Be prepared. This is the scout motto. All the scouts live by this in their daily lives, whether a neighbor gets a heart attack and needs help, or the weather drastically changes on a campout and it’s freezing. Being prepared is very important. Scouts also live by the scout law. The scout law says that a scout should be trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, and kind. The scout oath, is an oath in which the scouts promise to do their duty to God, their country, and also to obey the scout law. The last thing that scouts live by is the outdoor code, which is promising to be conservative, resourceful and good to the Earth. These rules are the most important rules to follow when scouting.
Aside from just rules, scouts also do a variety of fun activities. The most common one being camping. Scouts go camping every month, and each time it is somewhere different. There are biking camps, hiking camps, fishing camps, shotgun shooting, and much more. The activity camps are utilized by scouts to sometimes finish their requirements to advance ranks. Some older scouts use the opportunity to earn merit badges.
In every camp there are roles that scouts must play. The Patrol Leader writes down the names of the scouts on a duty roster. He assigns them a certain job. The GrubMaster buys the food, and brings it to the camp. Different cooks are assigned for different meals. The rest of the people that are not cooking help clean up. Later on, when you become a bigger scout, you will get a Position of Responsibility (POR).
Instead of just camping, there are a lot of other activities that scouts do. There are summer camps that scouts go to. The most popular one is Camp Hale. This is a summer camp where scouts spend everyday working on a merit badge. The scouts can use this as an opportunity to get their requirements done to advance a rank. Some other activities in the summer include High Adventure camps. There is Philmont, Northern Tier, and Sea Base. Philmont is when a scout goes hiking up a mountain with a backpack. You need to be able to carry all of your stuff in the back. Northern Tier is a canoeing high adventure. You need to be able to carry your canoe. The last one is Sea Base. Sea Base is when you get to go diving, sailing, and fishing in the Bahamas.
Another very important thing is requirements. The High Adventures are something that all younger scouts look forward to, but they need to advance ranks all the way up to 1st Class to enroll in a High Adventure. Just in case a younger scout made it to 1st Class quickly, there is a rule where you have to be at least 14 years old. The requirements range from Scout to Eagle. From Scout-1st Class, the requirements are mostly factual like tying a knot. From Star-Eagle, It is mostly leadership, service, and merit badges. It is almost every scout’s dream to become an eagle scout, but only one out of every 50 scouts becomes an eagle scout. Everyone wants to be an eagle scout because it looks great for when you apply for college, but most importantly it is a great experience.
Check out the below video by 6th grader Danny, who gave us permission to share what he made for Mrs. Wilkinson’s Technology Applications class. He lists some tips that might come in handy when trying to be a boy scout.
Camping Tips With Danny from Canyon Echoes on Vimeo.
