In Scouting, preparedness is more than just a motto. “Prepared. For Life.” provides a succinct way to illustrate what Scouting is all about and to explain our role in helping young people on their journey to adulthood.
When we talk about “Prepared. For Life. ™” in Scouting, it is literally what we teach. We prepare them for adventure by promoting youth to pursue an active and healthy lifestyle, and to enjoy the great outdoors in a responsible way. We prepare them for leadership by giving young people the skills to take ownership of new tasks and lead by example. We prepare them for a life of learning by teaching them to set goals and work to achieve them one step at a time – this is the overarching purpose of rank advancement. And we prepare them for service instilling in them that sustainable communities are built through service to others.
We provide the skills necessary to help America’s young people meet the challenges of today’s society, and then use those skills to mentor others behind them from generation to generation. Prepared. For Life. ™ demonstrates a lasting legacy of great leadership taught through the values of the Scout Oath and Scout Law.
Our teaching methods go beyond desks and laptops. The outdoors is our classroom and nature provides our curriculum. In Scouting, we figure learning by doing is a key component of outdoor education and adventure and teaches young people to be prepared for life by facing challenges head on. From their first five-mile hike to joining a weekend campout, outdoor adventures ingrain skills into our Scouts that are applicable in the real world. The best part is that they often don’t even realize they are learning because they are having fun!
Our council has some of the best outdoor classrooms – our council camps. Camp Constantin/Jack D. Furst Aquatic Base is located on Possum Kingdom Lake in Palo Pinto County, near Graford, Texas. This camp has over 385 acres and covers six miles of shoreline that look towards the majestic Castle Cliff on Possum Kingdom Lake. Activities include hiking, rifle, shotgun, archery, canoeing and swimming in one of the clearest lakes in Texas.
The Clements Scout Ranch is home to the Trevor Rees-Jones Scout Camp and Camp Meisenbach. The ranch has a herd of horses just waiting to be ridden. Trail rides can be reserved on Saturday only. And, the Trevor Rees-Jones Scout Camp and Camp Meisenbach have some of the best-stocked fishing lakes in the State of Texas.
Camp James Ray is located on Lake Texoma near Pottsboro, Texas. This 540 acre camp offers camping, hiking, canoeing, sailing, rifle, shotgun and archery ranges, swimming, and 11 year-round campsites. If hiking and exploring are what you want, take a hike across Homesites Road. You can enjoy our many trails with lots of wildlife. Lake Texoma is famous for sand bass and stripers.
All of these outdoor adventure programs help our Scouts learn the secrets of problem solving and teamwork as they navigate difficult trails and deal with the many surprises the out-of-doors has to offer. Prepared. For Life. is not just a concept or a phrase to be memorized. It’s what we are all about. We are preparing our young people for the future. We are instilling the values of Scouting and getting them ready to make good ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes.
This fall, all youth are invited to experience the magic of Scouting.
All youth (boys and girls, kindergarten through age 18) are invited to join the Circle Ten Council today.