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Support Boy Scouts and Medici exhibit

DEAR EDITOR:

I was pleased to read in the Vindicator that the Boy Scouts filing for bankruptcy would not prevent the Norman Rockwell’s art collection of scouting from being on display at the Medici Museum of art in Howland.

I was a Boy Scout in Youngstown in the 60’s and my dad before me was a scout in 1914 at Trinity UM Church in downtown Youngstown. I like many thousands can attest to the positive experience it has given me leading my life in the right direction. Sir Baden Powell in the UK started scouting in 1908. It came to the states in 1910. I had post graduate medical training in Scotland in the 80’s. When the British doctors in the UK learned I was an Eagle scout it opened doors that would have been shut to anyone else.

Last year many here were greatly disappointed when we heard the news that the Butler was not accepting this precious early collection of Rockwell’s art portraying the scouting spirit due to the impending lawsuit against the Boy Scouts. It seemed that once again our community had lost a golden opportunity like so many other times in the past.

Then a Trumbull County attorney Ned Gold stepped forward as our hero. He, too, is an Eagle Scout and was shaken by the Butler’s decision not to accept the Rockwell’s art collection. He knew that the first vestiges of Boy Scouts in American history after 1910 were based in Trumbull and Mahoning counties. He realized the extreme importance and prestige this collection would bring to our community if it was housed here. No was not the answer!

Ned Gold is the true trailblazer here. He singlehandedly brought the Rockwell collection to where it belongs, the Howland Medici museum of art. We all owe Ned our gratitude and the museum our support. Ned is humble and honest when he says he doesn’t know much about bankruptcy law.

My family considers Ned Gold to be a great attorney. Another great Trumbull county attorney also took on the most difficult cases and won. His name was our beloved Clarence Darrow from Kinsman.When I look back at what Ned has accomplished I would consider him the second best attorney Trumbull county has produced since Darrow. But I am biased since Darrow was my cousin.

As they say in scouting for Eagle Scouts, “Blaze the trail and we will follow, hark the Eagle’s call, on brothers on until we’re Eagles all.” Ned, we’re all behind you and thank you. With the spirit of Darrow with us we shall win despite setbacks from the Boy Scout bankruptcy. I plead that everyone here and around the world support Ned and the Medici museum to maintain our local Boy Scout art treasure. May God continue to bless our community with this collection as its permanent home forever for the world to see.

CHARLES WILKINS, MD

Youngstown

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