How Boy Scouts Changed My Life

Throughout my life I have tried many things snowboarding, sailing, rock climbing, and kayaking. I’ve enjoyed them all but the one activity that has stuck with me more than any other was Boy Scouts. I started scouts when I was 8 years old; I had no idea what I was getting into. I remember walking into the Saint Stevens, the church where the troop held their meetings, for the first time and seeing all of the other cub scouts. I was very nervous and wanted to make a good impression on the other kids. Due to my age I was put into the rank of wolf, the second lowest rank in cub scouts. We were a group of 16 kids. I don’t know how anyone could have controlled us at that young age, we were wild. Only three of the 16 ever made it to eagle and I worked hard to be one of them.

Scouting is split into two parts: Cub Scouts and Boy scouts.

Cub scouts lasts from ages seven to ten and Boy scouts is from 10 to 18. There are ranks of scouting: tiger, wolf, bear, webelos 1, webelos 2, scout, 2nd class, 1st class, star, life, and the highest, Eagle. Once I became a boy scout I began to truly grow as a person, becoming more outgoing and friendly, becoming self sufficient and learning to handle my own. But everything changed when I was 16. I earned my life rank. The life rank was the last step before becoming eagle but that step was extremely difficult there was no room for error I had to prove my self, exemplifying everything I have learned over 10 years. This last step is the make or break period for most people only 5% of scouts make it to eagle and I was determined to become one of them. The first part was to organize develop and carry out a project that will benefit your community. I set out on my project contacting members of my community to find a project eventually setting on one with my cross-country coach. I was going to build 2 bridges on a running trail behind my high

school.
The night to take my board of review came this was my chance to finally become an eagle I had studied for this harder than any test I have ever taken. I walked into the boardroom in full uniform ready to prove my self. Before me were two men who have been with me my entire scouting career and one man from the council. I have never been so nervous in my life, so much time and hard work went toward this one moment. I began by reciting the scouting oath and law words I’ve said every Monday for the last 10 years. A scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent. This time was different than all the others, those words carried a weight, and they were important; they molded me into the man I am now. This was the first time I’ve realized I am not a boy anymore I’ve become a leader, a man people look to for guidance. This new found revelation gave me confidence in my training and my ability’s I was ready to show this board who I have become, to prove to them that I am a scout that is ready to be called an eagle and become their brother. I aced my board on every topic from survival to leadership. I saw a smile come across the chairman’s face as he reached out his left hand to shake mine and to say the words I have waited so long to hear “Congratulations you are now an Eagle Scout”. I couldn’t believe it I made it. As I walked in front of the entire troop applause erupted as I was handed my Eagle badge. I looked down at it this small piece of stitched cloth, an object that would have been considered worthless to most people, became priceless to me it was the representation of every standard that I hold myself to and of the accumulation of all my knowledge. I was now a leader.