Join the Path of Three out of Four Leaders

Members of the Grand Terrace Boy Scouts Troop 40 AJ Benson and Joseph Gordesky received their awards for becoming Eagle Scouts at a Court of Honor ceremony held March 5 at Grand Terrace High School. Benson and Gordesky, who have been part of the troop for seven years and six years, respectively, were the only two members awarded the honor. Benson, a native of Grand Terrace, reached the rank of Eagle Scout last year and helped mentor Gordesky, also a Grand Terrace native, who he describes as his best friend. "Just as soon as he got in, at the time, I was the leader for his group," Benson said. "When he got in, I just mentored him from the beginning how to get into the troop and how to get started and fit in." Since its founding in 1910 as part of the international Scout Movement, more than 110 million Americans have been members of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). BSA is one of the nation's largest and most prominent values-based youth development organizations which provides a program for young people that builds character, trains them in the responsibilities of participating citizenship, and develops personal fitness. Benson said he joined the Boy Scouts of America originally because he wanted to find a hobby, such as camping, and to work on his survival skills. Over time, however, his experience became something more. "You make new friends, you learn new stuff, you get out of your comfort zone and you get to learn how to adapt and how to have fun without technology really," he said. Gordesky had an interest in outdoor activities, and so when he was 11 or 12, he decided to join in, as well. For over a century, the BSA has helped build the future leaders of this country by combining educational activities and life-long values with fun. The Boy Scouts of America believes — and, through over a century of experience, knows — that helping youth is a key to building a more conscientious, responsible, and productive society. Benson mentioned that being a Boy Scout, and now an Eagle Scout, has really helped in every aspect of life. "It helps out with everything, with your leadership skills, with a job application, or just meeting new people," he said. "You kind of know how to approach them. It just helps out in life in the long run." Gordesky added being a part of BSA, and especially becoming an Eagle Scout, will help further on down the road. "Not only is it just a status of what it shows about your person, your work ethic, but it also has benefits with scholarships, applications, resumes, if you join the military, you start out a few ranks higher right off the bat," he said. "In general, it’s just a representation of who you are. It’s something you will remember for the rest of your life.” When a boy becomes a Boy Scout, the "Spirit of Scouting" is instilled within him, embodying the principles of the Scout Oath and Law. Scout Oath: On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; to help other people at all times; to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight. Scout Law: A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent. The "Spirit of Scouting" is something that is apparent in Gordesky's life. “The most important thing I think I’ve learned from the Boy Scouts is honesty," he said. “Overall, it’s just changed attitude to doing things for others. Doing honest work to help others in the community.” After a boy enters the program, the group events, responsibilities, and lessons reinforce these principles they vowed to live by in when taking the Scout Oath. These principles help shape the thought process to resemble these values and help guide the scout, providing a foundation to lean on, throughout life's twists and turns. A local scout leader, Jim McGivern, broke the influence of scouting up into the path of 100 scouts, saying that of those 100 scouts: • 30 will drop out in their first year, taking with them the lessons they learned and positive memories in their time involved with the BSA. • 1 rarely will one ever appear before a juvenile court judge • 12 will be from families that belong to no church. Through Scouting, these twelve and many of their families will be brought into contact with a church and will continue to be active all their lives. Six of the one hundred will become pastors. • 100 will learn something from scouting, and all will develop hobbies that will add interest throughout the rest of their lives. • Approximately 50 will serve in the military, and in varying degrees, profit from their scout training. • At least 1 will use it to save another person's life (and many may credit it for saving their own). • 4 will reach Eagle rank, and at least one of them will later say that he valued his Eagle above his college degree. • Many will find their future vocation through merit badge work and scouting contacts. • 17 will become adult leaders and will give leadership to thousands of additional boys. One in four boys in America will become scouts; in fact of the leaders of this nation in business, religion and politics, statistics show that three out of four were scouts. Throughout the scouting experience, there are six ranks that the boys and young men progress through: Scout: The Scout rank is the first rank of Boy Scouts. To complete the rank, a new Scout must complete a Boy Scout application and join a Troop. He must also be able to repeat the Pledge of Allegiance, demonstrate the Scout sign, salute and handshake, tie a square knot, and describe the Scout badge. Finally, he must understand and agree to live by the Scout Oath, Law, Motto, Slogan, and the Outdoor Code. Tenderfoot: Tenderfoot is the second rank of Boy Scouts. To earn the Tenderfoot rank, a Scout must complete requirements dealing with camping, hiking, the American Flag, the Scout Oath, Law, Motto, and Slogan, the patrol method, the buddy system, physical fitness, plants, and first aid. Second Class: Second Class is the third rank of Boy Scouts. To earn the Second Class rank, a Scout must complete requirements dealing with orienteering, camping, wood tools, cooking, a flag ceremony, a service project, wildlife, first aid, swimming, drug and alcohol prevention, and personal safety. First Class: First Class is the fourth rank of Boy Scouts. To earn the First Class rank, a Scout must complete requirements dealing with orienteering, camping, cooking, constitutional rights, plants, knots, lashings, swimming, recruitment, and the internet. Star: Star is the fifth rank of Boy Scouts. The requirements for the Star rank are much different than the previous ranks. To earn the Star rank, a Scout must be active in their Troop and Patrol for at least 4 months after earning First Class, earn 6 merit badges, including 4 from those required for Eagle, complete service projects totaling at least 6 hours of work, and serve in a leadership position in the Troop for at least 4 months. Life: Life is the sixth rank of Boy Scouts. The requirements for the Life rank are similar to those of the Star rank. To earn the Life rank, a Scout must be active in their Troop and Patrol for at least 6 months after earning Star, earn 5 additional merit badges beyond those earned for Star (total of 11), including 3 more from those required for Eagle, complete service projects totaling at least 6 hours of work, and serve in a leadership position in the Troop for at least 6 months. Eagle: Eagle is the seventh and highest rank of Boy Scouts. To earn the Eagle rank, a Scout must be active in their Troop and Patrol for at least 6 months after earning Life, earn a total of 21 merit badges, including 12 required merit badges (First Aid, Citizenship in the Community, Citizenship in the Nation, Citizenship in the World, Communications, Personal Fitness, Emergency Preparedness OR Lifesaving, Environmental Science, Personal Management, Swimming OR Hiking OR Cycling, Camping, and Family Life), serve in a leadership position in the Troop for at least 6 months, and complete an Eagle Scout service project which is helpful to any religious institution, school, or community. The commitment it takes to get to the level of Eagle Scout is not something Benson or Gordesky is unfamiliar with. Along the way, however, they were helped not only by each other, but also by past scout leaders who mentored them along the way. Benson referenced past scout master Sam Fisk and Sam's wife Kristina as two such people who influenced and helped him and Gordesky reach the ultimate goal of Eagle Scout. "They taught us to keep going in it, even when we felt like we didn’t want to anymore, or we felt like dropping out or anything," he said. "They kind of kept there and made sure we made it to Eagle.” Sam, who is a captain at the San Bernardino Sheriff's Department, was Gordesky's first scout master. "The best thing about Sam was teaching us about respect and leadership," Gordesky said. Gordesky also mentioned he and Benson helped each other along the way to becoming Eagle Scout. Even though Benson has been an Eagle Scout for a year, he waited for Gordesky to achieve the ranking, as well, so they could receive the award together. Benson, now an adult member and leader, still goes on campouts and helps the leaders and adult leaders with activities when he does not have work. Gordesky, currently a junior at Grand Terrace High School, is the oldest and highest ranking youth member of his troop. Part of his responsibilities include mentoring younger members, speaking at lectures, supervising and working with patrols. He also helps advise some of the older youth members with the process of becoming Eagle Scouts, such as with their projects. For his own Eagle Scout project, he erected an American flagpole in front of the Little League Baseball and Softball Western Region Headquarters in San Bernardino, a process that spanned the course of a year. Benson had a few words of advice for scouts who are aiming for the rank of Eagle Scout. "Look at it in the long run on how it’s going to benefit your life," he said. "I know a lot of the kids that join drop out when they hit about middle school age because it’s not the ‘cool’ thing to do. But stick with it. It’s really rewarding at the end.” For more information on BSA, and to find out how you can get a young man in your life involved, visit http://www.scouting.org/