Scouting has so many opportunities for adults. You can be as involved as you want to. It’s not necessary, but highly encouraged. It’s a weird thing when I’m looked to as an expert. I’m by no means the expert. I’m simply experienced, or at least I think I am. Then I meet others who are WAY more experienced than I am.

That’s ok. I don’t have to be the smartest person in the room. I don’t want to be either. This coming weekend we have another training session for Cub Scout adults. (I have led a few courses in the past, and now I’ve completely passed the torch to someone else.) As Course Director, my first course only had 8 participants. There were more staff than that, and it was definitely a learning experience on all sides. How to promote a course, run a course, and all of the little details along the way. Fast forward to my last course and we had over 40 participants. Definitely a shift, but the details and the teachings were still the same. Needless to say, the larger course brought it’s own challenges, but the basics I knew.

That last course was definitely the largest group I have organized so far. he little things. (I organize the Pack, but that’s easier because it’s kids. I relate to kids a little easier than I do adults sometimes) Having all those adults looking at me guidance, judging me - at least I think they are - on how I manage things, Answering questions, making sure all of the supplies are together, realizing at the last minute I don’t have everything and making it work. Even with all of that, I’m glad I did it. I’m still not as confident as I could be, but as I lead more, I will become more confident.

Scouting has given me this opportunity. To sit with my peers, share my experiences, and learn about theirs. As it was said over the weekend “We are all here because we have the same heart.” That’s it. Couldn’t say it better. All we (the leaders) do in Scouting is for the youth. Whether it’s little kids or teenagers, boys or girls, we do it for them. We give them the tools they will need later in life - both personally and professionally. At the end of the day, whether they make it to Eagle Scout or not, the goal is for them to:

make new friends,
learn a lot of skills (camping, first aid, finances, citizenship, etc)
get to know themselves
communicate and listen effectively
make sure that everyone is heard and their voices counted
train them, trust them, let them lead.

That’s just a partial list. Really it’s just the tip of the iceberg. So yeah, if you are ever asked, there is A LOT to Scouting. Not to mention all the cool camping trips we go on.

“I have never forgotten my days as an Eagle Scout. I didn’t know it at the time, but what really came out of my Scouting was learning how to lead and serve the community. It has come in handy in my career in government.”

— Lloyd Bentsen

If you have any questions about Scouts, just ask.

So the other day I posted about LEGACY. I mentioned that the word has been on my mind lately since I came back from Philmont Leadership Challenge (PLC). I will tell you more about that but first I have to mention the precursor to PLC: Wood Badge. What is Wood Badge? It’s so many things wrapped together in a straight forward, easy to digest way. There is nothing that you can’t get from reading a few books. HA. If you know anything about Wood Badge, I bet you smiled at that statement.

Wood Badge is so many things it’s difficult to explain. I might as well try. Wood Badge is corporate level leadership training through the guise of Scouting. It not only addresses challenges in Scouting, but in life as well. It teaches you about yourself, how to communicate with others, how to motivate others and how to delegate, for starters.

WOOD BADGE TEACHINGS: (just to name a few)

Drive, Vision, Mission and Values
Know Yourself
Communicate Effectively
Manage Conversations
Coach and Mentor
Inspire the Heart

See, just those topics alone: aren’t those worthwhile skills for everyone? Knowing your Drive, Vision, Mission and Values. Sound familiar? Knowing Yourself. Isn’t that a good skill for everyone? Communicate Effectively. Tell me that couldn’t be usefull in whatever position you hold. See, those things are just the tip of the iceberg. I can’t explain it all, you just have to do it. It’s worth the price of admission, and then some, but only if you’re strong enough and ready for it.

“Invest in yourself. You get OUT what you put IN.” — Emily Ley

That quote couldn’t be more true. If you go into Wood Badge with an open mind, you will get so much more out of it. I went because a few people told me I should. (One of those legacy people. One that I can’t say no to, who has shaped my life in so many ways. One of those people that everything I do in Scouting now has her hands all over it.) I really had no idea what I was getting into. An extra few nights camping? I’m in.

Really though, one of the few experiences I’ve had that I can say is life changing. How I interact with people, how I see things, all changed because of not only this class, but the people as well. It’s hard to make friends when you become an adult, but Scouting helps makes that a little easier.

Do yourself a favor. If you are in Scouts, sign up for Wood Badge. If you aren’t in Scouts, sign up for someething similar. You, and those you interact with, will be glad you did.