Tuesday, Sept. 19, was School Night for Scouting in Minnesota and parts of Wisconsin, where parents signed up their boys to join Cub Scouts, at any elementary school in the state. You can also sign up anytime at www.heroscouts.org.
That day was also #ScoutingSpiritDay, where everyone on social media is encouraged to share publicly if the are, or were ever a Scout.
I have two grown boys who were in Scouts. One is an Eagle Scout and the other made it to the rank of Life Scout.
I have two young girls in Girl Scouts, who accompany me to many Boy Scout events and campouts, we are hoping soon they will be able tho join Cub Scouts as the Boy Scouts of America considers opening their enrollment to girls.
I was not fortunate enough to be a scout as a youth. If I had, I think my life would have been different, because after joining scouting as an adult leader in 1994, my life changed dramatically.
I don’t care if a person is in scouts for a short time, or most their life. It is a memorable experience that helps shape better citizens.
I’ve been a den leader, training staff, scoutmaster, district roundtable commissioner, district chair, and am currently the council membership committee chair. I’ve been awarded a number of awards, including the highest council honors, which I only mention because it’s not bad for a guy who struggled so much in his youth with relationships, moral ambiguity, alcohol, and lack of motivation, and purpose. While I was often told I was wasting my intelligence and talents I was never told how to use them.
Joining scouts changed my life. Many of the things I learned as an adult leader, following the Scout Oath and Law changed all of this.
I decided alcohol no longer fit into a spiritual life. I lost my sense of entitlement and obligation. I learned to lead by example, and to serve others. Scouting gave me my first positive experiences with reverence to God and I saw the good deeds of many differing faiths of people working together.
I’m now viewed as a good employee, a devoted husband, a dedicated father, and a community volunteer and role model.
Scouting gives youth and adults leadership and practical skills all wrapped around a program of fun in the outdoors. Skills in scouting can’t be found in many other youth programs, but scouting can improve your son or daughters success in, student government, sports, and even classwork.
Scouting helps train the future heroes of our communities and world. Scouting works, and we have the research to prove it.
What happens to a scout? For every 100 boys who join Scouting, records indicate that:
■ Rarely will one be brought before the juvenile court system
■ Two will become Eagle Scouts
■ 17 will become future scout volunteers.
■ 12 will have their first contact with a church
■ One will enter the clergy
■ Five will earn their church award
■ 18 will develop a hobby that will last through their adult life
■ Eight will enter a vocation that was learned through the merit badge system
■ One will use his scouting skills to save his own life
■ One will use his scouting skills to save the life of another person
Scouting’s alumni record is equally impressive. A recent nationwide survey of high schools revealed the following information:
■ 85 percent of student council presidents were Scouts
■ 89 percent of senior class presidents were Scouts
■ 80 percent of junior class presidents were Scouts
■ 75 percent of school publication editors were Scouts
■ 71 percent of football captains were scouts
Scouts also account for:
■ 64 percent of Air Force Academy graduates
■ 68 percent of West Point graduates
■ 70 percent of Annapolis graduates
■ 72 percent of Rhodes Scholars
■ 85 percent of FBI agents
■ 26 of the first 29 astronauts were Boy Scouts. Eleven of the 12 who walked on the moon were Scouts. Neil Armstrong, the first person to walk on the moon, was an Eagle Scout.
■ 108 of 172 astronauts were Boy Scouts. Over half of the 108 scout astronauts attained Star, Life or Eagle ranks.
And besides being president of the United States can you tell me what John F. Kennedy, Gerald Ford, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barrack Obama have in common? You’re right. They were all scouts.
While less than 10 percent of boys in the nation will have scouting experiences, and only 4 percent of those will reach scouting’s highest rank – Eagle Scout, it is interesting to note that, of the leaders of this nation in business, religion and politics, three out of four were scouts.
Did you know the U.S. Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, and Steven Spielberg were Boy Scouts. Spielberg’s first movie was a Scouting presentation.
Here’s a link to 12 successful businessmen that were Scouts, in "Business Insider": http://www.businessinsider.com/successful-boy-scouts-2011-6?op=1/#x-tillerson-ceo-of-exxon-mobil-1
Scouting builds better citizens, it benefits our communities. You have good kids, but with scouting’s help you can make them great. They can be our future heroes.
Jerry L. Carter, Annandale, works in information technology in St. Cloud. He has formerly worked at the Annandale Advocate and the St. Cloud Times.
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