Boy Scouts of America reminded us that Americans with opposing views but common purpose can still meet in the middle.

Hiking the Appalachian Trail with Troop 103, I learned two things: First, each Scout has his own pace and isn’t inclined to hike at anyone else’s. Second, everyone in our troop wanted to reach camp before sundown. Since our Scoutmaster made us hike together, we all had to walk at one speed and no Scout was ever completely happy. We were either moving too fast or too slow; five minutes rarely passed without a Scout pleading for another water break. But, by thunder, our ragged band of different ages, personalities and abilities would reach camp by sundown.

Likewise, the Boy Scouts of America’s vote on its membership policy made nobody happy. But perhaps that’s a good thing — the Boy Scouts are moving, and moving together.

Following the vote, BSA will now grant membership to gay youth, while continuing to ban gay adults. The new policy will satisfy few constituencies inside or outside Scouting. For some, it seems too open; for others, too restrictive. But as Otto von Bismarck said, politics is the art of the possible, and considering the divergent opinions inside the Scouting family, this was possible — certainly not perfect.

But here’s the positive side. Just as the public holds differing opinions on sexual orientation, so does the Scouting community. And in an era where many people deride the idea of compromise, the Scouts reminded us that Americans with opposing views but common purpose (in this case serving youth) can still meet in the middle. Yes, this compromise policy is fraught with inconsistencies and issues, but it’s a step in the right direction. People will mutter about the pace, but BSA has chosen a good path.

For more than 100 years, the Scouting movement has flourished precisely because it attracts members from many backgrounds. Today, Scouting mirrors America’s diversity; it welcomes members who are Catholic and Muslim, Buddhist and Baptist, Democrat and Republican, privileged and not, and now straight and gay (youth). Our 108,000 local units reflect our country’s diversity and this new policy will help more families find a Scout troop where their child can thrive. And that’s a positive start.

As the Scout community continues to grapple with the issue of inclusion, I hope America will remember that Scouting is much more than a national corporation and bigger than any single policy. It is ultimately a local program guided by dedicated volunteers who give countless hours to help young people become better adults.

Scouting is your local honor-roll student completing a service project to earn his Eagle Scout rank; it’s the team of volunteers who faithfully take 20 Scouts camping, once a month, rain or shine; it’s the troubled teen who finds direction with the encouragement of his brother Scouts; and it’s what happens when a troop spends 10 days trekking through the Rocky Mountains, pushing limits and learning self-reliance.

So whatever your beliefs or politics, when you think about Scouting, please think about the Scouts and leaders you know in your own community. They truly are Scouting, and they deserve everyone’s support.

Eagle Scout Alvin Townley wrote the books on Scouting, Legacy of Honor and Spirit of Adventure.

In addition to its own editorials, USA TODAY publishes diverse opinions from outside writers, including our Board of Contributors.

DETROIT —
Ron Gardenhire has never made a secret of his admiration for Prince Fielder.

The Minnesota Twins manager has often called the Detroit Tigers’ slugger one of the best and smartest hitters and baseball, and openly talks about telling his pitchers not to let Fielder beat them.

That’s why Thursday night was so tough.

With the game tied at six in the eighth inning, Detroit had a runner on second and one out. Gardenhire didn’t want to face Fielder in that situation, but he realized he didn’t have any choice. He decided to have Jared Burton intentionally walk hot-hitting Miguel Cabrera, bringing Fielder to the plate.

“You hate walking anyone to pitch to Prince Fielder, I can tell you that right now,” Gardenhire said. “But you’ve got to take your choice, and the way Cabrera is swinging the bat, you’ve got to do it.”

The choice was fairly obvious – Cabrera is hitting .387 this season and has six homers and 13 RBIs in the last four games – and it almost worked.

Fielder hit a hard grounder up the middle that looked like a tailor-made 4-6-3 double play until Burton (0-2) reached for it. The ball deflected off his glove, and past second baseman Brian Dozier. Infante scored easily from second and the Tigers went on to win 7-6.

“We got the groundball,” Gardenhire said. “It just didn’t work out.”

The Twins led 6-3 after the top of the seventh, thanks to two homers from Josh Willingham, but the bullpen couldn’t hold on.

Detroit started the rally by scoring three times off three Minnesota pitchers in the seventh. Infante singled and Casey Fien walked Cabrera with one out, bringing Brian Duensing into the game. He allowed RBI singles to Prince Fielder and Victor Martinez before giving way to Burton.

Jhonny Peralta greeted Burton with a game-tying double, and Matt Tuiasosopo was hit by a pitch to load the bases before Brayan Pena and Andy Dirks popped out to end the inning.

Before the intentional walk, Cabrera had driven in three runs, including his sixth homer in four games. He’s matched a career high by homering in four straight games. He has also walked five times in the four games, and Fielder has followed all five with hits, driving in seven more runs.

“It’s absolutely incredible what they are doing,” Tigers starter Rick Porcello said. “If I were pitching against them, I’d just walk both of them every time they came up.”

Joaquin Benoit (1-0) picked up the win with a perfect inning of relief, while Jose Valverde pitched the ninth for his fifth save.

The Tigers had taken a 2-0 lead in the first when Cabrera lifted a 2-2 pitch into the bullpens beyond the left-field fence. It was the first of his six homers in four games that he had pulled – the others had all been to center field or right-center.

Porcello almost got a second straight inning-ending double play in the second, but Jhonny Peralta juggled Dozier’s grounder and Dozier beat the relay throw to allow Justin Morneau to score.

Minnesota started the third with three straight singles, tying the game, and Willingham made it 5-2 by pulling Porcello’s pitch deep into the left-field stands.

Scott Diamond retired 10 straight batters after Tuiasosopo’s second-inning single, but Detroit loaded the bases with two out in the fifth on two singles and a walk. Cabrera bounced an infield single up the middle, making it 5-3, but Diamond got Fielder to pop out and end the inning.

Detroit threatened again in the sixth, putting runners on second and third with two out, but Fien came on to strike out pinch-hitter Andy Dirks. Willingham then moved the lead to three runs with a solo homer off Darin Downs in the seventh.

“That’s a tough loss,” Willingham said. “I felt good at the plate, and I was able to get the pitchers to elevate the ball. That’s the key to doing what I do.”

NOTES: Twins shortstop Pedro Florimon left the game after the top of the third with an sprained right index finger. Florimon appeared to sustain the injury while sliding head-first into third base. Gardenhire said after the game that Florimon is day-to-day. … The fans broke into a chant of “Let’s Go Red Wings” in the top of the fifth inning as news spread that Detroit had taken a 1-0 lead over the Blackhawks in the second period of the playoff game. The hockey game was played at Joe Louis Arena, about five minutes from Comerica Park. … Cabrera also homered in four straight games with the Marlins in April 2004.

Tallahassee liquor store owner Jim Bledsoe sells an amazing 27 single-barrel bourbons, and seeks more.

Jim Bledsoe’s Holy Grail is a pale copper-colored distilled spirit, gently aging in an oak barrel. He knows it’s out there, somewhere. It has to be.

He’s been on his quest for more than a decade, trying to find the world’s best bourbon — a product that’s as American as baseball and apple pie.

It’s hard to imagine anyone more dedicated or enthusiastic in this pursuit. Bledsoe, a managing partner at the four Market Square Liquors stores in Tallahassee, Fla., as well as a lounge adjacent to the flagship shop, has made nearly a dozen trips to Kentucky distilleries in pursuit of the ultimate single-barrel bourbon.

Has he found the world’s best bourbon? In two words: Not yet.

But the journey’s the thing when it comes to Bledsoe’s quest, and it has resulted in a rare collection of single-barrel bottles for sale, all hand-picked by Bledsoe and his band of merry bourbon enthusiasts. The list is impressive: 27 different single barrels from which to choose, ranging in price from $30 to $179 per bottle.

That’s only the first wave. During his April pilgrimage to Buffalo Trace, Four Roses, Wild Turkey and a handful of lesser-known distilleries, Bledsoe selected 42 more single barrels to be bottled exclusively for his properties.

“To me, the taste profile that’s offered by bourbon is 100 yards wide. There’s so many, it’s just intriguing,” said Bledsoe, who came to bourbon from scotch.

Bledsoe and several dedicated members of the Tallahassee Whiskey Society tasted as many as 40 different barrels a day over four days, trying to keep their palates clean in order to choose only the very best.

“We’re trained; we’ve done it so much. You tend to pace yourself,” he said. “It’s like a football player psyching yourself up for a big game. You get ready.”

There’s much more to bourbon than Jim Beam and Jack Daniels, the two major labels lining liquor stores from coast to coast. There are, in fact, hundreds of bourbons to choose from and not all are made in Kentucky and Tennessee. One of the hottest new distilleries, High West, is located in Park City, Utah.

High-end, small-batch bourbons have been popular for some time, riding the momentum established by single-malt scotches. But the most distinctive bourbons of all are the single barrels set aside by master distillers, barrels that may have a more cinnamon or vanilla flavor, perhaps notes of caramel or chocolate — all a result of the charred oak barrel — than the rest of the barrels in that particular batch.

This is where Bledsoe separates from the rest of the pack of bourbon enthusiasts. Most shops carry one or two single-barrel offerings, but 27, much less 65 to 70?

“Jim’s bourbon selection is second to none geographically. I can’t imagine another store in northern Florida coming close to what he does for bourbon,” said Jim Rutledge, the master distiller at Four Roses in Lawrenceburg, Ky., whose 2012 small batch received the coveted Whiskey of the Year Award from Whisky Advocate magazine.

Tallahassee businessman John Hill was among the bourbon lovers who accompanied Bledsoe to Kentucky in April. He enjoys the blind tastings that Bledsoe oversees at his lounge, allowing the group at large to determine from small samples which single barrels to order.

“We’re looking for pretty much the same thing in bourbon. Jim leans a little more toward what I call the ‘big boy’ bourbons than I do,” Hill said.

While Bledsoe continues to explore distilleries hither and yon for the world’s best bourbon, he sleeps well knowing that at least one mission has been accomplished.

“Our goal is to basically have the best bourbon selection that anyone could ever want to see or be involved in,” he said. “On that end, I believe we have now accomplished greatness.”