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美国文化介绍
我们在学英语的过程中，无论是老师还是其他朋友经常告诉我们，学习一种语言，不只要学其语言，还要学其文化。现在就了解一下本文中出现的一些美国特色的文化吧！
美国童子军（The Boy Scouts of America，简称BSA）是美国童子军运动中成立的一个民间组织，在其他一些国家也有它的组织。BSA是美国最大的青年团体，成员超过100万人。BSA成立于1910年（1月8日），截至2005年底，成员已达2938698人，其中领导级成员1146130人，分属122582个基层组织。BSA主要接受由志愿者组成的管理委员会的管理，但在较高的组织级别上则聘请专职人员管理，某些商业性活动也由专人管理。
（20世纪初），美国一些专门为年轻人谋求社会福利的热心人士非常关注美国的进步运动，BSA就是在这样的社会背景下诞生的。BSA遵守童子军宗旨：把一些（美国人认为重要的）价值观传授给少年儿童，诸如自尊、公民意识及野外生存技能（outdoorsmanship，今改为survival）等，这些价值观的灌输是通过参加一系列户外活动而逐渐完成的，例如野营、水上训练及登山等。
BSA对童子军取得的成绩的认可办法包括级别晋升和设立各种特别奖励，具体办法根据不同对象或项目而定，例如7－17岁的男童子军与14－21岁的女童子军各有所区别。BSA一般由各地方自行组织和操作，当地的军队、特种兵及空军飞行员则作为志愿者领导和组织有关活动。
童子军会组织一些活动来给每个孩子提供获得晋升的机会，每个孩子参加完一项活动之后，总能感觉到自己获得了进步。很多晋升形式主要是“即时认定式”，也就是说，孩子一旦得到了应有的奖赏，晋升级别的认定会尽快完成。还有一些认定形式，就是在童子军大会上，当着全体童子军及其家长的面给予奖励。
童子军晋升制度由人为设置的一系列障碍和步骤组成，每个孩子都必须设法克服这些障碍，每个孩子都可根据相关规定来制订自己的进步计划，并通过参加军训而被承认其挑战某些项目的成功。队员每前进一步都会得到及时的奖励，目的是增强自信心。每一晋升级别中所设置的若干个步骤则以鼓励孩子独立自主及帮助他人为主。“雄鹰奖章”是童子军所能得到的最高奖励级别，一旦获此奖章，会被认为是至高无上的荣誉。很多成年人即使在获此殊荣若干年以后，都不会忘记在其个人简历中给予重重的一笔，以示荣耀。的确，童子军聚会的时候，你会听到那些已经四十好几、五十好几、六十好几甚至都七十多岁的老童子军们用一般现在时态自豪地宣布：“我是雄鹰！”
童子军运动和童子军是美国文化中众所周知的事物。在登上月球的12名宇航员中，就有11名曾是是童子军成员。而长达半个世纪以来一直由童子军组织的“春季庆典活动”——松木车德比大赛，则被美国《读者文摘》评为美国百佳庆典活动之一。美国前总统福特说：“我可以毫不犹豫地说，如果没有童子军精神，我不会成为一名好运动员，不可能成为一名好的海军军官，也不可能成为一名好的参议员，更不可能成为一名随时都能做好一切准备的总统。”
但是，BSA也制订某些规定以限制某些人加入该组织，其中有些关于会员资格的规定颇受争议，并导致一些童子军或童子军的成人领导者被开除出局，原因五花八门，如无神论者、异己分子或同性恋者，等等。
BSA及其支持者则认为，BSA之所以制订这些规定，是为了给年轻人灌输某些终身的价值观和民族特征，并声明这是完全必要的做法。批评家则认为，BSA的某些规定是错误的，且有种族歧视之嫌。
这个组织制订有关规定的权利一直都得到联邦政府和州政府的支持。2000年，美国最高法院认定：美国童子军是一个纯属私人性质的组织，有权设置属于自己的会员资格标准。近些年来，就有关规定的争议甚至引发法律诉讼，例如对童子军组织是否有资格使用政府公共资源（包括国有土地使用权问题）的有关法律条款所开展的辩论等。
The Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) is a United States Scouting organization, with some presence in other countries. The BSA is the largest youth organization in the United States; over one hundred million Americans have been members. Founded in 1910, the movement had a registered membership of 2,938,698 youth with 1,146,130 leaders in 122,582 units as of the end of 2005. The BSA is administered mostly by committees of volunteers, but employs professionals at the higher levels of administration and for commercial activities.
The BSA sprang from the concerns of the progressive movement in the United States from people who sought to promote the social welfare of young men. The BSA adheres to the Scout method to teach values such as self-esteem, citizenship, and outdoorsmanship through a variety of outdoor activities such as camping, aquatics, and hiking.
The BSA recognizes the achievements of Scouts through advancement in rank and various special awards. It includes several program divisions, targeted at boys ages seven through seventeen and young men and women ages fourteen through twenty-one. The BSA operates locally, through volunteer-led units such as troops, packs, and crews.
Cub Scouting provides advancement opportunities throughout the program to help each Scout feel that he has accomplished something when completing an activity. Many advancements in Cub Scouting are of the "Immediate Recognition" type; that is they are designed to be given as soon as possible after the award is earned. Others are to be given ceremoniously at Pack meetings in front of all the Scouts in the unit and their parents.
The Boy Scouting advancement system consists of a series of obstacles and the steps that boys must take to overcome them. The system is designed so that a Scout will plan his advancement and by participating in the troop program, be recognized as he overcomes each challenge. The Scout is rewarded at each step of the way, which is intended to develop self-confidence. The steps in the advancement system are designed to help him grow in self-reliance and the ability to help others. The highest level of Boy Scout advancement is the rank of Eagle Scout; an award considered by some to be so prestigious that many adults continue to list it as a major accomplishment or award on their resumes or CVs, many decades afer they were initially awarded the badge. Indeed, the rank of Eagle Scout is generally spoken of in the present tense, and it is not unusual, at Scout gatherings, to hear men in their 40s, 50s, 60's or even 70's, proudly proclaim: "I'm an Eagle Scout!"
Scouting and Boy Scouts are well known throughout American culture. Eleven of the twelve men to walk on the Moon were Scouts. The "Pinewood Derby," for half a century "a celebrated rite of spring," has been named part of "America's 100 Best" by Reader's Digest magazine. President Gerald Ford said, "I can say without hesitation, because of Scouting principles, I know I was a better athlete, I was a better naval officer, I was a better Congressman, and I was a better prepared President."
But BSA has policies which prohibit or restrict certain people from membership and participation. Some of these membership policies are controversial and have resulted in the dismissal of Scouts and adult Scout leaders from the BSA or a Scouting unit for being an atheist, agnostic, or homosexual.
The Boy Scouts of America and its supporters contend that these policies are essential in its mission to "instill in young people lifetime values and develop in them ethical character".Critics believe that some or all of these policies are wrong and discriminatory.
The organization's right to set such policies has been upheld repeatedly by both state and federal courts. Moreover, in 2000, the Supreme Court of the United States affirmed that the Boy Scouts of America is a private organization which can set its own membership standards. In recent years, the policy disputes have led to litigation over the terms under which the BSA can access governmental resources including public lands.
