“My mom put me in Scouts when I was 6 years old. I went all the way through. I’m an Eagle Scout. I’ve got like 70 merit badges. I love Scouts so much. I think it’s the best thing that’s ever happened in my life.

“Growing up, I didn’t have a dad. So my Scoutmaster and a few others were kind of like the father figures in my life. I think I got all my morals and values from Scouts and from those individuals. Which I think is a really good base for morals because it’s based on being trustworthy, loyal, kind, helpful, friendly, courteous — all that kind of stuff. I’ve tried to imagine myself having not been in Scouts, and it’s really hard because it’s such an integral part of my identity.

“Some people have his weird view of Scouts, that it’s just this dorky thing. But we can do some pretty intense stuff. I can start a fire without any matches. I can build a shelter in the woods. Scouts took me and my best friend to Japan. I’ve been all over the mountains in New Mexico. They’ve got this tagline: the adventure of a lifetime. And I 100% agree with that. I recommend Scouts to everybody. 

“The whole thing about allowing girls into Scouts and having separate troops within the Boy Scouts, I’m totally about that. The more people who can learn Scouting’s values and have the opportunities to do that kind of stuff, the better.

“I was actually kind of worried for a little while. I’ve got this weird thing about success. I don’t think I’m going to be successful unless I’m a good dad. I want kids someday. And I was like, man, I really hope I can have a son so I can put him in Scouts. But now, I don’t have to worry about that. No matter what gender I have, I can throw them in there and they might like it, too.”

— Troy Breaux-Hare

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“I’ve been involved in scouting for a very long time, since 1981 when I was 11 years old.

“I earned Eagle Scout when I was 17, but I didn’t really know what that meant until I got to be about 25. It helped me get involved in different things at work and in my life, and I was able to excel higher up at a younger age because I had a drive in me.

“Whenever somebody asked me to do something, as long as it wasn’t unsafe or immoral, I just did it. Even if I didn’t know how to do it, I figured it out. Scouting gave me the skills to be able to do that. It’s not just about tying knots or fixing somebody’s leg. It’s about being calm in a situation and figuring things out.”

Why do you enjoy being a scout leader?
“It may sound corny to some people, but you really do get to watch a child grow into a man. And that’s really, really neat. Scouting has opened a lot of doors for me and it can do the same thing for these guys.”

— Will Repman

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“We’re trying to sell these coupon books to raise money for a trip to Alaska this summer. We’re going there for six weeks and then to Michigan. After that, we’ll just have two more weeks before school starts again.”

What are some excuses people use for not buying a book?
“Sometimes, I’ll see people walking up without their cell phone and then they reach into their pocket real quick and put it up to their ear. Some say they don’t have any money or try not to look at me. Others just take off running.”

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