I was 6 years old when my best friend and I were taken by our parents to the scout of the AGESCI Varese 7 group , which a few years later would become Varese 8. I was one of the few privileged people to be part of the “ Castorini ”, a branch of scouting that is not very widespread in Italy and which, for some time, has no longer been part of the educational proposal in the majority of scout groups.
I have been a scout for about 17 years now and, to be honest, in hindsight I understand that when you join the scouts it is difficult to have a clear idea of which and how many stages the journey is made up of, and yet, if I now try to go back in time, I can realize how much each little step has helped me become the person I am today.
In the “Castorini” I learned to making friends , with the magical spontaneity that characterizes children, at 8 years old I joined the "Pack" and the cubs helped me to better understand my passions, to work on myself and on the importance of carrying forward the commitments made with dedication and determination .
Still with little awareness of my path, at the age of 12 I moved to the "Reparto", the "mother branch" of the scouts; over the course of the following 4 years I discovered the value of the group , the importance of knowing how to rely on others and there disarming simplicity of nature .
But the path was not easy and, at 16, with the passage to the "Novitiate" I understood how difficult it is to make choices, because, let's face it, at that age how many would prefer to go around in shorts and with a scarf around their neck on Saturday night, talking about Faith and what is happening in the area, rather than going out downtown with their friends? I had to start asking myself what kind of person I wanted to become, for myself and for others.
The following year I joined “Clan” and I learned to look at other people, to love the effort, to challenge my limits and to make my thoughts count .
Then, at 20, the moment of the crossroads: continue the scout path and become a leader or hang up the scarf? I questioned myself for a long time and in the end I made my choice of Faith, deciding to be a constant witness of my Creed, my political choice, committing myself to be an active citizen in my territory and my choice of service, making my own the commandment of love "love your neighbor as yourself" .
Now that I have been in the “Comunità Capi” for 4 years and I am the leader of the cub scouts, I realize the importance of being an authentic person, a person who with his actions can be an example for others and how scouting is like a large tree in which each leaf can feed the sap, making it grow green and lush.
I am just a little leaf, which with its fragilities and abilities, leans on stronger branches and which, little by little, is becoming in turn a support for younger leaves. It is nice to know that, whatever happens, if you look around there will always be someone ready to lend you a hand, support you and accompany you along the way .
I could tell you so many beautiful things about scouting: the songs sung at the top of your lungs around the fire, the smell of the earth in your nostrils, the hands clasped during the Our Father, falling asleep under the stars, the secrets told in the tent, the rough ground under your feet during the walk, building the flyovers, cooking over an open fire, washing yourself with river water, the jungle stories, the games under the sun,… I could go on forever but the most beautiful thing about scouting is the continuous circle of love that is created.
Nothing else could explain why kids and adults choose to wear a shirt, shorts and boots on their day off.
Every scoutmaster has received love from his scoutmasters over the years and in turn, is ready to donate his . I am simply doing this, I try to be a support for my children, I try to teach them that the only winning weapons are goodness and kindness, I play with them, I laugh until I cry, I sing, I welcome their fears, their worries and their hugs. I try to accompany them in their growth and in the meantime they accompany me in mine.
Scouting is not a hobby and it is not a sport. It is a way of life, it structures your soul and changes your way of seeing the world.
You don't "become" a scout, you "are" a scout.
Among us we say “semel scout, semper scout” – once a scout, always a scout – because when something hits you as hard as scouting does, you can’t get over it, you’ll always have an invisible handkerchief around your neck and the scout promise tattooed on your heart.
Elena
Check out our custom apparel dedicated to Scout Groups .
Discover the line of Ape Social Wear clothing
Follow us on social media to stay up to date: APE Social Wear And @apesocialwear