“Be prepared, son. That’s my motto. Be prepared.” ~Joe Hallenbeck (Bruce Willis in The Last Boy Scout)
Despite the title and the quote, this isn’t really a post about the movie The Last Boy Scout, starring Bruce Willis. Although, if you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend it. My good friend Lisis at Quest for Balance suggested that I write a post about my days as a boy scout, so here we go…
I was a boy scout for almost 4 years. In that time, I learned a lot of great stuff. I learned all about tying knots, wilderness survival, campfire cooking, map-reading, first-aid, and dozens of other things. BTW, grape jelly mixed into scrambled eggs turns them green, in case your kids ever want “green eggs and ham”. 
I also learned (according to the Boy Scout Handbook):
- A Scout is Trustworthy.
- A Scout tells the truth. He is honest, and he keeps his promises. People can depend on him.
- A Scout is Loyal.
- A Scout is true to his family, friends, Scout leaders, school, and nation.
- A Scout is Helpful.
- A Scout cares about other people. He willingly volunteers to help others without expecting payment or reward.
- A Scout is Friendly.
- A Scout is a friend to all. He is a brother to other Scouts. He offers his friendship to people of all races and nations, and respects them even if their beliefs and customs are different from his own.
- A Scout is Courteous.
- A Scout is polite to everyone regardless of age or position. He knows that using good manners makes it easier for people to get along.
- A Scout is Kind.
- A Scout knows there is strength in being gentle. He treats others as he wants to be treated. Without good reason, he does not harm or kill any living thing.
- A Scout is Obedient.
- A Scout follows the rules of his family, school, and troop. He obeys the laws of his community and country. If he thinks these rules and laws are unfair, he tries to have them changed in an orderly manner rather than disobeying them.
- A Scout is Cheerful.
- A Scout looks for the bright side of life. He cheerfully does tasks that come his way. He tries to make others happy.
- A Scout is Thrifty.
- A Scout works to pay his own way and to help others. He saves for the future. He protects and conserves natural resources. He carefully uses time and property.
- A Scout is Brave.
- A Scout can face danger although he is afraid. He has the courage to stand for what he thinks is right even if others laugh at him or threaten him.
- A Scout is Clean.
- A Scout keeps his body and mind fit and clean. He chooses the company of those who live by high standards. He helps keep his home and community clean.
- A Scout is Reverent.
- A Scout is reverent toward God. He is faithful in his religious duties. He respects the beliefs of others.
I still try to live according to those principles. Sometimes I slip in one or more of them, but they represent ideal behavior to me. I find that if I follow those principles, then I stay out of trouble. As soon as I slip up, trouble comes quickly.
Those were lessons that were planned into the scouting experience, programmed by books and scout leaders to turn young boys into productive and capable outdoorsmen and fine young men. While these were all great lessons, the true gifts of scouting are the more “unplanned” lessons that come up along the way.
I learned that there’s a huge difference between a 10-mile hike through the woods and a 10-mile hike through the city. I learned that camping in the middle of Winter is a lot different from camping in the middle of Summer. I learned that discovering a small stream while on one of those 10-mile hikes in Summer is just about as close to heaven as you can get in this world. I found that 5 pounds of food is heavy in a backpack, but not nearly as heavy as the feeling of being stuck in the woods without 5 pounds of food in your backpack.
I learned that the guys who take you snipe hunting will be the same guys who carry you out of the woods on a litter should you be clumsy enough to step on a snake. The same guy who pushes you off of a log into the creek below will help you back up. True friends will laugh at you sometimes, but they’ll always come through when you really need them.
I learned that nothing can make a group of boys in Jr. high school bathe faster than the prospect of college girls coming over to share the campfire later that night. College girls who share a campfire with a group of Jr. high boys can teach those boys more about women in 2 hours than a lifetime of mothers, sisters, and friends. Jr. high boys will actually sit still and listen to college girls. No other demographic group has that power.
I learned that sometimes, crushes last long past the time it takes for the campfire to burn down, the tents to be packed away, and to hike back out of the wilderness.
I learned that no matter how cool you think you are, you’ll never be as cool as your scoutmaster who lost half his bicep while parachuting deep behind enemy lines in Vietnam. No matter how hard you think your hike has been, it won’t compare to carrying a 50 lb. rucksack and an M-16 through the jungle. And no matter what, unless someone starts shooting at you, you have nothing to complain about.
I learned that latrine duty is no fun. Cleaning duty is no fun. Firewood detail is no fun. But sometimes, we have to do things that are no fun so that we can enjoy doing things that are fun. Work to enjoy the fruits of your labor. It takes time and effort to build a home and keep it up, but after a hard day of hiking, exploring, working on projects, and basically exhausting yourself, there’s no place like home. Even if “home” is a campsite in the middle of the woods, you’ll be thankful that you did the prep work earlier in the day.
Finally, I learned that packing up and heading back to the “real world” is always bittersweet, regardless of the presence or absence of college girls.
Love always,
Jay