INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Each week on Community Link, Carolene Mays takes a look at an organization or business that is making a positive impact on the community.

This week, Mays was joined by Leslie Hurst and Matt Prine with the Crossroads of America Council, Boy Scouts.

Widely acknowledged as a community and national leader, the Crossroads of America Council, Boy Scouts, serves nearly 28,000 Scouts and families across central Indiana. Crossroads also strives to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices, by instilling the values of Scouting.

Hurst and Prine share the mission of Boy Scouts, which goes much deeper than camping trips, learning how to tie knots, and popcorn sales.

“The mission of Scouting is really to cultivate an atmosphere where you can learn how to make ethical and moral decisions throughout their life,” Prine said. “We instill that through an important process called learning the Scout Oath and Scout Law. Without going into the entire Scout Law, things like being thrifty or kind or obedient, even learning how to respect authority – things of that nature are a part of the Scout Oath and Law.”

Prine also explains the many reasons why he believes someone should join the Scouts, including the many opportunities to learn new skills and go on adventures.

“We creatively give them opportunities to learn new life skills, things that they’re going to take into their future,” he said. “Maybe that’s being a leader, maybe that’s learning how to be a friend to someone else.”

Mays also asks the two about the Boy Scouts’ recent change to allow girls into the organization. Hurst says part of this change allows the council to serve the full family, but adds that many of the Boy Scouts’ programs have included girls since the beginning.

“In most of the programs that we offer, we’ve had girls in them since the program’s inception,” she said. “Since 2018, we invited girls to join Cub Scouts and in 2019 to Scouts B.S.A.”

She says another reason for the change is because hundreds of families in the United States “begged” them to.

“We’re really excited to be to help busy families nowadays, be able to drop kids off in one location and do scouting together,” she said, adding that not only is the organization excited, but families are, too.

Hurst and Prine also break down the seven major programs the organization offers, what safe scouting is, and their upcoming events.

To hear more, watch the full interview above.