Boy Scouts Application Essay
I joined the Boy Scouts in middle school the organization appealed to me because it provided a structured program of activities in areas to which I was already committed: community, leadership, and outdoorsmanship. Joining the Boy Scouts delivered on everything that it promised. I participated in great community projects, from planting trees to working at food banks, led Scouts on trips, and honed my leadership skills.
Throughout my time in the Boy Scouts, my mother would ask which of the ten laws of scouting I struggled with the most and which one came most easily to me. The Scouts laws are, “A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent.” I would tell her that
I excelled at being brave and struggled with being clean. When she said she thought I struggled with being kind, I had no idea what she was talking about. She then explained her concern about how I interacted with kids whom I did not perceive as “cool.” We talked about how I needed to be more open to working with others and not make assumptions based on superficial things like a person’s appearance. My mom was right; I did avoid kids I automatically categorized as “nerds.”
The Boy Scouts greatly contributed to making me the tolerant and compassionate person I am today. The program challenged me to move out of my comfort zone and helped me overcome my prejudice. I went on memorable trips and worked on projects with people that, initially, I never considered approaching. Even though I had discounted them as “not cool,” some of those “nerdy” kids were a lot of fun and became good friends. We were different from each other, but it turns out that wasn’t such a bad thing.
Throughout my time in the Boy Scouts, my mother would ask which of the ten laws of scouting I struggled with the most and which one came most easily to me. The Scouts laws are, “A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent.” I would tell her that
I excelled at being brave and struggled with being clean. When she said she thought I struggled with being kind, I had no idea what she was talking about. She then explained her concern about how I interacted with kids whom I did not perceive as “cool.” We talked about how I needed to be more open to working with others and not make assumptions based on superficial things like a person’s appearance. My mom was right; I did avoid kids I automatically categorized as “nerds.”
The Boy Scouts greatly contributed to making me the tolerant and compassionate person I am today. The program challenged me to move out of my comfort zone and helped me overcome my prejudice. I went on memorable trips and worked on projects with people that, initially, I never considered approaching. Even though I had discounted them as “not cool,” some of those “nerdy” kids were a lot of fun and became good friends. We were different from each other, but it turns out that wasn’t such a bad thing.