Social capital is the sum of the good things good people  do to make their communities better places to live and work. It’s the result of generous people who share their time, talent, and treasure with others. Much of this sharing goes unnoticed as generous people tend to be shy about their generosity.   This segment features Jason Blyler who has spent much of his life creating social capital through scouting.

Dr. Patrick J. O’Connor is the lead consultant for 3LC. He is also associated with several consultants and trainers who specialize in other learning-related subjects.

Background on Scouting – Life and Work Skills

Scouting has been around for over 100 years and hundreds of packs and troops across America have been developing young people for generations. In 2019, girls were accepted into Boy Scouts leading to a name change of Scouting America effective 2025.  

The mission of Scouting America is to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes. Each scout learns the Scout Oath that fosters the aims of Scouting which are Character, Citizenship, Personal Fitness and Leadership. These aims are developed by numerous adults who support scouts through their growth.  

Scouting develops skills that are good preparation for work and life. The learning approach is experiential as scouts must learn and practice skills. A basic tenant of scouting is to “never do for scouts what they can do for themselves”. Among the many skills scouts develop, the following three standout.

First, social skills are developed which are good preparation for the workforce since employers emphasize soft skills. Many young people today are lacking in this area due to the reliance on social media. Second, scouting puts a premium on problem solving, which is another important life and workforce skill. Many scouting activities from cub scout to Eagle Scout teach problem solving. Third, leadership development is encouraged especially as scouts grow through the scouting process. These skills are developed through projects and earning merit badges. And all this is accomplished in a friendly,  welcoming and encouraging manner.  

Merit Badges

Merit badges are the awards earned in an area of study by completing a list of requirements. These requirements help the scout explore a chosen area, further the scout’s knowledge and encourage curiosity. A Merit badge counselor works with each scout to accomplish the goals outlined in the guidelines for each badge. The counselor meets with the scout to discuss the requirements needed for the badge and help formulate an achievement plan. Then, the counselor meets with the scout throughout the process to offer encouragement, advice, or coaching.  

All young people who participate in scouting benefit. The various activities, earning merit badges and interaction with adults provide support and encouragement for young people. Those who participate the longest can earn the rank of Eagle Scout. They must plan, present, finance and execute a lasting project that serves their community.  

Eagle Scouts exemplify the best in scouting fostering leadership qualities that last in life, career, family, and community. This leadership is evident by the well-known people who have earned the rank. A sample of the many Eagle Scouts are astronaut Neil Armstrong, President Gerald R. Ford, film director Steven Spielberg,^[95] Mike Rowe, host of Dirty Jobs, ^[96] Basketball Hall of Famer, Rhodes Scholar, Senator Bill Bradley, U.S. Supreme Court justice William Breyer and entrepreneur Sam Walton. Even the Olympics connect with Eagle Scouts as 14 Olympians on the 2024 American team are Eagle Scouts.

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Jason and his wife Cassandra had the privilege of guiding their children Kristen and Alexander to the rank of Eagle Scout. During both of their children’s projects they went from mentoring to being the ones  mentored. The leadership skills they display will last them a lifetime. Kristen and her friend Lexie were in the inaugural class of female Eagle Scouts. One day our list of high-profile Eagle Scouts will include young women.

Scouting and Social Capital

Scouting contributes to social capital in many ways. The goal is for each scout to become a confident, community-oriented, independent adult. The primary benefits from scouting relate to personal, family and community growth.  

Individual scouts learn many lessons that enable them to grow as individuals and understand their role as family members and citizens. All the projects and badges the scouts earn help them to set and achieve goals. One motto of scouting is to do for others rather than self. A scout’s  confidence grows with each activity.

Scouting is often a family activity. Usually, each child will be involved in scouting as will parents and other family members. Jason and his brothers Johnathan (twin) and Will were scouts. Also, his wife Cassandra was a Girl scout leader for 15 years. They both were very active in all three of their children’s scouting adventure. Their daughter Kayla was involved for 13 years from age 5. She participated in many activities including leadership training camps and eventually became a leadership  instructor. And she will marry an Eagle Scout this fall! Their daughter Kristen and son Alexander  achieved the rank of Eagle Scout. Kristen also earned the Girl Scout Gold award which is like Eagle Scout. She is the first young woman in Northeast Ohio to receive both awards.

Often extended family members also participate as there are many roles for adult involvement in scouting. It is very rewarding for parents and other adults to watch young people grow and develop into healthy, mature young adults.  

Scouts are very active in their communities in a variety of ways. Churches and their congregations often participate in scouting by providing meeting space, mentoring and support for scouts as they earn badges. Many of the activities and badges scouts earn often are community oriented. Two good examples are the Eagle Scout projects Kristen and Alex implemented. Kristen obtained t-shirts from local merchants and made masks and bags to distribute to the Emergency Assistance Center in Northfield during Covid. Alex planned and created a gravel path for the Twinsburg Garden club.  

The people who make it happen

Several adults are involved in scouting performing many roles such as merit counselor, committee member, den leader and cub master among others. Jason has been all of these and he’s even been a high adventure chaperone.  Adults involved in scouting view themselves as the “guide on the side”.

Each pack or troop is led by a pack or scout master. Other adults assist with various activities including the badge/merit process. Adults follow a mentoring framework called EDGE. E for educate, D for demonstrate, G for guide and E for enable. All these adults contribute to the social capital that scouting creates.  

Jason Blyler – “A Chance to Sail”

The glue that holds the entire process together is the pack or scout leader. Jason’s scout roots run deep starting out as cub scout at 9 with his twin brother Johnathan. Several years later they joined Troop 227 in Cleveland. As teenagers they looked forward to monthly weekend camp outs and a week every summer with their troop at Camp Beaumont’s summer camp. An annual highlight was their Superbowl weekend event hosted each year by the troop. Jason, his family and their many friends still enjoy many of these same activities today.

After he had children of his own, Jason supported his daughters in their girl scout troops but became much more involved in cub scouts when his son turned 6. They joined pack 223 sponsored by his church, Faith United Methodist in Twinsburg.  

He began as a den leader of 9 rambunctious boys and over the years took on additional responsibilities as Cubmaster. As Cubmaster he facilitated monthly meetings and activities with all the boys in the pack as well as maintaining the weekly meetings and outings for their smaller den. He served around 100 cub scouts ranging from 6 to 10 years old and their families. He taught skills ranging from fire safety, knot tying, fishing, camping, and community service. As Cubmaster he hosted the Pack’s annual Pinewood derby.   

The Pinewood Derby is perhaps the most well-known (and remembered) activity in scouting. This very popular event  connects children with their parents, families and friends. Each scout is issued a kit, consisting of a block of wood, 4 nails and 4 plastic wheels. Each cub scout works with a parent to shape the wood, add the wheels and any accessories to make their car. The cub scouts race their cars down the track competing against scouts in their age group. Cub Scouts and their families cheer as the cars race to the finish line. It really is a fun event for the entire family.  

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When his son transitioned to Boy Scouts Jason also transitioned. The troop already had an excellent Scoutmaster and plenty of assistant scout masters. He felt he would be of more service as a committee member since each scout would need committee members available for rank advancement reviews. Initially this role seemed less involved with the scouts but is vital to the success of the troop. In addition to advancement reviews, troop committee members work behind the scenes to support the Scoutmaster and ensure the quality of the unit’s program.

Also, at this stage in a scout’s career, the goal of the troop is to be more scout led, with adults on the periphery, ready to mentor and assist as needed.  

In addition, Jason chaperones monthly campouts, service activities and as scheduling allows attend yearly summer weeklong campouts. The summer campout focuses on earning merit badges, learning new skills, practicing current skills, and making lifelong memories. Some of the outdoor events include trips to remote islands where scouts explore and participate in many adventurous activities.  

Currently Jason serves as a Merit Badge counselor for Family Life, Personal Management, Scholarship, Chemistry, and Public Health. These areas complement his full-time career as a pharmacist. They also complement Cassandra’s career in nursing. They firmly believe scouting gives young people a “chance to sail”.

What do you love about what you do?

Watching young people mature and develop character, leadership, responsibility and integrity is very rewarding. When you see young people meeting the goals of scouting there is a sense of accomplishment. Jason believes you get more than you give.

Growing up with scouting as a family activity has been wonderful for Jason, his family, and the many lifelong friendships they have made. He has many people and experiences along his scouting journey that have nurtured and developed healthy children, future adults, and citizens including his own. Their children are living proof of the impact of scouting. They are young adults now succeeding in college and the workplace. Some of the warmest moments he and Cassandra have were guiding their children to leadership roles in Scouting.

Scouting for a Lifetime

The skills Jason learned in completing the boy scout rank/ merit badge requirements have helped him achieve in scouts, college, work and life. These were especially important for him and his brothers growing up in a single parent home. These skills were further developed in his adult scouting roles. Setting and achieving goals has been a valuable lesson. 

He feels that scouting has challenged him to be a better adult. He enjoys giving back to the scouts what many of his leaders and mentors gave him in support, guidance, and encouragement. Support, guidance and encouragement provide important social capital for communities to thrive.

Everything about scouting is detailed on the website.  

Boy Scouts of America | Prepared. For Life.™ (scouting.org)

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