The Value of Scouting
Scouting builds character, fosters citizenship, and develops
fitness. It does this through an exciting outdoor program where certain IDEALS and METHODS
are combined together to create the program that has come to be known as the Boy Scouts of
America. You can take this link to learn more about these IDEALS and METHODS: 
Scouts are more than twice as
likely to graduate from college as their non-scout friends: 40% of men who
were scouts for 5 or more years graduate from college, compared to only 16% of men who
were never in scouting. Scouts are almost twice as likely to earn more than $ 50,000
per year than their non-scout friends: 33% of men who were scouts for more than 5
years fall into this category, compared with only 17% of non-Scouts. (Information
from "The Values of Men and Boys in America," data by Louis Harris &
Associates, 1995.)
But to really understand what scouting is, perhaps the best way is to read the
words written by one of our own scouts. Brad K wrote these words from his heart, and
they are worth reading by every scout and every parent no matter the troop they are in or
the place that they live. They are what this troop and the Boy Scouts of
America is all about.
Why Scouting is Important
"The Boy
Scouts of America is an old and well-respected organization, dating back (at least in the
United States) to the beginning of the last century. However, the history of
Scouting is not in the topic here. The focus is on its importance, especially in
this time of degraded mortality, decreased geographical and political awareness, and
increased fears that the future, our young people, are morbid, cold-hearted, and lost in
the media. The importance of the BSA can be found in each word of its name (listed
in order of importance from least to greatest): America, our country of liberties,
freedoms, and responsibilities; Scouts, courage and discovery, of others and of self; Boy,
the heart of it all.
America is the greatest country on Earth, not in terms of military
or economic prowess, but in the deciding reality that nowhere else exists a government
that has been so duly created, reinforced, and changed by its people. Through the
merit badges of Citizenship, from the basic values of Scouting, and from the service hours
that they perform, Boy Scouts are shown the importance of living in and supporting
America. It begins with simple lessons and discussions with a public leader about
rights and responsibilities of a U.S. citizen (a 1st Class requirement), learns about the
value and responsibility of leadership (which can teach a strong lesson about government),
and ends at the Eagle rank, with a Scout directing a community project of his own.
Next, Scouts. This has a double meanings. First, it
describes courage. Scouting teaches young boys to learn and try new things.
Scouts learn to live the borders of the mundane and the normal. Many a time
has a Tenderfoot left the city with a fear of the wild and returned with a respect for
them. Also, the organization teaches us how to stay calm in the face of adversity.
Medical emergencies, unexpected problems, and the burden of leadership all require
courage to face. The second meaning of Scouts is discovery, of which there are many
types. There is discovery of the outdoors, new physical and mental challenges,
discovery of other people with beliefs that may be different, but most importantly, there
is discovery of the self. As a boy advances through Scouting, he learns to look
inward for the answers. Soon, he will find himself looking less at the adults for
the solution, because he is already capable. The greatest goal of any Troop should
be that their boys find out they are capable of things they never knew they could do.
Finally, the most important part of Boy Scouts: the
Boy...... For in the end, there is a simple truth to Scouting, the unofficial 13th point
of the Law; Scouting is supposed to be fun. Boy Scouts is about the boy, not about
the work or requirements. Scouting instills self-confidence and lessons for life.
Swimming, Camping, First Aid, and Environmental Awareness will give a boy important
help for the rest of his life. Whether or not he made it as far as others in not
important in the BSA. If a Scout reaches the rank of Star, but never passes on to
Life, and he has enjoyed and grown from his years as a Scout, then the organization has
done its job. The truest measure of its program is not in how high a Scout climbs,
but how he climbs and what he does for himself and for others on the way up.
So, the Boy Scouts of America is important because of the values
it teaches to its participants. Leadership, life skills, citizenship, self-respect,
self-reliance, and courage are all qualities that are vital for the boy who must soon set
out on his own. In summary, Scouting is not the process by which we slap on a few
ranks and merit badges to boys, it is the process by which we help to create men."