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The Boy Scout program includes boys with a wide range of opportunities:
In the outdoors, boys have opportunities to acquire skills that make them more self-reliant. They can explore canoe paths and hiking trails and complete challenges they first thought were beyond their ability. Attributes of good character become part of a boy as he learns to cooperate to meet outdoor challenges that may include extreme weather, difficult trails and portages, and dealing with nature's unexpected circumstances.
Learning by doing is a hallmark of outdoor education. Troop meetings offer information and knowledge used on outdoor adventures. A Scout leader may describe and demonstrate a Scouting skill at a meeting, but the way Scouts truly learn an outdoor skill is to do it themselves on a Troop outing.
Health and wellness is part of the outdoor experience. As Scouts hike, paddle, climb, bike, or ride, their muscles become toned and their aerobic capacity increases. When they work as a patrol to plan menus for their outings, they learn to purchase cost-effective ingredients to prepare tasty and nutritious meals.
The Boy Scout program is designed to develop a boy's character, citizenship, and personal fitness using the following methods: a structured advancement program, high ideals, the patrol method, outdoor activities, adult association, personal growth, leadership development, and uniforming. This program and development structure is referred to as the Aims and Methods of Scouting. 578K .PDF
When a boy becomes a Boy Scout, he becomes a member of a worldwide youth movement that embraces the values of good citizenship, compassion, cooperation, courage, faith, health and fitness, honesty, perseverance, positive attitude, resourcefulness, respect, and responsibility. Boy Scouting is more than something to do, it is about the boy your son is now, and the person he will become.
Boy Scouts work together, play together, challenge one another, and encourage one another as they gain useful skills and positive habits that last a lifetime. Scouts who fully participate in Scouting, and become Eagle Scouts, belong to a readily recognized group of achievers who are consistently more successful in life.
As boys reach adolescence, the need to gain self-reliance becomes more important. Our Scouts who have left home to attend college have consistently reported that they were much better prepared and struggled far less at college than other dormitory students who have not gained the life skills learned through Scouting. The Boy Scout motto, "Be Prepared" that those young men learned as a Boy Scout helped them to be more successful than many others who had not been Scouts.
As a Boy Scout seeks to advance in rank, he must: complete tasks, gain skills, keep records, demonstrate leadership, and perform service for others. Merit Badges are required to be earned for the highest 3 ranks, and Scouts can explore possible careers by earning related merit badges. For each rank advancement, there is a review process that includes verifying the progress with his Scoutmaster, which is followed by an interview with a panel of at least 3 adults. Those interviews help Scouts to develop skills and confidence now, and for the future when needed for prospective job interviews.
Young boys grow up fast. Give your son a valuable gift by encouraging him to become a Boy Scout today. The time you invest in him today will make a difference in the person he becomes tomorrow.