I remember wearing the signature green uniform of the Girl Scouts every Monday back in high school. We also had patches or badges on our sleeves for having done some special task or acquiring a new skill. We belonged to a troop and had a number sewn on one of our sleeves. And every Monday, we carried the flag, wearing white gloves and were the marching “stars” of the flag ceremony. We took turns learning how to carry the flag and had many activities even outside campus.
While it just looked like fun, scouting actually meant to teach a girl how to reach her full potential as a community leader, and how to “be prepared” for any surprise event, crisis or emergency. In fact, that was the motto of every scout, boy or girl – Be Prepared. Together with expressing an oath to scouting, you raise your right three middle digits while saying the pledge. “On my honor, I will do my duty to God and my country. To help other people at all times. And to live by the Girl scout law.” After high school, you are armed with that courage, confidence and character to make the world a better place – that is the vision of the Girl Scouts. Beautiful, is it not?
And I am sure that also follows for Boy Scouts, as founded by Lord Robert Baden Powell in 1908 and introduced in the Philippines in 1910. Famous boy scouts are Carlos P. Romulo, Steven Spielberg, Martin Luther King, among many other leaders and visionaries. In 1936, the Boys Scouts of the Philippines was founded by Romulo, Vicente Lim, Jorge Vargas, Gabriel Daza, Arsenio Luz, Manuel Camus and Joseph Stevenot.
Boys and girl scouts share the motto “be prepared” and I think this is the best preparation for our youth to face the real world.
Today, we need to hone our youth to be more resilient, to be ready to face the world and show courage and tenacity. Scouts have balanced activities such as communing with nature in camping, going on hikes, making trails and living to protect the environment. Is that not what we ought to be teaching our young?
In my research, I found out that the Department of Education (DepEd) released an order in 2012 to revitalize girl scouting in schools nationwide. I have seen my nieces go through high school and never saw any of these young girls in a scout’s uniform. Neither have I seen the boys of their age wear the scout’s uniform. So while it is a co-curricular activity, why is it not being enforced?
Having girl scouts may be key in addressing our issues on teenage pregnancies, violence against women and the seeming lack of role models in the community for young women to emulate. While it may not be the only solution to these problems, adopting the program could help teachers mold our young men and women to be responsible leaders of society.
Boy scouts learn how to tie ropes, make knots, build a fire without matches and other MacGyver stuff that young boys will take an interest in. Boys learn to read maps on paper (even with Google maps around), find trails and keep themselves busy at camping activities besides helping in community projects.
This same desire in boys is rekindled when the men reach a certain age and look for the outdoors. Thus, the sport called overlanding became a trend. Men who have reached a certain status buy four-wheel off-road vehicles, accessorize these sports utility vehicles (SUVs) with winches and ropes, radios and coffee makers and head to rivers and streams. Probably they never had Boy Scout training in school so they make up for it later in life. Overlanding is now a trending sport for the rich and famous who can afford the “toys for the big boys” like jeeps and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs). Maybe they should have been scouts when they were young.
Girls, on the other hand, look for mentors in leadership a little later in life – like when they start a business or join organizations to be with women leaders, or join a professional club so they can learn public speaking, leadership and network with like-minded women. They should have been girl scouts earlier in life – you are taught to be active in communities, busy yourself with outdoor affairs like camping and planting and are influenced to serve your community and your country.
I have very fond memories of my Girl Scout days. And how I wish every teenager would have this experience, too. Some schools used to start joining much earlier for the younger group called Brownies – they wore brown uniforms and graduate to green when they got to high school. Brownies have simpler activities fit for their age but they are already taught about scout’s honor, scout laws and promise.
Today, many people want to go outdoors and commune with Nature. Many want to visit farms and open spaces to be able to do camping or “glamping” – glamorous camping. Forest bathing is another popular trend for refreshing the soul. I think human nature makes us want to touch the soil, do grounding (walking barefoot to touch the Earth or sand) and connect to everything natural.
If we start our kids on scouting earlier in life, they will grow up to be more responsible members of society, be accountable leaders of communities and be visionary leaders for the country. Just look at the who’s who in scouting around the world.
Let us start with the young. For all you know, we may just have a brighter future with the leaders of tomorrow starting as boy scouts and girl scouts.
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