This year my family made the jump into Scouting. Little Man is a Cub Scout, a Webelow to be exact, and Goalie is a Lion Scout, which is a new program that is being piloted this year for Kindergarten aged boys. This new adventure has already made my kids so happy and I am so glad we decided to give the Boy Scouts a try. The first BIG event we participated in was the Centennial Family Campout.
When we first arrived to the Campout location, all the troops present participated in an absolutely beautiful Flag Presentation complete with horse calvary. Both of the boys stood and watched the Presentation with such reverence and stood with a Scout Salute during the Pledge of Allegiance. I can tell you that seeing that I am raising my children with a love of God and Country has become one of those things that can bring this mommy to tears.
I love that the Scouts offer uniforms for the children that participate in their programs. I was raised in a military family and learning to have respect for the meaning behind a uniform is something that has ben instilled in me and I hope that I pass that along to my children. I am absolutely IN LOVE with the morals that the Scouts teach to the children.
The Boy Scout Oath is as follows:
On my honor, I will do my best
To do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law;
To help other people at all times;
To keep myself physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight.
In addition to learning important things when you are out in the wilderness, the Boy Scouts brought the wilderness with them to show the kids and teach them about animals and their habitats!
Two big events that happen when you are a Scouting family is the Soap Box Derby and the Pine Wood Derby. Both events involve creating a vehicle to compete with in a race. Well, at the Centennial Campout we were able to make potato cars! We made cars from potatoes and raced them down a ramp. I think the boys learned that peeling potatoes takes a lot of work!
Have you ever attended a Lowe's event called Build & Grow? I think all kids' should have the chance to build something with their hands and this program is a great way to do it! There was a Build & Grow station inside one of the vendor buildings and the boys had such a great time building their very own boats! What made it so much more fun was that they had to rely on the instructions because there were so many people attempting to complete these boats that the attendants were very busy! The boys had so much pride in their hard work and it really was heart warming to see them work together to complete their boats.
As an adult, I have NEVER seen rope be made. I was able to experience that for the first time and watch my boys make it! Their favorite part was playing tug-of-war after all the hard work of creating the rope was completed.
In addition to the crafts, vendors and displays, there were several survival areas that allowed the children to learn survival skills. One such skill was how to light a fire. Unfortunately, the boys only created sparks and never actually got a fire going but they are so ready to give it another try. They have been begging to go out and start a fire so we can roast marshmallows for s'mores and cook some hotdogs.
Archery was a tough task to master but both boys were super excited to give it a try for the first time. Neither got a bullseye but they have been asking when they can have another chance to practice.
To end our time at the Centennial Celebration we had to end on a high note. What's better than BB guns to children? Nothing! My boys were crawling out of their skin while waiting in line to tryout the BB guns. They had a briefing on "Range Safety". I loved that they even had the boys request permission to enter and leave the range.
I do not think we could have had a better experience out at the Boys Scout Centennial Family Campout and i can guarantee you that we will be participating in the Boys Scouts upcoming events. I have never had any contact with the Boy Scouts prior to my children wanting to be involved but I think that these group of men and boys will really be a great influence on my boys and teach them lifelong skills. If you have been thinking about finding something to have fun with the entire family, Scouting is the way to go!
