OAImages Blog

On My Honor (Why the American Values of the Boy Scouts are Worth Fighting For) , by Rick Perry, is a new book about the Boy Scouts of America and the struggle the author believes it faces as an organization today.

Perhaps I’m behind the curve but I first read about this book today.   Based upon the synopsis and reviews there is an obvious political agenda behind this book.   I would not look to it for an unbiased history of the BSA.   There is defnitely a political viewpoint being sold here.   I expect those who do not share this political viewpoint will be frustrated by this book.

On the book’s website it is stated, “All net proceeds will go to the Boy Scouts of America”.  In my opinion that would appear to be at least an implicit endorsement of this work by the BSA.  

I do not own and have not read the book so cannot comment directly on its contents.  I only post this for information purposes.   I leave it to you to judge the merits and worth of this endeavor.  Make your own decision.

Please indulge me for a moment as I digress for a minute and take on my role as “grammar cop”.  At least one reader of this blog has taken on the crusade against improper use of the English language.  I agree with him in his fight against the misuse of the apostrophe and it’s vs. its.   This book and its website falls into another language trap, confusing “forward” with “foreword”.

The publisher, editor, and proofreader were all asleep at the wheel when posting the “Forward by Ross Perot”.

Please folks, the introduction to a book is its foreword, the word at the fore (front) of the book.   Forward is a direction of travel, the opposite of reverse.  I recently chastised another friend of mine about this in regards to a manuscript of his.    I expect better from professionals.

Going back to the topic at hand, this book, Mr. Ross Perot writes in the foreword:

Think what a greater country we would have if everyone lived the principles of Scouting every day:

We would all

be prepared…

do our best to do our duty to God and Country;

help other people at all times;

and keep ourselves physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight.

Scouting teaches leadership, and our country must have a steady supply of strong leaders to assure that we will continue to grow and improve.

As you read this book, remember that the last phrase of the “Star Spangled Banner” is a Question:

“Oh, say, does that Star-spangled banner yet wave

O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?”

If all of us were to live the principles of Scouting, the answer would always be a resounding YES!

I commend Governor Rick Perry for making time in his very busy schedule to write this book and to spell out the danger to Scouting that is posed by people and groups who want to change its guiding principles to suit their slanted views.

My hope is that this book will inspire hundreds, thousands–even millions–of young men to live the principles of Scouting!

This may well be a very interesting read.   The website uses several photographs from the “golden years” (my phrase) of the BSA.   The book may be a good read for the historically minded for these pictures alone.