Northern Ridge District Training

We’ve all heard the phrase “Every Scout deserves a trained leader” and at one time or another probably thought to ourselves “whatever.” If you have been a Scout Leader (Cubs, Boy, Venture, etc.) long enough you have probably heard this quite a bit.

Why are you a leader? Is it for the money? For the fame and glory? Probably not. Is it for the fellowship and fun? Of course. Now, close your eyes and think to your last Scout meeting, do you have that picture in your head? What picture do you have in your head? Is it of the Boys at their meeting or is it of you working with other leaders? Chances are you are picturing the boys in your unit! Isn’t that why we become leaders? Fame, glory, or money after all is not why we do what we do. Fame and glory is in the imagination of the youth we serve, teach, coach, and mentor. Our purpose after all is to help those young men become the best citizens, leaders, and people they possibly can be. To do so we need to be trained, we must be trained!!

Training in the BSA is not always dynamic or exciting, but it is relevant. It does lead the Scout leader to a better understanding of the program, its policies, and its vast network of materials, resources and most of all…. fellow Scouters that are out there on the front lines of Scouting. Peers that may have valuable insights that you may not.

The Cub Scout motto is “Do Your Best” and the Boy Scout motto is “Be Prepared.” Think about these two phrases, there is strength and power in these phrases. “Do your best” not someone else’s. “Be prepared” for what may come now or in the future… Put together we get “Do your best and Be Prepared.”

Are you doing YOUR best to be PREPARED and serve the youth in your unit by not being trained?