Three fourths of the word Scouting is outing. That definition is a good tie in, but it is not the underlying reason. The mission of the Boy Scouts of America is to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices in their lifetime by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law. You might look at the mission and say, where does that define why Scouts go camping? You have to look further at the methods of Scouting which includes ideals (Scout Oath and Law), patrols (small work groups), advancement (earning badges), associating with adults (working with adults outside of their parents and teachers), personal growth (providing community service and doing a good turn daily), leadership development (Scouts all get a chance to guide and support their fellow Scouts), uniform (create a sense of belonging to a team), and outdoor program (camping).
Outdoors
It is in the outdoor setting that our TAC Scouts share responsibilities and learn to work together. It is the outdoors where the skills and activities learned in unit meetings come alive with a purpose. Being in nature helps Scouts gain an appreciation for the wonder of the outdoors and our place in the universe. The outdoors is giant laboratory for Scouts to learn ecology and practice conserving nature’s resources. Scouting has always been a green organization, teaching conservation before it was popular. Scouts always leave our campsite better than the way we found it.
The outdoor experience is also important because it creates challenge and adversity in a controlled environment where TAC Scouts can overcome and bond as a team. They learn real fast how to build a campfire on a cold night or to put up a tent or a tarp on a rainy campout. They also learn how to improvise when a piece of equipment breaks or when they find themselves in need of a tool or piece of clothing that they forgot to pack before they left on a camping trip or while hiking in the woods.
Origins
The outing in Scouting also has roots in the origination of Scouting when in 1907 Lord Baden-Powell used his book, “Scouting for Boys,” for his experiment where he took a handful of boys from London to Brownsea Island. From that first book and campout, Scouting is now worldwide! TAC Scouting can be found in 37 countries located in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia.
Yes, three-quarters of ‘Scouting’ is ‘outing’. But it is there as one of the tools to teach character, citizenship, fitness, and leadership. Our council is now blessed with three great camps, Camp Alpine is hosted at Kandersteg International Scouting Centre (KISC) in Switzerland; Camp Aventura located on Camp Veli Joze in Croatia; and Camp Kenya is being held at the Savage Wilderness Adventure in Africa. Check out https://tac-bsa.org/camping/ for information about getting your child outside this Summer.
Youth Protection
TAC Scouting also has an amazing youth protection program for all youth and families, covering everything from online safety to peer pressure and helping to identify child abuse. Visit https://tac-bsa.org/traini ng/ypt/ to learn about Scouting and how you can keep kids safe!
This summer, get outdoors and enjoy one or more of the TAC camps!
