The Boy Scouts of America has helped lay the foundation for the future for more than 160 million alumni and members, both male and female. Generations of young people have been shaped by our time-tested program that teaches values, builds character, and exposes our most impressionable beings to skills they wouldn’t otherwise acquire.
One of the greatest pride points of the Circle Ten Council, Boy Scouts of America is our ScoutReach Program – our commitment to remove any barriers that might keep a young person from joining Scouting, ensuring that every child has the opportunity to get involved regardless of their circumstances.
Scoutmaster Joe Hayes, a leader of a ScoutReach unit, knows firsthand how impactful Scouting can be for children today as he is a product of the program himself. He recalls once-in-a-lifetime experiences that reshaped his perspective on responsibility and provided him with a moral compass to guide his way into responsible adulthood.
“My goal for these young men is basically to pass the torch on – of not only Scouting – but being a responsible citizen in the community, being a responsible parent, being a responsible employee.” He understands that Scouting is one of the very best programs that prepares youth to lead, and that preparing tomorrow’s leaders is one of the most important things we can do for our future.
“The opportunities I had in Scouting made me want to come back and invest my time into making sure these young men had even a greater opportunity than I had,” shared Joe. “Scouting helps youth grow because it exposes them to something new — the possibility of having more or dreaming bigger than the borders of their neighborhoods or communities,” he continues.
By emphasizing ethics and moral values, Scouting addresses many of the concerns of parents in our community. Scouting prepares youth to be leaders, to accept responsibility, and to care about principles and causes beyond their own self-interest.
“It gives them the opportunity to challenge themselves. It gives them a fighting chance! Programs like Scouting are important because they provide youth with a sense of belonging, understanding of self, communities, and adventure. Many of us spend our whole lives searching for these things and they’re able to obtain them through ScoutReach.”
But don’t just take it from Joe, empirical data shows that Scouting Works! A Baylor University study conducted by the Gallup Organization compared Eagle Scouts to men who were never involved with Scouting. According to the study, Eagle Scouts are 52% more likely to agree they always try to exceed people’s expectations and 76% more likely to have held a leadership position in their local community. Additionally, 64% were more likely to say they achieved a personal goal in the last year and they were 47% more likely to agree they always try to do what is right.
A separate study by Harris Interactive supported these statistics, finding that 83% of people who were Scouts in their youth agree that the values they learned in Scouting continue to be very important to them today. 87% of people who remained in Scouting five or more years attribute some of their self-confidence in their work to their Scouting experience. Half of the group say Scouting had a positive effect on their career development and advancement, and 83% say there have been real-life situations where having been a Scout helped them be a better leader.
All youth (boys and girls, kindergarten through age 18) are invited to join the Circle Ten Council today.