The most basic motto of the Boy Scouts of America is as simple as it is daunting: "Be Prepared."

Our fifteen year old is a Boy Scout and some of his most remarkable and memorable scouting excursions have demonstrated the wisdom of that motto.

For example, on one scouting trip, the wilderness trail they had planned to take turned out to be significantly steeper and more difficult than advertised. They adjusted their plan and re-routed their hike. Then one member of the troop suddenly became sick, making an about-face a necessity. They adjusted and re-traced their steps in order to get their friend to a safe location. Next morning they set out again, took an entirely different trail than they had planned.

Three days later we picked up our Scout, a boy who had experienced a totally unscheduled…