不久前的周末参加了家附近社区的美国男童子军(Boy Scouts)100岁生日庆祝。在中国长大的轻舟对童子军很陌生，几年前雪城邻居的两个女孩是女童子军成员，她们每年圣诞前后在邻里义务销售小甜饼，那时我们家总要买几包。杰明小时候曾经参加童子军，搬到哈城后，觉得儿子需要这方面的训练，于是去年秋天安参加了社区的童子军组织，每周一晚上一个小时活动。
今晚的童子军活动从6点半到7点半在附近的教会户外活动，我去接安时，男孩子们在学习射击，教练杰森是一个男孩子的爸爸，义务帮助童子军两年多了，他身穿童子军军服，戴着军帽，耐心地手把手地教孩子们射击技能，如何拉弓，如何瞄靶，如何放箭......七八个孩子排队等着，有两三男孩推推拉拉，差点跌倒，杰森看到了，较严肃地对那两三男孩说：“射击时，旁观者不可掉以轻心，安全第一，若你们不小心打闹到射场，很危险的。”他让那三个男孩坐在一旁观看，不可跑动，以此为警戒。
轻舟父母每次来美国小住，总夸杰明勤快：割草、清扫落叶、种树、盖工具房等诸多家务，作的很认真到位。而轻舟呢，手无缚鸡之力，除了烧菜、打扫卫生，种种花菜，什么都不会。想来许多美国人前屋后院收拾的齐整，多半是小时候参与了童子军的活动。
童子军 The Boy Scouts of the United States 是一个民间组织，成立于1910年，今年2010年则是童子军建立100周年纪念日。童子军目前是美国最大的青年团体，成员超过100万人。童子军宗旨是将良好的价值观传授给少年儿童，诸如自尊、环保、爱人如己、公民意识及野外生存技能等，而这些价值观的传达是通过参加一系列户外活动而逐渐完成的，例如野营、登山、水上活动、帮助社区建立有益工程等。杰明妹妹的儿子马克去年秋天拿到了梦寐以求的童子军最高级别“雄鹰级”。马克的妈妈艾米告诉我们马克从6岁到16岁十年没有间断地参加各项童子军活动，一路晋升，终于取得了最高级，如今他义务帮忙年龄小的童子军。一天傍晚，艾米载我们到社区图书馆，馆前面树荫下有一条弯弯曲曲的石头小径，艾米自豪地告诉我们，这条小径是雄鹰级的童子军毕业作品之一。石头路花了孩子好几个周末的汗水铺成。夕阳林荫下，当我们在平坦的青石上漫步，霏和安更雀跃地从一块石头跳到另一块石头，原本对童子军陌生的轻舟体会到童子军对孩子成长，尤其是男孩子生存技能、自律能力、自信心、社区服务责任心等方面的培养很切实，也很有益。
美国童子军简介
（江天梦 译）来源： http://blog.sina.com.cn/s/blog_4ab604ac0100cuk4.html
童子军（The Boy Scouts of America，简称BSA）是美国童子军运动中成立的一个民间组织，在其他一些国家也有它的组织。BSA是美国最大的青年团体，成员超过100万人。BSA成立于1910年（1月8日），截至2005年底，成员已达2938698人，其中领导级成员1146130人，分属122582个基层组织。BSA主要接受由志愿者组成的管理委员会的管理，但在较高的组织级别上则聘请专职人员管理，某些商业性活动也由专人管理。
（20世纪初），美国一些专门为年轻人谋求社会福利的热心人士非常关注美国的进步运动，BSA就是在这样的社会背景下诞生的。BSA遵守童子军宗旨：把一些（美国人认为重要的）价值观传授给少年儿童，诸如自尊、公民意识及野外生存技能（outdoorsmanship，今改为survival）等，这些价值观的灌输是通过参加一系列户外活动而逐渐完成的，例如野营、水上训练及登山等。
BSA对童子军取得的成绩的认可办法包括级别晋升和设立各种特别奖励，具体办法根据不同对象或项目而定，例如7－17岁的男童子军与14－21岁的女童子军各有所区别。BSA一般由各地方自行组织和操作，当地的军队、特种兵及空军飞行员则作为志愿者领导和组织有关活动。
童子军会组织一些活动来给每个孩子提供获得晋升的机会，每个孩子参加完一项活动之后，总能感觉到自己获得了进步。很多晋升形式主要是“即时认定式”，也就是说，孩子一旦得到了应有的奖赏，晋升级别的认定会尽快完成。还有一些认定形式，就是在童子军大会上，当着全体童子军及其家长的面给予奖励。
童子军晋升制度由人为设置的一系列障碍和步骤组成，每个孩子都必须设法克服这些障碍，每个孩子都可根据相关规定来制订自己的进步计划，并通过参加军训而被承认其挑战某些项目的成功。队员每前进一步都会得到及时的奖励，目的是增强自信心。每一晋升级别中所设置的若干个步骤则以鼓励孩子独立自主及帮助他人为主。“雄鹰奖章”是童子军所能得到的最高奖励级别，一旦获此奖章，会被认为是至高无上的荣誉。很多成年人即使在获此殊荣若干年以后，都不会忘记在其个人简历中给予重重的一笔，以示荣耀。的确，童子军聚会的时候，你会听到那些已经四十好几、五十好几、六十好几甚至都七十多岁的老童子军们用一般现在时态自豪地宣布：“我是雄鹰！”
童子军运动和美国童子军是文化中众所周知的事物。在登上月球的12名宇航员中，就有11名曾是是童子军成员。而长达半个世纪以来一直由童子军组织的“春季庆典活动”——松木车德比大赛，则被美国《读者文摘》评为美国百佳庆典活动之一。美国前总统福特说：“我可以毫不犹豫地说，如果没有童子军精神，我不会成为一名好运动员，不可能成为一名好的海军军官，也不可能成为一名好的参议员，更不可能成为一名随时都能做好一切准备的总统。”
英文原文：The Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) is a United States Scouting organization, with some presence in other countries. The BSA is the largest youth organization in the United States; over one hundred million Americans have been members. Founded in 1910, the movement had a registered membership of 2,938,698 youth with 1,146,130 leaders in 122,582 units as of the end of 2005. The BSA is administered mostly by committees of volunteers, but employs professionals at the higher levels of administration and for commercial activities.
The BSA sprang from the concerns of the progressive movement in the United States from people who sought to promote the social welfare of young men. The BSA adheres to the Scout method to teach values such as self-esteem, citizenship, and outdoorsmanship through a variety of outdoor activities such as camping, aquatics, and hiking.
The BSA recognizes the achievements of Scouts through advancement in rank and various special awards. It includes several program divisions, targeted at boys ages seven through seventeen and young men and women ages fourteen through twenty-one. The BSA operates locally, through volunteer-led units such as troops, packs, and crews.
Cub Scouting provides advancement opportunities throughout the program to help each Scout feel that he has accomplished something when completing an activity. Many advancements in Cub Scouting are of the "Immediate Recognition" type; that is they are designed to be given as soon as possible after the award is earned. Others are to be given ceremoniously at Pack meetings in front of all the Scouts in the unit and their parents.
The Boy Scouting advancement system consists of a series of obstacles and the steps that boys must take to overcome them. The system is designed so that a Scout will plan his advancement and by participating in the troop program, be recognized as he overcomes each challenge. The Scout is rewarded at each step of the way, which is intended to develop self-confidence. The steps in the advancement system are designed to help him grow in self-reliance and the ability to help others. The highest level of Boy Scout advancement is the rank of Eagle Scout; an award considered by some to be so prestigious that many adults continue to list it as a major accomplishment or award on their resumes or CVs, many decades afer they were initially awarded the badge. Indeed, the rank of Eagle Scout is generally spoken of in the present tense, and it is not unusual, at Scout gatherings, to hear men in their 40s, 50s, 60's or even 70's, proudly proclaim: "I'm an Eagle Scout!"
Scouting and Boy Scouts are well known throughout American culture. Eleven of the twelve men to walk on the Moon were Scouts. The "Pinewood Derby," for half a century "a celebrated rite of spring," has been named part of "America's 100 Best" by Reader's Digest magazine. President Gerald Ford said, "I can say without hesitation, because of Scouting principles, I know I was a better athlete, I was a better naval officer, I was a better Congressman, and I was a better prepared President."
