Written By Nick Italiano
This past weekend, we attended the Blue and Gold Dinner for our local Cub Scout Pack. We had a great dinner and enjoyed a number of skits put on by the kids. More importantly we awarded advancement badges to each group, and it was an absolute honor to present my son Logan and the rest of my Wolf Den their badges and welcome them to the coming year as the Bear Den. Over the last 2 years, I have had the privilege of guiding these boys and a few girls in their journey as Cub Scouts.
I’ve watched many of these kids who came in pretty timid, and had no real knowledge of the outdoors grow their confidence and curiosity. We have taught them a great deal about some important outdoor equipment, how to keep themselves safe when exploring the wilderness, basic knot skills, and how to handle wild animal encounters. We have guided them to see the importance of their community and the value of serving their community. I am excited about what the next year will bring and the years to come. Every time these kids show up to a meeting it is an opportunity to impart a small bit of wisdom I have acquired from my years as an outdoorsman.
Among the ceremonies that occurred, we transitioned a group of Arrow of Light Scouts to their new Boy Scout Troops. It was a heartfelt ceremony involving the AoS Scouts, Den Leaders, parents, as well as members and leaders Boy Scout troops the the AoS scouts will be going to. When watching this, I saw the future of my son and the rest of the kids in my Den. I’d be lying if I said it didn’t bring a tear to my eye.
All of this is just a reminder of how important it is for us as outdoor enthusiasts and professionals in the outdoor industry to transfer not just our skills but our passion onto future generations. My son is a true outdoor enthusiast in an age where technology is ever present. Technology is a wonderful thing, but these kids are growing up with an unprecedented amount of screens; that doesn’t have to be a bad thing with the right motivation and attitude. While my son will often be playing games or watching nonsense, I also frequently see him using this technology to learn about animals, ecosystems, and space. He is always very excited to tell me and his mom about his new found knowledge. He is also eager to share knowledge with his friends and fellow scouts. Despite his love of video games and all sorts of devices, he has no issues putting it down for an overnight camping trip or a hike through the woods. While in the woods Logan eagerly identifies all the edible and poisonous plants he is familiar with, sees and listens to the birds, and identifies signs of animals.
None of this happened out of the blue, this was cultivated over the span of his 8 years of life. We have taken many family hikes, we have gone camping, we have traversed mountains, and I have spent countless hours teaching him about plant and animal biology and ecology. I have relished every moment of watching his little sponge brain soak up all the information I can throw at it. As he gets older I look forward to continuing his education and skill development and seeing him accomplish great things.
When I first signed him up for Scouts, it was a way to get him in front of other kids who also enjoyed outdoor activities. I had no intention of taking up a leadership position or really participating beyond just showing up. After a meeting or 2, I started bringing gear with me that we were talking about in meetings and contributing to the conversation with the kids. By the third meeting, I was being asked to take a leadership role as our Pack Master was doing double duty with a few dens. I was apprehensive at first, I’ve never considered myself to be good with kids beyond my own. I was worried about the time commitments with all the assorted sports that my daughter plays. After much thought, I came to the conclusion that my son would be thrilled to have me as his Den Leader. I also thought that with my knowledge and skill set, I could be a real asset to these kids and transfer my passion for the outdoors to them.
2 years later, I am beyond grateful that I was presented with this opportunity to serve the kids of my community and that I accepted it. Just as we teach the scouts the value of community service, I learned the value of serving my community. The satisfaction I had watching my son learn and grow in the outdoors was multiplied by 10 more eager kids! There is a satisfaction in knowing the knowledge and skills I have acquired over my lifetime can potentially lead to these 10 kids being avid outdoorsmen and hopefully they will take that knowledge and pass it to 10 more kids in the future.
When I really think about my journey as a Scout Leader, I have clarified a great many things about life. All the aspirations people have in life seem pretty silly. Having a big house, lots of money, a fancy job title, and a cool car all pale in comparison to the opportunity to truly make your mark on this world and be a positive influence in your community and the children in that community. This is not just an opportunity to keep the passion for the great outdoors alive in future generations, it is a chance to immortalize our knowledge and experience in the many generations to come and that, my friends, can never be bought.
Black Flag Survival 