I recall even the cub scouts as being a religious conservative pseudo military organization. Of course we were in the bible belt so it stands to reason it would seem that way.

As a white blonde and blue eyed cub scout I only had one strike against me. But it was a huge strike. I did not attend church and my step father was jewish. This set me up as a kind of infidel of the group. Apparently this was with the express collusion of the other parents in charge.

One day while in the dank unfinished basement of our Den mother's meeting house we were engaged in a toothpick and Elmer's glue project. An American flag hung limply from the rafters by the basement stairs. The stir I caused for not saying under God when we said the pledge of alliegence the week before had not died down. The other boys goaded me saying "you don't love the flag". I said its just cloth, the flag is only a symbol. In lock step they somehow started asking if I would spit on the flag.

"What, why would I do that?" they said we'll pay you a dollar. That seemed like a lot of money to me at the time so I climbed half way up the stairs and gave a dry little ptooey. In unison they yelled for the den mother and ratted me out. The den mother seemed to have a prepared speech which included my being banned from the cub scouts for life.

I left the cubs a dollar richer and a little wiser to the nature of the group.

......... Boy Scouts was out of the question with the same people in charge.


De Molay had the same predjudicial people but after 2 black ball attmepts to ban my joining someone lectured the boys about not black balling someone over religion. On the third vote I was told I was voted in , despite the jewish issue. I had earned the position of sentry which meant I could not go in and attend the meetings but I could stand outside the door.

As sentry old guys would come up and talk. One was a judge and explained how if a boy got in in trouble it was good to to have fellow members in De Molay and seniors the Masons to wipe away harsh punishment.

In time I did more functions and was allowed to view meetings.
I do not memorize speechs well, which is the the event which judges your promotion ( a new rank is earned by completing a new memorized text ) so I drifted out by the time I was a sophmore in High School.

I bid farewell to the Daughters of the Eastern Star, thier green jello with marshmallows, De Molay and the Shriners who prided themselves for their outstanding burn hospitals which we helped fund by putting on plays about the crusades with us De Molay kids as actors with spears and heroic lines.

Years later I was initiated to the Masons and the high weirdness got weirder. But that can be told another time.

Woody Allen once said he would never be a member of an organization that would stoop so low as to let him be a member.
I can empathize with that.






Peter T, I much enjoyed your Truman days recollections.