Boy Scouts, or as it is called now, Scouts BSA, is an organization that aims to create leaders and outstanding citizens by letting youth explore their interests.
Scouts BSA does this through the 138 different Merit Badges in the program, each covering a different topic, from nuclear science to fly fishing, and everything in between.
Despite the fact that Scouts BSA is more inclusive and has all of these opportunities, it still has its lowest number of scouts since 1950.
So the question is: why not join Scouts BSA?
One reason that many people cite is the time commitment required to be an active member and obtain the rank of Eagle. This is a real issue, as it can be hard to be a good student and be active in a scout troop. For example, a local troop, Troop 320, has meetings every Monday, as well as a troop camping trip once a month. This can be hard to manage, but it is still possible to be involved in Scouts, school, and in some cases, sports.
Another reason people don’t join Scouts is the stigma surrounding it. In pop culture, Scouts are viewed as goody two-shoes who don’t like others joining them. In actuality, it is quite the opposite.
“Scouting doesn’t hurt me socially. I’ve never really been negatively impacted by Scouts,” said Troop 356 Life Scout Charles Sokolowski.
Now that the reasons against doing Scouts have been laid out, the only question left is why join Scouts?
One reason that many people join Scouts is for the multitude of Eagle Scout scholarships that are available for college. For example, there are 15 scholarships on the Scouts BSA website alone. This number does not include the multiple Eagle Scout scholarships that are offered from places outside of Scouts BSA. These scholarships show that you can excel by sticking with Scouts.
Even if you decide to only join Scouts for a little bit, you still learn important life lessons, like the Scout Law and Oath, two things that set the ideals of Scouting, basic outdoor skills and basic leadership methods.
An example of leadership skills that Scouting gives its members is the yearly Troop Leadership Training. Completion of this training is required to hold a position of responsibility in any troop. TLT is a weekend camping trip where you can learn the patrol method, which is the main leadership style of Scouts BSA, as well as how to plan for events, make long term goals and work as a team.
Another thing that Scouts BSA gives to its members is the ability to go places that they don’t normally go. For example, in Scouts I have gone to Nashville, TN; Orlando, FL; Washington D.C.; the Grand Canyon and many other cities and National Parks.
A hidden reason for continuing Scouting is the friendships made in the program. In my 10 years of Scouting, I have made many friends, some of which are going to last a lifetime, and a few that continue even when we are outside of a troop meeting setting.
With all this information, it is surprising that there are not a lot of Scouts, especially with the addition of female Scouts being allowed to participate. Hopefully we see an increase in the total number of Scouts so that more people can learn these important life skills.
