When I was young, I was thrown into a program called the Boy Scouts of America. I was only five years old when I entered the BSA's Cub Scout program. Cub Scouts lasted for about five years. From there you moved up into what at the time, for me, was the big league of Boy Scouts.
Throughout the entire time of Cub Scouts, I looked up to the older boys. Their uniforms were always so put together, their badges stretched across their sashes and their campaign hats were so massive compared to my head. I would walk into their meeting room, just in awe of the awards, and I felt a sense of pride that one day I would be one of them.
I finally received my chance in the spring of 2005. After receiving my Arrow of Light, which one of the final achievements a Cub Scout can earn, I crossed over into the Boy Scouts. I was beyond words. I finally had a chance to be one of them.
I soon learned that being a Boy Scout was a lot harder than I thought. The first event I attended was a week long summer camp. It was a grueling experience. While I had a lot of fun, it was my first time being away from home for that long of a period (7 days). I remember begging for my leaders to take me home because of how homesick the trip was making me. Thankfully, my parents and leaders did not cave. I appreciate them making me stick it out. I was also thankful for a camp counselor who helped keep my mind away from homesickness. Had they not done everything to keep me at camp, I probably would not have stayed in the program.
Over the next several years I grew up, and I learned so much about what it truly meant to be a scout. Many made fun of me for it, but I knew the goal I was working toward was something that would help me through the rest of my life.
I began to rise through the ranks. By the time I finished my run as a youth member, I had earned my Eagle Scout, Venturing Silver Award (now the Summit Award) and Ranger Award, over seventy-five merit badges, received membership into the Order of the Arrow (Scouting's national honor society) and many more awards/honors. I also had the opportunity to attend multiple national conferences and leadership trainings.
I learned how to become a leader, I learned how to listen to the people around me, I learned how to work as a member of a team, I had multiple opportunities, which I took, to travel across the country (San Diego, University of Michigan, Virginia, Washington D.C., and West Virginia)and I made lifelong friends who help keep me going forward on my path in life.
While I do not get to be as active as I once was, I will remember the years I had for the rest of my life. Each and every day in Scouting was an important one. I hope people realize that although scouting has been changing over the years, it is one of the best programs a child can be a part of during their youth. It will change your life, and even as I grow older, I know that I was a scout then, I am a scout now, and I will be a scout forever.
Scouting has multiple different divisions and if you or someone you know are interested, you can check out the following websites for information.
Cub Scouts - http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/CubScouts.aspx
Boy Scouts - http://www.scouting.org
Venture Scouts - http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/Venturing.aspx
Sea Scouts - http://seascout.org
Girl Scouts - http://www.girlscouts.org
