From Scared to Cool Under Pressure: BSA’s Impact on My Life

I didn’t start in BSA until I was 14: my Dad was a career Army person, and we moved to Frankfurt, Germany before I started. Typical for a military kid, I didn’t really know anybody when I first moved to Frankfurt. As it was already late summer, I couldn’t sign up for baseball. I was TOO SMALL for youth football as well, so I reluctantly attended a Scout meeting. WE went camping shortly after that up in the Taunus Mountains. We newbies were directed on an evening/night hike: I got lost (wrong turn on 2 occasions), and ultimately FELL off the trail into a gully. I was found inside of 3/4s of an hour by an organized search of the BSA troop (#51). When I was found, I had injuries which required my being taken to the hospital: I’d never been a patient before & was SCARED. 2 of the adult leaders were with me throughout & succeeded in lifting my spirits. When I was calm, I said to them that I was impressed by the efforts of Troop 51, and that I would EAGERLY join it! I went on to attend a European Jamboree, a World Jamboree, and 4 German Pfadfinder Jamborees, moved through leadership ranks from Scribe all the way to Junior Assistant Scout Master before I aged out in 1974. I made Eagle in 1973, and stayed active with my troop until I moved to college back in the States. Throughout my career, I kept Scouting principles close to my heart. I served as an Adult in 3 different councils and in District leadership in 2. In all the challenges I met during my adult life, people noted how cool I was under pressure: I guess I remembered that SCARED kid of 14!

Submitted by: Raimon W. Lehman, Jr. of Alexandria, VA