A WEEK AGO YESTERDAY President Bush spoke before the more than 30,000 Boy Scouts attending the 16th National Scout Jamboree. The tragic deaths by electrocution of four adult Scout leaders on July 25 dominated news of the Jamboree, and the coverage of Bush’s speech was perfunctory at best. Like many of President Bush’s formal speeches, however, his remarks are worth reading in their entirety. They are eloquent, funny, personal, and moving.

Bush first noted that the “Scouts have set a high standard of service and duty to God and country.” He observed that “through the generations, Scouts have made America a stronger and better country.” After identifying the prominent former Scouts who serve in his administration, Bush paid tribute to the principles underlying the Scout movement and provided some striking advice regarding the enemies of those principles: