Boy-Scout

Browsing the internet a few days ago, I found a photo that reminded me of something from when I was a kid, which I will refer to later; and it just coincided, almost at the same time, with a news article I read in the newspaper, www.lanacion.com.ar/930025 titled Los scouts, un siglo ¡siempre listos! ("The Scouts, a century: always prepared!"), as the worldwide Scout movement turns 100 years old after being created in 1907 by the Englishman Robert Baden-Powell. I was reading this gentleman's biography and he had an interesting life, plus he wrote quite a few books.

As I was saying, the photo I found reminded me of when I was a kid, specifically an event that happened back when I went to the Scouts, during a brief—very brief—time I spent with that troop. We used to go and come back by bus. If I remember correctly, the meeting days were Saturdays. We had to bring a mug, made of tin or plastic—ours were tin, and I still keep mine—and with these mugs we would burn our hands because they served us very hot mate cocido, accompanied by a bizcocho de grasa (shortening pastry) or a piece of bread. There weren't many of us, mostly boys, very few girls.

We boys were divided into three groups; each group was identified by a pennant, and each pennant featured an animal. Those of us in the newest group had a flag with a Tero (Southern Lapwing). Then there was another group whose animal I can't recall—it seems it was an Eagle—and finally the most advanced ones, who were identified by a Bull. I don't remember which animal identified the girls either. In turn, each group had a small wooden cabin; the best cabin belonged to the oldest group, and it had a red carpet and a red light.

Various activities were held. Once they took us to a plot of land down the slope, a few blocks from where the troop was located. Back then, it was full of reeds—some are still left—and we started cutting reeds and then built a little birdhouse.

And the photo relates to an anecdote: at the troop's location, there was a shed, and on top it had a loft accessible by a ladder that they would put up and take down. To get in, you had to open a door; it was where they kept a lot of field equipment—ropes, shovels, etc.—as well as banners, torches, and all kinds of things used there. Only a few went up, usually two or three of the advanced scouts. Once, we went up to snoop around and see what was there. It wasn't very large, and there was another kid in the group who was very restless; while we were all up there, he set fire to the hair of a third boy who was climbing up. After the incident, someone threw a mate at this kid's head—the lighter one—hitting him right on the forehead and causing a bump. I don't remember if he got angry, because it wasn't a fight; we were all just having fun.

Something I do remember from my brief time there is the salute, a salute that consisted of the following: To make the Scout sign, extend the index, middle, and ring fingers, while the pad of the thumb rests on the fingernail of the little finger, all with the right hand. When saluting, place the hand at shoulder level while making the sign.

And its meaning: The three raised fingers represent the three parts of the Scout Promise or also the three virtues: Loyalty, Selflessness, and Purity; and the little finger, protected by the thumb, reminds us that the strong must protect the weak.

I had always believed that the joining of the two fingers meant “unity,” but I was mistaken.
There is much more to write about the topic, but it would derail the idea of this post, which is nothing more than telling an anecdote from many years ago. To look into Scouting further, one should visit the websites that explain it very well.

Several years had passed, and when I was older, I was walking back one day and passed by the troop's location. It was open with a sign that read “Museum,” and indeed, they had (and still have) a museum. I remember I went in; it was free and wasn't a big museum, just one or two very small rooms containing mostly photos and newspaper clippings.