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Competition. The lifeblood of capitalism and Swall's advancement thru technology and the ages. You're split. You see the kids before you, one day to become adults like yourself, and you see these power dynamics and hierarchies forming here to one day become very real ones. You think you should be more like them, on the one hand, but on the other hand, you're not really sure...
After the initial excitement of Summer Vacation has worn off, you find yourself back at your Scout meeting place. It's a specific room in the <span class="mu-i">Roughscales</span> garage; a local sponser who very kindly donates part of his business for your troop's usage. Here, you collect some of the medicinal things and materials used for your community service. It's a useful meeting place about equal to every member of your Scouting group. You check over what you have.
Some norken snails to be milked from their mild paraylsis venom, some rare corals, donated blankets, water-insulation useful in older wet homes, simple humidifers to be handed out in dry homes... Most people could afford these things themselves, or don't need them, but the people you promised to help can't. For many? It's medicine. Not even a hundred years ago; this type of medicinal help was all that there was before the advent of advanced medical technology. That knowledge wasn't lost, just became a secondary type of pursuit. That's why it's left to the Scouts.
In Swall society, self-reliance and independence is seen as very important. Along with being competitive; being reliant on others is seen as a moral and personal failure. It makes sense, after all, everyone started with the same oppertunities, and burdening others with your disability or poor life choices is socially taboo. Every Swall wants to be independent, a provider, a leader or inventor, and socially respected. In this way, those who serve others, especially those who can't provide for themselves, are considered to have a very low position of low skill and low importance. Social workers and nurses are always lesser and less desirable then a administrator or doctor, for example. Adults willing to work such roles are always in short supply, which is once again, why it's left to the Scouts.
