Explorer Scouts: A Different Kind of Scouting

When people think of Scouting, they thing of camping and surviving in the wilderness, Merritt Badges, Community Service, and the great award of Eagle Scout. However, there is an advanced form of Scouting called Explorers.

As a teenager, I was a member of an Explorer Post in our town. The first thing that we were taught was the rules of order for a meeting. Our first few meeting s were geared towards organization. We then decided to have two projects. One for the winter and one for the summer. both would be Community Service Projects. About the only thing that we did as anywhere near camping was float on the Current River in Missouri for two days on a handmade raft. Our Explorer Post exposed us to many different career opportunities that would guide us in deciding the direction our lives would take.

Exploring today is dedicated to an even stronger "Life Career Education Program". Today an individual can specialize in certain careers. In our town, we have a post that is dedicated to assisting our Volunteer fire Department. Both young men and women are learning and assisting our local department. Since our Fire Department is a volunteer department, I don't know if you could call it career development. However, the turnout for the program has been well received in the community.

It has done so well, that our community has decided to add another area of Exploring called "Law Enforcement." The young men and women that join in this program will be instructed on how the law works. They will learn about Ordinances and how they are enforced, as well as what they will need to learn and do to become a viable member of a law enforcement team. This will create some challenges for our local Police Department. Their main goal will be to develop responsible individuals by teaching positive character traits, life skills, leadership, and skills that they can use to make ethical decisions.

This past week, I saw on the television that there continues to be a lack of good qualified law enforcement individuals across our country. Exploring hopes to add to the change in this problem by encouraging young people to look to the future in law enforcement.

There are other career programs too. They offer programs in Aviation, Business, Health, Communications, Engineering, Social Services, Government, Skilled Trades, and Science.

In a small community it is very hard to be so diversified. Larger cities can be spread out more because of population and services provided for the Explorer Program. They all have one major goal and that is to provide "Life Career Education". This will give many young individuals an opportunity to see if they really want to do this type of career job or not.

Many times, people will get into a profession that they are unsure about. The Explorer Program gives them the opportunity to do just that, "Explore". It is a well structured program that actually educates and shows individuals what it really is like.

The Explorers Program is not only beneficial for the individual but for the community as well. Individuals are able to help perform certain tasks that can help the community. This could even mean the saving of tax dollars in certain ways. It is also getting young people off the streets and giving them a line of direction and hope. They have a great title for their web site as well. You can learn more by clicking on it. www.learning-for-life.org

The Explorer Programs have a lot to offer to both individuals and the community.