Scouting America

Ranger

March - July 2022 • Cimarron, NM

What I liked

Everything! My job involved customer service, and I had a lot of responsibilities, including teaching outdoor survival skills, maintainance, and groundskeeping. I wouldn't trade my job experience for anything, I think about it almost every day. It allowed me to use my body and mind like I never had before.

What I wish was different

Absolutely nothing besides the weather. I had to deal with typhoons and extreme heat, but they only made the experience more authentic/

Advice

Bring your enthusiasm and remember to put others before yourself.

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Scoutcraft Director

June - August 2021 • Brant Lake, NY

What I liked

I loved being able to teach merit badge classes. This was a really good experience for me, and I also learned a lot from the scouts. My favorite class I taught was wilderness survival, and have fond (but chilly) memories of the overnight treks I did. It was definitely hard, but so worth it.

What I wish was different

I wish that I had taken advantage of the Adirondacks sooner than I did. There are so many lakes to swim in, mountains to hike, and places to explore. I only wish I didn't wait to start doing this!

Advice

One piece of advice I would like to share about this experience, is to go the extra mile. Go the extra mile to help a scout finish a badge on your only hour off, go help the commissary even when you're tired, make program super fun for the kids even when you're feeling burn out. It changed lives, and keeps scouts coming back for years on end. Then, one day, they are a director of a program area doing the same for others.

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