There is much to be learned in Boy Scouts. One of the most important is Scouting Wosdom. Read on to see what I learned. I hope you find it useful .
On my honor I will do my best To do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; To help other people at all times; To keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight. In many ways The Boy Scouts of America have become whipping boys for the “politically correct.” However I shall always be very grateful for my experience in the Scouting Program. I internalized their teachings for building moral character and effective leadership and gained a variety of other lessons along the way. One of the most important lessons was how to step by step progress towards an important long range goal. As a lowly Bobcat working on my first achievement the high rank of Eagle Scout was a long way off. Yet step by step I climbed that ladder until I reached the reward. A recent study determined “In sum, when compared to Scouts and non-Scouts, Eagle Scouts exhibit significantly higher levels of health and recreation, connection, service and leadership, environmental stewardship, goal orientation, planning and preparedness, and character.” Over the years I meditated upon the character traits of a Scout. A Scout is: Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean, and Reverent. I remember singing this closing song at the end of campfires. Softly falls the light of day As our campfire fades away Silently each Scout should ask Have I done my daily task? Have I kept my honor bright? Can I guiltless sleep tonight? Have I done and have I dared Everything to e prepared? At the other end of the day, at the end of breakfast at Camp we had The Scout Master’s minute. I remember this one. It challenges me most everyday. “If not me, who? If not now, when?” 
As you may guess it takes a lot of merit badges to earn the Eagle Award. Thus I gained much knowledge and related wisdom for all of those short courses. From fire safety, to first aid and home repairs I learned life time skills and caution. I learned about government in the three badges of citizenship. I learned survival skills on land and water. The list is almost endless. There were other lessons to be learned in Scouts that were not part of the official curriculum. At the end of each week at summer camp one boy was chosen to be Honor Camper of the week. The selection was made taking input from everyone, adults, camp staff, and campers. One year when I was about 16 I thought this was going to be my week to win the honor. I was sorely disappointed. The following summer ,I was able to relax, enjoy myself, and time with others. I no longer felt I “deserved” or “earned” the honor. I was genuinely surprised when I was recognized as Honor Camper for the week and offered a counseling job for the rest of the summer. Scouts also gave me the wisdom of men, both volunteers and paid Scout executives. One summer we had a particularly nasty problem at camp. New latrines had been built with large cinder block lined tanks. Unfortunately one was positioned poorly so that it flooded during a heavy rain. We manually dug down the down hill side and tapped a hole in the side so the water and human waste could spill out. Roy Clark, proud to be an exMarine jumped in the hole to make the final tap saying he would not ask any of his “men” to do what he was not willing to do himself! Cub Scouting also gave me an enduring appreciation of skilled labor. Our Den took many field trips to visit people at work. I especially remember trips to a broom factory, a dairy farm, and a fire tower. From the bustle of the barn to the lonely lookout high above the trees I came to appreciate the men and women who provide us with goods and watch over our safety. It takes all kinds of jobs and all kinds of hard working people to keep society humming along. No discussion of the lessons of Scouting would be complete with out the motto: Be Prepared. Have I been caught unawares and unprepared? Sure! It seems that all business at the Department of Motor Vehicles involve at least two trips, if not four! However, more than less, from disaster preparedness, to first aid and home remedy supplies, to packing for vacation I am prepared!
