The Boy Scouts of America - Character and Leadership

One of the first things that come to mind when we think of a Boy Scout is good boy, a boy with good values and morality or a boy who helps old ladies cross the street or a boy who can save someone's life with his awesome first aid skills. It is not entirely an inaccurate impression. Service to others is a core value of the BSA. A Boy Scout is so much more than that though. He is a regular kid just like any other kid but there is much more than meets the eye. A Boy Scout goes through a wonderful experiential development that can only be acquired by being a member of the Boy Scouts of America. The BSA is an educational program chartered by the Congress of the United States. The program will celebrate its 100th Anniversary in 2010.

Being registered in a local troop and participating in the program on a regular basis offers boys the opportunity to grow and learn things that are not usually taught at school, church, on the playing field or even at home. The program is unique. It is progressive and boys move up the ladder in rank and skills and maturity. It develops the boy during his formative years when he is most impressionable. It teaches responsibility, leadership, self-sufficiency, moral values, patriotism, and respect for self, others and the environment. Leadership is learned by doing. The troops are boy-led and boy-run. Adult leaders are there in a supervisory capacity only. The scouts learn how to lead by being patrol leaders and having roles within the troop. They make all the decisions about their program and what they want to do and where they want it to go. The program builds a boys life-lasting character. The BSA teaches boys to do the right thing.

A boy must be at least 11 years old or in the 5th grade or higher to join Boy Scouting. How does a boy get involved? It's easy. He and his parents or guardians can locate a local troop and visit one of the weekly meetings and meet the boys and the Scoutmaster. He may find that he already knows some of the kids from school or the neighborhood. Troops meet weekly at a church or school or community place such as a library. They wear a uniform that signifies the unity of the organization.

What happens at a meeting? Lots! Kids work on rank advancement which involves learning and practicing all kinds of interesting skills that boys love to do anyway. They play games, plan menus for campouts, work on merit badges, and more. The merit badge program allows youth to explore 120 different areas of skill and knowledge and is an important and basic character-building tool of the program. Scouts can learn many things from environmental studies, astronomy, marine biology, swimming to communications and outdoor survival skills. Merit badges build confidence and teach goal-setting while at the same time introducing boys to activities that often lead to career choices

Scout troops enjoy monthly campouts whether it is in a scout reservation, a state park or in the mountain wilderness. Being in the great outdoors in all kinds of weather conditions is where most of the 'development' takes place. The Scouts learn that they can be self-sufficient survivors and leaders no matter what nature may have in store for them. Pitching a tent or building a shelter from downed tree limbs or even improvising with a trash bag teaches a boy resilience and basic survival skills.

The motto of the BSA is: Be Prepared. Boys are taught how to be prepared for anything - a ten mile hike, a home emergency, a powerful storm and more. They learn to stay calm in the face of danger and how to put their leadership skills to good use in any given situation - even at 11 years of age. It doesn't just come naturally. Scouts practice and learn and prepare. We've all seen and heard about the heroic efforts of Boy Scouts and how their quick thinking and focused actions saved a life or even how the scout himself survived being lost in the woods for several days. It really happens and we are often in awe when it does. There have even been many younger Cub Scouts in the news who took a leadership role in an emergency as they are also taught some basic fundamental readiness skills such as what to do if their friend falls through ice or what to do if there is a fire in their house. A recent story was about a Cub Scout saving his younger sibling who was choking. Heroes? Not to them. To a Scout it is just the right thing to do.

The Boy Scouts of America has a lot to offer the youth of today. It is a family program where parents are always welcome and encouraged to get involved. It is a special place where a boy and his family feel that they belong and often make lifelong friendships. Helping young boys grow into respected leaders of tomorrow is and always has been the goal of the BSA.