This afternoon I attended Robert Anderson's Eagle Project called STaND (Robert is the young man on the left). It was a six hour workshop on protecting your dignity for teens. Eagle is the highest rank in Boy Scouts. The eagle project can take months to coordinate, and even after the event there is more to do. This project teaches a lot of valuable life lessons like time management, money management and leadership skills. Each project is a community service. Some require building something like a handicap access or play ground and others, like Robert's, provide education.
Last year alone in the Denver Area Council there were 453 Eagle Scouts resulting in 57,486 hours of service and $1,769,835 in project costs and labor value to our communities. Now, imagine that number multiplied across the country. Boy Scouts is a wise investment.
The morning began with a workshop on car safety. The next session featured Barbara and her husband. They shared her struggle with HIV and their commitment to their relationship. They have shared 15 years of marriage. Their workshop focussed on safety of the heart and how to protect yourself from dangerous situations.
The final workshop was the physical aspect of self defence. The participants all had an opportunity to learn various ways to escape a potentially dangerous situation as well as how to avoid them all together. This was a valuable community service. I hope Robert will make this curriculum available for others to use.
Of course, food is important at all Boy Scout functions!
