Scouts Share: Learning from the First Year
As we move into a new school year and a new year for Scouting, I decided to take some time and catch up with a few Scouts that have finished up their first Scout year and summer and find out how it went for them, and what they would tell potential new members!
Meet Abby (Troop 250G)
Abby is 11 and was no stranger to Scouts BSA when she joined earlier this year. She was a “tagalong” to her two brothers for years, who are both Scouts. She told me that at first, she needed a little nudge from her mom to jump start an official Scouting career, saying, “I was a little lazy, but once I started, I was hooked!”
She has loved getting to connect with her troop of 16 girls. In fact, that is what she loves the most about being in Scouts BSA – meeting people and developing deep connections with them as they all learn and go on campouts together.
In her first year of Scouting, Abby has already managed to crush some major goals, which have opened her up to setting new ones for the upcoming year. Like a lot of us, she had some fear around standing up and being a leader, saying, “I kept worrying about messing up and failing. So, I worked through it by practicing and going to leadership training.” She had the opportunity to attend ILST (Introduction to Leadership Scout Training) and SEALS (Scouts Excited About Leadership Skills) training and grabbed the metaphorical bull by the horns. Now, she gets to take what she learned and implement it in the form of teaching and leading others. Her goal for this year is to learn lashing, along with carry on the family legacy of being an excellent knot tie-r (both of her brothers are pretty well known for this skill).
A bit more:
What surprised you the most about Scouts BSA?
I didn’t think it took quite as much time and work to get everything together to go camping or as much cleaning that comes after it is done. <A sentiment that will be and is echoed by parents everywhere!>
What is your favorite piece of camping equipment?
My air mattress – it is a thin one, but the padded layer gets me off the ground and I love the little rails that run along the side. They keep me in my own space, instead of waking up on someone else’s mat
What are you looking forward to in this next year?
A brand-new group of Scouts to meet and get to know! We are expecting a swell of new members, and I can’t wait.
What would you tell kids who are thinking about joining?
Go to the first meeting and see how it feels. If it doesn’t feel right and you don’t love the group, then no big deal… but if you try it, you will probably be hooked!
What were your first merit badges?
I just got back from summer camp, where I earned Swimming, Orienteering, Wood Carving, Indian Lore, Basketry, and Communications. Indian Lore was my favorite because I love stories!
What is something you are really excited about right now?
As a rising 6th grader and going into middle school, I am really, really excited to be at the school where most of my Scouting friends are attending, and to be able to see them between classes every day!
Meet Katelyn (Troop 413G)
Katelyn is 14, and similar to Abby, was a tagalong for about 6 years before she got the opportunity to officially join Scouts BSA. She has been selected to be the President of her Venturing crew (starting soon!), along with being a Senior Patrol Leader for her Scouts BSA troop. This is where it gets interesting. Katelyn knew that she wanted to be a trailblazer, and decided to join Venturing so that she could attend NYLT and SEALS and be leadership trained and ready for February 1st (the historic day that the Scouts BSA program was opened up to girls). When February 1st rolled around, Katelyn was first in line at the Palmetto Council office, with paperwork in hand and leadership training under her belt.
She has loved every minute in Scouts BSA and Venturing, even when it has gotten a little stressful. When I asked her about the stress, she said, my first long campout was at NYLT (National Youth Leadership Training). It was 6 days and 5 nights, the longest campout I had ever done. There, I learned way more than I ever thought I would and I also learned to focus on having fun!” After attending that training, she was put on staff at SEALS, where she got to have the amazing experience of both learning and teaching at the same time.
This year, Katelyn’s goal is to dive more deeply into the Order of the Arrow, where she again made history by being the first youth girl inducted into her lodge. Now, she manages their social media and plans on running for Chapter Chief. She is also excited to work more on rank advancement – she is a Tenderfoot and estimates that she will hopefully earn 2nd class in about a month.
A bit more:
What have you loved about your time in Scouting?
Meeting new people, making new friends and having really amazing things to do with them. I love to see how everyone works together and has FUN!
What has surprised you the most since joining?
How much I jumped right into it. I came into it only expecting meetings once a week and camp outs once a month, but I am working on something Scouting-related every day.
What would you tell kids who are thinking about joining?
It’s a lot of fun! Get into it and be open to the idea that it can be a little overwhelming at first, but overall, it is so much fun. Something scary may just turn into your favorite thing!
What were your first merit badges?
First Aid, Indian Lore, Mammal Study, Woodcarving. Mammal Study is my favorite so far, because I love animals.
What is something you are really excited about right now?
I am excited about the OA –the different possibilities in it for helping out other people with all the service projects. I also love the way they set up their meetings and how they are run like townhall meetings.
What is your favorite service project you have worked on so far?
My Venturing crew cleaned up our local Scout office’s parking lot where there were issues with break-ins from it being over-grown and rundown. They had experienced fifteen break-ins over the last five years. Now, it is clear and visible from the street, making it safer.
Meet Owen (Troop 250)
Owen is 11 and his journey with Scouting began in Tiger Cub Scouts in 1st grade. This past year was his first year in Scouts BSA and one of the most marked differences that has come about for him is his increase in self-confidence and independence. His mom, Kendall, was blown away by the growth in her son in less than a year, saying, “He went on his second-ever camping trip, where he was made Grub Master, and the very next weekend that he was home, he took charge and decided to make a full breakfast for the entire family. He is learning skills that will help him in life!”
Coming from Cub Scouts and moving into Scouts BSA, Owen has loved the abundance of campouts the most. From getting to know his tent buddy to getting to learn new skills from the older Scouts in his troop, those campouts are the highlight.
A bit more:
What has surprised you most about Scouts BSA?
How there are different challenges and how varied each of the challenges are. For example, we learned and memorized a bunch of different kinds of knots and then on another occasion ended up hiking 9 miles (was supposed to be 6, haha).
What are you most looking forward to in this next year?
I am excited to move up in ranks. I think the hardest part about that will be starting to teach others the skills they need to know to move up as well.
<side note and reminder from the author: Owen is 11, and I find it incredible that he is learning amazing leadership skills at such a young age. So mind-blowing, and yet such a normal and integral part of Scouts BSA.>
What would you tell kids who are thinking about joining?
If you want a challenge and something that isn’t easy but really rewarding, join Scouting.
What is a goal that you have accomplished this year in Scouting?
I earned my first rank in 2 months! I have also attended ILST, where I loved learning how leadership helps the troop, and that by me being a leader, I am helping others.
What is your goal for this next year?
I want to earn the rank of 1st Class.
What is something you are really excited about right now?
I am really excited to start 6th grade, and have different classes with different people in each one. I love Social Studies and learning about the past, something that I get to do a lot of in Scouts BSA, too!
To conclude…
After talking with this group of Scouts that are all getting ready for their next year of adventures to start, it has been amazing to see that although each journey looks different, there is a common thread woven through. Each Scout has grown in perseverance, dedication to learning, curiosity, and excitement over the past year. There is a tangible quality of integrity in each Scout’s voice that is powerful to hear. As a very peer-driven program, everyone is given an opportunity to develop their leadership skills and give back, along with giving the younger Scouts role models to look up to! #winwin
It’s time to keep the conversation going – we can’t wait to hear your stories of growth this year! Be sure to tag us on social media using #ScoutShopBSA to share your experiences with us.
