Sharing the Scouting Story from Local Families

How has Scouting made an impact in your family?

I myself was in Girl Scouts for 6 years and then was a Girl Scout leader for 2 years for my niece. Said Marianne Gallivan, the proud mother of four Eagle Scouts. I have been involved in scouting for 30 years. My husband has been involved in scouting for the 21 years with our son’s.

My son Adam who is 26years old started in second grade. My husband and I believe in the program and saw that it is great for him. Then we decided to start our other son’s in first grade. The Boy Scouts of America helps to form youngmen of the future and helps to build a more conscientious, responsible and productive citizen. They teach them skills in the outdoors such as survival, first aid, cooking, camping and navigation with a compass. Home/Life skills such as personal management, home repairs, citizenship skills, self-confidence and leadership.

The Boy Scouts have a code of conduct exemplified in the 12 point of the Scout Law and my son’s have and still do live by that Law: A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent. Scouting puts in this order God, Family and Country and we know that our son’s have and will continue to give back to these areas of life.

When a boy becomes and Eagle Scout it carries through his entire life as the saying goes “Once an Eagle always an Eagle” It has helped our son’s get a job, on college applications and in the Military. Our son Travis (24 year old) is a Sergeant in the U.S. Army when he enlisted because of his Eagle Scout he ranked as a Private First Class on entry.

Only 4 percent of Boy Scouts are granted this rank. This process is from the scouts 5th grade to 18 years old (after 18 you can no longer have the opportunity to achieve Eagle).The scout has to achieve 21 merit badges (the advancement program and the merit badge has a specific requirement for each one) specifically for the Eagle rank. My son’s are very proud of what they have achieved til this day they use some type of skill that they have been taught in scouting all those years.

Three of our son’s have used their first aid skills for saving 2 lives and getting help to one of their own teachers at school. Adam saved his brother Benjamin from drowning, Benjamin saved his brother Symon from choking and Symon helped his teacher when she slipped at school broke her elbow, split her head open and had a concussion. Scouting prepares for so many different situations life brings.

As parents to say we are proud of our son’s is an understatement. We have enjoyed the scouting path along with our son’s. My husband and I have been scout leaders, have gone on numerous camp outs, day camps, summer camps and weekend hikes. We have built 15 pinewood derby cars, 15 raingutter Regatta boats and 5 Space Derby ships. We still have them all, along with every craft, badge, ribbons, medals and anything else that goes along with scouting. We know our son’s will achieve whatever they want and are great citizens because of scouting. We have believed in the scouting organization and what it does to form outstanding citizens and independent young men.

Scouting has impacted our family because we as parents know that in any situation that our son’s may find themselves in they can handle. whether it be first aid, financial, outdoors, home life and moral situations.