One day in second grade, I was at school waiting in line when a third grader walked past wearing a Cub Scout uniform. What caught my attention was a pocketknife dandling from a brass clip on his belt. Wow! What seven-year-old boy wouldn’t want a pocketknife? So I joined Cub Scouts as soon as I was able. I vividly recall shopping with my mother for a uniform; she bought me a blue shirt, blue slacks, a blue cap, a yellow neckerchief with a neckerchief slide, and most importantly a belt with that brass clip. However, even though I explained that a pocketknife was essential, I left the store as the saddest scout ever.
What followed was ten years of scouting. I eventually got a pocketknife but I stayed in scouting because it was fun. Along the way I learned a lot of skills (knot tying, how to build a fire, etc.) but more importantly the scout oath and law helped me develop my personal core values. Core values define a person’s or organization’s identity and help with their decision-making process; these values are the essence of who I am and how I act. My moral compass has guided me well and it is a key reason I am where I am today. Development of my core values began during my youth but has been honed through my thirty plus years as an ASQ member.