The Scout Programs of Adventure Scouts USA provide our Scouts with the tools necessary to live their lives. One of those tools is the compass. Our Scouts know north from south from east from west, and they also know in our Scout Programs, the point of the compass always leads home. Compass Points
Self-Improvement The first point of the compass is self-improvement. From the moment our Scouts first join the Rising Star Scout Program, they begin to develop skills such as critical and creative thinking, resourcefulness, self-confidence, and determination. Our Scouts use their Scout Promise, Scout Code, Scout Motto, and Scout Spirit as guideposts on how to live their lives. Our Personal Achievement Programs allow our Scouts to acquire new skills by accomplishing Challenges. Challenges are comprehensive and become more complex as our Scout progress. Our Scouts get the opportunity to begin progressing and acquiring new skills from their very first meeting. Our Scouts gain skills and knowledge about the world, and as they accomplish Challenges, plus additional requirements, they earn award levels. Their experience culminates as North Star Scouts in the Challenger Award. Our Scouts who earn the Challenger Award have proven they have overcome Challenges and are ready to overcome them in the future. The Challenger Award is so broad in scope and significant in accomplishment, earning the Challenger Award is equivalent to coming of age in our Scout Programs. Service to Others Service to the greater community is the second compass point. Lending a helping hand makes a difference in the lives of others and therefore our Scout Programs encourage meaningful service to the greater community through positive FUN opportunities that serve the community. The Scout Programs of Adventure Scouts USA believe that service to the greater community contributes to finding one’s purpose in life. It is by working with others and by service to the greater community that one can meet new people, acquire new awareness, and new understanding and sensitivity for the circumstances or challenging situations of others. We believe service to the community should not be done on a mandatory basis but rather from the heart. Consequently, the Scout Programs of Adventure Scouts USA do not mandate a specific number of hours or type of service. Belief in Something Greater Than Oneself The third point on the compass is belief in something greater than oneself. We encourage the natural curiosity our Scouts have about the world in which they live, and we help our Scouts to better recognize the wonder and awe in everyday life. Our Scout Programs make no attempt to interpret or define spirituality for our Scouts. Rather, we provide our Scouts with opportunities to pursue knowledge about their individual faith or worldview. We instill in our Scouts the value of living a life of purpose and provide our Scouts with opportunities to do good works in their community. We also provide our Scouts, when appropriate, with opportunities to practice their faith and fulfill their religious responsibilities. FUN The fourth point on the compass is FUN. What makes our Scout Programs different is our focus on FUN. Our Scouts decide which activities are FUN for themselves, rather than a group of adult leaders making decisions for them. Our Scouts choose, organize, and lead their own programs, giving them the opportunity to participate in the activities they choose to participate in. Our Scouts choose the activities that are FUN for them. Our number one focus is on our Scouts safely having FUN. Our Scout Promise, Scout Code, and Scout Motto serve as a guide to our Scouts as a way of living one’s life and leading one’s life. It is each Scout’s responsibility to develop for themselves the meaning of these guides. It is expected that further development by the Scout of how our Scout Promise, Scout Code, and Scout Motto are relevant to them will occur. As the Scout develops, they should take into consideration the principles of the Adventure Scouts USA Scout Program, the Scout Movement, and the personal relevance of the Scout’s parents, family, worldview, and other equal considerations.
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