European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 23, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse Tuesday january 23. 1990 the stars and stripes Page 9 handbook preparing scouts for 1990s Dallas a the new boy scout handbook stiff cells scouts to be pre pared and How try use a Compass build campfires and tic in big. But it also Aims to help boys Cope w Ith life Liuch 90s. The handbook the nine years features a 23-Page insert on the dangers of child abuse and drugs a new. Environmentally gentle approach to camping new rules to keep younger scouts interested new Merit badges such As cinematography and color Pho tos m place of the old illustrations. The changes arc part of a decade Long drive to modernize the 80-\car-oldorgam/alion and boost its membership which sagged from 4.8 million in 1972 to 3,1 Mimon in 1979. Membership has since rebounded to 4.3 million we feel like As the nation s largest youth development organization tha Tyoung people should be Given a knowl Edge and a sense of personal Power that will help them in their own Protection whether it be from child abuse or drug said Lee Sneath. National spokes Man for the boy scouts of America. Unfortunately in today s society these Are things that Young people need to be aware Sneath said the new i oth edition of the boy scouts handbook As the Book is of i Dally known is due to be in stores late this month or Early next month. The Book has sold in the millions since the first handbook came out in 1910 thelast Complete revision was in 1981. Many of the changes in the new Book reflect revisions already made in Seoul practice. For example child abuse an drug abuse along with problems such As hunger illiteracy and unemployment have been covered in scout Bro Chures and programs for several years adults involved in scouting arc fad to Sec the organization address la Issue of child abuse. Like other you of organizations. The scouts themselves have occasionally been infiltrator by child abusers posing As i think it s scouting that there s More pm Phasis on said scoutmaster Heiermann who leads troop 44jrin inc Dallas suburb of Arlington. It a palls me when i read news accounts that scout leaders have abused . Pierce 12, of Irving Texas says the new handbook is really and la Eichmann. " and does t have to always be physical. It can be verbal abuse As i be change in the smut organisation since the handbook was last aimed at the youngest scouts and particularly the 40 percent of wuts who drop out in Irir first Vea the old list for a boy Sci Advance Roar tic Tenderfoot rank to the firs set p toward Theof Maple scout had. Topi d . I list has Cut to less than two f Jues ant re is less emphasis on gaining Merit at this stage of scouting. I be found that it boys get to first class in their first 15 months if scout ing then they re More Likely to remaining the Heiermann said. Another potential Lur null to some inns the smut uniform with Long Iri Ai knee socks and neckerchief has been supplemented with Mure contemporary knit shirts shorts and while athletic Scaks. Scouts Mav Wear the casual uniforms on trips and for camping saving their dress uniforms for formal occasions such changes please one scout who did make it to first class level. Pierce a sixth grader in Irving. The dal Las suburb where the Bra is based. Pierce who wants to become an air be Pilot someday and thinks Hing experience will help him reach Ial. Calls the new handbook real and said the changes will for More boys to adjust e enrol men slump i of the baby Boom St uniforms and " i be me general Iotis cry much an Antithesis of is very much a we re Aid. Sneath does t directly tie rat Resur gence in enrolment in the i980?-Io the organi Alion s new focus but said there s no double scout leaders and officials have a belter idea of what today s souls want. The requirements really weren t a problem in Cash said. Hut when you Deal with 3 to 4 million youths on a regular basis you develop a feel for what they re going environment top Issue for freshmen Survey finds Washington a College freshmen arc be coming More conservative about drugs and crime but More Liberal about legalized abortion environmental issues and student activism according to a study re leased sunday. The 24th annual Survey of incoming College fresh men conducted jointly by Urcla s higher education research Institute and the american Council on Edu cation found an abrupt change in student altitudes about legalized abortions. Support for legalized abortion which had remained fairly stable Between s3 percent and 59 percent since 1977.jumped sharply Between the 1988 and 1989 sur Veys from 57 percent to 64.7 percent. An abrupt change in student attitudes of this magnitude in just one year is most unusual said Alexan Der w. Aslin. Professor of higher education at Urcla s graduate school of education and the Survey s director. He added that it May Well reflect the students growing concern about the current supreme court s position on this highly charged the Survey found the environment was the top con Cern with six out of every seven of those questioned agreeing that the Federal government is not doing enough to control environmental and 78.2 percent of the students endorsed greater governmental efforts to control handguns a new question asked for the Fin. Time in 1989. Support for abolition of the death Penally continued its Sharp decline As did student use of drugs and Alco hol. The Survey found a growing tendency Tow Ard greater student activism. While student attitudes seem to be moving in a conservative direction on the issues of drugs and crime their views on most other issues Are changing in a decidedly Liberal said Astin. The 1989 National Survey is based on inc responses of 216,362 students at 403 of the nation s two and an All time High of 44.1 percent of students reported that it is a very important goal for them to influence social four year colleges and universities. The results were statistically adjusted to reflect the responses of the 1.6 million full time students entering College As freshmen in the fall of 1989. Key findings were Only 21.3 percent oppose the death penalty com pared to 23.0 in 1988 and 57.6 percent in 1971. The percentage of freshmen who reported drink ing Beer dropped to 60.3 percent Down from 65.3percent in 1988 and 75.2 percent in 1981. Freshmen who reported drinking wine or liquor dropped to 60.7 percent in 1989, compared to 66.7 percent in 1988. The percentage of students who agree that Mari Juana should be legalized reached another All Lime Low of 16.7 percent Down from 19.3 percent in i9h8 and 52.9 percent in 1977. The percentage of students who agree that employers should be allowed to require drug testing of employees and Job applicants jumped sharply from 71 percent to 77.8 percent Between 1988 and 1989. The Survey also reported that the share of freshmen who participated in organized demonstrations during the year prior to entering College reached a High of 36.7 percent which is greater than the percentages observed during the late 1960s. At the same time the percentage of freshmen who said that there is a very Good Chance thai they w la participate in student protests or Demon Stalions in College also reached an All Lime High of 6.3 percent up from 5.4 percent in 1988 and 4.7 percent in 1967. An All time High of 44.1 percent of students reported that it is a very important goal for them to influence social this figure is up from 36 percent in 1987 and 31.1 percent in 1982. For the fifth consecutive year student concern for the environment increased Wilh 86.3 percent of fresh men wanting better Federal efforts to control pollution compared with 83.9 percent in 1988 and 80.9 percent in 1987. The Survey showed that student interest in becom ing involved in programs to clean up the environment also increased Wilh 26.1 percent of the 1989 College freshmen saying Hal this is a very important life goal compared with Only 15.9 percent in 1986. These trends show not Only that most students want More governmental action in the environmental Field but Hal increasing numbers of them arc willingly become personally involved in the Effort said Astin
