One think I thank the BSA for is when I moved to Arizona, I thought it was one ugly lifeless brown desert. One of the merit badges required me to identify many types of flora and fauna to a leader while hiking in the desert.

It really opened my eyes to the beauty of the Arizona desert, which I grew to love very much.

The swimming and lifesaving merit badges also made me confident in the water, which I thank the BSA for giving me the impetus to do.

And, of course, the knots have served me well, and I can make fire with one match. I wish the Scouts had taught a lot more woodcraft. They didn't even teach building an emergency shelter.