Boy Scouts

Although I didn't stay in the scouts all the way through, I was in the program long enough to get some worth while experiences and some friends that I still have to this day. Being in the Boy Scouts taught me many lessons and I can truthfully say that the program helped make me the person that I am today. I learned about leadership, comradery, outdoorsmanship, and values. In the scouts, to earn some of the badges I got, I had to work both individually, and together with my fellow scouts to accomplish a common goal and that taught me that perseverance and teamwork are invaluable across the board throughout life. I left the scouts shortly after the others in my circle of friends did, and to an extent, I regret that. When I was younger, I didn't see the program as a means to grow as an individual, so much as something to do with my friends, and I realize now that that was the wrong way to look at it. However, what's done is done, and it's too little too late to change that. Despite that, I carry with me to this day, the lessons that I learned and the experiences I had. Onto another aspect of scouting that's come to attention more recently, is the concept of allowing girls into the boy scouts. Now I'm a very liberal person if you couldn't already tell, but I have to admit that I disagree with that. I believe that young girls deserve a meaningful scouting experience just as much as young boys, but I think that the already existing girl scouts program is sufficient in providing that. I remember at a lot of the camp outs I went to, there were girl scouts participating in the experience as well, and I think that the particular experience they had, while different from ours, is something that only they should have the pleasure of going through. You have every right to disagree with me, but I think that young boys and young girls deserve to have scouting experiences uniquely tailored to their gender. It was a worthwhile and meaningful experience to go around with my fellow young men and I feel that girls should have a respective experience with other young women, and the Girl Scouts, I believe, sufficiently provides that. Now, back to talking about the Boy Scouts, I would absolutely be all for it if someday my son wanted to go through it. In my opinion the Boy Scouts shapes young men into leaders and teaches them lessons that will help them throughout life.