Celebrating the Journey of Concordia BSA Scouts
This year, we celebrated two seniors, Julien S. and Henry Z., for achieving Scouting America’s highest youth distinction - the Eagle Scout rank. Their accomplishment shines as an inspiration to Concordia’s scout community, where students from kindergarten through high school develop lifelong skills.
Scouting America, formerly known as Boy Scouts of America (BSA), originated in the USA and is a program designed for boys and girls from kindergarten through the age of 17 (Cub Scout: from kindergarten to 5th grade, Scouts BSA: from age 11 to 17). Led by dedicated volunteer adult leaders, Scouting America aims to inspire young people to make the world a better place and strive to be better individuals every day.
In the Scouting program, students participate in activities from camping, hiking to community service, skill-building workshops and events, such as National Camporee, Christmas Fundraising, First Aid, Iron Chef, Cycling, Shelter Building, Soap Box Car Building, Kayak etc.
(Christmas Fundraising)
(Iron Chef Challenge)
Lifelong Skills Learned Outside School
To achieve the Eagle rank, a scout must earn at least 21 merit badges, covering areas like citizenship, personal fitness, communication, and outdoor skills.
Julien S. (Concordia Class of 2025) has been with the scouting program for seven years.
“I joined the BSA expecting it to be another extracurricular that would help me get into college. This alone does not motivate me to continue the program, however. As I build up my experience in BSA, I learned skills such as cooking, finance management, personal fitness, leadership, and first aid, things that you can’t learn in the classroom,” says Julien, who realized that this program doesn’t just help him prepare for college but also prepares him for society.
His Eagle project with Will Foundation (an NGO that aims to promote permaculture, encouraging sustainable and organic farming) involved designing an affordable, modular chicken coop for sustainable farming. It was through this project that he first experienced the profound sense of fulfillment that comes from being genuinely needed by others.
As he puts it, “The memories, help, friends, and opportunities I received from this program are more than priceless in terms of benefits to me. I’ve changed into a better person as a whole, carrying qualities I never thought I would learn to appreciate.”
Having been with the BSA program since Grade 6, Henry Z. (Class of 2025) sees the recognition as an Eagle Scout a major achievement in his life. What left the most impression on him was when during the summer of 2022, he and his fellow scouts dedicated a lot to a cycling event by planning the routes and activities which got the whole troop came together.
“The most long-lasting takeaway that I had from BSA is to always get on top of your tasks,” says Henry Z. “I gradually learned the scale of the effort required to successfully execute major service events throughout my time of being a senior scout, and eventually extended them to tasks outside of the Boy Scouts.”
Parent Involvement: Shaping Young Leaders
The BSA program is thriving by the unwavering support of parent volunteers who guide and mentor the scouts through a wide range of activities and leadership opportunities.
In BSA society, no matter what your job or task in the profession, the skill in working with volunteers is central.
As a member of the BSA committee, Concordia parent Ms. Vivian Ren plays active involvement by volunteering her time and skills, which has profoundly influenced her son, Henry L. (Class of 2029), who has been an active boy scout for nearly eight years (since Cub Scout).
(Henry L., Ethan H., and fellow scout, from right to left)
As Vivian puts it, joining the BSA program has been a transformative experience for her son, offering him a fresh perspective on the world. Alongside his peers, Henry has acquired a lot of practical skills through real-life experiences, such as completing tasks with a whole patrol.
In early April, Concordia’s BSA members took part in the first-ever China-wide Camporee, gathering participants from Shanghai, Beijing, and Guangzhou. They spent a long weekend in scout fellowship and competitions across 12 skills stations, including pioneering, knot tying, cooking, first aid, wilderness survival, fire building, navigation, Morse Code, physical fitness, lifesaving, and team collaboration.
The process—beginning in chaos, followed by discussion, adaptation, implementation, and culminating in outcomes both good and bad—teaches the scouts valuable lessons through shared experiences.
“One of the Troop’s most cherished memories is the Soap Box Car Building activity,” says by Henry L. The Troop dedicated an entire month to constructing a soap box car, building every component from the tires to the frame and the decorations, all by themselves. This hands-on project not only fostered teamwork but also instilled a sense of accomplishment and pride.
We are incredibly proud of all our BSA scouts at Concordia for their achievements and grateful for the support of our parent volunteers. Their dedication and hard work help our scouts grow into the leaders of tomorrow!