Sir, - In anticipation of comment from others, I waited before replying to the unjustified and quite simply, disgraceful, remarks about the scout movement from Adrian Langan (August 10th) in the course of his long letter on "The Legacy of Pearse." I have no wish to touch on that subject at this stage.
As one of many people who has gained considerably from my involvement in scouting, the assertion that "the preparation of youth for sacrifice in war was an. . .aim of the Boy Scout movement" is wrong and deeply offensive. It should be withdrawn.
For the record, long before it became fashionable, internationalism and respect for diverse cultures were tenets of scouting. Long before the growth of the green movement, respect for the environment and nature were core principles of scouting. Long before the development of modern educational norms, the encouragement of young people to "learn by doing" was scouting practice and long before notions of democracy were even contemplated in many societies the very essence of scouting was of young people deciding, for themselves, their programmes, their activities and their future.
I am proud to have had the opportunity and privilege to be a member of one of the most progressive and inclusive youth movements our world has seen. It is a movement with an enviable record of service that will not suffer from comments such as Mr Langan's. Nevertheless the record should be set straight. - Yours, etc.,
Dermot Lacey, Beech Hill Drive, Donnybrook, Dublin 4.