It’s no secret social and peer pressures can cause boys to make personal choices that have consequences they are not ready to handle –­ choices that can frighten, overwhelm, or confuse them; choices they might not be prepared to make. Sometimes making the wrong choice can damage self-esteem or endanger health, safety, or well-being. But it doesn’t have to be that way – BSA wants to help.

Boy Scouts of America encourages you to help youth in your community to make smart decisions with the use of a powerful teaching tool: “Troop 491: The Adventures of the Muddy Lions.” This unique film promotes character, leadership, teamwork, and self-esteem and contains messages that resonate with today’s youth.

The film was inspired by the life experiences of first-time filmmaker and African American Scout, Praheme Praphet. The movie tells the story of Tristan, a boy coping with life in crime-ridden city. To keep him off the streets, his mother enrolls him in Scouting yet he is still confronted with serious pressures when faced with witnessing a local homicide. Viewers will learn whether he follows the code of the streets or the code of the Boy Scouts?

The BSA makes it easy for troops interested in learning about the valuable lessons in the film with the help of kits designed to foster discussion, educate, and provide tools for planning movie screenings sure to capture your troop’s attention. These kit resources can be customized to fit the needs of your troop’s recruiting efforts, because we all know, no troop is the same. You can order kits through BSA Muddy Lions and download all printed materials directly from the website.

Eager to see the Muddy Lions in action? Check back here next week to read the full story of a Florida troop’s transformation.