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Courier Failed the Scouts

The June 7 article “Guilford Green Turns Orange” needs an important clarification.

On June 3, Boy Scout Troop 474 held its annual fundraiser on the green, an event it has reserved the green for the first Sunday in June for many years. On the same day this year, a gun violence awareness event was held at the opposite end of that location.

If you had asked anyone at the scouting event, they would have told you eagerly about the annual fundraiser they hold, that they have been holding for the past 53 years. It’s called the Strawberry Social and it was advertised for weeks prior. Many parents and family members volunteer; the scouts work to set up displays of their accomplishments and activities; and both Adams Middle School and Guilford High School send bands to play.

Instead, you must have made an assumption that at the far end of the Green, with a large red and white striped tent, with many boys and leaders in their uniforms, exhibiting a log lashing tower…that must somehow be the “community picnic component” of the demonstration. That assumption was incorrect and you missed an opportunity to showcase the troop’s hard work, to recognize the not-for-profit’s value to the community and the lives of these young men.

The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) is, by its own charter, to remain nonpolitical and not affiliate with any movement/political party unless approved by its governing body. So you linking them (incorrectly) to the demonstration gives readers a perception the event violated BSA policy.

As a side note: Just as in every year, Troop 474 expresses its appreciation for the tremendous community participation and support Guilford and surrounding areas always show at this annual fundraiser! It certainly wasn’t the community that failed the scouts—that was the journalism.

Elizabeth A. Getrost

Guilford