I was not a very good boy scout. I grew up in a family where camping, fishing, hunting was just part of family life, but I wasn't particularly excited about it, nor was I against it. Camping with the scouts was, therefore, nothing special. Being severely ADHD, which was not even something people knew about back then, meant that I had a very difficult time completing merit badges and the like. So while I enjoyed my time in scouts, I was not very successful by the normal measures of awards and badges.
On the other hand, as the activity arm of the young men's organization of the church, scouting was great. We had wonderful memorable activities, especially when we joined with the young women for large joint activities. The boys in my pack/troop/team/post were friends. I learned how to ask girls to dance, how to set up and run meetings, how to lend support to leaders who might not be that great at what they do. I learned first aid and lifesaving skills. I got to interact with government officials, businessmen, and other leaders in our community.
As an adult, I have been a scout leader in one capacity or another for many years. There's wonderful adult training available, and I've learned many important things. The scouts does provide a great framework for the activity arm for the young men of the church, providing training for leaders, insistence on adequate leadership, and a variety of learning opportunities for the boys. But all is not rosy, as I'll discuss in part 2.
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