What is Scouting?

In the grand scheme of things the BSA - Boy Scouts of America - is one of the nation's largest and most prominent values-based youth development organizations. The BSA provides a program for young people that builds character, trains them in the responsibilities of participating citizenship, and develops personal fitness. For nearly a century, the BSA has helped build the future leaders of this country by combining educational activities and lifelong values with fun. The Boy Scouts of America believes - and, through nearly a century of experience, knows - that helping youth is a key to building a more conscientious, responsible, and productive society. The previous is similar to what is on SCOUTING.ORG, the official BSA website.

From a humble beginning Scouting has grown into guiding a young man through ethics, morals, and life skills training with practical application for the 21^st Century adolescent. Scouting began in England in 1907-08, created by General Robert Baden-Powell. B-P, a 50-year old bachelor at the time, was one of the few heroes to come out of Britain's Boer War. He was known primarily for his unusual ideas about military scouting, explained in his book Aids to Scouting. Startled to discover that many boys were using his military book as a guide to outdoor activities, he began to think how he could convert his concepts of army scouting for men to "peace scouting" for boys. Gathering ideas from many sources (including Ernest Thompson Seton, who had founded a boys organization in the US), he tested his program on a group of boys on Brownsea Island in 1907. The island camp was successful, so B-P rewrote his military book, calling it Scouting for Boys. The climate was right for a youth program like Scouting, and it spread quickly around the British Commonwealth, then to other countries.

The Boy Scouts of America - BSA - was founded by Chicago publisher William Boyce on February 8, 1910. History tell us that he was in England walking the streets looking for an address that eluded him. He saw a young man and asked for directions. The boy brought him to his destination and when Mr. Boyce offered him a tip for the service the young man responded, "Sir, I cannot accept your money, you see...I am a Scout." So flabbergasted by the response Mr. Boyce wanted to more about these Scouts and the young man arranged a meeting with B-P.

Scouting to this day serves the youth of this country in ways that no one can define. Offering a moral compass, and a real physical compass, to guide the young man in decisions that will affect his future, and the future of this country, The United States of America. A scout takes an Oath to himself to do his best for his country, and his god. Scout Oath is as follows:

On my honor, I will do my best
To do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law;
To help other people at all times;
To keep myself physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight.

There are three promises in the above oath. First to perform his duty to God and his country; second to help other people at all times; and third to keep is body physically strong, his mids active and awake, and his spirit morally straight. A portion of the oath states the he will obey the Scout Law.This is a set of valuesthe Scout learns. Twelve words, or points, to measure a decision. "Does what I want to do fall in line with Scout Law?" The Scout Law is:

A Scout Is...

• Trustworthy
• Loyal
• Helpful
• Friendly
• Courteous
• Kind
• Obedient
• Cheerful
• Thrifty
• Brave
• Clean
• Reverent

All of this is, for the most part, done in commune with nature. Accidents and incidents happen when they are not planned for; after all...this is why they are called accidents. If you train and learn what to do in nearly any situation you get comfortable with the scenarios, and if you are thrust into those situations, you can get through it with little or no problems. But if you plan for all events and you encounter something for which you had never learned about, the experiences and training you received for the other million and one things will apply in some way to this all new and different incident you are now in the middle of...this is Scouting. Learning life skills in commune with nature.

OK, not in commune with nature, that sounds too much like you go out and hug trees or something. But rather it teaches and demonstrates how to live with all of nature and have respect, admiration, and a real sense of awe when experiencing 'natural' nature for the first time.

Here's an example, a Scout Troop from the inner city plans and executes a camping trip into the Mountains over a three day weekend. Leaving and traveling on Friday after school, and planned to return home on Monday afternoon. Initial impression by someone not familiar with Scouting would think that the adults let the youth know the plan, when they are leaving, getting home, and what they will be doing on the excursion into the mountains.

But, in reality, the Scouts themselves determine all aspects of the trip, and then inform the adults as to what their role will be on the weekend. A role such as drivers, there needs to be a seat for each person and a place for each person's gear. The adults other role is Safety, watching out to ensure the Scouts do not get into a predicament they can't get themselves out of, note I stated they cannot get THEMSELVES out of. Getting into a "jam" is not always a bad thing. Refer back to my earlier comment about a million and one things that could happen. Scouts learn to think about the situation and then determine the best course of action.

For example, a newer Scout going to the mountains for the weekend with the troop wants to save a couple pounds of weight in their backpack, and since they have two sleeping bags they opt for the lighter and smaller bag in place of the warmer and heavier bag. Other - older - Scouts let this newer Scout know it is not a bright idea to bring the smaller bag, but the Scout wants to save 3 pounds in his pack. The adults shake their heads but don't say anything.

Over the weekend - IN THE MOUNTAINS - the temperature gets up to 75 or 80 during the day but once the Sun sets the mercury falls into the upper 30's to mid-40's. The Scout is cold in that lighter bag the first night and barely sleeps. In the morning he crawls out of his tent into a cloudy sky and stands near a small campfire and complains to the adults and anyone within earshot that he was freezing during the night and they need to do something about it. One of the Assistant Scoutmasters, an adult, asks where his warmer sleeping bag is, the one he normally brought on campouts; he looks the adult in the eye and tells them the other bag was heavier and he wanted to bring the lighter one. The adult tell him, "OK, that was your choice." Conversation over. The new Scout is amazed that this adult is not going to fix his mistake.

Our new Scout asks another adult what he can do to be warmer during the night. He is instructed to ask the Senior Patrol Leader; the Senior Patrol Leader (SPL) can be the oldest or highest ranking Scout on the trip. The SPL asks if anyone has extra blankets or clothing they are not using and the new Scout is taken care of for the remainder of the weekend. The adults oversee the event but do not interfere with the SPL unless a safety issue is involved. "OUCH! ... Learning Has Occurred!"

This Scout learned a valuable life lesson. Pack for weather slightly worse than what you expect. Although you trade off a couple pounds, the heavier items can or will be worth their weight in gold. If the others on the trip did not think this through, our cold-Scout would not have had extra items to be warm during the subsequent nights and turn a potentially bad camping experience into a weekend of fun and excitement. An experience that could have turned this young man off to Scouting has been turned around and has demonstrated to everyone the value of friendship, training, and experience when camping in unknown areas, or even areas in which you are familiar and comfortable.

Take our young Scout once again. The next morning, after a long and warm night's sleep, the troop is awakened an hour before sunrise and they are not all that happy about it. The Scoutmaster was the person who woke everyone up, adults too, and told them to get dressed and then to follow him for a short hike. So, all of the adults and Scouts follow the Scoutmaster on a short hike to a high ridge facing east over a large and spacious valley. After a few minutes the Sun begins to rise and the sky changes color and begins to swirl in every color imaginable. Scouts, and yes adults, are standing there with their mouth open in amazement at the spectacular beauty of the creation of "today". Without the Scoutmaster to prod everyone to join him in this morning sunrise hike, no one would have experienced this unique event, an event that will never-ever happen again; the beginning of today. Our new Scout talks about the nuances of the sunrise for the rest of the weekend, and you can be sure his parents will hear all about it when the campout is over, and he will tell all his friends about at school the next week. The next time he is camping in the mountains, the one thing he will plan to do is watch the sun rise. This is something that not only the Scouts in attendance will talk about, but also the first time adults camping in the area. They, as the Scouts, will remember this sunrise for the rest of their lives. It connects them together to a solitary event, and the shared experience makes them friends, the trust and camaraderie grows through this and other such experiences.

The role of the Scoutmaster is getting each Boy who joins the troop to the rank of First Class, not to Eagle Scout as is commonly believed. To aid the new, or experienced, adult leader in their role the BSA has a multitude of training opportunities ranging from with-in the troop education to national training sessions held at a Scout ranch in New Mexico mountains called Philmont. The first training session all new leaders must go through is Youth Protection. This educational opportunity is available locally at the council or district level, and also online at the national BSA training website. Adult leaders who spend time in a Scouting environment get the training bug, and for some the culmination of Scout training is a course in leadership, Wood Badge for the 12st Century. It give the leader the chance to learn to be a better leader, and this training spills over into their personal life and career in the aspect of leadership; and a greater respect and understanding of the outdoors and Scouting. The training is not simply an education class but it gains the leader a greater understanding of how to give the Scouts - of all ranks - the knowledge they need to succeed and earn their next rank.

From the initial rank of Scout, through Tenderfoot...Second Class...and finally First Class the boy gains the knowledge and skills through training and experience to live in the wilderness and survive and enjoy his time there. The adult ensures he has role models in the older Scouts, and the instruction is correct, complete, and safe. Along the way the Scout earns Merit Badges. There are more than 120 at this moment in time and each of them is unique and affords the Scout a glimpse into a career, profession, hobby, or skill they would not have otherwise been exposed to during their lives. Some merit badges completed by Scouts turn into a major when they enter college, such as electronics or engineering; while others become a lifelong hobby, like leather work, basket weaving, rifle and shot gun shooting, and more.

The ranks of Star - Life - and Eagle are the ranks that each Scout decides they WANT to go for. The Scoutmaster and the Assistant Scoutmasters are there to help guide and aid all Scouts if asked, but they do not tell them what they need to do, nor do they teach them in most cases. Teaching is the responsibility of the older Scouts. Each rank in Scouting from beginning to end build on the skills and experiences learned, including leadership and training, of the previous rank. As a Scout learns a skill, that Scout is tasked to teach a younger or new Scout that skill. This serves a two-fold purpose. The instructor-Scout learns the skill better than they knew it so they would not look bad teaching it, and the new Scout is introduced to the skill and learns it for the first time.

Each rank below Star has an impressive list of requirements that, once learned, keep you safe in the woods and teach you how to cook, camp, hike, and play in the wilderness safely. The ranks of Star, Life, and Eagle use those learned skills and develop the Scout into a leader by requiring the boy to take on responsibility through a leadership role within the troop, and eventually...for a few...culminate in the Eagle Project. A major undertaking where the Eagle Candidate becomes the Project Manager for the duration, start to finish, of anything from the installation of a picnic area for their church, to a memory garden in a local park, to the installation of a set of flag poles at a Community Center. The projects are limitless and most recreational state park systems and communities have a list of projects that can be used as Eagle Projects, under the watchful eye of the entity who will eventually take possession of the completed and ready to use facility the Eagle Scout will complete. The Eagle Scout will manage all volunteers, fundraising, planning, permits, documentation, and gaining permission from not only the government locations, but also under a review by their Troop Committee and the District Eagle Board to validate the project and verify the Scout knows what needs to be done and that they understand the process to complete the task in an efficient and safe manner. A district is a subunit of the council. Scouting is made up of units called Packs, Troops, and Crews. A district is made up of multiple units, and the council is made up of multiple districts.

Once the Eagle project is complete and accepted by the owning organization - the organization receiving the project cannot be a BSA entity - the Scout must create a close out report with all information, number of hours worked for the Eagle Scout and the volunteers, pictures, costs/budget, and any other information specific to the completion of his project. This booklet is carried to the Local BSA Council Office and handed to the Eagle Board before the Scouts 18^th birthday. The Eagle Board of Review does just that, reviews the booklet and interviews the Eagle Candidate to determine if this young man is deserving of the Eagle Scout award. Mostly a formality and to ensure all requirements are met, the Eagle Board is there to talk with the Scout and find out what he learned during his time as a Scout. They are not there to test any skills, or knowledge, he may have attained, simply to talk to him. Once the board approves the candidate he is told that night that he has attained the rank of Eagle Scout and the presentation of the Eagle rank can be done anytime, even after his 18^th birthday; but all paperwork and requirements for Eagle must be completed and submitted to the council office before the 18^th birthday of the Scout.

Finally, the young man is awarded his Eagle Scout badge at an Eagle Court of Honor. His parents and all who have helped, and sometimes pushed, him there are very proud of him, but most importantly he is proud of himself. It is a great accomplishment that less then 5% of all Scouts achieve. It is something that can never be taken away, it is a lifetime achievement, and it is personal.

After turning 18 the Scout may not be seen at a lot of troop activities but that is not a bad thing. At 18, life-occurrences like college and work take a front seat in your life as you begin to use the training, experiences, and skills learned over the past several years in the Scouting program. Scouting is a 'fill-in' to do if you have the time. But in the future, when he has a son, he will remember Scouting as a positive and life changing experience, and he will want his son to be a part of that adventure. He may even become one of the adults, a Scouter, who will help lead his son's troop on a campout into the mountains, and wake everyone an hour before dawn just to say hello to the sunrise. The cycle begins once again. You see, an Eagle Scout is tasked to give back to Scouting. This can take many forms and it can take several years. Eventually, every Eagle Scout returns to the program to guide the youth of future generations

There are three facets of scouting that build on each other. Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, and Venturing Scouts. What's the difference? Age, abilities, experiences, knowledge, and most importantly capability.

In reverse, Venturing is for boys and girls age 14 to 20 and is designed to be a high adventure experience. Yes, you read that correctly, Venturing crew are Co-Ed! Camping, Skydiving without an airplane (you jump into a vertical tube with a giant fan blowing straight up and you float like you are skydiving), white water rafting, rapelling, and a whole lot more. The youth in the Venturing crew lead/run all aspects of the crew.

Boy Scouts are either in the 6^th grade, 11 years old or 10 years old and attained the Arrow of Light Rank as a Webelos Scouts. As a Boy Scout you plan and execute your plan after the adult leadership verifies and approve whay you came up with. Youth run the troop; each patrol, weekly meetings, and a monthly Patrol Leaders Council where the next months are planned and possible new activities are introduced. Canoeing, hiking, camping, and a variety of other activities are available and limited only by the collective imagination of the Scouts in the troop.

But for young boys, Cub Scouts is the beginning. Boys from the first grade through fifth grade become a part of the fun. With each grade level there comes an appropriate amount of requirements designed to build character, experiences, and most importantly...FUN! Tiger, Wolf, Bear, Webelos I and Webelos II are the ranks associated with grades 1 through 5.

There are 10 main purposes or program goals for Cub Scouting:

1. Character Development
2. Spiritual Growth
3. Good Citizenship
4. Sportsmanship and Fitness
5. Family Understanding
6. Respectful Relationships
7. Personal Achievement
8. Friendly Service
9. Fun and Adventure
10. Preparation for Boy Scouts

If the program is implemented properly by trained leaders using the program, the boy will not have any idea that he is not only learning new skills, but he is acquiring life skills in the process. From the Tiger through the Webelos II Scout fun is the optimum word and every pack leader likes to have fun. After all, if it is not fun to be at a meeting, would you really want to be there?

A Webelos II can earn the highest rank in Cub Scouting, the Arrow of Light. Once earned, the Cub Scout can move to Boy Scouts where the knowledge learned as a Cub Scout will be built upon in the Boy Scout Troop.

A Boy Scout progresses through the ranks at their own pace, which is different than the Cub Scouts. Cub Scouts work on advancement as a group, and the group is called a Den. Boy Scout rank starts with the Scout rank. The Scout rank is nearly identical to the requirements for the Arrow of Light rank in Cub Scouts and gives the new Scout confidence and a sense of accomplishment. The next rank is Tenderfoot and the requirements are designed to build on the Tenderfoot rank and prepare the Scout for the Second Class rank. Having more skills such as the safe use of fire, knives, cooking, camping, and focusing on a healthy respect for the outdoors. The Tenderfoot, Second Class, and First Class rank can all be worked on at the same time. Most go hand in hand and all ranks provide an increasing level of skills, knowledge, and of course fun in the woods.

Iit is recommended that a new Scout attend Summer Camp their first year in the troop. While at Summer Camp they can earn the First Aid Merit Badge. Once they earn the First Aid Merit Badge, the First Aid requirements for all of those ranks are completed and can be signed off. This applies to other Merit Badges including Orienteering and Swimming.

With each requirement that is signed off the spark of accomplishment grows just a bit brighter in the Scout. As that spark ignites into a flame for the program, the Scout begins to give back by providing the newer Scouts with the education he learned when he was a new Scout.

A new Scout will have the other Scouts looking out for them, as they will be watching out for their friends, both new and old. Once the Scout attains the rank of First Class, he knows that he can survive in the woods.

Physical growth is a part of life, and cannot be hurried or slowed; but there is another type of growth within Scouting that can be aided...nurtured...individually for each youth and adult involved in the program. That is the belief in a Supreme Being, God or whatever your faith calls this person. It is the same for any facet of Scouting. This is not the god of Christianity, or Catholicism, or Judaism; nor is it Buddha, Mohammad, or any other specific deity. But the requirement is to have a belief system where you can grow spiritually, worship in your own way, and on occasion share your beliefs with fellow Scouts to educate them in what your family or culture follows as their religious beliefs. One important thread that binds all religious belief systems together is the undertone of helpful service and a moral conscience. The twelfth point of Scout Law is "A Scout is...Reverent" for a reason. Through spiritual growth and maturity, the Scout learns to be respectful of other people's beliefs and faithful to his own. To be of service in which ever way he can throughout his life.

Following that heart of service that Scouting has nurtured in its members, a national campaign called, "Good Turn for America" has Scouting in the USA at nearly 8.5 million, that's 8,500,000, service hours to date and increasing each and every day. Go to http://www.goodturnforamerica.org for more information.

If you would like to know more about Scouting, or how you can become a part of the fun, visit http://www.theScoutzone.org