Be prepared

Everybody always thinks that scouting is nothing but tying knots and hiking in the woods. And that is true, but it’s also so much more than that. In scout you learn some very useful skills, such as first-aid, cooking and orienteering. You also learn some not so useful things like how to fit all your equipment into a milk can or how to make glue out of potatoes.

I started scouting when I was six or seven years old so I have been a scout about eleven years. During that time I have got many memories and experiences that I will never forget. My best scout-memories are from different camps. It’s nice to meet lots of scouts from different places so my favorite camp has been our camp in Switzerland. There is a place where scouts from all over the world can meet. There we hiked and climbed on the mountains. The views were incredible. We also got to know what scouting is like in other countries.

Even though there are some differences between scouting here in Finland and in some other country, scouting follows a specific ideology that is the same for everyone. It includes the idea of developing your responsibility, character, self-confidence and readiness. Protecting nature and working in teams where your origin, race or creed has no matter, are also very important goals.

For me scouting has been very rewarding. I have learned skills that will help me later in life. Being a scout has for example developed my social skills, especially how to be a good team member. And I think that is the kind of skill that will take you far.