When Tracy Baker signed her son Jackson up for Boy Scouts, she didn't expect the 11 year old to use what he learned to save a life.  But one year later it happened when his younger sister Jordyn choked on a piece of food.  Jackson, alone with his sister, calmly performed the Heimlich maneuver that he had learned for his First Class badge, expelling the stuck carrot and becoming a local hero in his small Colorado town.

Like most moms, Tracy Baker had to choose between many activities competing for her child's time.  History proved she made the right choice.  Without Scouting and the lessons it taught Jackson, she might well have lost her daughter.

Stories of saving lives abound in the annals of Boy Scout history; the national organization reports that it awards dozens of heroism or life saving awards each year.

But Scouting is about much, much more than first aid.  Simply put, Scouting is the best activity you can choose for your son or daughter because for over 100 years it has offered a proven path to help kids turn into happier, more successful adults.

From age six to 21, Scouting takes boys and girls outdoors for a much-needed release of energy.  With proven-safe supervision, it teaches them lessons in leadership, self-confidence, conservation, and honor through age-appropriate (and wildly fun) activities they won't find elsewhere, like archery, BB-gun shooting, climbing and rappelling, sailing, and, of course camping.  Scouting expands their interests, helping them learn about woodworking, collections, astronomy, home repair, photography, and countless others.

Study after study shows that these activities, in the context of Scouting, where boys or girls are encouraged to try new things, set and achieve goals, and lead themselves and others, are indeed a proven path to success. In children of all socioeconomic, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds, involvement in Scouting for five or more years led to:

• A 98% likelihood of graduating from high school, compared to 83% for non-Scouts
• A 40% likelihood of becoming a college graduate, compared to 16% for non-Scouts.
• An $80,000 average household income, vs $61,000 for non-Scouts.

How about personal fulfillment?  Comparing Scouts to non-Scouts,

• 89% enjoyed lifelong friendships, compared to 74%
• 81% valued family relationships highly, as opposed to 72% who were non-Scouts

Former Scouts make up

• Eleven of the twelve astronauts who walked on the moon
• Seven of the ten U.S. Presidents who grew up in the era of the Boy Scouts
• Two thirds of the U.S. Congress, including Girl Scouts
• Seventy percent of inductees into “Who’s Who in America”

Among the ranks of former Scouts are

• Business giants Bill Gates, Sam Walton, and H. Ross Perot
• Entertainers Steven Spielberg, Walter Cronkite, and Jimmy Stewart—(all Eagle Scouts)
• Sports legends Vince Lombardi and Hank Aaron

In interviews, most of these noted Americans felt that Scouting, more than any other activity of their youth, prepared them for success.  Many can, to this day, recite from memory the Scout Oath and Law.

Is it any wonder that the Motto of the Boy Scouts is "Be Prepared"?  Originally meant as a challenge to Scouts, those words have become an advertising slogan to parents for what they can expect their son to be.  Scouting prepares boys and girls for the unknown.  Just ask Tracy Baker.

To find your local Scouting group, visit www.BeAScout.org or call your local council listed under Boy Scouts of America.

Scout Oath (or Promise)

On my honor I will do my best
To do my duty to God and my country
and to obey the Scout Law;
To help other people at all times;
To keep myself physically strong,
mentally awake, and morally straight.

Scout Law

A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly,
courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty,
brave, clean, and reverent.