I’m a scout and I’m proud of it. Scouting has been a part of my life since I was 7. I started Cub Scouts and transferred into Boy Scouts in the fifth grade. Scouts has taught me lessons that will stick with me forever. It is an amazing program that provides kids with new opportunities.
Last summer I went to the National Scout Jamboree where my friends and I road tripped to West Virginia, making memories that will last a lifetime. We started our trip with all of us cramming all our junk into the minivan. Once that door shut, we were off. On the road, We saw a Waffle House. The whole van went crazy for those waffles, so that had to be one of our stops. We had to wait for those waffles and boy they were worth it. We spent the day in St. Louis. In the city we went to the City Museum where our group got to explore an amazing interactive art exhibit. And when I say explore, I mean climb on it. Scouts allow me to just relax and have fun with friends. Scouting is a great way to make friends and help me connect to the world. It helped me come out of my shell and become who I am today. Back on the trip, we went up to the Gateway Arch. Leaving the city was a hassle but we made it out. The next day, I was helping other scouts iron their uniforms for the first day, even though we only wore them once. Scouts is a great way to help people, whether it’s just holding the door for someone or a huge service project where we created over 5,000 flood buckets at the Jamboree. Whatever it is, It’s something that helps people, that is a feeling like no other just knowing that you might have made their day or helped them out.
The adults fueled up on coffee and we were on our way to the Jamboree. Anticipation was building after every mile I could wait to do the rock climbing, ziplining and other action packed things. I grew nervous because I was the youth leader for our whole council of 42 scouts. I wanted to make sure things were perfect, but they were most certainly not. Scouts were crazy for those two weeks and it was hard. Saying it was hard and admitting I needed help at times was so difficult. Sometimes I wanted to just stop and be done. . I went to talk to the adults who I grew close to during our exciting, accident prone, crazy trip. They were able to reassure me that things will be hard at times and persevering through will help you grow stronger.
This was a lesson I’ve learned too much in Scouts between being in leadership, having to make a difficult call or just day to day things. Choosing the right thing to do might be hard at times, but choosing it will help you learn. When you do choose the wrong one, and trust me you will, learn from your mistakes. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes too. Everyone does it and people learn from them and grow. Scouts had taught me so many lessons from knots to first aid but this has got to be one of the most important ones. I’m proud to be in scouts and I will remember my time in scouts forever. I hope to help out in scouts after my time is over, that’s probably not the best way to put it because the lessons and memories you make in scout’s last a lifetime, making you a scout for life.
