ST. LOUIS _ Maybe it was spring fever. Or the language barrier. Or boys just being boys.
But in the courtyard of Nahed Chapman New American Academy a few weeks ago, Boy Scout leader Roosevelt Fair-Kincaid was not happy with the lack of focus from the third- and fourth-graders as he tried to get them to stand in four straight lines.
"I'm not going to give up. Scouts don't give up," Fair-Kincaid, 57, barked at the boys. "You're not going to have it your way. I have more energy than you'll ever have."
To prove his point, the slender man with a slight limp, dreadlocks in a waist-length ponytail, dropped to the push-up position. The sudden move kicked up a cloud of dirt.
Most of the 25 boys were paying attention now. The new scouting program tailored for the new Americans is heavy on discipline, respect and physical fitness. In a school where 24 languages are spoken, Fair-Kincaid recruits boys in each classroom with strong English skills to help communicate.
But he seldom needs assistance. Voice inflection is universal no matter the language. Downcast eyes let Fair-Kincaid know a misbehaving boy understands the gist of what he is saying: Straighten up or face the consequences.
"I will take you to the principal's office. You know what that is?" the Army veteran and former case manager for MERS Goodwill asked some inattentive boys.
If Fair-Kincaid seems unkind, that would be a misreading. Sitting with the boys at lunch, he is a quiet talker, joking, listening, learning more about various cultures, ethnic groups and religions. In St. Louis, the largest number of refugees recently arriving are from Syria, a Muslim country where the native language is Arabic.
While one of the key tenets of scouting is "duty to God," the organization does not specifically guide boys to any religion. The Boy Scouts of America website states "there is abundant evidence that children benefit from the moral compass provided by religious tradition" and "scouting encourages each young person to begin a spiritual journey through the practice of his or her faith tradition."
'THEY ARE MY BABIES'
Scouting programs traditionally are held after school and on weekends, but in some urban areas, they take place during classroom hours. Outside of school, a church or other place needs to be found to hold meetings, and transportation can be challenging, especially for those new to America like the refugee families the Chapman Academy serves.
Principal Donnie Harris met with scout leaders late last year about bringing a program to the academy, part of the St. Louis Public Schools. Harris was a Girl Scout as was her daughter. Her husband was a Boy Scout. And their two sons are Eagle Scouts.
Key components of scouting _ serving others, healthy living, building character, lifelong learning _ fold nicely into the academy's mission to acclimate new arrivals so they can within two years be placed into traditional public schools and succeed, she said.
"They are my babies too. I want to afford them every opportunity to be successful," Harris said. For boys, especially, scouts can build discipline, which leads to better behavior in the classroom, she said. About 275 students in kindergarten through fifth grade participate.
Fair-Kincaid has been with the Boy Scouts for four years. He said that while growing up in Centreville and attending East St. Louis schools, scouts was not something that was offered to him and his friends. When he heard about the position at Chapman, "I couldn't pass it up. It was a unique situation" _ helping refugee boys assimilate to their new country with something as quintessentially American as scouting.
The program at Chapman started in the spring semester, with scout classes held twice a month. Fair-Kincaid works with the boys by age group, spending about an hour with each class. The Girl Scouts run a similar program on the same day with the elementary students.
When Fair-Kincaid is not at Chapman, he works with scouts in Brooklyn, Cahokia, East St. Louis and Madison.
'A SENSE OF BELONGING'
The scouts at Chapman do not wear uniforms and they don't officially work toward badges. So far, they have not camped, hiked or fished. That is by design.
Sleeping outdoors, often without tents, is part of the past for many of the Chapman students who lived in refugee camps before being resettled in the U.S.
Survival skills can wait, Fair-Kincaid said. Instead, team building, making crafts and social interaction take priority.
The fifth-graders made their own neckerchiefs in four different colors to help distinguish the patrols they are assigned. Aside from that, the children do not wear uniforms. Working toward badges also will come later. That is, if the program is around next year. Harris has lobbied for it but she retires this year so the future of scouting at Chapman is unclear.
"What better way for these kids to assimilate and immediately feel a sense of belonging?" said Claire Nordmann, field director for the Boy Scouts Greater St. Louis Area Council.
Bonnie Barczykowski, chief executive officer of the Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri, said the priority, for now, is fun. Programming and curriculum can come later.
"This is the first taste of Girl Scouts," she said. As the students eventually move into their neighborhood school, hopefully they will take with them the basics of scouts and want to get involved at a deeper level including participating in out-of-school activities and getting their parents involved, Barczykowski said.
On the final scouting day of the semester earlier this month, Fair-Kincaid ran each group of boys through drills: Salute. Stand at ease. Recite the Boy Scout oath and law.
"On my honor ..." the boys began, their right hands in the air, two fingers straight up, the pinkie and ring finger held down by the thumb _ the Cub Scouts salute.
Ali Alrashed, a 10-year-old from Iraq, helped Fair-Kincaid lead the boys, unfazed by the few detractors who favored horse play, tree climbing or seeking shade at a picnic table.
"A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind ..." Ali said, standing straight and to the left of Fair-Kincaid.
The scout leader kept a stone face but later shared the pride in leading the boys.
"They learn so fast. They come from countries that are a whole lot less opportunistic," Fair-Kincaid said. "When they get a chance to do something, they really put spirit into it."
