Be Prepared!

The Boy Scout Motto is "Be Prepared!" When boys first hear this motto, their first question is "for what?" The answer is always "for anything!"

This past week, our troop went up to the Northern Lights Council's Boy Scout camp, called Camp Wilderness. It is my favorite camp (out of the three I have been to). I tried to be as prepared for the week as possible. I packed extra clothes, blankets, rain gear, snacks, band aids, extra bug spray... everything I could think of was thrown in.

Throughout the week, I came across situations where I was thankful for being prepared. I also saw plenty of boys not being prepared. Most boys only brought one pair of shoes. It rained all day on Tuesday and those boys had to wear wet socks and shoes on Wednesday. They soon developed blisters.

What I realized during this week was how much the Boy Scouts teaches how to "Be Prepared." I sat through the Emergency Preparedness merit badge sessions a few times. The counselor talked about different scenarios of emergencies; including a mock drill of a disaster scene. During the mock drill the boys had to provide first aid to victims of a tornado. I also watched the canoeing merit badge sessions. That counselor talked about first aid around water activities, including CPR techniques and hypothermia. The boys had to practice getting into a canoe while in the middle of the lake.

As I drove home, I started to think about this blog and think about the topic of "Be Prepared" and I realized that other merit badges touch this topic like the Personal Management merit badge, which teaches the boys about financial obligations and to "Be Prepared" with budgets, and savings. Other merit badges such as Family Life, Communication, and First Aid continue to prepare the boys for the future.

In our troop, a pen is part of the uniform. This allows the boys to "Be Prepared" to take notes, or to have a pen ready for when they complete a requirement in their book.

I find it interesting on how much I have learned how to "Be Prepared" from scouting. Throughout my life, I always have a plan B and sometimes a plan C. Think about when you have been most successful with a presentation, an exam, an interview, a phone call, or a shopping event. Did you think through it before hand? If so, then perhaps you were prepared.

Yours in Scouting,
Scouter Steve