By SYDNEY KENT
It was a cold and snowy day in January 1985 when Steve Higgins heard a knock at the door. A neighbor in the married housing at Ball State University, Larry, had transmission troubles. Higgins invited Larry to use his car.
Larry later invited Higgins to a camping trip, and the two became friends.
As the group sat around a campfire, Higgins heard moving memories of fishing and hiking trips, cooking on cast iron and learning to be a leader. Larry had accumulated the experiences as an eagle scout in the Cub Scouts of America.
Higgins went on to graduate from BSU with a bachelor’s degree in accounting. When his oldest son entered first grade, Higgins enrolled him in scouting.
“One day, I was sitting in a meeting and the cub master was there with the district executive,” Higgins recalled. “They said that they needed a new cub master to continue to pack.”
Higgins looked around the room and didn’t see a single raised hand.
“I volunteered that night. I had no idea what that meant, or what I had to do,” Higgins laughed. “All I knew is that I wanted my kid to be in scouting because of what I heard around that campfire.”
Over the years, Higgins studied and researched to learn as much as he could about scouting. He even learned that his sixth-grade teacher at Southern Wells, Max Snow, was a scout leader. At the time, there was not a designated recruiter to teach kids about Cub Scouts. Through trial and error, effort and servant leadership, Higgins has changed this.
In 2008, he climbed the ranks to Senior District Executive in the organization. These days, he travels around schools and talks to students and families about scouting. Higgins said parents are needed now more than ever.
“This is a family-based program,” Higgins emphasized. “We try to engage parents and kids and encourage those bonds together. We truly become a family.”
Higgins said current leaders and volunteers are exceptional, however, their children have or will soon age out of the program. He has concerns about the future of scouting when their positions are left vacant. He also said the Cub Scouts of America was significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The virus cut us in half,” Higgins said. “When meetings and outings were not allowed anymore, we lost 50 percent of our membership.”
Higgins believes saving scouting is important because it helps kids strengthen their connection to their communities, encourages compassion and courage, and unites families. Higgins explained that scouts who earn the top rank in scouting, the eagle rank, are prioritized by college recruiters, future employers, and even the military.
However, one does not need to earn the top rank to benefit from the program.
“My middle son Jake made it to first class as a scout,” Higgins tearfully recounted. “A week after he graduated from high school, he shipped out to MCRD in San Diego. He joined the Marine Corps. The first letter he sent home said, ‘Hey dad, all that stuff I learned in scouts, I’m doing it now.’”
Much like the cubs, Higgins said parents become more comfortable and confident participating over time. Each troop has a committee in charge of planning fundraisers and activities and managing finances. Volunteers are needed to join. Den leaders and assistants are also needed to host weekly meetings.
The Cub Scouts of America is not associated with Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts and is not exclusive to one gender. Anyone with an interest in volunteering, donating or learning more about scouting is encouraged to call Steve Higgins at 260-273-2711.
sydney@news-banner.com
