Area youth ages kindergarten through 12th grade will have the opportunity to sign up and join local Cub Scout Packs 3, 60 and 329 or Scout Troops 3, 60, 166 and 264 at an informational event Tuesday in Poplar Bluff.
Sign ups will begin at 6 p.m. at the Poplar Bluff Junior High at 550 N. Westwood Blvd. Representatives and leaders from the Greater St. Louis Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America will be on hand that evening to answer questions and assist parents with the scouts’ enrollment process.
Sioux District Executive Mike Dineen is one of the event’s organizers. He strongly encourages parents and caregivers to consider signing up their children for scouting. Dineen explains being active in a Scouts BSA troop benefits everyone involved and is “one heck of a great way for families to spend time together.”
Dineen says scouting programs offer fun, adventure, learning, challenge and responsibility to help boys and girls in becoming the best version of themselves. He adds that many notable persons including U.S. presidents, astronauts and notable leaders share the common background of scouting.
According to data provided by Scouts BSA, the character attributes of cheerfulness, helpfulness, obedience, kindness, hopefulness and trustworthiness increased exponentially in youth who were active in scouting.
Being a scout, especially an Eagle Scout, Dineen says, carries a significance not only in scouting, but also in education and business. He goes on to say active and former scouts give back “so much” and become the “standouts” in communities and churches.
Parents and guardians will need to be present with their child or children to sign up. There will be an enrollment application to complete during the event and a minimal membership fee will be collected.
For more information about scouting please contact Mike Dineen at 573-778-7687 or go online to www.stlbsa.org