At Boys’ Life we often hear from parents who have seen the impact of Scouting on their children. Recently, Jamison Vawter shared with us the story of his son Zach.
Two years ago, Zach didn’t have many interests. He hated exercising and his diet consisted of chicken nuggets, French fries, Cheerios and chips. He refused to do almost anything except watch YouTube videos.
That all changed when he joined Boy Scout Troop 454 in Freehold, New Jersey, in early 2014.
“Zach is severely autistic and effectively non-verbal, but has recently come out of his shell and begun to accomplish great things due in part to joining Scouting,” Jamison wrote.
This summer, Zach volunteered his time to help build a fence at a special-needs horseback-riding organization, where he has begun taking lessons.
In August, he attended Forestburg Boy Scout Camp where he earned the Swimming merit badge and participated in many activities – including walking across a lake on a monkey bridge.
When he returned from camp, his family was hosting a mother and newborn from Ghana who had medical complications from giving birth. Her 8-year-old son was also staying with the family. Zach happily shared his tiny bedroom – and personal space – with the boy, something he would have never gone along with before he joined Scouting.
Overall, Zach’s parents, teachers and Scoutmasters have all noticed big changes in Zach since he joined the Boy Scouts. Jamison notes that Zach now has a nutritious diet including broccoli, kale, fish, and other healthy foods. He’s also become very active, going from “zero exercise” to participating in almost every Scouting event and activity, including bike riding and jogging.
“Best of all,” writes Mr. Vawter, “he does it all with a big smile.”
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