Citizenship is more than residency. True citizens except the responsibilities of citizenship as quickly as they claim the rights that citizenship confers. They agree with President Theodore Roosevelt’s assertion that “this country will not be a good place for any of us to live in unless we make it a good place for all of us to live in.” Scouts may be too young to vote, serve on juries, or join the military, but they make America a better place to live through service projects and environmental stewardship.

What is more, a Scout troop is a laboratory of democracy. By learning to lead and follow in scouting, youth prepare themselves to be active citizens and members of community organizations, religious institutions, and families.