YOUTH-ADULT LEADER
ben (bsm116@PSU.EDU)
Thu, 24 Nov 1994 07:36:53 -0500
This is in responce to the post questioning weather an 18 year old can
become an assistant scout master. I am an 18 yearold assistant scoutmaster
and a Student at Penn State. I live near Penn State so I still remain
active in my troop. Sure I miss a few meetings now and then for evening
exams, and had to give up a few troop events for finals but I remain as
active as I can.
As I was growing up scouting was the most important part of my life. After
I turned 18 I was hardly ready to give up scouting. My troop has 7 leaders
(a scoutmaster and 6 assistants). Four of us assitance are former scouts
ranging in age from 18-22. Not all of use when to college, not all of us
are Eagles (insedently I am an Eagle), but we have all found scouting to be
important, and became leaders so that we might pass the program on to future
scouts. Not only should you permit 18 year scouts to become assistants you
should incourage it. They will remain role models for the yeager scouts who
served under them when they were youth leaders. Many of these scouts have
been in the program longer then a lot of other leaders, and have valuable
experance about how a troop should be run.
When a 16 yearold scout begins to wonder if he is "too old" for the program,
the presence of a few 18 year scoutmasters might encourage him to stay in
the troop a few years longer.
Sorry, I got a little long winded. Thats all I have for now.
-ben markel
Terry Howerton Sakima Group, Inc. SCOUTER Magazine Kansas City | 
