A Scout is Trustworthy...

This afternoon was Court of Honor for Benjamin's Boy Scout Troop and we attended.  A court of honor is a ceremony in which ranks and other awards are given to Scouts who have earned them.  It is good opportunity to honor those scouts who have worked hard on their advancements.  Russ earned the highest rank attainable in Scouting back in 2010 and is an Eagle Scout.  Benjamin is just beginning that journey.  We're proud of both of them.

The military and prospective employers look favorably toward men who have attained the rank of Eagle.  These boys are goal-setters, who at the age of 11 set their sights toward a difficult task and over the next several years, diligently work toward achieving their goal.  Along the way they learn leadership skills, outdoors skills, first aid, survival, cooking, citizenship, service toward others and responsibility among many other skills too numerous to list.

It is a lot of work, but also a lot of fun.  You can see below that Benjamin is receiving his awards from his Scout Master.  One of the neat things about becoming a First Class Scout is that the Troop buys the scout their very own tent.  He's holding it in his hand and will get lots of use out of that tent over the next few years.


Benjamin attaining the rank of Tenderfoot and First Class

Shown below are the patches that were awarded to Benjamin.  The one he's the most proud of is the Mile Swim patch.  It is the white one on the lower left with a sea horse on it.  At summer camp, Benjamin woke up at 5:30 every morning and trained for the mile swim.  On the last day of camp they swam it.  It is about 18 laps around the lake and Benjamin made it!  He told me that several times along the way, he wanted to quit.  He said his legs were aching and he was tired.  But he told me that he kept thinking, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me," and he kept going until he crossed the finish line. 

A nice collection of patches awarded to Benjamin today

I like the virtues and values that the Boy Scouts of American stands for and I'm thankful for our Scoutmaster.  He spends a lot of time and energy making an investment in these boys' lives and instilling virtues that will hopefully allow these young men to make a positive impact in their communities.  The mission of the Boy Scouts of America is to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law.

Norman Rockwell Boy Scout Painting

Scout Oath

On my honor I will do my best
To do my duty to God and my country
and to obey the Scout Law;
To help other people at all times;
To keep myself physically strong,
mentally awake, and morally straight.

Scout Law

A Scout is:
Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful,
Friendly, Courteous, Kind,
Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty,
Brave, Clean, Reverent