This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Boy Scouts of America for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.
Scouting scared me
When my oldest son, Twizzler was about to join his first Cub Scout den, I was intimidated. Growing up surrounded by sisters and leaving the house to go to college when my only brother was little did not offer me any exposure to the world of scouting. I knew it was something that I wanted my sons to be involved in, but I admit – I was scared of boy scouting.
Just as Twizzler was getting ready to start Cub Scouts, I received a call. The pack needed ME to be his den leader. I was horrified.
Me, in Boy Scouts
Several hours of training and one uniform later, I was officially a den leader for the Boy Scouts of America. And I had never been to a boy scout meeting before in my life. Luckily, I had an amazing support group of other parents and scouting experts to guide me along.
After just a short time, I was completely in love with scouting. As I took my scouts on short hikes, as we cleaned up local parks together, and as we did crafts and games together, I struggled to remember why I was ever intimidated by scouting. I went from hesitant to a complete advocate for scouting.
Scouting is so much more than camps during the summer (although cub scout day camp is something even I look forward to in the summer now!). Scouting turns boys into respectful, healthy, knowledgeable, courteous, strong, and resourceful young men. I could go on and on.
More reasons why your son should Be A Scout
- Relieve the Back-To-School Tension – Scouting helps round out a boy’s education and gives him supplementary experiences outside the classroom that can increase his confidence and comfort level with other students.
- Healthy Living – Scouting keeps kids involved in activities that keep them active, in shape, and educated on proper nutrition.
- Exploring Future Tech – Scouting isn’t just tying knots and camping. It’s also introducing young boys to the technologies that are shaping the future. Through scouting, my son is being exposed to skills that he probably would never have had the chance to learn otherwise.
- Bringing Family Together – I love that scouting involves the entire family. So many of the activities and goals that the boys participate in involve the family. A big part of Boy Scouts is building and strengthening family relationships.
Do you have any boys in Boy Scouts? What have your experiences been?
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We are huge Scouting fans in our house. I have 2 boys of my own who are currently Scouts. I also have 3 brothers who all were Scouts. My boys both have set personal goals to achieve Eagle rank. They set these goals when they were Cubs. One is now in his third year of Cubs and the older one is in his first year of Boy Scouts. Scouting has been a great long term experience for our family and will continue to be. They both enjoy the activities and learn so many varied things through Scouting. The values taught in Scouting can’t be beat. I could go on but I’ll stop now and say thanks for your post pumping up the benefits of Scouting.
How nifty! I didn’t know they learned technology stuff. =)
I knew what you meant! :) And congratulations on having an Eagle Scout! My oldest is just in Webelos right now.
Oops, I meant “hear” not har.
So glad to har that you and your son are enjoying Scouting. My son (now in college) is an Eagle Scout. I am so glad that he convinced us to join Scouts when he was in first grade, because it has been a blast!
Have you talked to someone at his school? We signed up for a den at church, but I know that our school has one, too. If you can’t start there, I would try talking with parents in his class to see who already belongs to a scouting group. Timing varies from den to den based on the leaders’ availability. I’ve found that the mom-led dens tend to meet earlier. :)
One of my good friends has a “lifetime scouter” husband who is just perfect for it. Neither my husband nor I are perfect scouter types, but we still have a lot of fun!
I hope he has a great experience! Cub scouts has been a great thing for my son, although the older he gets, the harder it is to keep him motivated. It’s good to start young!
I love cub scouting! Trying to sign my oldest up now – any tips on finding a troop that meets on afternoons or weekends?
We have a scout, and two more coming up behind him! I love the Scouts, and I’m in awe of the mom who takes care of our den. I’m not really a scout mom, since I’m blessed with a husband who wants to do all that stuff. I may get sucked into some girl stuff in the future, but really, Girl Scouts seems so much less exciting than Boy Scouts.
I soooo needed to read this as my son wants to go to the recruitment meeting tonight for Cub Scouts. :)