Late Summer of 1985

It was the late summer of 1985, just a year after the Varsity Scouting program was officially adopted by the BSA and 12 years after the first "On Target" signal that later became one of the principle annual activities of the Varsity Scouts.  A ragtag gang of only semi-disciplined boys laboriously climbed the mountain that cast an eastern shadow down upon their small neighborhood far below.  At precisely 10:00 am the following morning they were to stand atop the peak and assemble the mirrors they were packing to help relay the signal - a beam of sunlight - in their first ever On Target event.  In the groggy pre-dawn of the signal morning an argument ensued about who would carry the mirrors the final 1/2 mile to the top.  Unfortunately the argument escalated in a scuffled series of events that resulted in the mirrors being broken.  With spirits as shattered as the mirrors, the boys nonetheless followed their leaders to the top of the peak.  They wondered if their inability to relay the signal would break the communication line.  At 10:00 am they saw the mirror flash from another Varsity Team from a neighboring peak 20 miles to the North.  Then they looked to the South...to the peak they were supposed to signal.  After several tense minutes they saw a flash there.  The sunlight signal had been successfully relayed and the communication had not been interrupted.  The boys' wise Varsity Coaches sat them down and taught them a poignant lesson: The boys' careless behavior had not stopped or hindered the On Target signaling event itself, for the signal had been passed along. What the boys' actions had done was to rob them of the opportunity to fully participate in it.

With today's modern technical advances we have unprecedented tools for communicating the "good news" of the Scouting Program and it's inherent values.  Social media is a powerful way to invite others to participate in Scouting and to positively touch other's lives.  Each of the challenges for the Venture Scouts will feature an invitation to more fully participate in Scouting by sharing Venture activities through social media to encourage involvement to others. If you haven't already, we encourage you to leverage Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other social media tools in a wise and thoughtful manner to teach and invite others...and to pass the signal along.