A few years ago, I was helping my oldest son pick up a mattress that he had purchased for his first apartment. We pulled up to the furniture store warehouse, showed our receipt to the attendant, and waited while he fetched the items from inside.

Since the trip to my son’s new place was not far, we planned to just tie the mattress to the roof rack of my Ford Explorer. I brought rope for that purpose, and the two of us proceeded to use several basic knots to secure the mattress. The warehouse attendant looked on as we snugged the awkward item down with half hitches and taut line hitches.

“What are you, some kind of Boy Scouts or something?” the attendant asked as he watched us work. 

“Actually, yes, we are both Scouts!” we proudly acknowledged (my son is an Eagle Scout). The attendant smiled in a way that said, “I guess knot tying can be a useful skill!”

Now, I will admit that the trucker’s hitch would have been an even better choice for this job, but that’s a knot that continues to elude me!

This was not the first or the only time when knot-tying, fire-building, first aid and other Scout skills have come in handy in “the real world” for me or for Scouts who I have worked with.

First aid is a set of skills that are well worth learning, even if you never encounter an “opportunity” to put them into practice. A person may not think about first aid every day, but knowing what to do in an emergency could save someone’s life. Maybe even your own.

The point is, Scouting is not an activity that shelters young people from life. It offers skills and knowledge and leadership opportunities that can be used in school, family life, future careers or in the simple enjoyment of the outdoors.

Upon joining a troop, Scouts learn the Scout motto: Be Prepared. You would be surprised how many times that means knowing the right knot, remembering to bring rain gear, or having a personal first aid kit. Like so many things in a young person’s life, these skills are absorbed and held ready for when they might be needed in the future.

In case you’re wondering, we got the mattress to my son’s apartment without incident and the pieces of rope were returned to a bag in the back of my vehicle. I have a new vehicle now, but the same bag of rope. I like to Be Prepared.

It’s been a few years since I tried again to learn the trucker’s hitch. Maybe it’s time for this old Scout to learn a new trick.

Scout On!

Scott Fishel wears several hats in Scouting, including a longtime association with Troop 178 and Troop 1178 in Morton. You can contact him at [email protected]. Find a Scout unit in your community at beascout.org.