A.B.E. (ALL BUT EAGLE)
The most Norman Rockwellian thing I ever did was go to Boy Scout meetings in the basement of the Methodist church in South Euclid, Ohio.
I wonder if Boys’ Life magazine is still around. [Yes, it is.]
I sold seeds for the Lancaster Seed Co., which advertised in Boys’ Life. I sent away for stamps on approval.
Be prepared . . .
Irwin Weinberger and his father, Herman (with cigarette), 1966
For surprises. Like the lead singer in Yiddishe Cup, Irwin Weinberger, is A.B.E. (All But Eagle). He tried to get an Eagle Scout badge as an adult, but the national office wouldn’t give the badge to an old guy. I’ve seen Irwin swim. He can do it now, Headquarters!
If the Scouts would give Irwin the badge, he would donate $1,000, minimum. (My guess.)
Did Irwin ever get the Ner Tamid religious service medal? [Yes.]
The Boy Scouts religious service medals — like the Ner Tamid emblem — were attractive because they were real medals. For the Episcopalians and other Christians, the medals looked like British flags, with lots of crosses. Very cool. The Ner Tamid medal was an eternal light. Not as cool, but cool. 
Boys’ Life. I miss that mag. Then again I miss a lot of things, and Boys’ Life is way down the list.
Just above Bosco.
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[Please scroll down for one more photo.]
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Cleveland Plain Dealer, Dec. 3, 1961. My wife identified me on her third try.
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[And here’s one more Ralph Solonitz illustration.]
I'm standing at attention right here till I get my Eagle badge!
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Please see the next post too. It’s new.
12 comments
Great article, Bert.
Ralph, I love the illustrations.
I have managed to still live a fairly normal life without the Eagle designation, but sometimes I wonder what it would feel like to be an Eagle Scout.
To all Scouting officials, the comments on this blog do not reflect this Life Scout’s opinions. (In other words, forget the $1,000 contribution. Maybe $200 if it included the badge and a ceremony!)
By the way, kudos to my Scout leader, Phil Wayner, who served as a role model and father figure as a young man. I am eternally grateful to the Boy Scouts of America and Troop 407.
Nice piece about Scouting, Bert. You’re right about those religious emblems, of course. The Ner Tamid and others like the Maccabee, Aleph and Etz Chaim are all very attractive and available to Jewish Scouts from Cub Scout age and into Boy Scouting and Venturing.
As a matter of fact, young lady Venturers can earn the Etz Chaim religious emblem intended for older Scouts.
All my best to you in Scouting….
My brothers were Scouts as well. These are such sweet memories. I was so little, but I remember the uniforms and the camping trips.
My poor father, he hated camping out. He had had enough during WWII.
I love the Ralphy’s drawings and the photographs. They really make your stories pop!
I belonged to a hard-ass troop. The Scoutmaster was a former Marine who served in Korea. He took us on winter camps (Marine-issue tents, straw on the ground) and, on one memorable summer camp in PA, a twenty-mile over-night wilderness hike, carrying full packs.
He taught us parade drill (dress right, dress!), semaphore signaling with flags (SOS!) and how to shoot a .30-06 (thirty-ought-six), which could drive a shell through a thick steel plate.
After Troop 110, Vietnam would have been a picnic in the park…or so I thought.
Everybody in the 1950s and early 1960s looked the same.
Bert,
First of all, with these illustrations all over the place, I hope your artists are well paid, but also that it doesn’t convince you to start charging big bucks for one to “belong” to this blog….
I think my brother got the “Ner Tamid,” and two of his three sons as well, who all belonged to a synagogue Boy Scout troop. One son was in a church group and I don’t know if he got up to Eagle or whatever.
I personally was a Cub Scout about four months (photos to almost prove it) and a Boy Scout one evening.
Ted – Everyone born in the ’70s looks the same, too.
…. or ’80s – wherever the shoe fits.
To Kenny G:
My “artists” is Ralph Solonitz, who illustrates this blog. He also designed the Yiddishe Cup logo about 20 years ago.
I love working with Bert.
he’s smart, funny, and I wish more generous with the illustration pay. (don’t let him see this.)
it [the pay raise] should come from his heart.
I belonged to Troop 17, Cranston, R.I., out of the Cranston Jewish Center — my Conservative temple. We couldn’t camp out on shabbes, but we did attend the Boy Scouts’ Camp Yawgoog in the summer.
I made it to Life Scout and was a camp counselor for a few summers. I befriended a guy who later became an employee of mine.
I never made it to Eagle because I could not get the physical fitness merit badge.
I really looked forward to my summers at Scout camp.
Hats off to Mr Aison, our Scoutmaster, who put in lots of hours volunteering. I never appreciated that at the time, but as an adult I do now.
One of our camp counselors was a great actor at the weekly camp shows and eventually became a regular on the Spenser: For Hire TV show, based on the Spenser book series by Robert Parker.
I was a Cub Scout for about 5 days. We met in my neighbor’s basement….Tex Skall (son of Skall’s Men’s Store fame).
I liked the uniform, but they wanted to teach us how to march…but even at that young age, I wasn’t a-marchin’ anymore. I think back to that as my first protest.
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