A Letter From An Eagle Scout
COLTE P.
I entered the Scouting program at 10, and I am now 17 years old. During the years I've been in Scouts I've held numerous leadership positions: Senior Patrol Leader, Assistant Senior Patrol Leader, Patrol Leader, Assistant Patrol Leader, Librarian, Scribe, Historian, and Quartermaster.
Each position in it's own way has helped me learn and grow as a Scout and as a man, affording me opportunities to lead as well as understand the feelings and concerns of others. Being a Scout has helped me to become more independent and outgoing. I feel more confident in my decision-making and more determined to set goals for myself and see them through.
In the last seven years I've probably only missed a handful of campouts and have cooked hundreds of meals. I can set up a tent in the dark and tie just about any knot there is. I can plan menus for two to fifty people and can start a fire with one match. I am comfortable in the wilderness carrying all my belongings on my back for days at a time, and enjoy the peacefulness of sleeping under a blanket of stars. I can save someone's life as I've been trained in First Aid and CPR. These are just a few things that Scouts has taught me.
At the Troop level I have held numerous leadership rolls, and while still Scout related, I was elected Crew Leader of our 2007 Philmont Crew. This will be my second trip there so I feel qualified to lead and help my crew navigate the Northern New Mexico mountainous terrain.
At times it has been a juggling act trying to manage school, band, work, and family with Scouts, but I feel that it will benefit me throughout my life. When I was in middle school I set a goal for my self that when I got to High School I wanted to play on the Elkins Golf Team. I spent a lot of time practicing and I hit a lot of balls. I made the team and it was a fulfilling experience. I will begin my senior year of school in August, and while I have not decided on a career choice I am interested in the field of Digital Animation. We should all have goals and if I continue to follow mine it will lead me to my dream of working at an animation studio one day.
When I began Scouts I was like a "Blank Page". Through the years, with the help of great leadership and guidance I have absorbed the wisdom and knowledge of those older and wiser and I hope that I have been able to inspire younger Scouts to complete the program and achieve their Eagle Scout rank also.
It's been a long road but a worthwhile trip.
Colte P.
Eagle Scout, Troop 103, Sugar Land TX
