Maya Angelou once said that “All great achievements require time.” This quote could be used for any life lesson, but could not be more perfect for Scouting, as it takes time to nurture our leadership skills. National Youth Leadership Training had the ability to teach me this exact lesson; leadership skills take time to grow, and becoming a leader takes even longer. It is a journey through which Scouting teaches us how to become a leader for not only today, but in our everyday lives.
When I first joined Venturing, I was a 14-year-old girl who just wanted to be a part of the camping and high adventure world. It wasn’t until I started moving into the area level that I figured out that being a leader takes time. I took NYLT the first year my council offered a Venturing specific week. During that week, I gained the foundation of how to manage my time between all of my Scouting obligations and other responsibilities.
Throughout the years while staffing NYLT, there were times where I was holding three different Venturing positions and had a ton of responsibilities. At times it became difficult to manage all of these positions at once while being activity involved in NYLT. I was able to use the skills gained through NYLT to plan my schedule in a way that I could be accomplish my responsibilities. This way I was able to focus my attention on the task at hand and give each task my best.
There were a few things which helped me be successful, one of which was a calendar set with all of my school and Scouting commitments. From there I could prioritize the things I needed to complete first, and take out the unnecessary items, to allow more time for other commitments. I believe that it is up to the individual to have the selfdedication to put the time into Scouting and NYLT. The things we learn from the program, not only help us succeed today, but help us mentor the next generation into the leaders we have become.
Throughout my two years in college, I still say that the things I have learned from NYLT have helped me in my everyday life. Through the communication, planning, and goal setting of NYLT, I have had the ability to be successful in college while still managing a full load of activities. Every person is different on how much they can handle, but with the knowledge gained through Scouting and NYLT, anyone can accomplish what they want as long as they put their mind to it. Remember that “All great achievements take time.”
