It seems as though Scouting as a whole gets a bad wrap nowadays. It's not as popular as it used to be and those of us who have benefitted from it are hoping it doesn't fall away. I learned a lot from my experiences over the years. I started at the age of 6 and didn't step away until the age 18 when I achieved the rank of Eagle Scout. Scouting has taught me A LOT over the years.

1. (The Scout Motto) Be Prepared

This literally applies to everything in life. Whether it is school, the gym, your car, going to a concert etc. There have been times that I was lucky that I had something with me to save the day. When I was leaving for winter break in 2015 a wire in my car burned out and I just so happened to have 12 gauge wire, wire cutters, and electrical tape. How? Just from being prepared.

2. Respect For Others

It's not always easy to show respect for others when they're jerks and they're rude to you for no reason. Learning to just relax, reset, and be the bigger person goes a long way in the real world. There are times when you need to stand up for yourself, but not be a jerk back to them.

3. Basic Leadership Skills

We always look at job applications and more often than not they want someone with "leadership skills". People would rather be led than lead. It is a lot of responsibility and taking on a lot more extra work than the average person. If you want to be a leader you're not average.

4. Teamwork

What's gonna work? Teamwork! "Dividing the task to multiply the success." -Terral Hardy, a successful entrepreneur. However you want to put it, you'll always be out in a team. Teams have their ups and downs and it is vital to learn how to not just get along with others, but how to utilize their assets and what they're good at for the benefit of the team.

5. Do A Good Turn Daily (The Scout Slogan)

Do something good for someone else every day. It's not just something you check off the list every day. It's something that comes from the heart and you genuinely mean it. Whether it's holding the door for someone or just being there for them in a time of need, my time in scouting taught me to think of myself less and think of others more.

6. Cleanliness!!

After being out in the woods for the weekend with no shower I would always feel DISGUSTING!!! However, at summer camps where there were showers, I wanted to shower every day! I hate feeling dirty and those days of camping are why I have to shower ever day at least once if not twice a day.

7. How To Cook (To An Extent)

I remember starting small with hamburgers and hot dogs, then to making pizza and Guadaloupe Chili Pie. From what I've been told, if you are a man and can cook you are automatically more attractive.

8. Problem-Solving Skills

When did things not go according to plan? About 90% of the time. No matter how much you plan, things can always go wrong. How you handle it is vital and whether or not you were prepared to handle the issue. We face a lot as college students and how we learn to handle obstacles comes from our earlier years and thank goodness I was taught how to handle problems.

9. Don't Be Afraid to Embarrass Yourself

I cannot begin to tell you how many times I have sung the song, "The Littlest Worm"!! After all of the dumb songs, skits, and cheers I've done it's no wonder I also perform stand up comedy. I'm not even afraid of no one laughing at my jokes. If something embarrassing happens just brush it off, it is no big deal.

Like I said earlier, scouting gets such a bad wrap nowadays and it's time to get over it. A lot of leaders in the world were scouts, whether it is Boy Scouts, Venture Scouts, Sea Scouts or Girl Scouts. A lot of good memories and skills have come from it and I am proud to be an Eagle Scout.