Learning to set goals and achieve them is one of the purposes and strengths of Scouting. From the day a boy is a brand-new Cub Scout to the year when he earns his Eagle award, he will have chosen and accomplished many goals. For each one, he creates a plan and carries it through to completion. Through many experiences of this kind, a boy increases in confidence as well as ability. Each step on that path helps him learn important skills that can lead to a life of successful service to God, his country and his fellow man.
At the recent dedication of the Thomas S. Monson Lodge at the Hinckley Scout Ranch, President Henry B. Eyring shared his experience with learning to set goals as a Cub Scout. He credited his neighbor who was the Cub Scout leader with helping him see a higher vision of himself. “My neighbor built confidence in me that I didn’t think was in me,” said President Eyring. Following through on goals helps boys develop good character traits, increases their feelings of self-worth and teaches them the value of work.
President Thomas S. Monson advocates Scouting because, as his son-in-law, Roger A. Dibb, explained, “He believes in young men and knows they can make a difference in the world.” Latter-day Saint Scout leaders can be “partners with God” in building boys into capable, caring and committed men. Helping boys learn to think, to plan, and to achieve worthwhile objectives while they are young helps them develop habits and skills that prepare them to become leaders in their families, in the Church and in the world. As President Monson stated, “The need for strong, capable leadership is critical today, both in Scouting and in the world generally. To be associated in some small way with developing such leadership is humbling indeed.”
~by Jean A. Bingham, 1st Counselor, Primary General Presidency, April 2016-17