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We encourage our Scouts to think big.  There are not enough people who are willing to think big, and are willing to take the risk necessary to achieve success.  When individuals do think big, other people sometimes make fun of those trying.  Unfortunately we learn quickly not to try anything outside the norm.  It is the rare person who can continue to make their own decisions when other people have called their dreams silly or impossible. 

We want our Scouts to be those rare people who go out on a limb and do what they think is best.  The list of those who followed their own sense of justice and their dreams goes on and on with names Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr.  It is only possible to be great when we willingly step outside our comfort zone and accept we may be insulted for our opinions and dreams.girl and fatjer with telescope

It is common to think of those who accomplished great things as otherworldly, as having some kind of quality or luck the rest of us do not have.  But that is not true, they have nothing the rest of us do not have except for one thing:  determination.  Those who have succeeded the most are also those who have failed the most – the lists match up remarkably.  Hank Aaron had the most homeruns in baseball.  He also had the most strikeouts.  That is because those who ultimately succeed are those who are doing something.  The majority of people quit at the starting gate.  We want our Scouts to take chances in a safe manner, because it is those who try and fail and then try again who are those who ultimately succeed. 

 

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Scout Freedom

 

We have put our Scout Programs in the hands of our Scouts to a great extent.  We want it to be our Scouts who make their own choices and acquire the knowledge that their choices will govern their lives.  Many people are not aware of that even as adults.  It is easy for us as individuals to blame circumstance and others for the barriers to our own happiness.  Our Scouts acquire the knowledge that their choices, such as which weekend activity to participate in as a team, will have consequences.  Because the choice is all theirs, they take part in learning-by-doing activities which are FUN and safe for everyone, including themselves, is the best way to have a good time.  When our Scouts take into account the feelings of their fellow Scouts, those Scouts will take their feelings into account as well.  Making responsible choices can be a difficult lesson, even for adults, but our Scouts become accustomed to it while they are youth.

 

We encourage our Scouts to use their free choice to do what appeals them and what they feel most passionately about.  There is no idea “too big.”  If our Scouts are passionate about curing homelessness, we encourage it, and we help our Scouts see how they can effect real change in the world by following their sense of right and wrong and their own passion. 

 

The ideas we provide we are only that – ideas.  It is up to our Scouts to determine how they want their meeting, programs, and activities to be.  They are encouraged to form their own ideas and change what they feel needs to be changed in order to have a better quality Scout experience for everyone.  We encourage suggestions, and want Scouts, parents, and members to come to us with their concerns, new ideas, and suggestions.  We want the opportunity to eliminate barriers preventing member satisfaction, to improve the experience not only for the member with the suggestion, but for everyone.

 

Ways Our Scouts Think Big

 

Our Scouts think big when inviting Guests to their Activity Buffet and when planning Expo’s.  We want them to think as large as possible and be unafraid to invite a Guest they really want to meet.  Our Scouts think big earning Challenges and doing community service.  Our Scouts take on topics such hunger, homelessness, conservation, and other issues of interest to them.

 

Our Scouts have a lot to say and want to effect real change in the world while having FUN.  Our Scout Programs are by and for our Scouts, and we encourage them to think big and show us how we can help make their dreams and ambitions a reality.

 
 
Adventure Scouts USA