21. Boy Scouts cause warning

I wasn’t a particularly accomplished Boy Scout and the only reason I made 1st class was my mother said she would make me get rid of my snakes if I didn’t. So I made 1st class and quit (although it was back in the days when you had to learn Morse code and decipher a flag signaled message so it was not a non-accomplishment). Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great group with a great tradition that teaches a plethora of things worth knowing – more widely held in high esteem than any other organization I can think of – it simply doesn’t encourage extensive pursuit of the “sawed-off” path.

But about the time Shaving 3 was four I joined again…..as a leader. Now they were not going to let me start a “Sawed-off Sportsman” merit badge but they had a few on the books that were close enough, e.g. Reptile Study. The key requirement – the one that couldn’t be fulfilled by studying the merit badge book – was to keep a reptile or amphibian for thirty days and record noteworthy events. This was clear official sanction to lead a band of kids up a creek catching water snakes.

Water snakes had several distinct advantages. First, they are easy to find in large enough numbers. Second, they eat like pigs (fresh or defrosted fish). And third, they are a snake’s snake…as in “mean as”.

Scout Master Bill was all for this activity as he was a ‘go the extra mile’ (sometimes two) scout leader and a merit badge that required catching fierce snakes fell across the enough-extra-effort-line to meet his standards. It was also an activity, as it sometimes turned out, that really brought a scout’s whole family together if the little darling got loose. I attempted to discourage this turn of events by explaining that “the snake is somewhere in my house” did not meet the “keeping” requirement.

Some merit badges are well suited for summer camp. The only problem with reptile study was the 30 day keeping requirement because summer camp was only one week so almost nobody ever got Reptile Study Merit Badge at summer camp. Consequently, the standard plan was to go snake hunting about a month before camp so the kids could walk in the nature building with their 30 day record in hand. I once had the opportunity to see this plan play out. I was assigned no particular day time duties one Monday so I followed some of our scouts to a first merit badge class where the leader scout explained that nobody ever got reptile study at the final award ceremony because you have to keep one for 30 days. Pearson lays his folder on the bench and flipped it open like a poker player revealing a royal flush. The leader scout was duly impressed…but I digress.

These snake hunts were always on weekends so citizens were around – especially when we were more or less in their backyard. Boy Scouts in uniform are generally extended the presumption of “good deeds” so I told the kids that if anybody ask what they were doing just say “Troop XYZ taking care of your snake problem Ma’am/Sir”. One such ‘opportunity’ arose as we marched back from a successful trip along a popular walking path near Shades Creek. Anticipating queries from passersby I told the kids to deliver the ol’ “taking care of your snake problem…” and then open the bag and let the people see what we had. This was in early June.

Later that summer I was in the same general vicinity and noted a very nice wooden sign had appeared the substance of which was “Warning – there are snakes around here”. I figure word, or actual presentation, of the bag full of snakes to several fitness walkers made it to some Mountain Brook city planner who figured giving constituents a heads-up didn’t have a downside.

The snake warning sign has lately been replaced by “interpretative” signs – kingfisher currently. Nice bird but without the same cardiovascular stimulation, to augment the point of the walking, as “snake warning”. In the manifest interests of public health it’s probably time for another June snake hunt near the path.
ML
10/25/08