By Jerry Hancock

According to Wikipedia, paraphrasing its definition, ‘a résumé is a document used by a person to present his or her background and skills, and ‘is usually one of the first items, a potential employer uses to screen applicants.’

Employers look for many qualities in a prospective employee, male or female of any age. Beyond the tangible aspect of how do, your skills, talents experience match up to the job qualifications, the employer also wants to see evidence of other characteristics in a candidate, such as, good people skills, ability to participate well as part of a team, good organizational skills, forward thinking, planning capabilities, leadership, community involvement, and service to others–all personal attributes, that will give an interviewer a sense that an employee will be an asset to an employer.

Where can you find the opportunity to develop these attributes, and gain practical experience in using them, so that you can demonstrate to an employer that, you are the well-rounded individual, that the company is looking for?

An opportunity is right here at CURET, to serve as adult volunteers (male or female) in Scouts BSA Troop 1443! Does this surprise you? “Scouts,” you say? On the surface you might think scouting is all about learning knots, camping, and helping people cross the street! All of these clichés have merit, but as an adult volunteer in CURET’s Troop 1443 it is so much more! Opportunities abound to learn and develop many of the people skills that are of great value to an employer, within every scout troop. For example: A scout troop operates much the way a business does. It has an annual budget, a governing Unit Committee, a Charter, a yearly, events planning calendar, a philosophy, a need to work toward a common goal, a path to better oneself, mentoring, a spirit of community involvement and service to others, just to mention a few.

Right here in Hartford CT, there exists a chance for you to be part of a worthwhile program that will serve you well in your future employment picture and help provide much needed support for youth in our city to experience a worthwhile scouting program.  Adults, men, and women, ages 18 and up, can become volunteers in Scouts BSA by filling out a membership application and completing a Youth Protection Training course. College-age students can apply and volunteer your time as an internship and potentially earn community service credit. You can contribute to the success of a troop in many ways.  Perhaps you want to explore how a troop finances its yearly program, or how its adult leaders are trained, or how the scouts gain experience in developing their leadership skills, all quality aspects that are indispensable to maintaining a viable scout troop, or for that matter, a viable business.

The program of Scouts BSA is all about the youth, but there is an amazing, crossover, and developmental effect for the adult volunteers of any age as well. While it is a nice listing on an employment resume, [Adult Volunteer CURET’s Scouts BSA Troop 1443], becoming an authorized adult member of CURET’s Scouts BSA Troop 1443 is not a means to an end. What you will offer, learn and experience by joining, will make you a better person and as role models for Hartford’s youth, that is what they deserve and that is what a future employer will see in you!

Applications are available at each scout meeting, held 6-8 pm on Tuesdays at the Center for Urban Research, Education and Training, located at 1443 Albany Avenue, Hartford, CT, (parking lot entrance, call ahead to confirm meeting dates).

               If you know someone, Adult or Youth, male or female, who wants to be part of the challenge to learn a variety of life skills such as: First Aid, knot tying, camping, hiking, leadership, citizenship, character development, personal fitness, financing, social work, mentoring, calendar planning and more, by participating in the opportunities of Scouting in Hartford, don’t hesitate! Contact Scoutmaster Dean Rhoden cell & text (860) 462-5656 email: dl.rhodenggaa@yahoo.com, or ASM Jerry Hancock email: hanjth@aol.com, cell & text (860) 306-3642. Jerry Hancock is an assistant scoutmaster with Troop 1443 Hartford, CT.

               You can also make a financial contribution to enable more Hartford youth to join Scouting. Please make check payable to: Troop 1443, and mail to: Troop 1443, C/O CURET, 1443 Albany Ave., Hartford, CT 06112

(Featured Photo Courtesy of: Rawpixel on Unsplash)