Yesterday afternoon, my eldest son, Oliver, took his first real steps into civil society. He was invested into the Cub Scouts. Now I am not known for my weepy, effusive fatherhood style but I have to say that watching my son stand tall and confidently belt out the Cub Scout Law, Promise and Motto made me very proud indeed.
Oliver just loves the Cubs. They do exciting and grown-up things. They achieve things and are rewarded for them. They adhere to simple rules of courtescy and discipline. They have lots of fun but balance it with an orderliness and respect that helps children to identify the boundaries between civility and incivility. The supervision of Arkelah is friendly, fun but very firm.
Oliver loves it, and all the children love it, because it is the only place he goes to away from the home that gives him these things and he feels happy and comfortable and safe.
Why does his school fail him in this way? Why does the education system fail all of our children in this way? Why has the nation's most important public service taken the moral cowardice of teachers and an inability to maintain discipline and turned it into a liberal policy of "self expression"? Why are we incapable of seeing the link between this pathetic culture of appeasement and the social malaise that is slowly enveloping our culture. Why do we stand aside and allow ourselves to feel intimidated while our teenagers re-enact Sodom and Gomorrah in all our village, town and city centres each weekend.
Well done Oliver. I am exceptionally proud of you.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
Richard,
Very good points with which I agree, best wishes to your son in his time with the Cubs!
Post a Comment