“What does the Lord your God require of you?”

Deuteronomy 10:12

Our son, Ryan, is an Eagle Scout. For those who don’t know what that means, Eagle Scout is the highest rank that one can get in the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) organization. Ryan earned that award, like all Eagle Scouts must, prior to his 18th birthday. It took a lot of hard work and years of accomplishing small goals in order that he might get to the ultimate recognition. His final project was a set of four benches that he (and his group of volunteers) made for use at the church where his troop met each Tuesday evening. They were dedicated in memory of his Grandpa Wimpee who had always been such a big supporter of Ryan’s efforts within the organization. BSA has been around since 1911, and it has helped young people like Ryan learn important skills and “be prepared” (the Boy Scout Motto) for what might come in the future. My wife and I both volunteered within the organization during his Cub Scout and Boy Scout years.

Ryan started his Boy Scout program when we lived in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The church where I was serving at the time had the largest Boy Scout troop (Troop 166) in the state and one of the largest troops in the entire nation. It was a well-run organization, full of dedicated scouts and scout leaders who worked hard to make every child feel included and empowered to accomplish their goals. When we moved to Germantown, Wisconsin, the church that I was serving also had a Boy Scout troop (Troop 271). Although it was much smaller in terms of overall numbers, this group was also a well-run organization, full of dedicated scouts and scout leaders who worked hard to make every child feel included and empowered to accomplish their goals. And, although smaller in overall numbers, Troop 271 had one of the highest percentages of scouts who earned the Eagle Scout rank. Ryan was blessed to work with some great people who taught him wonderful skills that he has carried with him throughout this life. I remain grateful to those leaders and to that organization.

As part of his scouting adventures, Ryan and his troop went to many outdoor retreat sites to learn more about survival skills and caring for God’s creation (and earn a few required badges along the way). And all of these spots had their own unique qualities and characteristics. I was blessed to join him on some of those adventures, even though outdoor activities and me do not always agree. One place where I did manage to find agreement with the outdoors was Camp Long Lake in Saint Cloud, Wisconsin. The troop would go there to attend a week of camp most summers, and they also made use of the facilities during the rest of the year on occasion for other retreat and learning adventures.

When Ryan spent time at the camp, I stayed in a tent near enough to help when needed and far enough away to let him do his own thing as much as possible. It was a good place to be. I got to see him grow in his communication and survival skills. I got to see important friendships develop that carried with him beyond the scouting years. I got to see him learn how to show respect to the older youth and adult leaders; and, as the years passed, I got to see him receive that respect in kind from younger youth and adult leaders alike. I got to see him find a place where he was comfortable and challenged to grow into the adult he has become. Ryan eventually got a job at the camp for a couple of summers, working to help other scouts and their leaders experience what he experienced. And those opportunities helped him to earn a little money and gain some new skills that he carried with him into his new adventures beyond Wisconsin and beyond the scouting program.

When you get enough young people, and enough adults, and enough hungry and dehydrated bodies together in one space (even a large, outdoor space) for a long enough period of time, anything could – and often did – happen, including things that were less than kind. At Camp Long Lake I certainly saw evidence of imperfection (and was probably less than perfect myself at times). But mostly, I saw evidence of people who worked hard to live out the Boy Scout Law in word and in deed. It was a good place. It was a safe place. It was a place for learning, and growing, and being, and becoming. It was a place that was holy.

The Boy Scout Law states that, “A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent.” These are the values that scouts and the scouting organization attempt to live out in their lives and in their programs. And these values sound a lot like some of the words that the writer of the Letter to the Galatians uses to describe the fruit (singular) of the Spirit. According to the Letter to the Galatians, “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22-23) Where we see evidence of these things, you know something is going right in the world.

At the end of each meeting, a leader would declare to the scouts, “Be prepared!” And their response was always, “We are prepared!” And they were. For they had people and places and values that helped them to be prepared to be the best that they could be (so they could do a good turn daily).