Scouting with a Disability: A Story of Inspiration, Goals and a Very Worn Pair of Shoes

As with any organization, The Boy Scouts of America have rules and guidelines that must be adhered to. When Nathaniel Schrader of Chantilly, Virginia, joined a local Boy Scout troop, the leadership was hesitant. They werenʼt sure how a boy with cerebral palsy would be able to fit in or even progress within the ranks with all his limitations. The leadership offered information on another troop in the area that served mobility impaired scouts but Nathaniel wanted to stay with his Cub Scout friends, all of whom chose this particular troop. Leadership wasnʼt sure how to teach a scout with so many limitations.

Nate in Boy Scout Uniform

Nate’s first new scout campout was on a boat with very steep ladders. Scouts quickly scampered down the ladders and were off playing a game. Nate, with his equipment on his back, arrived at the ladder, and quickly stopped abruptly in his tracks. After all, a steep one person enclosed ladder and a physical impairment never go together well.

The scoutmaster stopped as well and so did the many scouts waiting so impatiently behind him. Everyone silently waited to see what Nate would do next. Everyone looked to Nathan’s dad for help. What should we do? In the time it took adults to figure out how they were going to get Nate down this tiny one person steep ladder, Nate threw his backpack down ahead of him, turned himself around and took one hesitant careful step at a time. That was the minute everyone in the troop knew that Nate was not going to be stopped. Sure, he was extremely slow and sure he was scared. But surely, the leaders standing there were in awe of this 10 year old boy figuring out a way to keep up with his peers on his own.

Keeping up with his peers became a challenge for Nate as he worked tirelessly through each requirement. He needed to learn to put up a tent using only one hand, do the knots and lashings required and keep up with the hikes and challenges of the troop. On long campouts, simple modifications and safety drops needed to be put in place in the event Nateʼs legs could not continue due to his hemiplegia, or if a safety issue arose. Truly though, Nate never used the special accommodations. His scoutmaster, Ron Campbell, once said: “Nate is the only scout who doesn’t complain on the long hikes during a campout and of all scouts he would have the right to complain!” Nate was never the fastest, never the quickest, or never the first to arrive on a scene, but he always reached the goal.

Campouts werenʼt the only places Nate needed to persevere. Summer scout camp presented the most challenges. Many of the skills and activities offered were set by strict rules and safety guidelines and camp counselors were trained to adhere to those rules no matter the circumstances. This made coming up with modifications for Nate to participate using only one hand difficult at best. For future campouts, leadership learned to investigate activities for Nate before registering the troop for a particular camp.

Merit badges also presented some challenges. Some merit badges are choice driven. However, some are “Eagle Required”, which means if you want to earn the rank of Eagle, you must complete them. One in particular was a major challenge. The “Eagle Required” badge was a choice between swimming, hiking or biking. Because he is not a competent biker, and not a long capable swimmer, Nate chose to work through the hiking merit badge. Hiking was the last badge he needed to earn Eagle. For the summer of 2009, hiking was going to be his goal. Nothing else mattered to Nate besides earning that hiking badge.

Raising support for Eagle Scout Service Project

Hiking with legs of different lengths is not easy. Nate knew he needed to manage his special needs and the requirements of the badge. So he called on one of his physical therapists, Connie Johnson. Connie helped Nate keep not only the usual safety goals in mind for the hikes but his personal needs as well. Muscle spasms from overuse were the main concern. With safety in mind, Nate’s new shoes were on and he hiked, and hiked and hiked. Very quickly, his muscles got sore, his nose and cheeks sunburned and he was tired, but he somehow managed to continue his hikes.

First it was a walk around the neighborhood, then a trail walk to his local high school. He slowly built himself up to a 5 mile hike, then another. He completed a ten miler around a battlefield with his family members.  He brought friends on some hikes and it was his dog Benny that accompanied him on others. The soles of his brand new shoes were soon dusty, dirty and worn out. His shoes looked as thought they were saying “I give up!”, but Nate wouldn’t. He bought a new pair of shoes, retired the old pair and moved on for a new hike. Soon the completion of the badge he so vigorously sought was earned.

After many years of traveling with the troop, attending summer camp and working through the ranks of scouting, Nate had one last hurdle – the Eagle service project to the community. He chose to build picnic tables and benches for his local community pool association. In order to raise the funds needed, plan the blue prints, acquire necessary supplies and manage the project day, Nate knew he needed a force of many. He called on his friends, neighbors and family members. Old tables were demolished and removed and new tables and benches were built. When the project was finished, Nate wrote the report required to receive the approval signatures and scheduled his appointment with The Eagle Board of Review.

After all the challenges he faced, he thought a sit down meeting answering the questions of scouting officials would be one of the easiest hurdles he would face during his scouting career. After all, he had prepared by studying his book, doing practice questions with his parents and even talking to Eagle scouts for information about what to expect. He was prepared and all the true challenges were accomplished and checked off in his scout handbook.

The morning of his Board of Review, which took months to schedule, a very unexpected challenge arose. Nate had a fever of 102. Anyone with Cerebral Palsy is at a risk for seizures, especially during a fever. There was a potential for the fever to quickly be the start of a much more serious condition. Nate had good reason to call and cancel.  Certainly the team of scout executives assembled would understand. As Nate headed back to his bedroom, his parents were ready to pick up the phone to reschedule, but before they could, out came Nate in his full dress uniform ready to face yet another challenge. He didnʼt want to cancel. He had fought hard to arrive at this day, and no fever was going to stop him. So Nate, dressed in his formal uniform with a smile on his face, wiped the sweat from his fevered forehead and faced this last big challenge head on.

Nate, now 15 years old, will celebrate his Eagle Court of Honor award on August 28th, 2010. His family and friends will be there, his scoutmaster will be there and so will his therapists. His last hike will be down the aisle to have the Eagle award placed in his hand. He canʼt shake with his left hand well, as scouts are required to, but after four years of learning from Nate, his scoutmaster, the scouts in his troop, the Scouting executives and the people in the audience all will be reminded once again that doing it differently, doesn’t make it wrong.

Contribution by Deidre Schrader