Scouting for the handicapped provides a positive alternative for boys and men unable to deal with the rigors of a regular Boy Scout program.

And that number is higher than most people think, according to Robert T. Ferguson, member of the Young Men general board and national advisory committee on Scouting for the handicapped.Ferguson, a retired ear, nose and throat surgeon, has dealt with and helped correct a number of physical disabilities through his medical practice. But he said often less noticeable emotional, intellectual and learning disorders can be just as disabling as more obvious physical impediments.

"Sixteen percent of the general population has some type of disability," Ferguson explained. "An average ward of 430 people has 50 people of all ages with disabilities. One-third of the families in the Church have someone in their immediate or extended families with some type of disability. It is very prevalent."

Ferguson noted that anyone disabled - Scout or otherwise - requires more special attention, more one-on-one assistance than others. "Their peers need to make a real effort to include them," he emphasized. "Often that is hard."

That is where the Boy Scouts of America Scouting for the Handicapped program enters the picture. Each Scout council has a committee concerned with meeting the needs of the disabled.

"Some councils are better organized than others," Ferguson acknowledged. "We have had some wonderful experiences, and some frustrating experiences. The families involved need to be patient."

Handicapped Scout programs include three general functions, explained Ferguson.

First, they provide resources to help leaders of regular troops integrate young men who have problems into the regular Scouting advancement program. These would often be boys with physical disabilities such as speech disorders, blindness or deafness, and possibly those with behavior disorders.

Second, they help leaders organize special units for intellectually impaired young men - a small segment of the total of handicapped youths. These troops allow the disabled to interact closely with their peers and their families, and to progress through advancements at a slower rate and engage in physical activities in line with their abilities.

Third, they are implemented through public schools, where an hour a week is dedicated to teaching Scouting skills in special education programs.

Some large cities have thousands of young men enrolled through the schools, according to Ferguson, who said that the preferred approach, when possible, is integration into standard troops.

"That decision, however, has to be a family decision based upon what will strengthen the family unit. Most of the time that means inclusion in a regular troop. But if there is intellectual impairment, age is another factor to consider. There is no age limit for members of special units. Men 40 or 50 years old can participate."

One of these special units is Troop 1257, which encompasses 11 LDS regions in the Salt Lake City area and has an enrollment of 18 people, ages 12 to 42. The troop is sponsored by the Salt Lake Riverside Stake.

About half of the boys and men are working on regular advancement requirements toward Eagle, according to Scoutmaster John Haley, a member of the Decker Lake Ward, Salt Lake Granger North Stake. And half participate in the "My Scout Badge" program, designed to take the more severely disabled through the rank of First Class.

"My Scout Badge" includes basic requirements - called segments - in different areas comparable to the skill awards other Scouts can earn. Segments cover such subjects as citizenship, cooking, hiking, swimming, first aid, camping and knot tying.

"Those programs provide basic requirements that are geared to individual abilities," Haley pointed out. "They only go as high as First Class, which, for those young men, takes the equivalent effort as earning an Eagle for others."

Troop 1257 meets weekly for varied Scouting activities as part of the Salt Lake Area Mutual for the Handicapped. Camping and other outdoor activities are limited because of restrictions caused by physical problems.

Arthur Millett, 23, is a troop member who earned his Eagle last July. He fulfilled the standard requirements for the award with no substitutions.

"Boys still have to go through the regular requirements to earn their Eagle, though they can meet alternate requirements in some of the physical fitness and swimming areas," explained Ferguson.

For his Eagle project, Millett organized two car washes, with the proceeds going to the Ronald McDonald House in Salt Lake City. The troop has provided him the opportunity to develop himself and his leadership skills.

Dennis Madsen, high councilor in the Riverside stake, is stake adviser to the program for the handicapped.

"This experience has been very enjoyable and rewarding," he exclaimed. "I enjoy the boys, and the leaders are very dedicated. The young men are very loving. They give to us more than we give to them. We are all handicapped in different ways. Some of these are more noticeable, but they make up for them in different ways. One of those is the love they give back, and the love they have for each other."