Daniel M. Reck

Principle vs. Policy: Are the Boy Scouts Lost?

Wed, 06 Feb 2013 19:12:48 +0000

The national leaders of the Boy Scouts of America have in recent days mulled the decision to reverse course on a membership policy which prohibits gay men and lesbians from participating in the organization. Now, as the organization celebrates its 103rd anniversary, they decided the BSA “needs more time for a more deliberate review of its membership policy,” according to Deron Smith, their national spokesman.

In the year since the BSA reaffirmed their exclusionary policy, over 1.5 million people signed petitions in opposition. And since last week, when the BSA announced they would review the policy during this week’s national meeting, many voices spoke for keeping the ban. Some of the most prominent voices supporting the prohibition of gays and lesbians defend it by saying that homosexuality violates the BSA’s moral principles, usually citing “A Scout is Reverent” from the Scout Law. However, the argument’s logic is shouded in fog thicker than the London mist American William D. Boyce became lost in a century ago. Impressed when the Boy Scout who stopped to help him refused a tip, Boyce founded the BSA on February 8, 1910, basing the new organization on principles defined in the Scout Oath and Law.

Now, it seems that no one is actually looking at the BSA’s written statements of principles. Not one person has been able to answer the question I first posed publicly last August:

If “A Scout is Reverent” and there are legitimate spiritual traditions and faiths which welcome gays and lesbians as any other people, how can the Boy Scouts of America justify a policy in which some scouts’ faith systems are valued more than others?

The crux of the question is the comparison of the BSA’s own definitions of their principles against their policy of barring gay and lesbian members.

Broken Hearts: Sandy Hook Elementary School, Newtown, Conn.

Fri, 14 Dec 2012 22:45:06 +0000

Let us remember the children and educators lost on December 14, 2012, at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.

Let us celebrate their lives. Let us care for the survivors. Let us protect our children. Let us find peace.

We have broken hearts, and they will take a long time to mend. But even in our sorrow, even in our anger, let us remember to love, to care, to reach out.

There will be plenty of time for debate about how to respond and how to prevent future tragedies—as if we haven’t seen enough. When we do, however, I hope we will do it with civility. With respect. Do not allow us to tarnish the memories of the lost by stooping to bickering and name-calling. If we can come together to negotiate a path to a safer world for our children, then we honor everyone who was lost:

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Reck's Photos of Northwestern Band Featured in Trade Magazine

Tue, 21 Aug 2012 03:45:45 +0000

AUGUST 20, 2012 — EVANSTON, ILL. — Dripping with “heavy dew,” the snare drummers of the Northwestern University “Wildcat” Marching Band evoke performances of Blue Man Group. Geysers of water launch from the drum heads as they play, drenching themselves and everyone nearby on a particularly wet Saturday afternoon last fall. They’re all smiles.

It is one image of several shot by Daniel M. Reck to be showcased in the August issue of School Band and Orchestra magazine.

“Surrounding yourself with talented people is essential in running a program, especially for a marching band,” Daniel J. Farris, director of athletic bands at Northwestern University, says in the article.

“It’s been a privilege to work with Mr. Farris, first as a student, and now as part of the band’s staff,” says Reck. He has been the Director of Web Media for the band since 2007, which includes producing the band’s website, monitoring its social media, and working as a member of the band’s professional photography team. Reck’s colleague, Director of Photography Tom McGrath, also contributed images including the issue’s cover.

In the article, “Balancing Tradition and Innovation,” Farris and Director of Bands Mallory Thompson are interviewed extensively about their work as music educators and how the Wildcat Band as an all-volunteer ensemble encompassing nearly every major on the Northwestern campus creates a vibrant educational program.

“The Wildcat Band is very special among college bands,” says Reck. “It is very welcoming, with no auditions, but it is also very demanding. The band’s directors expect the students to take an active leadership role and work together towards excellence. That’s what I try to emphasize in the band’s online media.”

The Eagle Scout Award Turns 100 Amid Controversy; I’ll Keep Mine

Thu, 02 Aug 2012 00:34:14 +0000

A century ago today, Arthur Eldred was the first young man to earn the Eagle Scout award from the Boy Scouts of America. The 17-year-old had completed his twenty-one merit badges with ease, and passed his board of review—in front of the BSA’s founders, no less—“with ease,” according to The Wall Street Journal’s Michael S. Malone.

In the decades since, the Eagle Scout award has become synonymous with success. It is the highest rank a young man may earn in the BSA, and requires that he hold leadership offices and participate in, design, and ultimately lead major community service programs. The nearly two dozen merit badges required cover a range of competencies, from world citizenship to lifesaving skills to financial management.

Historically only about 2% of Boy Scouts ever attain the award. “These Eagles in turn have changed the face of American culture in ways both obvious and unexpected,” says Malone.

Notable scientists, artists, Nobel Prize winners, politicians, military heroes, corporate and community leaders, and President Gerald Ford are all counted on the roster of Eagle Scouts. So too is Neil Armstrong, the first human to walk on the moon.

200 Handbell Musicians Attempt Record-Setting Baseball Performance

Wed, 11 Jul 2012 18:29:30 +0000

JULY 11, 2012 — CINCINNATI, OHIO — More than 200 musicians will descend upon the Great American Ball Park to perform the national anthem before the Cincinnatti Reds open their home series against the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday, July 20.

“We will have upwards of 450 instruments on the diamond,” says Daniel M. Reck, one of the musicians. “Or we’ll have just one really big one, depending on how you look at it.”

They musicians will be performing “The Star Spangled Banner” on handbells. Most will play two bells, while some as many as six. Together, they hope to set a record for the largest ensemble to perform “The Star Spangled Banner” at a baseball game.

Liberal Arts Scholars Necessary to Solve Education Woes

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 19:08:19 +0000

Of late, there have been a series of challenges to college education. The lackluster economy, politics, evolving education technologies, and attention-grabbing commentators (not to be confused with legitimate journalists) have all affected the way colleges and universities go about their missions.

Particularly, liberal arts colleges and universities are questioned for having “un-focused” curriculums. Instead, some like Florida governor Rick Scott would like to focus higher education spending on science, technology, enginerring, and mathematics (STEM) to the exclusion of humanities studies. Alex Tabarrok, professor of economics at George Mason University, agrees.

I do not.

Prof. Tarrabok’s recent essay in the Chronicle of Higher Education argues that studies in the humanities should not be subsidized, and that fields deemed “valuable” to society should be.

“There’s nothing wrong with the arts, psychology, and journalism,” he says, before spending three paragraphs expounding on what is wrong with studying in those fields. For instance, he argues that graduates in these fields “are less likely to create the kinds of innovations that drive economic growth.” Prof. Tarrabok’s essay is not uneducated, however.

Spring Tips For Student Organization Success

Fri, 23 Mar 2012 17:19:15 +0000

Will your student organization still going to be around next fall? We’re coming up on April, a special time of year on college campuses. The days are getting longer, temperatures are rising, and students are looking ahead to their plans after the spring term ends.

This is also the time of year that so many student organizations quietly fade into oblivion. Of course, that’s not the intention of the student leaders. It’s just so easy to put off planning for the next academic year with all those exams, projects, and—let’s face it—friends wanting to hang out in the warm breezes.

Fortunately, there are a few simple things that student leaders can do now to be ready after the summer:

Andrew Kuebrich, Chief of Good Times

Sat, 28 Jan 2012 06:01:21 +0000

Andrew Kuebrich was among the first students I met when I began working at Monmouth College. He was the president of his chapter of Zeta Beta Tau Fraternity, so he and I talked frequently. I appreciated his willingness to “call it like it is” as we talked about the state of the college’s fraternity system overall, and his fraternity in particular.

Andrew would drop in my old, dark, cave of an office (which is now the home of the college’s student programming board) and plop down on one of the too-low chairs which was just not designed for his tall frame. He’d kick his feet up on the coffee table and make himself comfortable. There was something about that office that seemed a little conspiratory, and Andrew liked to play into that.

“Let me tell you a secret, Daniel,” he would say, his eyes darting back and fourth, over-conspicuously looking for a phantom eavesdropper.

“What’s that, Andrew?” I would ask.

Graduation Figures Aren't The End-All Measure of Success

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 20:25:33 +0000

“If low graduation and student transfer rates at City Colleges of Chicago don’t start improving, the system’s leaders could lose their jobs. That’s because the formal job responsibilities of the chancellor, presidents and even trustees include graduation rate goals,” reports Paul Fain of Inside Higher Ed in his article, “Price of Success.”

Having studied with the City Colleges of Chicago’s previous chancellor, Dr. Wayne Watson, this story piqued my interest. Watson is now the president of Chicago State University, and has taught courses at Northwestern University’s School of Education and Social Policy.

In our class, he discussed the challenge of measuring community colleges’ graduation rates, because so many of the students who come to city colleges are not seeking a degree, or they take longer to finish it than the Department of Education metric allows.

According to this article, the Department of Education “looks at full-time, first-time students over a period equal to 150 percent of the time it would take to earn a credential” and “only 35 percent of the 127,000 students who attend City Colleges count toward that graduation measure, because many have studied elsewhere or enroll only part-time.”

I would be interested in knowing how many students enter CCC as a full-time, first-time with no intention of completing a degree; perhaps they just want to take one year of classes and transfer to a four-institution. Or maybe they are interested in a certificate, trade, or professional program. Would these students be counted as failures in the graduation tally? What about students who begin a full-time degree program and then drop to part-time because of financial, family, or employment reasons? If they still complete their degree, but take seven years, then are they are failures?

Honor Roll (Student?) Athlete Featured on ESPN

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 22:21:37 +0000

After years of studies, senior Peter Dill has finally been recognized for his outstanding work at Seton Hall University.

In a 60-second lead-in to the ESPN Top 10 segment on January 4, anchor John Buccigross noted Dill’s oustanding academic record had placed him on the “honor roll every semester.”

Given the NCAA regularly runs commercials which say, “There are 380,000 NCAA student-athletes and most of them will go pro in something other than sports,” [VIDEO] it seems natural that ESPN would highlight a student-athlete’s studies and give him national media attention.

Unfortunately, that is wishful thinking. Buccigross’ offhanded comment about Dill’s scholastic accomplishment only appeared in the 12:56 p.m. ET broadcast (as captured by YouTube user kenexakauffman). Repeats of the segment, including the one ESPN posted to YouTube (above), omit the recognition. Instead, they only feature Dill’s sideline antics as a walk-on basketball player for the Pirates.

Reck returns to Jamboree Today; advises on social media

Thu, 20 Oct 2011 15:00:00 +0000

OCTOBER 20, 2011 — DAVENPORT, IOWA — Since 1937, Jamboree Today newspaper has been providing “the news you can use” to participants at National Scout Jamborees.

“It’s a proud tradition,” says Daniel M. Reck, a Unit Commissioner in the Boy Scouts of America’s Illowa Council, which serves the region surrounding the Quad Cities. “I was proud to serve during the Boy Scouts’ centennial celebration in 2010,” he says.

Reck will be returning to Jamboree Today again at the next National Scout Jamboree in 2013. This week he was appointed to the staff and has been asked to provide advice for Jamboree Today’s social media operation.

“In 2010, I was asked to launch Jamboree Today’s online presence,” Reck says. “Within hours we had thousands of people interacting with us. It was fantastic.”

While serving as a copy editor for the paper, Reck monitored social media sites like Facebook and Twitter for talk about the jamboree, and he interacted with parents and Scouters from around the world who were unable to attend.

“When I discovered a post from one father at home about talking with his son at the jamboree through Apple FaceTime, I knew there was a story,” Reck says.

Tonight's National All-Star Performance Includes Reck

Sun, 17 Jul 2011 18:49:13 +0000

JULY 17, 2011 — MINNEAPOLIS, MINN. — Startled patrons in the lobby of the Minneapolis Hilton hotel looked around in confusion as two dozen handbell musicians ambushed them in a flash mob today.

Daniel M. Reck was among the performers, led by Rima Grier, who parodied “Mickey, You’re So Fine” and “La Bamba” with new lyrics about how any kind of music can be played on handbells. The stunt was to help publicize tonight’s handbell concert at the hotel.

“We know how to have fun,” says Reck, “but we’re also working to show that handbell musicians are like just like any other musicians.”

Tonight’s concert will feature Reck in one of the two National All-Star Handbell Choirs, along with an advanced group of teenage musicians which has participated in a series of special classes over the weekend. The entire event is the finale to the American Guild of English Handbell Ringers National Seminar, which combines a mult-day professional conference with marathon rehearsal sessions.

“It’s been a great deal of hard work to prepare,” says Reck, who successfully auditioned into the ensemble as its bass ringer. “The all-star ensembles are each performing four advanced works with about six hours of rehearsal before the performance.”

The "Fraternal Profession" guides our professions in life

Sat, 02 Apr 2011 01:30:00 +0000

Remarks at the Greek Life Banquet and Awards
April 1, 2011 at 7:30 PM
The Stockdale Center at Monmouth College

Brothers and sisters, thank you! Your effort, your devotion, have made this the hands-down best year in Greek Life. Every year since I arrived in 2008, you have ratcheted yourselves up.

You have confronted your challenges with confidence, and overcome them with intelligence. We’ve come a long way, and you own that success outright.

When our founders created our fraternities back in the nineteenth century, they did so because they felt there was a need on their campuses that wasn’t being met. They needed a family, right there on campus, to provide a network of support and to help build each sister and brother up so that they would be the best lady or gentleman they could possibly be.

Our ritual provides the framework of values to accomplish this. In the ritual of Sigma Nu Fraternity—my fraternity—we promise to be constant to our “Fraternal Profession.” But what does that mean? Fraternal Profession?

Reck to Join Staff at World Scout Jamboree in Sweden

Mon, 28 Mar 2011 19:51:04 +0000

MARCH 28, 2010 — MONMOUTH, ILL. — An educator at Monmouth College has been selected to represent the Boy Scouts of America at the 22nd World Scout Jamboree in Sweden this summer. Daniel M. Reck will join the International Service Team, which includes jamboree staff members from around the world.

“Scouting is sometimes called play with a purpose,” says Reck. “At the world jamboree, young men and women from nations near and far will have a chance to come together, share their cultures, develop respect, and do it all while having the time of their lives.”

The World Scout Jamboree, held approximately every fourth year since 1920, plans to host about 38,000 scouts from the 160 nations which have national scouting federations participating in the World Organization of the Scouting Movement.

This is Reck’s third jamboree staff appointment. Last summer, he was a copy editor at Jamboree Today, the daily newspaper of the 2010 National Scout Jamboree hosted at Fort A.P. Hill in Virginia. He volunteered as an emergency medical technician in 2001.

Review Atlas Newspaper Features Reck on Front Page

Mon, 15 Nov 2010 17:23:24 +0000

NOVEMBER 15, 2010 — MONMOUTH, ILL. — The Review Atlas newspaper featured an interview with Daniel M. Reck his upcoming performance with the Shadows of Bronze on the front page in their November 13–14 edition. “Daniel Reck, Michael Surratt and Rebecca Johnson make up the musical group,” says Review Atlas reporter Leanne Moore, “which brings together handbells, piano and wind instruments to create a unique sound of music.”

The article highlights the Shadows of Bronze’s performance at the First Lutheran Church of Monmouth, scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. on Friday.

“We try to be educational in our program,” says Reck, as quoted in the article. “Lots of people have seen handbell ensembles, but we try to teach about how the instrument actually works, the history of the music and literature and show off techniques used to play handbells.”

Planet49 selects Reck as designer for new albums

Sun, 26 Sep 2010 00:10:31 +0000

SEPTEMBER 25, 2010 — CHICAGO, ILL. — New artwork and photography from Daniel M. Reck are featured on the new reissues of two Heartsfield albums. The aouthern rock band has charmed listeners with sweet guitar licks and foot stompin’ beats since the 1970s and has issued nearly a dozen issues in that time.

One of the reissued albums featuring Reck’s artwork originally debuted in 1999, when band leader Perry Jordan released The Writer’s Tapes, an album which featured many unheard cuts of popular Heartsfield tunes and previously unrecorded tracks.

“Heartsfield has a long history of songwriting and recording and we wanted to share with our friends and fans a look at what made us groove,” said Jordan of his album.

Reck was also the graphic designer and photographer for the reissue of All Over the Place, originally released in 2002. The record features tracks recorded at live concerts and live radio broadcasts, as well as from board recordings of club appearances.

On All Over the Place, the cover art will replicate the original album art. However, the bonus for fans will be inside the case. “I’ve created all new artwork and photography for the CD face and the rest of the liner and tray card” says Reck. “I also included a classic hard-to-find photo of frontman Perry Jordan and bass player Steve Eddington.”

Reck joins National Scout Jamboree staff

Tue, 20 Jul 2010 19:51:04 +0000

JULY 21, 2010 — FORT A.P. HILL, VA. — Daniel M. Reck arrives today to join the staff of the Boy Scouts of America’s National Scout Jamboree. Celebrating the 100th anniversary of the organization, the eight-day event will be held at Fort A.P. Hill, Va., beginning July 26.

Reck will serve as a copy editor for the event’s Jamboree Today newspaper, which has a daily readership of about 50,000. He will work alongside both seasoned journalists and scouting youth members completing their first-ever newspaper assignments. Reck’s advising experience with The Mu of Monmouth College, a student-edited blog about men’s and women’s fraternity life on campus, caught the eye of Grant Jackson, the newspaper’s chairman. Reck is Monmouth College’s assistant director of Greek life, leadership and involvement.

Reck, who has experience on a dozen Boy Scout summer camp staffs, is no stranger to working at a national jamboree. He served as an emergency medical technician in 2001 and has stayed in contact with fellow staff members from his first experience. He said he looks forward to networking with the 45,000 scouts, adult leaders and staff from across the nation who are attending this year’s jamboree.