Everyone knows Michael Jordan, Neil Armstrong or Martin Luther King Jr., but where did their strength, self confidence, and good teammate skills come from? Boy Scouts. Boy Scouts is a program where boys can go on field trips and do fun community service projects, learn important life skills and lessons, and this can be found locally, here, in Shorewood.

The Boy Scouts of America is a wonderful organization that allows boys to grow into kind, compassionate citizens. Here, at St. Robert, the Boy Scout troop has about 20 boys in it, ranging from 12 to 18 years old.  The boys come to St. Robert from over six different schools in the Milwaukee area. The troop meets in a building in Hubbard Park in Shorewood. The Scouts have been meeting in this very same location for more than fifty years. It’s full of Scouting history, and the boys love it.

The Scouts do lots to help the community. “The Scouts do numerous service projects throughout the year.  In the fall, they usually help older St. Robert parishioners by doing some of their autumn yard work, and the Scouts volunteer at the Riverwest Food Pantry around Thanksgiving/Christmas,” says Dr. James Sanders, leader of the Boy Scouts in Shorewood. At the Riverwest Food Pantry, volunteers can drop in any time and lend a helping hand in many ways! This is a wonderful local outreach program that enables these boys to make an impact on their own community.

“At Christmas the Scouts also participate in a giving tree program with St. Martin de Porres.  Each of the Scouts uses his own money and buys a gift for a boy his own age, wraps it, and brings it over to the Giving Tree at St. Martin de Porres,” continues Sanders. Again, the boys are able to recognize the needs within their own city while stepping up to do something about it.

Soon, people will also be able to spot the Scouts at the St. Robert’s Fair in June, where the Scouts will be helping out at their own parish. There are many jobs that have to be done at the fair, and as a fundraiser for their own parish, it is only fitting that they fill some of those jobs.

Through all of this volunteering, boys learn important life skills and benefit greatly from doing this extracurricular activity. “It is no coincidence that it has helped build the character of numerous presidents, statesman, Olympic athletes, astronauts, explorers, scientists, and leaders of every stripe,” states Dr. Sanders. Boy Scouts can help boys learn teamwork, friendship, and more. Also, while involved in this program, Scouts learn how to be confident in themselves. This confidence can help boys overcome challenges and to learn new things even after their participation in the program has ceased. “The Boy Scouts is a great way to teach boys about this formula for success,” explains Sanders. It’s important that boys learn how to be themselves, so they can have true friends and have bold personalities.