Why you should consider joining the Scouts

I have made many observations about the Scouts over these 15 years and  I feel that I have seen most of what there is to see, so I decided to finally write down my thoughts and experiences, which is mostly good – hence the title of the post.

I am going to jump right in the point I want to make, so if you want to learn more about the Scouts, then just use a search engine, like google!

Firstly, the most important fact about the Scouts is that anyone can join! There is no “You can’t join because you blah-blah“. I love this more than anything, because you meet all types of people. In big trips -like national, or global meetings- you get to hang out with so many others, so much different than you that it is absolutely overwhelming and amazing, even for those who do not enjoy such big gatherings, like myself.

Secondly, I believe that the Scouts’ method of teaching is probably close to being the best at the moment. As an adult, you enjoy explaining to kids a subject you are passionate about (for example carpentry) and as a kid you get to listen to that. Then, you are encouraged to go ahead and try it on your own – always with the help of adults. So, you basically get to learn something new every week, that schools wouldn’t teach you, and in a way that you can have all the help you wish if you get stuck somewhere. Also, the great motto “learn how to educate yourself” really works well in the Scouts.

In addition, one of the most awesome part of Scouts is the volunteers who play the parts of the leaders. Given you love the movement and you are smart enough to attend some trainings, you could easily become a great person, feel the love of the kids and accept the gratitude of their parents. The majority of the leaders are very nice people who tend to subconsciously follow the principles in their every day lives, and that makes them even better. Showing respect for the nature, wishing to attain more knowledge, making good use of time, money and effort, helping others and more is what makes a person great and when you do it on a weekly (or more often) basis, then you really feel good about yourself, and find it easier to be that way every day.

I should also mention that life in Scouts is a constant game where you get to play with people your age and have tons of fun. Through it, you get close with other kids and form strong friendships, especially on trips and camps, and learn how to take care of yourself. If your leaders are especially good then you get this feeling during the week that you can’t wait till the weekend comes and you get to play, learn and have fun.

Friendships is also a big part of Scouts. You get to meet tons of people who are always friendly and willing to help you. Of course, some bonds are stronger than others, and if you are a young kid who also happens to be the head of a squad, you find it easier to connect with others like you, mainly because you share more common experiences in Scouts and you are of the same age and have instant respect for each other.

Lastly, developing a love for nature is something that everyone, who was once a Scout, is grateful for. You get to go on camping trips, with or without tents, and learn to live a simple life for a few days – and thus, creating a kind of protection against modern lifestyle, which is “too much of everything”. Being far away from the city, on your own and standing in a quiet forest, beach or mountain is one of the most liberating feelings, in my opinion.

In conclusion,  Scouting provides a great, adventurous life, full of new knowledge and interesting trips with honest friends. I believe that every kid can and should join the Scouts because there is so much to learn and do, that you wouldn’t have many chances doing otherwise.

It took me a while to write this, and I feel like I have only written 10% of what I had in my mind, but I am very tired and I am satisfied with the main points. Maybe one day I will write more about the Scouts 🙂