Scout Troops, Packs, Crews Celebrate Scouting's 93rd Anniversary
Boy Scouts of America Still Strong Into Its Tenth Decade of Service
Irving, Texas, February 3, 2003—This week, youth and adult members
of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) are celebrating the 93rd anniversary of one of
America's greatest youth development and service organizations. For more than nine
decades, the BSA has remained committed to preparing young people to make ethical
choices by instilling in them the timeless values of the Scout Oath and Law.
"The purpose of the Boy Scouts of America—to help America's youth reach
their full potential—has not changed in our 93 years," said Chief Scout
Executive Roy L. Williams. "That stability and clarity of mission is one reason
Scouting is as successful as it is today. Scouting focuses on mentoring youth,
building their character, supporting their faith traditions, and helping them
establish patterns for lifelong learning, healthy living, and serving others.
These attributes have never been more important than they are today."
The BSA's more than 300 local councils will honor Scouting's 93rd anniversary
in a variety of ways across our great nation. In celebration, local Scouts will
participate in special ceremonies and award presentations designed to help the
public better understand the purposes and objectives of Scouting.
"The ideas and values found in the Scout Oath and Law are just as relevant
for our youth today as they were 93 years ago," said, Roy S. Roberts, national
volunteer president of the Boy Scouts of America. "Scouting's anniversary allows
youth members and adult volunteers to show their respect and dedication to such
an important American tradition. To sum it up in a phrase, Scouting is time
well-spent, for both youth and their families."
Lord Robert S. S. Baden-Powell founded the Boy Scouts in Great Britain in 1907.
Two years later, William Boyce, a Chicago publisher traveling in London, became
lost in a fog. A young boy helped him find his way. When Boyce thanked the boy
for his aid and offered him a tip, the boy explained, declining the tip, that it
was his duty as a Scout to help others. Impressed with the boy's actions, Boyce
met with Baden-Powell and laid the groundwork to bring Scouting to the United
States. With the help of Ernest Thompson Seton, Daniel Carter Beard, and James
E. West, the Boy Scouts of America was established on February 8, 1910.
Membership and participation in the Boy Scouts of America continues to grow
and engage youth from our nation's ever-changing population. Today, the BSA has
more than 5 million youth members and participants and more than 1 million adult
volunteers. Since its inception in 1910, some 110 million people have been
involved in Scouting. To find out more information about Scouting activities
in your area, please visit our Web site at www.scouting.org
Boy Scouts of America—Connecting youth with
communities and families.
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