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80-397: Blinding Light is a 2005 novel by Paul Theroux . The novel had a mixed reception, with many reviewers not seeing it as entirely successful. The novel depicts an American writer and his female companion on their trip to Ecuador and its backcountry. After returning to Martha's Vineyard , the book explores their relationship against the backdrop of the social scenery of Martha's Vineyard,

160-603: A "contemporary naturalism". For The Guardian , this writing reminded them of Theroux's travel writing, saying that the novel includes a "luxuriant and uncomfortable jungle setting, and nasty characters made up of inky national stereotypes and lists of commercial products." The book touches on the drug and sex trade that accompanies the crude oil industry in Lago Agrio , in contrast to the suggestion of mysterious and yet undiscovered plants in Ecuador that have powerful affects on

240-573: A "fake British accent" despite growing up in a working-class Boston suburb. After he finished his university education, Theroux joined the Peace Corps in 1963 as a teacher in Malawi . In a later life interview, he described himself as an "angry and agitated young man" who felt he had to escape the confines of Massachusetts and a hostile U.S. foreign policy . At the time, the Peace Corps

320-450: A Board of Review (with the exception of Scout Rank). To obtain a rank you must first acquire the rank previous to it, with the exception of Scout rank in which a Scout can earn at anytime once they have completed the requirements for it. The ranks are in the following order: Scout, Tenderfoot, Second Class, First Class, Star Scout, Life Scout, and Eagle Scout. An increasing number of merit badges, as well as being in troop leadership positions,

400-640: A council-provided Kodiak leadership training program Order of the Arrow members may attend the National Leadership Seminar, run multiple times each year by each region. The Boy Scouts of America operates a National Camping School program which trains people how to run various departments or areas at the Scouts BSA summer camps . Some online training is offered, but most areas require an in-person week-long training program at one of

480-594: A participant's spiritual welfare to the individual Unitarian Universalist congregation. The MOU also specifically includes within Unitarian Universalist chartered troops humanism as an acceptable form of spirituality as well as Earth-centered religions. In 2000, the Supreme Court ruled in Boy Scouts of America v. Dale that Boy Scouts and all similar, private voluntary organizations have

560-586: A person's sexuality. Gay rights groups hailed the decision, but vowed to press on until all gay members were accepted. Some churches and conservative members threatened to quit the Boy Scouts in response. On June 12, 2013, the Southern Baptist Convention passed non-binding resolutions urging the BSA not to change their policy. In September 2013, a new scouting group called Trail Life USA

640-523: A second time to Sheila Donnelly, on November 18, 1995. His wife runs a luxury travel/hotel PR agency. They reside in Hawaii and Cape Cod , Massachusetts . Theroux has received numerous awards and honors. Boy Scouts of America The Boy Scouts of America ( BSA , colloquially the Boy Scouts ) is one of the largest scouting organizations and one of the largest youth organizations in

720-431: A series of tests of strength, agility, coordination, and problem-solving, individually and within groups. Scouts see nature as an adventurous place, and it is expected that when they get older the experience from their youth will make them nature lovers. Scouts envisage nature as a heritage. "On breaking up camp leave two things behind you: 1. Nothing. 2. Your thanks." — Lord Baden-Powell in 1919. The National Council

800-653: A teaching position at Makerere University in Kampala. There he met Anne Castle, an English graduate student teaching at an upcountry girls' secondary school in Kenya, via Voluntary Service Overseas . They married in 1967. After leaving Asia and Dorset, they moved to South London in 1971, because it was cheaper than the United States. They had two sons: Marcel and Louis , both of whom are writers and documentarians. Theroux and Castle divorced in 1993. Theroux married

880-657: A ten-part series that was broadcast in 2021. His 2017 semi-autobiographical novel Mother Land (and earlier related short story in The New Yorker , set in Puerto Rico ) refer to an older son born in Puerto Rico in 1961 with his college girlfriend and he had travelled for the birth, giving the baby up for adoption; later, Theroux's son returned into his life. When Theroux was in Uganda, his friends found him

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960-858: A variety of activities such as camping, aquatics, and hiking. To further these outdoor activities, the BSA has four high-adventure bases : Northern Tier ( Minnesota , Manitoba , and Ontario ), Philmont Scout Ranch ( New Mexico ), Sea Base ( Florida Keys , US Virgin Islands , and Bahamas ), and Summit Bechtel Reserve ( West Virginia ), as well as nearly 100 camps and reservations dedicated to scouts. The main Scouting divisions are Cub Scouting for ages 5 to 11 years, Scouts BSA for ages 10 to 18, Venturing for ages 14 through 21, and Sea Scouts for ages 14 through 21. The BSA operates Scouting by chartering local organizations, such as churches, clubs, civic associations, or educational organizations, to implement

1040-532: Is Wood Badge , focused on helping participants develop leadership skills while participating in an outdoor program over five days. Some councils offer high-adventure training for adults using the Powder Horn program. Leaders can also take the Seabadge advanced leadership and management course. Scout youth leaders may attend the unit-level Introduction to Leadership Skills for Troops. Local councils offer

1120-669: Is a gathering of Scouts and Venturers from across the US. It is usually held every four years, with some adjustment for special years such as the 2010 National Scout Jamboree that celebrated the BSA centennial. The first jamboree was held in 1937 at the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C. There were 27,232 Scouts and Leaders present at the first National Jamboree. In 1950, the Boy Scouts of America hosted their second National Jamboree at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania . The event

1200-449: Is blind. Sexual relationships focusing on age difference is explored, along with sexual fantasy and the act of sex as a form of trespass. Trespassing , both physical and the trespass into private life, is explored. Metafiction is a part of the text as the book's narrator works on two different books within the book itself. The established authority of medicine is discussed versus the knowledge of local shamanism. Complete Review called

1280-557: Is noted for his rich descriptions of people and places, laced with a heavy streak of irony, or even misanthropy . Nonfiction by Theroux includes Sir Vidia's Shadow , an account of his personal and professional friendship with Nobel laureate V. S. Naipaul , which ended abruptly after 30 years. Theroux has worked extensively with the celebrated photographer Steve McCurry. Their book The Imperial Way appeared in 1987, and McCurry's photographs are included in Theroux's Deep South and On

1360-637: Is required for the latter 3 ranks, plus other requirements. Certain ranks require specific merit badges and leadership positions. Eagle Scout is the highest rank one can receive in Scouts BSA. Since its introduction in 1911, the Eagle Scout rank has been earned by more than two million youth. Requirements include earning at least 21 merit badges and demonstrating Scout Spirit through the Scout Oath and Law, service, and leadership, all before or by age 18. This includes an extensive service project that

1440-643: Is strongly encouraged to complete a general overview training called This is Scouting , and a Fast Start training specific to his/her program level. Position-specific training is required for all direct-contact leaders. Upon completion of basic training, a leader may wear the Trained emblem on his/her BSA uniform. Supplemental skill-specific training is also available to BSA volunteers to gain knowledge in outdoors skills including camping, hiking, first aid, Leave No Trace, swim safety, climbing safety, hazardous weather, and other skills. The highest level of BSA training

1520-549: The 2013 National Scout Jamboree . The Boy Scouts of America operates several high-adventure bases at the national level. Each offers a wide range of programs and training; a typical core program may include sailing, wilderness canoeing or wilderness backpacking and camping trips. These bases are administered by the High Adventure Division of the National Council. Current high-adventure bases of

1600-515: The Clinton–Lewinsky scandal , and the process of book writing and publishing, among other things. AV Club reviewer Scott Tobias notes that the novel follows in the tradition of Theroux's other travel writing and novels, taking the principal character to an exotic location to explore social and moral conclusions. The New York Times notes that the novel explores the "texture of psychologically plausible character, real places, and so on" under

1680-562: The Red Cross , Little League Baseball , and the National Academy of Sciences . The federal incorporation was originally construed primarily as an honor; however, it does grant the chartered organization some special privileges and rights, including freedom from antitrust and monopoly regulation and complete control over the organization's symbols and insignia, though it neither implies nor accords Congress any special control over

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1760-460: The Scout method , with variations that are designed to be appropriate for the age and maturity of each membership division. Cub Scouts wear a uniform that gives each Scout a level of identity within the den, the pack and the community. The Scouts learn teamwork by meeting and working together in a den of four to ten boys or girls under adult leadership. They learn and apply the ideals codified in

1840-835: The United Kingdom ( The Kingdom by the Sea ), kayaking in the South Pacific ( The Happy Isles of Oceania ), visiting China ( Riding the Iron Rooster ), and traveling from Cairo to Cape Town across Africa ( Dark Star Safari ). In 2015, he published " Deep South " detailing four road trips through the southern states of the United States . In 2019, he published On the Plain of Snakes , his account of his extensive travels in his own car throughout Mexico. He

1920-781: The Woodcraft Indians started by Ernest Thompson Seton in 1902 in Cos Cob, Connecticut , and the Sons of Daniel Boone founded by Daniel Carter Beard in 1905 in Cincinnati , Ohio. , two notable independent scouting predecessors of BSA within the United States. In 1907, Robert Baden-Powell founded the Scouting movement in England using elements of Seton's works among other influences. In 1909, Chicago publisher W. D. Boyce

2000-423: The 1,400-member BSA National Council voted to remove the restriction denying membership to youth on the basis of sexual orientation while emphasizing that any sexual conduct, whether heterosexual or homosexual, is not allowed. The resolution went into effect on January 1, 2014, but Scout leaders who were "open and avowed homosexuals" were still prohibited. The policy specifically states that BSA does not inquire into

2080-704: The American Leather Oak company. Theroux was a Boy Scout and ultimately achieved the rank of Eagle Scout . His brothers are Eugene, Alexander , Joseph and Peter . His sisters are Ann Marie and Mary. Theroux was educated at Medford High School , followed by the University of Maine , in Orono (1959–60), and the University of Massachusetts Amherst , where he obtained a B.A. in English in 1963. According to his older brother Alexander, Paul affects

2160-524: The American actor and screenwriter Justin Theroux . Paul Theroux was born in Medford, Massachusetts , the third of seven children, and son of Catholic parents; his mother, Anne (née Dittami), was Italian American , and his father, Albert Eugene Theroux, was of French-Canadian descent. His mother was a former grammar school teacher and painter, and his father was a shoe factory leather salesman for

2240-481: The BSA announced that girls would be allowed to become Cub Scouts, starting in 2018, and be a part of the Scouts BSA Program, starting on February 1, 2019. BSA's religious requirements of its members have been controversial and inconsistent. Many volunteers within the BSA organization believe that atheists and agnostics are welcome, and because of this, in many troops they are. However, in 2018,

2320-477: The BSA's Learning for Life, membership in the regular BSA programs had been more restricted and controversial. Until the late 2010s, Cub Scouting or the program then-named Boy Scouting was open to boys only, but girls were permitted to join the Venturing, Sea Scouting, and Explorers programs in 1970. Women could also serve as adult volunteers in all programs in approximately the same time frame. On October 11, 2017,

2400-542: The BSA's mission: "Each generation as it comes to maturity has no more important duty than that of teaching high ideals and proper behavior to the generation which follows." The current mission statement of the BSA is "to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law." At its peak, Boy Scouts had an active membership of over 4 million youth in 1973. Today, popularity in outdoor events has waned and membership has dropped. However, BSA remains

2480-602: The BSA, which remains free to function independently. Boy Scouts of America uses four primary programs to achieve its aims in Scouting: There are about 100,000 physically or mentally disabled Scouts throughout the United States. Anyone certified as disabled "may enroll in Scouting and remain in its program beyond the regulation age limits. This provision allows all members to advance in Scouting as far as they wish." The Boy Scouts of America offers several other programs and subprograms beyond regular membership: Unlike

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2560-406: The Boy Scouts of America include Philmont Scout Ranch , Northern Tier National High Adventure Bases , Florida National High Adventure Sea Base , and The Summit Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve . The BSA offers a wide variety of mandatory and optional training programs in youth protection, outdoor skills and leadership. Every adult leader must complete Youth Protection Training , and then

2640-460: The Boy Scouts of America National Executive Board "reaffirm[ed] its unequivocal commitment to the Declaration of Religious Principle as a fundamental component of the mission of the Boy Scouts of America". At the same meeting, it also stated that "[t]he recognition of God as the ruling and leading power in the universe and the grateful acknowledgement of His favors and blessings are necessary to

2720-511: The Boy Scouts of America announced that girls would be welcomed into Cub Scouts beginning in late 2018, with an early adopter program beginning on January 15, 2018, in councils that wished to participate early. The announcement included the statement that girls in Cub Scouting will simply be called "Cub Scouts". The flagship program of Boy Scouts of America, previously known as "Boy Scouting", became known as Scouts BSA on February 1, 2019, when

2800-558: The National Camping Schools. After successfully completing a week-long program, a person is entitled to wear the National Camping School patch. The regular-size patch may be worn on the right breast shirt pocket, in the temporary patch spot. National Camping School certification is valid for five years. COPE, which stands for Challenging Outdoor Personal Experience, is a program that consists of

2880-722: The Northeast presented a resolution that "would allow individual units to accept gays as adult leaders". However, in July 2012, at the culmination of a review started in 2010, an 11-person committee convened by the BSA reached a "unanimous consensus" recommending retaining the current policy. Intel , UPS , and Merck cut financial ties with the BSA over the policy decision. Within the BSA National Executive Board, members James Turley, CEO of Ernst & Young , and Randall Stephenson , CEO of AT&T and who

2960-501: The Plain of Snakes . Magazines such as Smithsonian and The National Geographic have paired Theroux and McCurry on assignments. A number of Theroux's books have been made into movies. His 1972 novel Saint Jack was filmed by Peter Bogdanovich in 1979, and starred Ben Gazzara. His novella Doctor Slaughter was filmed as Half Moon Street , in 1986, with Michael Caine and Sigourney Weaver. Peter Weir's film The Mosquito Coast (1986) had Harrison Ford, Helen Mirren and River Phoenix in

3040-589: The Scout Law, to help other people at all times, to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight." -Scout Oath "A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent." -Scout Law The objectives of the BSA are referred to as the Aims and Methods of Scouting : Character, Citizenship, Personal Fitness, Leadership. The BSA pursues these aims through an informal education system called

3120-582: The Scout Oath and the Scout Law through an advancement system using age-based ranks earned by completing required and elective adventures. Some advancement is done in the home and is intended to involve the entire family and many Cub Scout activities include family members. In the Scouts BSA program, Scouts learn to use the ideals spelled out in the Scout Oath , the Scout Law , the Outdoor Code ,

3200-595: The Scout motto ("Be prepared"), and the Scout slogan ("Do a good turn daily"). They wear a uniform and work together in patrols of four to ten Scouts with an elected patrol leader, who then appoints an assistant patrol leader. Scouts share responsibilities, apply skills learned at meetings and live together in the outdoors. The advancement system provides opportunities for personal growth and self-reliance. Scouts interact with adult leaders who act as role models and mentors, but they are expected to plan their own activities within

3280-470: The Scout plans, organizes, leads, and manages. Eagle Scouts are presented with a medal and a badge that visibly recognizes the accomplishments of the Scout. Additional recognition can be earned through Eagle Palms, awarded for completing additional tenure, leadership, and merit badge requirements. Upon the introduction of girls into Scouts BSA in February 2019, a temporary time extension for Eagle rank

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3360-697: The Scouting program for youth within their communities. Units are led by volunteers appointed by the chartering organization, who are supported by local councils using both paid professional Scouters and volunteers. Additionally, Learning for Life is an affiliate that provides in-school and career education. In 2019, the Boy Scouts of America renamed its flagship program, Boy Scouts, to Scouts BSA to reflect its policy change allowing girls to join separate, gender-specific troops. In 2023, BSA agreed to pay $ 2.46 billion to settle claims by some 82,000 former Boy Scouts who said they had been sexually abused by BSA officials and volunteers. On May 7, 2024, BSA announced that

3440-554: The US, Boyce was inspired by his experience and incorporated the Boy Scouts of America on February 8, 1910. Edgar M. Robinson and Lee F. Hanmer became interested in the nascent BSA and convinced Boyce to turn the program over to the YMCA for development in April 1910. Robinson enlisted Seton, Beard, Charles Eastman , and other prominent leaders in the early youth movements. Former president Theodore Roosevelt , who had long complained of

3520-402: The United States, where he has since settled. Theroux's sometimes caustic portrait of Nobel Laureate V. S. Naipaul in his memoir Sir Vidia's Shadow (1998) contrasts sharply with his earlier, admiring portrait of the same author in V. S. Naipaul: An Introduction to his Work (1972). They had a long friendship, but Theroux said that events during the 26 years between

3600-617: The United States, with over 1 million youth, including 176,000 female participants. The BSA was founded in 1910; about 130 million Americans have participated in its programs, which are served by 477,000 adult volunteers. BSA became a founding member organization of the World Organization of the Scout Movement in 1922. The stated mission of the Boy Scouts of America is to "prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them

3680-535: The Venturer to teach what they have learned to others, thereby returning the skill and knowledge back to the community and enabling the Venturer to master those skills. In October 2012, the National Council announced that, as a result of the findings and recommendations of a select committee made up of volunteer Scouters, the Cub Scout and Venturing programs would transition to use of the Scout Oath and Law, and in

3760-713: The advanced National Youth Leadership Training and the National Council offers the National Advanced Youth Leadership Experience conducted at Philmont Training Center. The Boy Scouts of America also offers the NYLT Leadership Academy which trains youth staff members from across the country for council-level NYLT courses. Venturers and Sea Scouts may attend the unit-level Introduction to Leadership Skills for Crews or Introduction to Leadership Skills for Ships. Crew officers can attend Crew Officer Orientation, and then

3840-566: The article, he compared his association with rebel ministers and own unwitting involvement, while a Peace Corps volunteer, in a plot to assassinate President Hastings Banda of Malawi (noted above) to the complexities in the case of the convicted American citizen who fought with the Taliban in Afghanistan . Theroux published his first novel , Waldo (1967), during his time in Uganda ; it

3920-527: The best type of citizenship and are wholesome precepts in the education of the growing members" . This position is inconsistent with the fact that the BSA has had Buddhist troops since 1920, and Buddhism is a nontheistic religion which does not assert belief in a creator God . The BSA also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Unitarian Universalist Association in 2016 which specifically gives ultimate authority over

4000-627: The car in which his pregnant wife was riding, and Theroux decided to leave Africa. In November 1968, the couple moved with their son Marcel to Singapore , where a second son, Louis , was born. After two years of teaching at the National University of Singapore , Theroux and his family settled in England in November 1971. They lived first in Dorset , and then in south London . When his marriage ended, early in 1990, Theroux returned to

4080-565: The case of the Venturers, the Boy Scout three-finger salute and sign as well. The Venturing change occurred in May 2014; and the Cub Scout change in mid-2015. There are seven ranks that a Scout in the Scouts BSA program may attain (note that Eagle Palms are not considered ranks ). To obtain a rank, a Scout must complete the requirements for that rank, as well as have a Scoutmaster Conference and

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4160-515: The cast. Theroux's set of short stories The London Embassy became a six-part TV series on British television in 1987. Christmas Snow , a 1986 TV movie starring Sid Caeser was adapted from Theroux's novel London Snow. Theroux wrote the Hong Kong story on which the Wayne Wang film Chinese Box (1997) was based. In 2019, Apple Films announced that The Mosquito Coast was in production as

4240-523: The constitutionally protected right under the First Amendment of freedom of association to set membership standards. In 2004, the BSA adopted a new policy statement, including a "Youth Leadership" policy that disallowed members to continue in leadership positions in the event they were to hold themselves out as "open and avowed homosexuals. At the Scouts annual meeting in April 2012, a leader from

4320-489: The country, was banned in Malawi for many years. He moved to Uganda in 1965 to teach English at Makerere University , where he also wrote for the magazine Transition . While at Makerere, Theroux began his friendship with Rajat Neogy , founder of Transition Magazine , and novelist V.S. Naipaul , then a visiting scholar at the university. During his time in Uganda, an angry mob at a demonstration threatened to overturn

4400-665: The decline in American manhood, became an ardent supporter. In January 1911, Robinson turned the movement over to James E. West who became the first Chief Scout Executive and Scouting began to expand in the US Among other programs in the US, the Woodcraft Indians and Sons of Daniel Boone, eventually merged with the BSA. The BSA's stated purpose at its incorporation in 1910 was "to teach [boys] patriotism, courage, self-reliance, and kindred values." Later, in 1937, Deputy Chief Scout Executive George J. Fisher expressed

4480-422: The early 20th century. With the migration of families from farms to cities, there were concerns among some people that young men were no longer learning patriotism, self-reliance, and individualism. Several groups attempted to fill this void. The YMCA was an early promoter of reforms for young men with a focus on social welfare and programs of mental, physical, social and religious development. Others, included

4560-520: The government's leader(s), or cast the country in an unfavorable light. All Theroux's books were banned by the apartheid government in South Africa, but in 1995 after South Africa's transition to democracy, under the presidency of Nelson Mandela, the South African Department of Education made Theroux's “The Mosquito Coast” required reading as a set book for 12th grade students sitting their final (“Matric”) exam. In 2001, prior to his 60th birthday, Theroux returned to Africa to retrace his footsteps and "[take]

4640-485: The largest scouting organization and one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with about 1.2 million youth participants and about one million adult volunteers as of 2021 . The purposes of the corporation are to promote, through organization, and cooperation with other agencies, the ability of boys to do things for themselves and others, to train them in scoutcraft , and to teach them patriotism, courage, self-reliance, and kindred virtues, using

4720-545: The matter to the National Executive Board. On July 27, 2015, the Boy Scouts of America National Executive Board voted to lift the organization's blanket ban on openly gay leaders and employees. Local chartering organizations are still permitted to set their own standards based on religious principle for selecting the adult volunteers for their unit. On January 30, 2017, the Boy Scouts of America announced that transgender children who identify as boys would be allowed to enroll in boys-only programs, effective immediately. Previously,

4800-449: The methods that were in common use by boy scouts on June 15, 1916. 36 U.S.C.   § 30902 The BSA holds one of the comparatively rare congressional charters under Title 36 of the United States Code . On behalf of the BSA, Paul Sleman, Colin H. Livingstone, Ernest S. Martin, and James E. West successfully lobbied Congress for a federal charter for the BSA which President Woodrow Wilson signed on June 15, 1916. One of

4880-467: The mind and sexuality. Several characters and authors are referenced in the book in regards to blindness including Siegfried Sassoon , King Lear , Ishmael in Moby Dick , Blind Pew in Treasure Island , Jorge Luis Borges , and John Milton . The bible is referenced when the author compares the blindness of Alijah to the blindness of Isaac , Samson , Eli , Zedekiah , Tobit , and Saul . The author also mentions scriptural authority suggesting that God

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4960-453: The novel "generally lively and entertaining", and described the consensus of reviewers as having "varying degrees of enthusiasm, with no one thinking he really pulls it off". For example, The New York Times concluded that cultural insensitivity and tone "blot what is otherwise an enjoyable and worldly allegory of the pitfalls of literary success, which retains some of the grandeur of its model." The Guardian reviewer James Buchan described

5040-412: The novel as needing "a journeyman editor [who] would have cut out the repetitions, quotations, boasting, name-dropping, purple passages, dreams, hallucinations , score-settling, bombast and sex fantasies." Paul Theroux He is the father of English-American authors and documentary filmmakers Marcel and Louis Theroux , the brother of authors Alexander Theroux and Peter Theroux , and uncle of

5120-420: The organization will change its name to Scouting America . While the name change will officially go into effect on February 8, 2025, on its 115th anniversary, all are encouraged to use the name immediately. The Scout Oath, Law and program will remain unchanged. The uniforms will also remain the same but will be embroidered with the new name. The progressive movement in the United States was at its height during

5200-409: The principal reasons for seeking a congressional charter was to deal with competition from other Scout organizations including the United States Boy Scouts and the Lone Scouts of America . The 1916 statute of incorporation established this institution among a small number of similarly chartered patriotic and national organizations, such as the Girl Scouts , Civil Air Patrol , the American Legion ,

5280-414: The program opened to girls. Members of Scouts BSA are known as "Scouts BSA" or "Scouts". On November 6, 2018, the GSUSA filed a federal trademark lawsuit seeking to block the BSA from rebranding itself simply as "Scouts"; this is not the first time the two organizations have legally contested the use of the term scout . "On my honor, I will do my best, to do my duty, to God and my country, and to obey

5360-474: The pulse of the continent." Despite undergoing various hardships during the trip, he came away with a positive impression of Africa and African people and optimistic views of its future. However, his experiences soured his attitudes towards foreign tourists and activists. He wrote about this journey in the book Dark Star Safari . Theroux has criticized celebrity activists like Bono , Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie as "mythomaniacs, people who wish to convince

5440-456: The sex listed on an applicant's birth certificate determined eligibility for these programs; going forward, the decision would be based on the gender listed on the application. Joe Maldonado became the first openly transgender child identifying as a boy to join the Scouts on February 7, 2017. In 2016, he was rejected from the Boy Scouts for being transgender, but the policy was changed after his story became nationally known. On October 11, 2017,

5520-715: The troop and to participate in community service. Venturers are expected to know and live by the Scout Oath and Law. Before May 2014, members of the Venturing program followed the now discontinued Venturing Oath and Venturing Code . Venturers associate and work directly with adults advisors, but the crew is led by elected youth officers who are given opportunities to learn and apply leadership skills. Venturers plan and participate in interdependent group experiences dependent on cooperation. An emphasis on high adventure provides opportunities for team-building and practical leadership applications. A series of awards provide opportunities for recognition and personal growth. Each award requires

5600-477: The two books colored his perspective in the later book. The two authors attempted a reconciliation in 2011 after a chance meeting at the Hay Literary Festival, an episode described in postscript to the subsequent paperback edition of Sir Vidia’s Shadow , and remained close friends until the death of Naipaul in 2018. His novel Saint Jack (1973) was banned by the government of Singapore for 30 years. Both were banned because they were considered too critical of

5680-474: The values of the Scout Oath and Law." Youth are trained in responsible citizenship, character development, and self-reliance through participation in a wide range of outdoor activities, educational programs, and, at older age levels, career-oriented programs in partnership with community organizations. For younger members, the Scout method is part of the program to instill typical Scouting values such as trustworthiness, good citizenship, and outdoors skills, through

5760-620: The world of their worth." He has said that "the impression that Africa is fatally troubled and can be saved only by outside help—not to mention celebrities and charity concerts—is a destructive and misleading conceit". In a 2009 interview, he stated that he now has "the disposition of a hobbit ," and had become more optimistic than in his youth. He further commented that he "need[s] happiness to write well." In an op-ed in The New York Times on October 22, 2016, Theroux recommended that President Obama pardon John Walker Lindh . In

5840-771: Was allowed for up to 2 years for all scouts who were older than 16 but not yet 18 years of age on February 1, 2019. Of the 21 merit badges Eagle Scouts are required to earn, 14 of the badges must include: First Aid, Citizenship in the Community, Citizenship in the Nation, Citizenship in the World, Citizenship in Society, Communication, Cooking, Personal Fitness, Emergency Preparedness OR Lifesaving, Environmental Science OR Sustainability, Personal Management, Swimming OR Hiking OR Cycling, Camping, and Family Life. The National Scout Jamboree

5920-457: Was created, in support of what founders call "traditional, Christian" scouting. Subsequently, some Christian denomination congregations replaced their Boy Scouts of America troops with those of Trail Life USA. In May 2015, Boy Scouts of America President Robert Gates said it was time to end the ban on gay leaders. Gates said it "cannot be sustained" any longer. On July 10, 2015, the Boy Scouts of America Executive Committee agreed, and referred

6000-556: Was moderately successful. He published several more novels over the next few years, including Fong and the Indians , Jungle Lovers , and The Mosquito Coast . On his return to Malawi many years later, he found that Jungle Lovers , which was set in that country, was still banned. He recounted that in his book Dark Star Safari (2002). After moving to London in 1972, Theroux set off on an epic journey by train from Great Britain to Japan and back. His account of this journey

6080-488: Was published as The Great Railway Bazaar , his first major success as a travel writer and now a classic in the genre. The Nigerian reviewer Noo Saro-Wiwa wrote: “Theroux’s book The Great Railway Bazaar (1975) sold 1.5 million copies and is often credited with launching the travel-writing boom of the late twentieth century." He has since written a number of travel books, including traveling by train from Boston to Argentina ( The Old Patagonian Express ), walking around

6160-435: Was relatively new, having sent its first volunteers overseas in 1961. Theroux helped a political opponent of Prime Minister Hastings Banda escape to Uganda . For this, Theroux was expelled from Malawi and thrown out of the Peace Corps in 1965. He was declared persona non grata by Banda in Malawi for sympathizing with Yatuta Chisiza . As a consequence, his later novel Jungle Lovers , which concerns an attempted coup in

6240-507: Was then "on track to become president of the Scout's national board in 2014" and later was, publicly opposed the policy and stated their intention "to work from within the BSA Board to actively encourage dialogue and sustainable progress" in changing the policy. On January 28, 2013, the BSA announced it was considering rescinding the ban on homosexuals, allowing chartered organizations to determine local policy. On May 23, 2013, over 60% of

6320-432: Was to commemorate the organization's 40th anniversary. Since then, jamborees have been held in varying locations. From 1981 until 2010, the jamboree was held at Fort A.P. Hill , Virginia . A permanent location owned by the BSA was sought in 2008 for future jamborees, high adventure programs and training. The Summit Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve near Beckley, West Virginia , is now the permanent site beginning with

6400-584: Was visiting London, where he encountered a boy who came to be known as the Unknown Scout . Boyce was lost on a foggy street when an unknown Scout came to his aid, guiding him to his destination. The boy then refused Boyce's tip, explaining that he was a Boy Scout and was merely doing his daily good turn. Interested in the Boy Scouts, Boyce met with staff at the Boy Scouts Headquarters and, by some accounts, Baden-Powell. Upon his return to

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