Scouting
Today I wrapped up my Eagle Court of Honor and with that probably my scouting journey through Boy Scouts. It's been a good time although sometimes mundane and boring, and I am fortunate to have gotten to know people through scouting. With that being said, scouting does have its drawbacks -- and for a long while, I didn't think I was going to get eagle scout and I also thought that scouting wasn't fun. So to all scouts currently scouting, I would encourage y'all to go past the day-to-day -- the disorganized troop or the messy standards or the bad meetings -- and focus on what you think scouting is all about and should be about. Because at the very end, when you look back, I think that putting the effort into things you like and parts you like will make your experience much better.
Anyways, I also thought my speech during the Eagle COH was good so I'll put it down here for reference and for other scouts to use. Note that I definitely didn't say all the words (and I reworded sections) but below you'll find the rough outline of what I said.
I'd say the joke I included in the middle definitely needs reworking but otherwise everything I touched on here was pretty broad. Also 0% AI was used.
Hi, I’m [My Name]. And as you may have heard by now, I am an eagle scout. It’s been a long journey, and I’d like to thank everyone who’s helped me – specifically, my parents, the various ASMs and SMs who have helped and guided me, uh my parents again, and the patrol members of all the many patrols I’ve been a part of. I’d also like to thank everyone here; y’all have (hopefully) witnessed bits and pieces of my scouting journey and have probably supported me in some capacity along the way.
With all the thanks now given out, I guess I’m at the summit now. Currently, I physically have the stage, and the podium, and you guys do not.
Also, I’ve metaphorically reached the summit – the path to eagle is long and especially those later parts are hard. The higher you go in ranks, the harder the requirements get, and worst of all, those last few can take a pretty long time.
Now [SM1], the Scoutmaster before [SM2], once remarked that 3/4ths of scouting is outing. And for me, outings have definitely defined my time in scouting. Because outings are fun. And sometimes intense. And it’s where the bonding happens. And it's in the outdoors. There’s so much in the outing that maybe scouting should just be called scoutingouting – to put more emphasis on the outing part. Because although skills like fire lighting and cooking and first aid are important and crucial, they don’t mean much if they’re not used. And that’s the point of outings. You’re out there with other people, (hopefully) adequately packed, tryna go on an adventure while also tryna stay alive. And to you younger scouts, it is not time to hop on Brawl Stars or hide in your tent – it’s time to go take a small hike or maybe play some card games – like Mau and Secret SPL.
Anyways, the other point I wanted to highlight about scouting is its point on being prepared. Being prepared is cool; it’s reassuring, it gives you some confidence that things are going well, and it’s pretty important to having a good time – whether that be completing a hike or bringing everything necessary for a meal so you don’t have to wait to use another patrol’s leftover fuel to cook your food.
But I think what gets left out of being prepared – and is arguably even more important – is being able to improvise. When things are all planned out, that’s cool and smooth sailing, but usually, in life things aren’t fully planned out perfectly from start to finish. Situations change, circumstances shift, people forget to bring their sleeping bags, and improvisation is needed. And I think that’s what scouting tries to get at – to give you the base to build on when improvisation is needed; whether that be in the realm of shelter, first aid, or navigation.
As such, I guess I’ll end by saying, be prepared. And if you’re not prepared, as my friend [Friend's name] says, be prepared to improvise – and remember: improvise, adapt, overcome.