 1: being a thing where we talked about adventure. But in 734 00:37:36,760 --> 00:37:38,880 Speaker 1: my experience as a parent, I've watched my son go 735 00:37:38,960 --> 00:37:41,560 Speaker 1: on all sorts of fun outdoor adventures, even as a 736 00:37:41,600 --> 00:37:44,439 Speaker 1: first grader, and he loves it. Oh. I agree, it's 737 00:37:44,480 --> 00:37:47,520 Speaker 1: hard to dislike the Boy Scouts. They're so totally American, 738 00:37:47,920 --> 00:37:50,399 Speaker 1: and in truth, the problems the institution is faced, they're 739 00:37:50,440 --> 00:37:52,920 Speaker 1: really just problems that America has faced over the years. 740 00:37:53,280 --> 00:37:55,600 Speaker 1: But I love that there are Scouts everywhere from Hawaii 741 00:37:55,600 --> 00:37:57,960 Speaker 1: to Harlem now, and that there will be plenty of 742 00:37:57,960 --> 00:38:00,080 Speaker 1: Scouts out there to help me cross roads and on 743 00:38:00,160 --> 00:38:02,319 Speaker 1: my way through foggy London in the years to come. 744 00:38:02,400 --> 00:38:05,400 Speaker 1: That's right. And while I'm sure people continue to debate 745 00:38:05,440 --> 00:38:07,319 Speaker 1: what it means to be a man, and who knows 746 00:38:07,320 --> 00:38:10,120 Speaker 1: where exactly those debates will lead, it's clear the Boy 747 00:38:10,160 --> 00:38:13,440 Speaker 1: Scouts are an institution that's built to last. But before 748 00:38:13,440 --> 00:38:15,400 Speaker 1: we get too deep into the future, how about we 749 00:38:15,440 --> 00:38:28,520 Speaker 1: have a little fact off h here's something I didn't realize. 750 00:38:28,520 --> 00:38:31,120 Speaker 1: Of the twelve American astronauts who have walked on the Moon, 751 00:38:31,520 --> 00:38:34,440 Speaker 1: eleven of them were Scouts. That's incredible. Did you know 752 00:38:34,520 --> 00:38:37,520 Speaker 1: Steven Spielberg was an Eagle Scott As an eleven year old, 753 00:38:37,560 --> 00:38:39,840 Speaker 1: he made a movie with his friends called Last Gunfight, 754 00:38:39,920 --> 00:38:42,719 Speaker 1: which he credits with spurring his interest in filmmaking. Oh 755 00:38:42,800 --> 00:38:45,600 Speaker 1: and you got a photography badge for it. That's so great. 756 00:38:46,000 --> 00:38:49,400 Speaker 1: You know who else was a boy Scout? Rothbero l 757 00:38:49,480 --> 00:38:52,000 Speaker 1: Ron Hover. He has both both of them, but also 758 00:38:52,160 --> 00:38:54,879 Speaker 1: Bill Gates and as you might imagine, he wasn't very 759 00:38:54,920 --> 00:38:57,520 Speaker 1: good at hiking or cooking, but he claims he excelled 760 00:38:57,520 --> 00:39:01,000 Speaker 1: in one badges for basket weaving and would carbon but 761 00:39:01,080 --> 00:39:04,120 Speaker 1: the service component definitely made an impact on him. Did 762 00:39:04,120 --> 00:39:06,759 Speaker 1: you know Boy's Life got this exclusive with or We'll 763 00:39:06,800 --> 00:39:09,600 Speaker 1: write it was the only magazine he published his article, 764 00:39:09,640 --> 00:39:11,880 Speaker 1: how I learned to Fly with Like that should have 765 00:39:11,920 --> 00:39:14,200 Speaker 1: been with the New York Times, in the Sunday magazine 766 00:39:14,280 --> 00:39:17,800 Speaker 1: or something. That's pretty good. So after September eleven, Scouts 767 00:39:17,840 --> 00:39:21,000 Speaker 1: collected over a hundred and fifty thousand bottles of water 768 00:39:21,040 --> 00:39:24,080 Speaker 1: for ground z or rescue workers and they placed handwritten 769 00:39:24,080 --> 00:39:27,719 Speaker 1: notes of thanks and first responders hard hats. That's so good, 770 00:39:27,960 --> 00:39:30,680 Speaker 1: like truly good you went this round. Oh and we 771 00:39:30,760 --> 00:39:32,920 Speaker 1: forgot to nominate a part time genius this week. Who 772 00:39:32,920 --> 00:39:35,959 Speaker 1: do you think it should go to? Wolves? Wolves? Yeah, 773 00:39:36,560 --> 00:39:38,799 Speaker 1: Wolf Scout was supposed to be the ultimate honor for 774 00:39:38,840 --> 00:39:41,080 Speaker 1: boy scouts her earned all their badges, but then it 775 00:39:41,120 --> 00:39:45,000 Speaker 1: got rebranded Eagle Scout because it sounded more patriotic, and 776 00:39:45,239 --> 00:39:48,000 Speaker 1: I think wolves deserve a little more do so I 777 00:39:48,000 --> 00:39:50,400 Speaker 1: think we should send a certificate of genius to Atka, 778 00:39:50,800 --> 00:39:54,439 Speaker 1: the Wolf Conservation Center's official wolf ambassador, to say thank 779 00:39:54,480 --> 00:39:56,840 Speaker 1: you for being you. Well that's pretty ridiculous, but it 780 00:39:56,840 --> 00:39:59,160 Speaker 1: works for me. And that's it for today's Part Time Genius. 781 00:39:59,160 --> 00:40:16,560 Speaker 1: Thanks so much for less Thanks again for listening. Part 782 00:40:16,560 --> 00:40:18,560 Speaker 1: Time Genius is a production of how stuff works and 783 00:40:18,560 --> 00:40:21,239 Speaker 1: wouldn't be possible without several brilliant people who do the 784 00:40:21,239 --> 00:40:24,680 Speaker 1: important things we couldn't even begin to understand. Christian McNeil 785 00:40:24,760 --> 00:40:27,040 Speaker 1: does the ending thing. Noel Brown made the theme song 786 00:40:27,080 --> 00:40:30,000 Speaker 1: and does the MIXI MIXI sound thing. Jerry Rowland does 787 00:40:30,040 --> 00:40:33,200 Speaker 1: the exact producer thing. Gabeluesier is our lead researcher with 788 00:40:33,239 --> 00:40:36,359 Speaker 1: support from the Research Army, including Austin Thompson, Nolan Brown 789 00:40:36,400 --> 00:40:38,640 Speaker 1: and Lucas Adams and Eve Jeff Coo gets the show 790 00:40:38,640 --> 00:40:40,759 Speaker 1: to your ears. Good job, Eves. If you like what 791 00:40:40,840 --> 00:40:42,840 Speaker 1: you heard, we hope you'll subscribe, And if you really 792 00:40:42,840 --> 00:40:44,640 Speaker 1: really like what you've heard, maybe you could leave a 793 00:40:44,640 --> 00:40:47,000 Speaker 1: good review for us. Do we do we forget Jason? 794 00:40:47,280 --> 00:41:01,480 Speaker 1: Jason who