In
1988, the Heart of America Council of the Boy Scouts recognized that it was not
serving our area’s inner city neighborhoods and their at-risk youth. So the
Urban Scouting program was born – and it’s thrived.For youth like Monta Camp, there can be a large gap between school hours and parents’ working hours. In neighborhoods without quality after-school programs, youth are at greater risk to be crime victims and offenders.
One Investment:
In
1988, the Heart of America Council of the Boy Scouts recognized that it was not
serving our area’s inner city neighborhoods and their at-risk youth. So the
Urban Scouting program was born – and it’s thrived.
The use of paid paraprofessionals as leaders in the Urban Scouting program is the primary difference between it and other Scouting programs. The Boy Scouts found it was more difficult to recruit volunteers in urban areas because adults often work longer hours and have not been exposed to Scouting as youth.
While the leadership may be slightly different, the Scouting activities are very much the same. Camping, fishing, the Pinewood Derby, field trips to local factories – the list goes on and on.
"We try to expose them to things they wouldn’t otherwise get to experience," says Roman Lee, District Executive, who is a graduate of the Urban Scouting program and an Eagle Scout himself. It’s now the same youth that the program has helped that are ensuring its ongoing success.
A Return on Investment:
Most wouldn’t think that ten days without bathing sounds like a good time, but for Monta Camp, it was one of the greatest adventures of his life so far.
Monta, now 18, has been involved with Boy Scouts since he was 7. He joined because his older brother was a Scout, but he stayed because he loved the whole program. His experiences have included a 10-day canoe trip in Canada’s boundary waters a few years ago. Monta considered himself lucky to be chosen for the trip that included eating off the water, a lot of mosquitoes, and really hard work. And also no bathing.
Monta is a member of Troop #608, in the neighborhood near 59th Street and Swope Parkway. It’s part of the Urban Scouting program that targets inner city youth.
Recently, Monta became one of Scouting’s elite few – an Eagle Scout. An average of only 2% of all Boy Scouts achieve the Eagle Scout rank, although the local Heart of America Council’s average is higher at 7%.
"This is just something I’ve always wanted to achieve," explains Monta, a Central High School senior. "I feel being an Eagle Scout sets me apart from others because I’ve achieved something that few boys or men achieve in their lives."
Few achieve Eagle Scout because it takes a lot of drive. Monta has received 44 merit badges during his Scouting career, many more than even this top honor requires. His service project was landscaping work at Crittenton, a local psychiatric treatment center for children.
Monta’s mom, Doris, couldn’t be more proud of her son and she gives Scouting a lot of credit.
"He’s learned to share, to be responsible, to work with a team," says Doris, a single mother who has happily sewn many patches onto Monta’s uniform. "I try to encourage him to go the right way and Scouting has also taught him to make the right choices. I know that he’s a different person than he would have been without Boy Scouts."
For the Camps, Scouting has truly become a family affair. Monta beams as he explains he has a young nephew who is now a Cub Scout.
"I can look back and see where he’s trying to go," Monta says. "I can help him because of all that I’ve learned."
With someone like Monta Camp to guide his way, there’s not much chance his nephew can go wrong.