Front (L to R): Jorge Rodriguez-Zavala, Ayman Karroum, Damien L. Cardona, German Avalos, Damian Gomez, Antonio Banderas. Back: Jesus Flora Silva, Sun Day, Luis Ledesma (scout leader), Sebastian Juarez.
On Monday, May 20, nine Rogers Elementary students gathered in the school library for the last time this spring as members of Boy Scout Troop 1136. The students had spent many Monday lunch recess times together, learning about service and leadership and participating in various activities through a pilot scouting program.
Rogers University offered a similar scouting program last summer. The activities were popular among the participants, so the school decided to pilot something similar during the 2012-2013 school year. The goal was to get students involved with scouting who were unable to attend evening or weekend scouting events due a number of barriers. They met once a week with scout leader Luis Ledesma. Meeting during lunch recess time on Mondays and wearing scouting uniforms courtesy of United Way, the students follow the same program after-school scouts do, learning about citizenship, leadership, service and respect.
Scouts also learned first aid skills like CPR and discussed how to be positive leaders in school and the community.
The scouts are members of Troop 1136 – the same troop that meets outside of school. This means they can participate in activities with activities with those scouts when school is not in session.
“I was very impressed with my kids,” Ledesma said. “Hopefully we’ll continue this. I think it’s good for the kids.”
At the end of the school year the students had completed even requirements to earn their first badge, fittingly named the Bobcat badge.
Scoutmaster Luis Ledesma leads members of Troop 1136 in reciting the Scout pledge.
