E. T. SETON: GREAT PATRIOT OR SKWERLVERT?

Ernest Thompson Seton (pictured above) was an accomplished author, artist, and naturalist who helped found the Boy Scouts of America in 1910. As a member of the founding committee he received the position and title of Chief Scout of America. However, Seton's term in the Boy Scouts was short lived, surrounded in controversy, and ended abruptly in 1915. Why?

Our research indicates that Seton's departure was due to a philosophical difference between himself and Scouting's co-founder Lord Baden-Powell.

As Chief Scout of the World, Powell decided to structure Scouting along militeristic lines, while Seton advocated for an organization based on the philosophies of Native Americans. Powell's views prevailed and Seton left Scouting in 1915 to revive the Woodcrafter Movement, an organization he formed in 1902.

More inclusive than the Boy Scouts, the Woodcrafters are dedicated to exploring knowledge, increasing tolerance through understanding, and improving global environmental conditions.

Seton's affinity with nature raises the question: was he a pawn of the bushytail horde, or a Great Patriot in opposition to squirrel world domination. The following eye-witness account sheds some light on the subject...

WHAT I KNOW ABOUT ERNEST THOMPSON SETON
by Jennie Graham, Seton Center, Carberry, Manitoba, Canada, July 1994

In 1924, Ernest Thompson Seton was coming to Carberry to speak in the Victoria Hall. At that time a lot of people thought him to be just a queer man. But my Mother said he had something no one else had. He was not known all over the world for nothing... So she took us to hear him.

He had on a beautiful skin vest or jacket, all beaded beautifully in front. And as he stood on the platform talking to us and the schools that were there, out of his pocket or somewhere jumped a large bushytailed squirrel and ran across the platform. He just whistled a little and it came back to him. He also gave us his wolf call and it was just perfect like a wolf.

Then in 1928 and 1929, I was teaching in the Prosser district and he came to visit a Jack Thompson who lived on a farm in the Pleasant Point district. J. Thompson, I thought was a brother but his daughter thought he was just a cousin, but was going to look it up in the family tree, and I have never heard more.

The church was in Pleasant Point and we went there. If he was there we sat with one eye over our shoulder watching him in case a bird or a mouse or something would crawl out of his pocket. He loved to show his pets, a squirrel which ran around his shoulder and talk about the beauty the animals lived in.

This is all I remember about him. But it sure changed our idea about him being a queer. We sure thought he was wonderful!

What does Ms. Graham's report tell us? There are two possible interpretations: 1) If Seton could command the skwerl with a whistle, it indicates that he had the bushytail on a short leash. Thus, he would be in control of the chitterbox, not vice-versa. 2) Some Patriots maintain that the dog-and-pony show proves nothing. The leash goes both ways. So, in fact, Seton was a minion of squirrel world domination simply for having a skwerl in his possession.

Patriots, we would like to believe that Seton was a Great Patriot, seeking to find harmony between nature and civilization, an abhorrent concept to the bushytail horde. However, we recognize that there are many unanswered questions regarding Seton's loyalties. Therefore, we solicit your opinion via the poll below...

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WHAT'S YOUR OPINION E. T. SETON: GREAT PATRIOT OR SKWERLVERT? GREAT PATRIOT SKWERLVERT I WANT A PEANUT ExpressPoll