he Boy Scouts of America is one of the nation’s oldest and most successful programs for young men. Established in 1910 to “help young people grow into responsible, well-rounded citizens,” the program has included millions of boys ages 11 to 18. In fact, the Boy Scouts of American registered its 100 millionth member in 2000. Operating within the motto of “Be prepared” and the slogan of “Do a good turn daily,” Boy Scouts contributed $384.3 million of service to communities across the nation in 2013.
One of the most well-known parts of the Boy Scout Program is their merit badge system. Earning merit badges gives Scouts the opportunity to participate in activities and study subjects that prepare them for life. There are currently over 130 merit badges. Like other organizations around the country, the Boy Scouts work hard to stay abreast of societal changes and introduce programs that meet the needs and desires of their members. New merit badges recently added to the program include Game Design, Programming, and Sustainability. In 2013, Scouts across the country earned over 2.1 million badges.
Fargo, Moorhead, and the surrounding area are very active in the Boy Scout Program. In Moorhead, young Scouts can be found in Troop 637. Among the members are Sutter Colborn and Nathan Juven, young men who are currently raising money to attend the Florida National High Adventure Sea Base next July. The Sea Base program opened in 1980 and gives eligible Scouts the opportunity to learn and apply skills in sailing, scuba diving, rustic camping on an undeveloped barrier island, or fishing. It is an once-in-a-lifetime type of opportunity. A total of eight Scouts and four adults from Troop 637 will be traveling to Florida this summer.
The Sea Base program is immensely popular, so attendance is highly regulated. A lottery is held each year between January 15 and February 15 to determine which troops/Scouts are selected. Scouts must be 13 years old and graduated from the 8th grade or 14 years old to attend. Total cost for attendance can run anywhere from $6 to $15 thousand per Scout, depending on the type of program and activities selected. Although it is an expensive program, the resulting rewards for these young people are beyond measure.
Sutter Colborn joined Troop 637 in March of 2011. His mother, Kelly Kukowski, has seen the impact the Boy Scouts has had on her son. “The Boy Scout Program is so important as it teaches the boys how to build character, learn about their role in citizenship and community service, and recognize the importance of personal health and fitness,” she explained. “Additionally, the boys learn a wide variety of educational topics such as cooking, geocaching, fingerprinting, chemistry, citizenship in the world, and scuba diving, just to name a few.” For Sutter, the experience is all about knowledge. “I like that I learn a lot about a lot of things,” he said.
Sutter and the rest of the Troop 637 Sea Base participants are currently deep in the fund raising process. “Each Scout attending Sea Base chooses their own fundraising event and then the other Scouts help with that event and the proceeds are divided among the Scouts,” Kukowski explained, adding that it is the hope that all Scouts fund raise 100% of the trip to minimize parents’ out-of-pocket expenses. So far, Scouts have sold candy bars; picked apples, made, and sold apple pies; and sold coupon books. According to Kukowski, Sutter’s fund raising event is to recycle old or broken holiday lights. “We plan to have drop boxes at various sites for people to donate their broken holiday lights and they will be taken to a local place in town that removes the copper,” she explained.
In 2013, 13,922 Scouts and leaders attended Sea Base. It is the kind of opportunity that stays with a young person, potentially changing the way he looks at the world around him. It is important that we, as a community, support these young people and give them every opportunity to grow into the type of men the world needs. The next time you see a local Scout offer your support. Today’s young man is tomorrow’s leader.
Moorhead’s Troop 637 meets every Monday night at Trinity Lutheran Church. Meetings include guest speakers, group activities, or community service opportunities. More information is available at www.troup637.com. Additional information about Boy Scouts of America on a national level or Florida Sea Base can be found at www.scouting.org and www.bsaseabase.org.
