It’s better to be honest than to pretend to be something you’re not.

True friends will accept you for exactly who you are.

Following the crowd can have dangerous consequences.

It’s important to be prepared when you go out into the wild

“‘Anyway, doing stuff in the city is for sissies. Scouting is real camping. Besides, I like roughing it.’” (Paragraph 20)

“After they caught up, Horse looked me in the eye and said, ‘If this bridge falls, I’m going to kill you.’” (Paragraph 70)

“The hatchet bounced right out of his hand. There was not even a dent in the tree. Horse retrieved the hatchet and checked the blade. ‘Dull,’ he said.” (Paragraph 104)

“we were starving. I almost said something about giving up, but as far as I could see, the other guys were still tough.” (Paragraph 123)

They want to show the others that they are the best Boy Scout.

They want to prove to each other how tough they are.

They want to see what the world looks like outside of Brooklyn.

They want to impress Mr. Brenkman with their camping skills.