Introduction

2008 Scouts Helping Scouts Essay Contest winer - Collin of Troop 507

In 2002, when I first joined Boy Scout Troop 507 at St. Bede's, I had the same emotions as any other Cub Scout joining the Boy Scouts. Anxiety. Fear. Excitement. Worry. Anxiety over whether or not I would be accepted into the troop. Fear that I would be rejected. Excitement over the fact I was going to the next level of Scouting. And worry over the negative aspects of Boy Scouts. However, all those emotions were put to rest by one person, a senior Scout to be specific. If it weren't for him, I would never have become an Eagle Scout. I will always be grateful to him for helping me and countless other Scouts become more comfortable with Boy Scouting and teaching us invaluable skills that we would need later in life.

The Scout who helped others more than once was one Robert Keating. He was a tall Scout, with above-average looks and excellent intelligence. However, beneath all that lay a determination to help other Scouts assimilate into the Troop, matched by unchecked optimism and a friendliness that seemed to transmit itself to anyone he met. During my first 2 years in the troop, I had trouble making friends with or getting along with my fellow Scouts because I had no idea who they were, which made me feel intimidated. In addition, on my second camping trip as a Boy Scout, the New Jac City Rock Climbing trip, I could not bring myself to climb the boulders and rock face because I was intimidated by their sheer size. Fortunately, Robert was there to help me conquer my fears.

When I approached him just after I joined the troops asking for help on how to make friends with Scouts, he told me to just introduce myself to the Scouts and tell them a little about myself, that way the Scouts would become interested in me and try to be friends. I followed his advice and to my surprise, it worked. Over the next few meetings, I had gotten to know almost all the Scouts in the troop and made friends with them. It was like a miracle had just happened. On the New Jac City trip, Robert noticed my fear and came over to me. Putting his hands on my shoulders, he calmed me down and told me that I didn't have to climb up all the way - just up to a certain point and back down. With some encouragement that he would catch me if I fell, I climbed up and tried not look down. Again to my surprise, I discovered that I had made it up and down almost without a hitch - this incident boosted my confidence enough to try again next year, which was even more successful because I made it even higher. Again it was like a miracle had happened - all thanks to Robert Keating.

Among his other achievements, Robert Keating was the one who helped me learn my basic Scout skills, including how to properly create a fire, how to properly wield a pocket knife, saw, and axe, and how to setup a tent. As the years passed, these skills proved to be invaluable when I went on later campouts. I was so grateful to Robert for what he did for me that shortly after I completed my Eagle Project, I asked him to be the 'Voice of the Eagle' Speaker for my Eagle Ceremony - a duty that he eagerly accepted and graciously performed. Robert Keating was an influential person in my Scouting career and has been influential in the careers of other Scouts. Though he is college now and making a new life for himself, I will not forget him because of his optimism, his friendliness, and his quiet determination to see that Scouts assimilated into the troop and conquered their fears.