During staff training we consistently emphasize the fact that the sole reason that the staff exist is to serve the scouts. They are our purpose in life, they give Camp Parsons life, they are the reason why Camp exists. Although we deal with merit badge classes or we deal with troops, the individual scout is the focus of our attention. While they are at camp they are exposed to many influences; from camping in tents or cabins, eating in a large dining hall or cooking their own meals and they have an opportunity to learn many new skills. This is the purpose for merit badges; it may introduce them to an activity or skill that may turn into a lifelong passion or desire. So with that being said I was very proud today when I received this e-mail through our camp's website:
Hello,
I wanted to share something with you about your camp. My son attended Camp Parsons 3 years ago. He had never fired a gun in his life. He went on to be in the dime club and beat everyone in that camp session. Well fast forward 3 years. He is one of the top shooters in the country shooting both nationally and internationally. He will find out next month if he qualified for the Junior Olympics in Colorado Springs. He hopes to qualify for the Olympics in 2016 or 2020 to represent the United States of America.
Your camp has provided this opportunity for him to discover a natural talent. I commend your camp Counselor for taking their time to work with our youth.
In a paragraph this e-mail sums up the purpose not only of Camp Parsons but of the Boy Scouts of America. Although character development is the key to the program, all types of experiences feed into this. The scout that is mentioned here was exposed to a skill that has become a major part of his life. The fact that our staff members took the time to work with the scout instead of just dismissing him amongst the hordes of others speaks volumes.
I could go on extolling the benefits of what camp or the program brings, but I don't think I could say it any better than this simple e-mail.
It makes it all worthwhile doesn't it?