Honor our local Scouts on Boy Scout Anniversary Week
Published 8:00 am Saturday, February 8, 2020
For more than 100 years, Boy Scouts have been an integral part of American society and of helping young men.
The first full week of February is Boy Scout Anniversary Week, honoring an American institution that has its roots in England. Lord Baden-Powell founded the Boy Scouts in Great Britain in 1908 and a newspaperman — of all people — saw its value and brought it to America.
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Over the years, the volunteer leaders have helped mold young men and teach them skills, self-reliance and a number of other virtues.
Since its inception, more than 110 million Americans have been involved in Boy Scouts of America programs. Currently there are more than 2.4 million youth involved and nearly 1 million adult volunteers.
The last few years have been tumultuous for the Scouts. The organization has been embroiled in controversies and lawsuits.
But at its core the values and skills and experiences imbued in Scouts are immeasurable. The Scout Law remains immutable: “A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent.”
The people who have been Scouts and gone to greater fame is a long list. It includes John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr., Steven Spielberg, Neil Armstrong, Bill Gates and Michael Jordan.
Colleges, especially the service academies, are welcoming in their admissions to Eagle Scouts.
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The Scout promise is “On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; to help other people at all times; to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight.”
Even in these times, and maybe particularly in these times, those are still strong words to live by. Our local Scouts do a number of good things and they deserve recognition.
For the many adults who give of themselves to help young people become better citizens through Scouting, we hope they continue in those endeavors and we hope their work is appreciated in Boy Scout Anniversary Week.
