Scouting is something that many boys and girls are interested in during their youth.
Most parents will encourage joining the Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts to keep their kids out of trouble and give them something constructive to do.
What many people do not realize is the lessons that are learned during their time in the scouts will have an effect on the rest of their lives.
The Boy Scout motto of "be prepared" is not only a motto, but also a way of life.
For me, this simple motto has ensured that I have been able to face any situation in life in a ready state.
My time in the scouts taught me to look at situations in a far different way than I had before joining.
Over the years, I built upon that attitude and adapted it to adulthood.
It has enabled me to get out of situations that may have otherwise created some difficulties and inconveniences as an adult.
In addition to being prepared for any situation, there were plenty of skills that I learned that helped me in my everyday life.
Actually, one of the skills I learned helped me impress my wife.
Cooking is a basic skill that scouts have to learn in order to survive in the wilderness.
Even though we were only taught basic cooking skills, I became so fascinated with cooking that it became a hobby.
I may not be a real chef, but my skills in the kitchen were good enough to impress my wife on our first date! We have all seen the shows that show a boy scout doing a good deed.
This attribute does a lot more than teach a young man how to walk an elderly woman cross the street.
In my case, it taught me how to be a good person and "pay it forward" so to speak.
This is something from which adults and children alike could learn.
Sometimes, it is just nice to do things for the sake of being nice instead of it being driven by ulterior motives.
Something I never thought I would need once I left the scout's were my basic survival skills.
While I would not call it a life or death situation, breaking down in the middle of nowhere would have been pretty scary had I not been prepared to spend a night with no supplies.
Luckily, in addition to being able to make a fire and catch some fish for dinner, I also remembered to keep an emergency radio in my car.
Were it not for that radio, who knows how long I would have been stuck out there.
The scouts are a great activity for boys and girls alike.
They will learn many skills and just how to be a better person in general.
If they are like me, they will take the lessons they learn at that young age and apply them later in life, where they show their true benefits.
Camping, making fire out of sticks, and cooking on an open campfire may seem silly to some people, but learning those skills and spending time with my friends in the scout's has made me the person I am today.
Most parents will encourage joining the Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts to keep their kids out of trouble and give them something constructive to do.
What many people do not realize is the lessons that are learned during their time in the scouts will have an effect on the rest of their lives.
The Boy Scout motto of "be prepared" is not only a motto, but also a way of life.
For me, this simple motto has ensured that I have been able to face any situation in life in a ready state.
My time in the scouts taught me to look at situations in a far different way than I had before joining.
Over the years, I built upon that attitude and adapted it to adulthood.
It has enabled me to get out of situations that may have otherwise created some difficulties and inconveniences as an adult.
In addition to being prepared for any situation, there were plenty of skills that I learned that helped me in my everyday life.
Actually, one of the skills I learned helped me impress my wife.
Cooking is a basic skill that scouts have to learn in order to survive in the wilderness.
Even though we were only taught basic cooking skills, I became so fascinated with cooking that it became a hobby.
I may not be a real chef, but my skills in the kitchen were good enough to impress my wife on our first date! We have all seen the shows that show a boy scout doing a good deed.
This attribute does a lot more than teach a young man how to walk an elderly woman cross the street.
In my case, it taught me how to be a good person and "pay it forward" so to speak.
This is something from which adults and children alike could learn.
Sometimes, it is just nice to do things for the sake of being nice instead of it being driven by ulterior motives.
Something I never thought I would need once I left the scout's were my basic survival skills.
While I would not call it a life or death situation, breaking down in the middle of nowhere would have been pretty scary had I not been prepared to spend a night with no supplies.
Luckily, in addition to being able to make a fire and catch some fish for dinner, I also remembered to keep an emergency radio in my car.
Were it not for that radio, who knows how long I would have been stuck out there.
The scouts are a great activity for boys and girls alike.
They will learn many skills and just how to be a better person in general.
If they are like me, they will take the lessons they learn at that young age and apply them later in life, where they show their true benefits.
Camping, making fire out of sticks, and cooking on an open campfire may seem silly to some people, but learning those skills and spending time with my friends in the scout's has made me the person I am today.