This Friday I retire from the Army after 30 years. As I reflect on my time in service, I have to credit Scouts with my preparedness to serve my Nation in uniform. Beyond the obviousness of the Rifle Shooting Merit Badge, many of the other things I got from Scouting that carried over. Scouts taught me teamwork and gave me an opportunity to lead. When I was a cadet in college training to be an officer, I was always selected to be the compass man on patrols, because Scouts taught me how to read a map and use a compass. Undoubtedly the Personal Fitness Merit Badge and Swimming Merit Badge came in handy, and the First Aid Merit Badge gave me a solid basis when learning life-saving skills. During field training exercises, I was no stranger to sleeping on the ground, and other looked to me for help with field craft. Knot tying proved invaluable when I learned how to pack a parachute and how to rig loads to be picked up by helicopters or to be dropped by airplanes. New to the Army, I was no slouch at ruck marches, because Scouts provided me many opportunities to carry a heavy backpack. Lastly, but surely not least, the Scout Oath and Law provided a solid foundation to help me make the right choices and keep out of trouble. Concepts of Kindness and being Friendly undoubtedly made me a better leader.
I am not here to recruit anyone in the Army, but I am happy to talk about my career if anyone is interested, just as the other adult leaders in the Troop are happy to tell you about theirs. No matter what you do in life, I am willing to bet that something (or many things) you did in Scouts will help you achieve success.
Be Prepared!