Friends –
Growing up in Cincinnati, faith was an integral part of my life. My family, church, school, and troop all provided a community that helped shape who I was and who I would become in life. Even today, the simple, quiet reverence of Scout Vespers moves me. I know many of you who have grown up in Scouting feel the same way.
As a parent, I believe that faith should be an integral part of childhood. In an increasingly complicated world, faith helps young people develop a broader perspective on life. Faith gives them a sense of hope and teaches them acceptance and selflessness in a society that sometimes tells them they aren’t enough. Ultimately, faith is an individual journey which can help define who we are and who we’ll become. The Scouting tradition says that youth are better served when they live lives of reverence and faith. And I believe that is true.
Recently, some have wondered if Scouting’s commitment to faith was still strong. They supposed that by changing our name we might somehow be moving away from our core ideals. I can assure you that nothing could be further from the truth. The Scout Oath and Law begin with Duty to God and conclude with Reverent. This is not an accident. Scouting’s founders knew that faith acts as a type of compass that guides and ultimately makes our families, communities, and our nation stronger.
We are committed to the unchanging ideals of the Scout Oath, Law and our duty to country and our faith. Like the points of a compass, they are constant. They unite us as a movement as we prepare young people for lives of purpose and impact.
I hope you’ll join me as we continue to live these ideals and invite more youth and families to join Scouting. An invitation to a classmate to visit a pack meeting or to come along on a campout could be the first step for someone who needs the fun, faith and adventure that awaits. Along the way, they may just find a new path through Scouting America.
Yours in Scouting,
