Foundations by Scouts BSA

In 2019, Scouts BSA began accepting girls into their program.  Thanks to a friendship with the daughter of my current Scoutmaster, I was registered into the BSA by the time COVID-19 shut down the world.  My American Creed was shaped by my experience in Scouts BSA which is defined by community, commitment, service, and growth.

Finding (or creating) a community where you feel supported is of the utmost importance.  Scouting America was an extremely valuable resource during covid.  It provided me with a community when society was broken into households.  My scouting experience is rich in relations.  While I was on the younger side, about twelve, the age group of the troop ranged from my age to seventeen.  While some troops aren't very active, my troop has been active year-round with monthly campouts.  I had monthly opportunities, even during covid, to get out of the house and socialize.  That was vital to me as a developing young-adult.

My greatest value is aspiration for success.  While my relations were healthy, I was off to a slow start in rank advancement.  I was not sure if I wanted to reach for Eagle Scout.  Being so young, I tended to pick more fun badges to work on than Eagle required badges.  As I look back,  I probably should have been more focused.  Now, I'm an aspiring Eagle Scout.  I realized that I need to pick up the pace if I want that ranking.  The program gifted me with structured goals that I can choose to ignore or aim to achieve.  In high school, I am discovering what specifically I want to succeed in and committing to what I care about most right now.

Service to others is one of my top priorities.  Along with ranking requirements are volunteer expectations.  For Life rank alone, I am required to volunteer for six hours, two of which must be outdoors.  Although the time commitment can sometimes be tough to arrange, I love to do the work.  Most of my service opportunities were provided through the BSA.  It gave purpose and a relationship with my community that I never would have developed without opportunities provided through the BSA.

I believe the ability to learn will carry me through the rest of my life.  Grown-ups talk about growth-mindsets periodically.  Scouts BSA continues to enforce that idea through merit badges and adventures, high and low if you catch my drift.  I went to Sea Base in the Florida Keys during which I settled for four nights and five days on Big Munson Island.  There, I experienced an intensity of outdoor challenge I had barely imagined.  We slept through a massive storm, endured extreme hot weather, and I learned how to prepare my own fish!  Without a growth-mindset, the quality of that experience would have been so much less.  I am truly grateful for my capacity for growth and I strive to maintain that.

My Scoutmaster recently told me that she believed in the program.  She believes that it nurtures youth in a way that encourages success and teaches the importance of action in the community and the nation.  My American Creed only grew thanks to this organization and I look forward to sharing it with others.