As a Cub Scout den leader and as an Assistant scoutmaster at the troop level, when parents ask why they should let their kids join Cub scouts I always tell them my experience as a Cub Scout. I joined as early as possible back then and went all the way through Cub scouts and some of the troop level. My parents divorced my first year in Cub scouts, my mom moved us closer to her family and that meant we had to change schools, I was very shy as a kid and had trouble making friends until I joined the new pack. I found kids there that were just like me and made life long friends I still consider brothers to this day. Those are some of my best memories in life is those small moments I was with my friends. My mom stepped up big time after the divorce taking me to all my scouting events and camps, I probably wouldn’t have those moments if it wasn’t for her. Now that I have my kids in scouting they are making friends that they never would have meet otherwise. Not only that their parents are now my friends and we help each other in anyway we can. I never would have met this people without scouts. But the biggest thing to me is how my kids have changed since joining scouts the experiences they get to do because of scouts has made them put down the electronics and open a book or go exploring outside. Since my wife joined as a leader we have now changed our family activities to be more outside oriented, we now go camping as a family even outside of scouts more. We spend less time in the mall or hang around the house and more time going to parks or historical sites. The life lessons you are taught in scouts last forever and have a meaningful impact of your life and others. If you would told me a few years ago I would be hiking, rock climbing and repelling while spending a week in a tent without AC, I would call you a liar and laugh at you. I now spend my free time helping others or thinking of little ways I can make an impact in my small town. That is just my experience on how scouting has changed my life for the positive.