A Mother's Guide to Boy Scouts of America

Experiences

Boy Scouts of America is an organization designed for boys between the ages of 11 and 18. Whether your child went through Cub Scouts, or is only now joining this wonderful group, there are many things he will carry with him throughout his life.

One of the first things a boy learns is team work. From the first day he becomes a Boy Scout, he must learn to work with the other boys in his troop. Throughout his years in the troop, he will find that there will be times when he must rely on the help of the other boys, as well as being there to offer help.

Another lesson your boy will learn is leadership. Boy Scout troops hold elections a few times a year, depending on the number of boys, and they will each hold different offices. Each boy will be elected as a patrol leader, which is a smaller group within the troop. His job is to lead his patrol in troop activities. The boys will also become Senior Patrol Leaders, which is the top position in the troop, and Assistant Senior Patrol Leader. These are the boys who help form the troop into a well oiled machine. They are usually the older boys in the troop, who have the experience that the younger boys will need to learn.

Finally, the troop will need to become active in their communities. There are several different ways this can be done. The boys can participate in local events like parades, festivals, and other types of annual events. They can help with everything from helping to set up portable shelters to hauling trash. Every time they help, it can be used toward their community service, which all Boy Scouts need to do. The more they're seen helping in the community, the more the community will want to help out the troop.

Summer Camps

Boy Scout camps are one of the most important events in a scout's career. There are specific camps all over the country, and the world. The boys learn more at these camps than almost anywhere else.

One of the best things about scout camps is meeting new friends. It's important for your boy to expand his horizons in this way, as boys from one area may have ideas in achieving their goals that the boys in your troop never thought of before.

Summer camps also help the boys push themselves beyond the norm. There are so many things for your boys to do, that it takes the full week for them to try everything. Also, scouts can earn several merit badges during their week at camp. They will have the chance to do hands on work on several nature type activities, as well.

Though each troop needs to have a minimum of two leaders, all summer camps have qualified staff members who will help your son achieve his goals at camp. Most of the older staff members and all official staff members go to a "camp school" to learn how to deal with children, as well as how to properly work whichever department they've been hired for.

Your child will also learn how to make choices. Though you've done all you can in teaching your son about making proper decisions, at summer camp, he'll be faced with several choices that don't normally come up in the everyday life. There will be times when he will make the wrong choice, but that's okay, because it will be a lesson he'll remember for many years to come.

Merit Badges

Each Boy Scout will need to earn a certain number of Merit Badges in order to complete his advancements. Each scout will need to earn twelve required badges and nine elective badges. With elective badges, your scout doesn't need to stop at nine, as he can earn as many of these as possible. With the required badges, however, there is a specific list he must earn throughout his years as a Boy Scout.

With each badge earned, your son will have gained a little more knowledge to carry with him throughout his lifetime. This is a great way for you to help with your son's troop. Each badge must have a counselor, or person who has personal knowledge in that certain area. A few of the required badges include First Aid, Camping, and Family Life, just to name a few. These are things that each boy needs to learn in order to become a well-rounded young adult. A few of the electives include such activities as Archery, Photography, Fishing, and Cooking. Do you like to garden? There is a gardening merit badge that you could sign up for as a counselor and help all the boys in the troop.

There are also special badges that the boys can earn. One such badge is the BSA Lifeguard badge. In earning this badge, your child will learn boating, lifesaving, and advanced rescuing skills. Though this and other special badges will not help your child advance in rank, they will give your son confidence in himself and his abilities to grow into a fine young man.

Rank Advancement

When your son enters the troop, he will have the rank of Scout. This is the lowest level of scout, which is where all boys begin. Throughout his time in the troop, and as he earns his merit badges, he will advance in rank. With each advancement, he will go from Scout to Tenderfoot, 2nd Class, 1st Class, Star, and Life Scout. He will need to earn a certain number of badges and be active in his troop for a certain time span before going on to the next rank.

With each advancement, your child will sit down with his Scoutmaster and discuss the things he's done to that date. This will tell his Scoutmaster whether or not he's ready to move onto the next level. Once the Scoutmaster deems the child is ready, your son will go before a panel of other adult leaders and committee members. This is called a Board of Review. Each panel member will ask the scout questions about the things he's learned in order to decide if the child is ready to go on with his journey. Once the child passes the Board of Review, he will advance in rank and in confidence.

As your child advances, he will have the knowledge to help younger members of the troop in achieving their goals as well. After the age of 14, he can take a special class and become a junior leader, which will help him become a better scout and all around person. He will be able to guide his fellow troop members with their walk through the Scouting experience and help him earn respect with his peers.

The Ultimate Goal

Once your son has earned all his merit badges and advanced to the rank of Life Scout, his next step is Eagle Scout. This is the highest rank in Boy Scouts and one that very few scouts actually achieve. In order to make Eagle Scout, you son should have earned all twelve required badges and a minimum of nine elective badges. He should have been active in his troop on a regular basis, and must be able to show that he's lived by the Boy Scout law.

Before he can become an Eagle Scout, he must also do a Eagle Scout Project. This is a special project for his church, community, school, or other organization. He must go through a process of getting permission from said organization, then from his Scoutmaster and the troop's council leaders. Once he gets the okay from all these people, he needs to write out his idea, how it's going to be carried out, what materials he will need, and an approximation of how long the project will take to finish.

After all is said and done, your scout will go before a special panel for his Eagle Scout Board of Review. This is comprised of higher level council members. He will be asked a series of questions that are based as much on his life experiences as his scouting experiences. This Board of Review takes longer than the others as this is the one that will determine whether he's ready to be presented to the world as one of the elite members; the Eagle Scouts.

If your son earns his Eagle Scout before his 18th birthday, he can still remain in the troop and earn special awards. If he earns another five merit badges, he will earn his Bronze Palm Leaf. This is a small pin that can be worn his uniform lapel. If he earns another five badges past that, he'll earn his Gold Palm Leaf, and with another five badges past that, he'll be able to receive his Silver Palm Leaf.

Boy Scouts is a great way for your son to expand his horizons, find confidence in his life, and form lasting friendships. He will learn specialized abilities, grow in his understandings, and find it within himself to become a true leader. You, in turn, get to watch your little boy walk into his Boy Scout troop a scared child, and walk out an upstanding young man.