   
Boy Scouting prepares boys to be leaders
By RACHEL PARKER DICKERSON
LOG CABIN STAFF WRITER
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 (EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the 18th in a series on partner agencies of the United Way of Central Arkansas, formerly the United Way of Faulkner County.)
Boy Scouting teaches boys citizenship, responsibility, leadership and many other values, according to Boy Scout leaders. Tim Stone is scoutmaster of Boy Scout Troop 534, which meets at and is sponsored by Antioch Baptist Church in Conway. The troop of about 25 boys goes on camping trips on a regular basis, does service projects, and learns new skills.
Stone said, "Each year we attend summer camp at Camp Rockefeller on the Blass Scout Reservation in Damascus. There the scouts spend the week in tents, taking merit badge classes, swimming, mountain biking, shooting, canoeing, archery and other outdoor activities. It's the highlight of the year for most scouts."
A few weeks ago, Troop 534 and other local troops attended the Foothills District Quawpaw Area Council Expo at the Office Depot parking lot. Each troop demonstrated a skill. Troop 534 demonstrated cooking in cast iron Dutch ovens using charcoal for heat. On Monday, Troop 534 held its regular meeting. At the beginning of the meeting, scouts were given time to talk with leaders about any needed requirements as they try to advance through the ranks, with Eagle Scout being the highest rank. Robert W. Ragsdale of Greenbrier, an assistant scoutmaster, is an Eagle Scout. He was in scouts throughout most of his childhood. Now, 22, he is a specialist in the Arkansas Army National Guard and has served in Iraq. "I learned a lot from scouting," he said. "One of the main things I learned was how to adapt to changes and improvise to be able to fulfill your goal." His background in scouting served him well in the Army National Guard, he said, because the Boy Scouts have many of the same core values. "Simply being an Eagle Scout gets you a promotion in the Army," he added. "(Scouting) gives kids a foundation where they have led and followed, taught and learned. Success in scouts directly relates to life." C.J. McRae, 14, of Conway, expects to have his Eagle Scout project approved very soon. In addition to other requirements, Eagle Scout candidates must organize and lead a service project. McRae cut a quarter-mile trail through the woods at Woolly Hollow State Park. He said the work on the trail took two weekends of seven-hour days. "It went pretty well," he said. "It didn't take as long as I expected. I expected more like three weekends. "I feel good. It's a big accomplishment. It took a lot of work, a lot of time. I'm glad to finally be Eagle." David Meaux of Conway, assistant scoutmaster, is McRae's grandfather. "I enjoy (scouting)," he said. "We've been in scouting since C.J. was in third grade. I love working with the boys. I feel like I can pass on information, knowledge, the scouting skills that I've learned. I can be a positive role model. There's a lot for a boy to do in scouting. It's a good program." (Staff writer Rachel Parker Dickerson can be reached by e-mail at rachel.dickerson@thecabin.net or by phone at 505-1277. Send us your news at www.thecabin.net/submit)
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