A Brief History of the Broke Back Dogs

     So just what is a Broke Back Dog and where did they come from? Well, back in 1998, there was a group of guys who were attending Scoutmaster Fundamentals at Camp Miles in the Southwest Florida Council. When told to come up with a name for their patrol, they were having a pretty tough time arriving at something that didn’t sound too lame. To make a long story considerably shorter, they eventually settled on the Broke Back Dogs after initially coming up with something considerably less politically correct. The Scoutmaster of the course led them to believe that they were a Boy Scout Patrol and should act accordingly. The BBD Patrol took this to heart, and proceeded to have a great deal of fun while learning a lot and becoming infused with “Scout Spirit”. Most of the members of that original Broke Back Dog Patrol went on to become Scoutmasters of their own Troops and some of the top Trainers in the Council. Most are still active today.

     Now you might think that this would be a logical place to end our little jaunt down memory lane, but alas, no. Having seen the enthusiasm that the original Dogs took back to their units and used to their advantage to reenergize those units, others saw the Broke Back Dogs as something to be emulated. (Don’t ask me what could possibly have been going through their minds). So, at the very next Scoutmaster Fundamentals Course, when the Scoutmaster asked this one Patrol what their name was, they replied, “Broke Back Dogs II”. It is at this point that most historians agree the legend was born. The next 4 Scoutmaster Fundamentals Courses all had a Broke Back Dog Patrol in attendance. Around this time, the BSA decided to drop Scoutmaster Fundamentals in favor of Essentials, Specifics, and OLSI. What to do? What to do? Could this be the end of the Broke Back Dogs? Fear not dear reader, for apparently nothing can stop the spirit of the Broke Back Dogs.

     With the demise of the old Scoutmaster Fundamentals, there were some among the Dogs who openly wept. “How will we continue the legacy of the Broke Back Dogs?” they lamented. The answer came in the form of a question posed to one of the original Dogs by the Chancellor of the University of Scouting Arts. “We’re looking to form some clubs at the University” he said, “What about the Broke Back Dogs”?  In this fashion did the Dogs continue to grow and thrive. What started out as only members of Scoutmaster Fundamentals Patrols has grown to embrace any registered Scouter who has shown themselves to be dedicated to continued Adult Leader Education and to having FUN! The Dogs originally consisted of only Boy Scout Leaders but now embrace members from Cub Scouting, Venturing, and Exploring too. In fact, there are even Junior Dogs drawn from the top Scouts in the Council.

     As of this writing, there are approximately 600 members of the Broke Back Dogs. The BBD membership has expanded beyond Florida and includes members from many states and even Puerto Rico.  Most of the top Scouters in the Council are members. It has become a true honor to be a Dog. With this honor comes responsibility. Dogs are held to a higher standard of behavior than others. Dogs are expected to be the first to volunteer to help out, whatever the chore. Dogs are always there to lend a helping hand to a brother / sister Dog. Dogs are expected to epitomize the Scout Oath and Law. It is my hope that the fellowship of the Broke Back Dogs will continue to grow and spread until all are touched by the spirit of the Dogs. So let it be written. So let it be done.