Scouting hasn't just changed our children. It has changed us as parents.

My family has been connected to Scouting in one way or another for more than 30 years. Looking back, I realize that Scouting has given each generation of our family something different—and, in many ways, something we didn’t even know we needed.

My father was never a Scout himself, but he loved the outdoors. After spending two seasons working on the Alaskan Pipeline, he wanted his children to develop that same appreciation for adventure, nature, and the world beyond our own backyard.

In 1991, he encouraged me to join a local Cub Scout Pack in Rockaway Beach, Queens, New York.

I eventually moved into a Scout Troop and completed my journey to Eagle Scout.

I learned the outdoor, camping, and leadership skills that people typically associate with Scouting. But Scouting gave me something much deeper—something I didn’t fully appreciate until I was older: a sense of purpose and direction.

During my teenage years, my parents went through a contentious divorce. At the same time, I was growing up in a neighborhood where it would have been easy to make choices that could have sent my life in a very different direction. Scouting gave me a positive place to go. It gave me adults who believed in me, opportunities to lead, something constructive to work toward, and a community that expected something of me.

Now, as a father of three, I wanted to give my children that same opportunity.

Because of COVID, my oldest child wasn’t able to join Cub Scouts until second grade. By then, his life had already been significantly disrupted. Half of his kindergarten year had been canceled, first grade was inconsistent, and he had spent very little time with children his own age during those 18 months.

Simply being part of a den of other second graders—children he could see, interact with, and build friendships with on a regular basis—made a tremendous difference as the world began to reopen. The group of boys he started with remains extremely close today.

And those relationships have become part of who they are.

During their first full week of school in Hamilton County, this group of seventh-grade boys noticed some sixth-grade boys from their Troop who were brand new to the school. They openly invited them to sit at their lunch table.

That may sound like a small thing. To me, it is one of the clearest examples of what Scouting can do.

Over the past five years, I’ve watched my oldest grow from a kid simply running around the campsite, to a Scout actively participating in activities, to someone helping plan those activities, and now to a youth leader in his Troop who helps other Scouts learn the same skills he once had to learn himself.

That progression is what Scouting is supposed to be about: learning, doing, leading, and ultimately helping others.

He is now in Scouts BSA, the program for youth ages 11–18, and even in the short time he has been there, I’ve noticed him becoming more independent at home. He is accustomed to doing things for himself with his Troop, and that confidence is carrying over into everyday life.

He has also discovered that the world is a pretty big place. He has rafted the Nantahala River, slept aboard a World War II-era aircraft carrier, and participated in an 11-day adventure in West Virginia with 10,000 other Scouts. Next summer, he’ll go deep-sea fishing in the Florida Keys.

Our other two children—twins—joined the same Cub Scout Pack when they started kindergarten. From a parent's perspective, one of the greatest gifts has been having an activity that all of us can share as a family.

We’ve camped together. We’ve built cars and boats together. We’ve watched our children learn to help others and discover that the world is much larger than they initially realized.

Those local Scouting experiences have given them the confidence to take on bigger adventures, including exploring the Grand Canyon a few summers ago. Now in fourth grade, they are already looking ahead to the adventures that await them.

Even though our oldest is now in a Troop while the twins are still in the Cub Scout Pack, we still meet at the same place, on the same day, at the same time. That simple routine means something to us. It allows us to continue doing something together as a family while giving each of our children room to grow at their own pace.

My wife and I became involved because our children were involved. She has helped with our twins’ den since they joined and has found opportunities to work with the older Scouts as well, whether teaching a CPR overview class or hiking historic trails around Knoxville.

I initially volunteered to work with my oldest son’s den when he was in second grade. I’ve stayed with that group throughout their journey, serving as Cubmaster and now Scoutmaster.

It has been one of the great joys of my life to watch these young people grow.

My role has changed along the way—from something that felt more like being a coach to becoming more of a mentor and guide. And that change has affected my relationship with my own son, too.

I will never stop being his Dad. But Scouting has given us another relationship to build together. Recently, there have been moments when he has opened up to me in ways that a 12-year-old doesn't always open up to his parents. Sometimes, being his Scoutmaster gives me a different doorway into his world. That is what Scouting has done for our family.

It has given my children friendships, confidence, independence, leadership skills, adventure, and a willingness to help others. It has given my wife and me opportunities to serve alongside our children and, perhaps most importantly, opportunities to watch them become the people they are meant to be.

It gave me direction when I needed it most as a teenager. Now, more than 30 years later, I have the privilege of watching it do the same in a new generation.

For our family, Scouting isn't simply an activity on the calendar. It has become part of how we grow, serve, lead, and experience the world together. We encourage all families across the Tennessee Valley to learn more about joining local Scouting at beascout.org or by calling our local council at 423-892-4323.

Tim Jackson

• What Scouting Has Given Our Family - Chattanoogan.com