When I decided to cover the Great Outdoors in this section, I realized I was giving myself a rather large task. But, I couldn't see a nice way to split things up. So, here we go!
In 1964, shortly before my 11th birthday, I joined the Boy Scouts of America, Troop 55, Watertown, Connecticut. Before this, the outdoors consisted of the backyard, and the playground at school. A whole new world opened up.
Camping, cooking over a fire, sleeping outdoors in a tent, getting up, dressed, and washing up in the cold, all new and exciting experiences.
I was in Scouting from 1964 until the mid '80's, and they include some of the best times of my entire life. From a young, new, clueless Scout, to an Assistant Scoutmaster, and leader of my own troop (twice), the lessons I learned stayed with me and helped me in every facet of my life.
I have often said that Scouting teaches young people to be self-reliant, moral, good citizens; and disguises it all as fun. This was something I have held onto my entire life. I feel, very strongly, that work and learning should be enjoyable. As a manager, and as a teacher, I've tried to put this into practice, with some success. I've had former employees tell me I was a boss they liked and respected, and former students have remarked on how my lessons have stayed with them.
Many of the successes in my life can be traced directly to my experiences in the Boy Scouts, and the lessons I learned there will always stay with me.
While writing this, I realized there is a way to split this up. In my next article, I'll talk about hiking and running, two activities I enjoyed, for similar reasons.
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