College Major

[VentureScoutNY]

Today, I declared my new Major Public and Professional Communication, with my goal becoming a Professional Scouter. I had a meeting with my advisor and she said and I quote "Remind me again, you wanted to be the Boy Scout Leader, right?" With some discontent I explained what I wanted to be to clear things up. I guess she does not adivse a large number of students wishing to be Pro Scouters.

 

For all of you Professional Scouters out there:

 

What was your Major in College?

 

What degree looked best when you were hired?

 

What Major do you think helped you most in preparing you for being a Pro Scouter?

[Eamonn]

BYU Now offers a degree in Scouting as part of their Recreation and Youth Leadership Department, which I think is part of BYU's College of Health and Human Performance.

Eamonn

[dsteele]

Bachelors Degree is required to become a professional scouter. That's the basic requirement, although it can be done with 10 years of management experience and an associates degree from an accredited college or university . . . it's a rare thing.

 

What field the major is in isn't as important. From what I've seen, you'll find BSA professionals with majors across the board.

 

I majored in Social Science and Business -- which was a mix of political science, history, economics, sociology, etc. and it has served me very well.

 

But I know professionals who are doing well who have majored in everything from physical education to physics.

 

As for direct advice to VentureScoutNY -- don't be discontent that your advisor doesn't understand the concept of professional Scouting. Few people do. After all, there are only about 3,500 commissioned professionals in the BSA.

 

In fact, have fun with their ideas. When I started as a DE in a small district many moons ago, fresh out of college, a friend of mine wrote me and said, "So you're a professional Boy Scout. How many boys in your troop?"

 

I responded truthfully . . . "898."

 

His eyes bugged out. Good thing it was a small district.

 

DS

[Proud Eagle]

I have sometimes thought about the possibility of becoming a professional Scouter. It is one of the possibilities I keep in mind. I know I want to do something that involves the greater good or serving others. I also know I should make use of the leadership skills that I have. I don't think I would make a very good priest. I don't think I have the patience to be a school teacher. Politics is a very risky choice of a career. I am not really certain I would be the best choice for a military officer.

 

Everyone also says to find something you like to do for a career. Well, I love Scouting, so it would seem to fit. I don't have any real experience with the sort of work professionals do, but then again I don't have work experience in any field I would be likely to choose.

 

I recently met one of the district executives in the council here where I go to school. He is a relatively recent graduate of the same university I attend. I am a political science major, and he got his degree in poli sci. We ended up having an interesting talk about classes and professors.

 

Both the strangest and most impressive degree I have known a professional to have was a masters in classical studies. Those are pretty rare even in the academic world, so I would imagine he probably was the only person employed by BSA at that time with that degree.

 

I found this on scouting.org:

 

Some of the majors and college classes that could be of benefit for a career in Scouting are:

 

General business

Non-profit management

Marketing

Finance and accounting

Public speaking

American Humanics

 

[VentureScoutNY]

Does the school your degree is from have any pros or cons? I go to a state school, nothing fantastic. Will that hurt me in any way?

[dsteele]

As long as your degree comes from an accredited college or university, the answer to your question is "no."

 

DS