“Because of Girl Scouts, I am not afraid to be myself and show other people I am there whenever they need me.” — GSA Gold Award, Granby, MA.

Training for leadership is important to us as individuals, members of the community, and citizens of the nation, not just in learning to lead, but how to follow, and being good stewards. Having trust in the process of delegation of authority and how roles interact has an impact on effectiveness and ultimate success. Scouting is a term for programs that are based on citizenship, service, and leadership with a commitment to being prepared and doing one’s best.

February 22, the birthday of Robert Baden-Powell, is recognized as Founder’s Day for the Scouting movement. He distinguished himself in the Battle of Mafeking, South Africa in the 2nd Boer War — his garrison of 1,200 withstood a 217-day siege by a force of 8,000. A prolific author, he wrote a handbook on Scouting for boys in 1908 and a similar volume for girls in 1910 and was influential in the establishment of the Boy Scouts of America by William Boyce in 1910 and the Girl Scouts USA by Juliette Gordon Low in 1912.

Both have value-based programs that expect a declaration to honor God and country, and a conscious commitment to be honest and trustworthy, with character traits of being personal and cooperative. Individual achievement is recognized by patches, the highest level being the Gold Award for the GSA and Eagle for the BSA. Through a merit badge system, individuals can pursue knowledge and personal development in a broad range of areas.

There are differences in the two organizations’ approach in programing for youth — other than one sells cookies, the other popcorn. The Girl Scouts focuses on empowering girls to become strong women, as in G.I.R.L. means Go-getter, Innovative, Risk-taker, Leadership. What used to be the Boy Scouts, now accepts girls as members, emphasizes outdoor adventure and is now Scouts BSA.

Individual Scouts have been everyday heroes performing CPR and first aid to ease pain and save lives, doing good turns to ease burdens of others. Merit badges give Scouts a way to learn new skills and hobbies. As a group, Scouts will participate in community service projects, engage in outdoor activities, and develop understanding on the environment. Having fun is an essential part of Scouting too.

Alpena is a community with a strong tradition of Scouting, and citizen involvement, there are several units in the area for boys or girls. The community has benefited from their efforts — Scouts have built play equipment, planter boxes, and animal shelters, campgrounds have been cleared of litter, and food banks have been replenished. Information on Scouting is available on websites for the respective organizations.

“Scouting brings out a new kind of me where I’m unafraid to interact with others and take a role of leadership. The amount if opportunities Scouting has given me to go out, met other people and make a positive difference in the world is astronomical. That is something I will never let go of.” — Patrick Ingham, Eagle Scout, Geography Bee Champion and voted Most Likely to Appear on Jeopardy! by classmates.