Hardwood Flooring February March 2018

RESOURCES

Boy Scouts of America Workshops

St. Louis-area Boy Scouts learn how to sharpen a scraper using a file.

The NWFA is helping to change this. This past fall, the NWFA hosted its first-ever workshops for scouts: one was a Pinewood Derby Workshop for Cub Scouts in grades 1 through 5 (ages 7-10), and the other was a Woodwork Merit Badge Workshop for Boy Scouts in grades 5 through 12 (ages 11-18).

Whether they are aware of it or not, many people begin the path toward their future careers at a very young age. In our industry, that happens fairly often. Perhaps your family owns a mill, or a distribution company, or a contracting business that dates back several generations, but for those who do not have deep family roots in hardwood, the career path can be less certain. Where do those young people develop a passion for wood, and where can they go to learn the basic skills they need to explore careers they might not even know exist? Many young people are first exposed to potential careers through scouting. The Boy Scouts and the Girl Scouts offer a variety of programs, events, and activities designed to introduce young men and women to different sports, sciences, trades, businesses, and careers. In fact, many famous people that might seem to have nothing in common at all – Steven Spielberg, Michael Jordan, Neil Armstrong, Jimmy Buffett, Bill Gates, Mike Rowe, and Martin Luther King, Jr., to name just a few – credit scouts as playing a role in sparking their interest in their future careers. With more than 130 Boy Scout merit badges like Movie Making, Athletics, Space Exploration, Music, Digital Technology, Public Speaking, and Citizenship, it’s easy to see how these famous men developed an early passion for their future careers through scouts. Trades are a major focus of the Boy Scout merit badge program, but it’s also one of the areas in which scouts have the least opportunity to learn. “What we’ve seen over the years is there are fewer merit badge counselors available to mentor young men to learn skilled trades,” says Jonathan Cartner, District Director for the New Horizons District of the Boy Scouts of America Greater St. Louis Area Council. “These merit badges tend to be very involved, require specialized tools or skills, and take a lot of planning to execute. It has been difficult, especially in areas where trades aren’t typically encouraged in schools, to offer learning opportunities in skilled trades.”

Cub Scout sands a Pinewood Derby car.

74 hardwood floors www.hardwoodfloorsmag.com