In a world that is only growing more competitive and complex, some Scouts find it increasingly difficult to effectively manage their commitments to Scouting America and the Order of the Arrow with school, family, and other extracurricular obligations. From caring for younger siblings, to studying for tests, to spending time with friends, these responsibilities can stack up quickly. That is why it is important to prioritize and develop a smart strategy for balancing these tasks.
Ian Young is a Scout from Texas who has always been deeply involved in both Scouting America and his school. As a member of his school’s marching band, participant in congressional debate, and student enrolled in dual credit classes, his schedule is already packed. He is also a former section officer, lodge chief, and crew president, further adding to his list of responsibilities. A common perspective on balancing these responsibilities is the idea that school comes first, a sentiment that Ian shared when asked how he prioritizes his OA and school responsibilities, saying,
“The way I normally end up prioritizing between my school stuff and my Scout stuff is [by putting] all my school stuff first… Normally, I'll go to all of my classes, then I have extracurriculars. So, [at] eight, I'll get home. Hopefully I did all my homework during the day, [and] if not, I’m up till about ten doing [that]… In my spare time is when I work on my OA stuff… So, while I was a section officer, I would work on getting stuff prepared for my [conclave vice chiefs] and making sure that all of [the section] files were in order. Now that I'm lodge chief, I'm currently working on slowly rewriting our bylaws. Basically, using my spare time to work with OA. Because I enjoy it a lot, I don't mind spending my extra time on it."
A common issue that Scouts face when prioritizing activities is motivation to work on one or the other. While working on OA tasks may be more fun, it is important to remember that school is the more important responsibility. Ian shared how he faced and overcame this exact challenge when asked about some of the challenges that he has faced and sacrifices that he has made while taking on both OA and school responsibilities:
“If it sacrifices my sanity, I'm definitely there. [The] main challenge I had last year was that I was having so much fun with section, and I really did not like my history class, so I ended up not working very hard in several of my classes and just focusing on OA stuff... I ended up coasting for about two or three months. I'd get home I’d think, ‘oh, this is fun. I want to do this.’ Then I think to schoolwork, and I just kind of sit here and not really want to do anything. So, it was kind of just finding motivation to make sure I was taking care of myself and all the other stuff I needed to… The way I came back from that is I had a moment [with] one of my friends and [he] was like, ‘hey, this isn't you.’ He kind of got me back on it.”
While it is easy to focus on the challenges that can come from having this many responsibilities, the lessons learned through Scouting and leadership in the OA can be very helpful in other parts of life, such as school. Ian talked about how he believes that Scouting has assisted him in his academic pursuits more than it has hindered him when asked about some of the ways that Scouting has helped him in school:
“Definitely leadership. In a lot of school organizations, I've been able to take leadership just because of the experiences that OA has given me. Yes, you get those opportunities from troops and crews. But with OA, I feel like it's vastly different. You have NLS, which is one of the best programs ever. Even just some of my lodge stuff, it always gets me super excited and ends up giving me the drive to do everything, including schoolwork. So, I just feel super energized from doing it.”
Finally, Ian touched on what advice he would give to Scouts struggling to balance being a leader in the OA and having commitments at school, saying,
“My biggest advice is [to] try and just take a step back, breathe and look over everything. There are a lot of tools that can help you organize. Try and think [about] what comes first. Remember, school comes first, but then also organize it… You can still do some of your OA stuff before your school stuff, just make sure you have a balance, so… [if] there's this OA deadline, but [you] don't have any deadlines at school for a while, and [you] really want to work on your OA stuff, do that, but don't sacrifice school to work on OA stuff because, in the long run, school comes first.”