Recently, the News-Herald has covered quite a lot of Scouting events.

In today’s paper, we have pictures of a Cub Scouts Pinewood Derby and a story about a fundraising event for local Boy Scouts.

Over the weekend, we published a story about a Girl Scout luncheon designed to connect Girl Scouts with local women such as state Sen. Yvonne Miller (D-5th), Mayor Linda T. Johnson and former Virginia Beach Mayor Meyera Oberndorf, who came to the luncheon to speak and to give the girls an example of successful female leaders.

Several times over the past two months or so, we have publicized the sale of Girl Scout cookies, those delectable little treats that the scouts come selling at your door – and they somehow always seem to know just how to get you to buy the sweets.

In January, we ran a story about Boy Scouts from throughout the region competing in the Klondike Derby, where Scouts tested their Scout skills such as knot-tying, and other skills such as leadership, teamwork and problem-solving.

As I’ve been covering these events and reading the stories about Scouting other reporters have written, I’ve been impressed by how dedicated parents and leaders in the organizations are to the missions of the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts.

At the January event, which was held in sub-freezing temperatures, parents camped out all night with their sons and then rose the next morning to help organize the Klondike Derby.

At Saturday’s Girl Scout event, national Girl Scout leader Eileen Doyle told a reporter why they held the event.

“Girl Scouts is really claiming our space as leaders in the world,” said Eileen Doyle, the national vice president of program development for the Girl Scouts. “It’s good for girls to have access to women of all ages for examples of leadership.”

Though I was never able to be a part of Scouting as I was growing up, these two organizations have particularly impressed me as I’ve covered their events in recent months. If your children aren’t involved in Scouting, look into it – you will probably find it’s about much more than you thought it was.