If it wasn’t for the Boy Scout of America, I would not be the person I am today. My experiences with the scouts taught me: How to decipher the difference between right and wrong, when it comes to our actions; What to do when you realize you are lost; How to enjoy the Earth, the planet we call our own; How to take control during an emergency situation; How to cook; How to think beyond what my mind only knows; How to take charge in my life; How to survive out in the wild, if I had to; and even How to remember who I am, deep down inside. I’m a scout.
The definition of a scout (according to my favorite definition via dictionary.com (definition #2 for the noun, in case you were wondering)) is, “a person sent out to obtain information.” That is the true essence of a scout. The problem is that the other parts of it all get in the way. People seem to forget this definition of scout. I believe that in my life, though I might not have made decisions that were the most “scout-like” thing to do (we’ll get to what “scout-like” means in a second), I never stopped gathering information about the world that we live in. I have never stopped trying to see the world as it should be, while still seeing the world as it is. Though I might have followed the path less traveled (and made a wrong turn once or twice along the way), I’ve never stopped moving forward on the path of who I am, and who I should be. That is what being a scout is about.
Remember earlier, when I mentioned the “scout-like” thing to do? What does that mean? The best way to do that, is by letting you read it yourself, and I’ll explain to you what I believe the major takeaways are:
The Scout Oath: 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.
Takeaways: The best way to do this one is in small sections.
“On my honor” - This one is pretty clear, you’re stating this on your honor. One’s honor, is the only thing that they truly have, it is the very being of who you are. Your honor is what you, as a person, holds in a place of high regard. This is what you agree to do as a scout.
“I will do my best to do my duty” - Also pretty self explanatory, you will try your darndest to do what you are supposed to do. To do your duty.
“to God and my country,” - This one means that your duty is not only to yourself, it is also to what you believe (no matter what that happens to be (the use of ‘God’ reads (and sounds)more eloquently)), and your duty is to where you choose to live your life.
“and to obey the Scout Law” - To follow the guidelines of what a good character looks like, as described in the Scout Law (which is actually a pretty good basis of a person’s character).
“To help other people at all times” - This is a reminder that we don't live alone on this earth. We coexist with one another. It’s a reminder that helping others is the only way that we can continue to coexist here without destroying ourselves in the process.
“To keep myself physically strong” - This is a reminder that if we don’t stay healthy in our lives, we can’t continue to learn, we can’t continue to gather information, as scouts are supposed to at their core.
“To keep myself mentally awake” - This is a reminder that we always need to think. Without our mind being awake, we can’t make informed, educated decisions. We can’t be the people we need to be, if we can’t think it through.
“and morally straight” - This, at the end of the oath, acts as a reminder that we should aspire to walk in the path of what is right vs. being tempted to walk in the path of what is wrong.
The Scout Law: A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent.
Takeaways:This one, as it is a list, will also be a list.
“A Scout is” - This means that, at the core of a scout (who is always gathering information) these are the key aspects, the attributes, of their individual being.
Trustworthy - They are someone who can be trusted. They are individuals that aspire to be someone that can be relied on by those who need them.
Loyal - They are someone who is with the ones they care about, until the end. They will do what is necessary to keep what is important to them safe and secure.
Helpful - They are someone who can, and will aid others in their lives. Using the information a scout has gathered, no task should be that much of an issue, as long as the individuals involved choose to work together.
Friendly - They are someone who others enjoy to be around. They genuinely care about the well-being of other people, even if those people might not feel the same way.
Courteous - They are considerate of others, especially if those others might not be considerate of them.
Kind - They are humane in their actions. They are loving individuals, who genuinely care.
Obedient - They listen and follow directions, but they also are conscious of their actions while in charge (the Scout Law reminds them to do this in other places, but I thought it was important to include).
Cheerful - They try to brighten the world we live in, just a bit. Sometimes this is in a small way, such as a smile or a friendly hello. Other times in larger ways, such as in a skit or song. Even more so in subtle ways, like their body language when working on an important project or the actions they choose to follow through with.
Thrifty - They utilize what they have, while being conscious of what they don’t necessarily need, in order to survive.
Brave - They face challenges head on, and rely on the information, trainings, and experiences they can remember to help guide them along their way.
Clean - They remember that organization, and personal hygiene, are essential to being the best individual they can be.
Reverent - They are deeply respectful of the differences of others, whether that be in their faith, lifestyle, gender, sexuality, race, or anything else for that matter. This one is probably the most important, because no two people are alike, even if they are identical twins. Our differences don’t matter, unless we choose to make them matter.
The Scout Motto: Be Prepared
Takeaways: This one is pretty clear too, scouts learn how to plan. Scouts take the time to create a strategy. Without it, there is no direction. Without it, how can you know what to do if something goes wrong? Scouts think things through. One thing that you might hear a more experienced scout say is, “Prep for the worst, hope for the best.” This reminds you that life is unexpected, but the only way to be able to survive whatever life might throw at you, is by having the skills to be ready for it.
The Scout Slogan: Do a good turn daily.
Takeaways: This acts as a reminder to do good in the world. Without people actively doing good things, no one would. This helps us remember to be an individual of action, rather than one who watches the world move by. Be an upstander, not a bystander, in situations that require it.
Scouts is a lot more than wearing a uniform, going to meetings, and going out to camp every once in a while. Scouts acts as a reminder to be true to yourself and create an inclusive environment of learning. That’s why I’m proud to be a scout. That’s why I’m ecstatic that the Boy Scouts of America (if you were not already aware) has included female scouts as individuals who can experience scouting, and all that it has to offer. The elementary aged program (Cub Scouts), in case you didn’t already know, has allowed female scouts for a couple of years, and their middle to high school aged program (now called Scouts BSA) has been adapted to include female scouters. Their program for thirteen to twenty-one year olds (Venturing/Exploring) has included female scouts for a long time already.
This is an exciting time in scouting. There are so many female scouts who now finally get the opportunity to officially be recognized for their involvement with the organization. Female scouts have existed in the program for years, many as sisters, learning and participating in activities alongside their siblings, and now they finally can get recognition for it. My sister is one of the best scouters I know. If she would have had the opportunity to be recognized for her involvement in the program, I believe that she would have earned her Eagle rank. She did not get the opportunity to, but now our future families will be able to experience the whole program and be recognized for it, no matter their gender is.
Believe it or not, some females who choose to be involved, also want to earn the Gold award (the highest rank in the Girl Scouts of America program). These individuals show the true essence of what it means to be a scout. They are extending the energy and effort to learn as much as possible, to gather as much information as they can, to prepare them for any challenge that they might face. They hold themselves to a higher standard than many scouts even dream to. I’m excited to hear about the future of these individuals. This new group of scouts has the most opportunity than any group ever before. It takes a large amount of self-discipline to juggle the workload and expectations of multiple organizations. I can’t wait to see the things the new generation of scouts will be able to do.
Before I wrap this all up, I want to make a shout-out to all of the scouts out there that aren’t members of either BSA or GSA, for there are so many different organizations that classify themselves as scouts. There are the Baden Powell Service Organization, American Heritage Girls, the 4-H (if you really look at their program, it is a form of scouting), and so many more (one could even consider involvement in sports teams and musical groups a form of scouting, since these individuals continue to learn and grow within the group they choose to participate in). You guys choose to follow a different path, but aren’t we all scouters in the end? Don’t we all gather information to help not only ourselves, but also those around us that we care about?
Yours in Scouting,
Drew
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