Story and Photos by Keith Mitchell

Just hear the words "Boy Scout" and you probably get a mental image of a boy in a khaki shirt and neckerchief helping a little old lady across the street.

While that image is rooted in the Boy Scouts of America's ideal of "doing a good turn daily," it no longer accurately describes what a Scout does. The modern Scout-while still highly involved in helping others-is just as likely to be found flying model rockets, working on an automobile engine, creating an Internet website, going on a wilderness trek, or engaged in a variety of outdoor sports such as archery, riflery, golf and sailing.

Scouting started in the United States almost a century ago. In the beginning, the emphasis was on outdoors skills and environmentalism, and although those remain important components of the program, the Boy Scouts of America has added countless other activities that give its members the knowledge, skills, and life lessons to help them mature and be successful later in life.

Of course, all of this can't be accomplished overnight. That's why Scouting starts as early as the first grade with Tiger Cubs and continues with Cub Scouts in the elementary grades and Boy Scouts in middle school and high school. There is even an opportunity for girls to get involved through Venturing, a coed program serving ages 14 to 21 that provides positive experiences to help teenagers mature and become responsible adults.

If you are reading this article, the odds are you are a parent. And if you are like me, that means you are constantly worried about your child's health, his grades, his friends, his safety, his habits, his future...the list is almost limitless. That's why Scouting is such a great supplement to parenting. At every level, Scouting provides friendship, learning, age-appropriate leadership opportunities, and the ability to grow and thrive in a healthy, rewarding environment. You know, technology is great. It enables our kids to research homework assignments on the Internet and gives us the comfort of knowing our child is only a cell phone call away in an emergency. But it also allows him to disconnect from family and friends while he's plugged into his iPod, lead a sedentary lifestyle while playing video games in his bedroom for hours on end, or come into contact with some very scary people in online chat rooms.

Scouting provides solutions to all of these situations. Every level of Scouting provides activities to pull boys into the sunshine through field trips, day camps, sports and outdoor activities. Any one of these burns far more calories than playing a video game-and it creates opportunities to make new friends.

When a boy joins Scouts for the first time-and every year as he advances through the various stages of the program-he receives a handbook of activities. Inside each one is a guide to help parents protect their sons from child abuse. Programs are in place so that leaders can help boys recognize potential abuse situations, avoid them, and report them to trusted adults so that these dangers can be eliminated.

Early on, Cub Scouts are taught that, even though computers are avenues of learning and entertainment, they must understand the importance of personal safety and use caution when online.

BSA programs emphasize good living and a positive attitude. These moral values are taught to both Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts, and are practiced through community service projects. By helping the homeless, collecting food for the hungry, doing beautification projects in public parks and visiting shut-ins, boys learn what it means to be good citizens.

Meanwhile, the activity awards and merit badges that Scouts earn expose them to a wealth of knowledge that supplements the subjects they study in school. Almost always, Scouts earn better grades than their non-Scout friends.

Dozens of the merit badges that a Boy Scout can earn can help him choose a career path. There are more than 120 from which to choose, ranging from architecture, business and crime prevention, to salesmanship, surveying and veterinary medicine.

Time spent in Scouting benefits a youngster in countless ways. The friends he makes, the work ethic and morality he develops, the community service he practices and the knowledge and skills he gains will help him throughout the course of his life. As he works with friends in his pack and his troop, he learns the importance of leadership, cooperation and sound decision-making.

A good Scout leader nurtures courage and kindness and allows boys to play, to laugh, to develop their imaginations, and to express their feelings. In doing so, they learn self confidence and become aware of their own potential. In a world where parents have become increasingly afraid of the influence of gangs, a boy's knowledge of his own self-worth may be his best tool to avoid this pitfall. Scouting provides the added defense of linking him to a support group of adults and friends who share similar interests.

A boy who participates in Scouting can expect to have fun, work hard, learn a lot, and grow both physically and mentally. And while he is growing in these ways, his parents can rest a bit easier knowing that he's in a safe environment learning skills he'll be able to use the rest of his life.

Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts are always ready to welcome new members. To find the group nearest you, visit www.scouting.org and click on "Local Councils." Type in your zip code to find the name and phone number of the Scout council that serves your community. If you live in Southwest Oklahoma, call 580-357-3633 for more information. In North Texas, call 940-696-2735.