[at-l] ATCk thru-hikers

[David Hicks" <daveh@usit.net (David Hicks)]

I would go beyond the issues of what was reported or not reported to the
ATC, in the papers, etc.

I made this point before, but I'll make it again.  Look at what is missing
from the Scouting movement, itself.

Consider one major aspect of the very nature of Scouting and the part that
recognition plays in the practice of Scouting, in addition to the
incredulous idea that 6 Boy Scouts and their scoutmasters and peers would
have stood by in 1948 and let Earl be given recognition for having done it
first.

If it were true, were is the 1936 recognition by the Scouting movement,
itself?  After all this "hike" was allegedly a formal Scout activity.

Consider the very nature of badges to recognize every accomplishment,
newspaper coverage of every Eagle Scout project, even Orders for the adult
members, etc.  Can anyone believe, even for a minute, that a group of Scouts
could have completed the trail, as a formal Scout function, without
contemporary recognition and publicity.  I think not.

Had they done it, it would have been well publicized and documented, by the
Scouts as an intuition back in '36.  They would have fought off Earl's
recognition in '48.  They would be publicizing it today.  That is their
basic nature -- to grant recognition for accomplishment.  Had it happened,
that recognition would be part of Scouting lore -- along with all the other
list of men of accomplishment who were Scouts.

Chainsaw