Trying to Leave this World a Little Better than I Found It

Have you ever been to a supermarket check out with nothing but 26 bananas and a tub or Vaseline? Have you ever Googled the words "Is is safe to wrap children in tinfoil"? Have you ever confiscated a phone from a child but handed them a knife and sent them off to have fun?

Out of context Scout Leader moments are one of my favourite social media posts. You find yourself in the most bizarre scenarios and uttering the strangest combinations of words. Each one attached to a story or a joke or sometimes a life lesson.

I have done so many things which would never even have crossed my mind before joining Scouting. In just over seven years I have done so much. I have organised a weeklong trip to London for a group of 20, I have attanded the World Scout Moot with thousands of Scouts from around the world, I have taught children as young as six how to light fires and use knives safely, I have been a guard of honour at a remembrance service, and I have even met Bear Grylls. Aside from all of that I have gained skills in leadership, planning, youth work - as well as the ability to believe I can do these things.

My own benefits of becoming a Scout Leader are one thing (we've already established I love a badge too), but the unexpected joy came in watching young people grow and learn. I've dabbled in a few sections and I'm always happy to lend a hand where needed but I'm very settled in the Scout Section with the 10-14 year olds. That's quite a difference in age. They come to me fresh from their mother's skirts and leave almost as a young adult. The difference I see in them through that time and what they achieve is incredible. If I can play just one small part in that then I am very happy.

"Try and leave this world a little better than you found it" - Lord Baden-Powell