Most people know someone who was a Boy Scout — a brother, father, uncle, husband or friend — if they themselves weren’t in the program.
Some entire families for generations have belonged to the program. For many families, attending weekly meetings, building pinewood derby cars and placing patches on uniforms is commonplace.
And almost everyone knows the careers of some of the notable members who have achieved one of the Boy Scouts of America’s highest honors, Eagle Scout. Among that list of influential Americans are astronaut Neil Armstrong, President Gerald Ford, entrepreneur Sam Walton and director Steven Spielberg. The list of famous Eagles includes men from every facet of business, sports, military, arts and entertainment, science and politics. That’s not to mention the millions of other successful men, famous and not, who have been involved in the program over the last 100 years but did not attain that rank.
Boy Scouts teaches subjects not covered in many school textbooks — everything from camping to citizenship, pioneering to pulp and paper, sailing to stamp collecting. The available merit badges cover almost every facet of life — academic, physical and interpersonal — and demonstrate a skill or subject in which the boy is proficient.
For 100 years, the Boy Scouts of America has led boys and young men through life with its motto, “Be Prepared.” More than 114 million youth have been involved in the organization which works to prepare boys to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes.
In celebration of the organization’s centennial anniversary this year, the Boy Scouts of America is holding the 100th Anniversary National Jamboree in Fort A.P. Hill, Va. The jamboree began Monday with events scheduled for every day through Aug. 4. The Boy Scouts on Sunday held a parade in Washington, D.C. in celebration of the anniversary, as well.
The camp includes ways for the boys to earn dozens of types of merit badges, participate in science and technology programs and get physically active in several types of outdoor events.
In addition to the jamboree, the BSA are also planning this year: a tree-planting program, geocaching competition, a mobile Adventure Base 100 program that is traveling across America, and locally planned service projects. This year, scouts are also trying to earn five ribbons in the areas of service, achievement, character, outdoors and leadership for a commemorative patch.
Local Scouts
Local Scout Nicholas Riley is currently in Virginia at the week-plus jamboree with more than 40,000 other Scouts and volunteers.
Riley, an upcoming sophomore at Falls High School, said that Boy Scouts has had a positive impact on his life. He said he’s had experiences he never would have been able to do had he not joined the organization. That includes camping trips, community service projects and even leadership opportunities.
“All of the things you learn at Scouts is amazing,” he said.
Among his favorite activities is the camping. One of the things he said that make the camping trips special is that the older, more experienced boys, of which he is now one, are able to show the younger boys the proper ways to do things and act as role models.
“It’s fun to see them learn all the ways of camp,” Riley told The Journal via telephone Friday from Camp Tomahawk in Birchwood, Wis., where he had spent the week prior to the jamboree.
Another part of the year-long centennial celebration was the one-year revival of four merit badges that were once offered but have since been retired. Riley said that at Camp Tomahawk he was able to complete an interactive project to earn the tracking badge, which he said began in 1910 but was retired around 1950. The other badges being returned for the year are carpentry, pathfinding and signaling.
The Life Scout said that a sleepless night due to the excitement of Camp Tomahawk was bound to occur again before leaving for Fort A.P. Hill, to one of the largest scouting events in history.
He said that a Boy Scout leader told him about the fun of prior jamborees, and so he signed up to attend the event in 2008.
“I thought it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience to go to the 100-year anniversary (celebration) of Boy Scouts,” Riley said.
Only 100 people from the Voyageurs Area Council, to which the local scouts belong and which includes scouts from parts of northern Minnesota and areas of Wisconsin and Michigan surrounding Lake Superior, will be attending. Riley is the only member from the International Falls Boy Scouts planning to attend.
After the jamboree, Riley and his group will go to Washington, D.C. to visit museums, the White House and national monuments.
Riley said he still needs to complete one more large-service project before advancing to Eagle Scout, but that he’s not in a big rush to finish immediately. However, being an Eagle has always been one of his goals, he said.
Riley shared a bit of encouragement for boys thinking about joining Boy Scouts: “If you’re looking for a good time, join Scouts.”
Riley’s mother, Tammy Riley, who is local Troop 145 committee chair, agreed that the program was good for boys who were not sure what social groups they wanted to join, or what activities interested them.
There are 19 Boy Scouts and 24 Cub Scouts in the local area, along with 17 leaders for the three groups.
Lois Averill, North Border District Cub Scout chair and Cubmaster of Pack 145, is like many of the other leaders who followed her son through the program and has stayed with the Scouts even though her son became an Eagle Scout in 2005. She has seven Eagle Scouts in her immediate family, she said.
“I just like working with the kids,” she said.
Starting in September, each Boy Scout pack meeting will include some activity related to the centennial anniversary, Averill said.
Local scouting groups have asked the International Falls City Council for ideas, approval and potentially use of equipment for an upcoming service project they hope to complete Sept. 25.
Ideas already suggested to the council for this “Extreme Day of Service” include sprucing up main street by sweeping sidewalks or weeding flower planters.
Shining Light ceremony
The community of International Falls, and especially Boy Scouts past and present, are invited to watch a large-screen webcast of a special BSA presentation from the jamboree on Saturday evening.
The presentation, “A Shining Light Across America,” will be shown locally at the Faith United Church, 1001 Fifth Street in the Falls during an open house from 6:30-9:30 p.m. The webcast is set to begin at 7 p.m. local time and will be broadcast online all across the country.
“Once they see the webcast, they’ll really realize the importance of scouting and how they can pay back the community,” Averill said.
Current scouts are encouraged to wear their uniform and scouting alumni are encouraged to bring their memorabilia. The event is intended to be a social and reunion affair, with non-scouting members of the community also welcomed to attend. There are also scouting exhibits to be displayed, with light refreshments available.
Anyone with a computer and Internet connection can watch the video starting at 7 p.m. Saturday at www.ustream.tv/shininglight or www.bsa.org/shininglight.
The Voyageurs Area Council is holding a gathering to watch the broadcast at Wessman Arena, on the University of Wisconsin, Superior. Similar public events large and small, including the “Shining Light Across America” broadcast and scout gatherings, are expected across America Saturday night.
Scout Oath
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.
Scout Law
A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and
reverent.
100 years in review, 1910-2010
Key Dates
1910 — Boy Scouts of America incorporated
1911 — First Boy Scout Handbook published
1911 — Boys' Life premiered
1912 — First Eagle Scout, Arthur R. Eldred
1913 — Scouting magazine premiered
1913 — Registration of Scouts began, 25¢ annual fee
1915 — Order of the Arrow began
1916 — Federal charter granted by Congress
1925 — Boy Scout membership tops 1 million
1930 — Cub Scout program began
1948 — First BSA Wood Badge course taught
1953 — First Pinewood Derby® held
1954 — Webelos program added to Cub Scouting
1959 — Exploring program began
1982 — Tiger Cubs program added to Cub Scouting
1982 — 1 millionth Eagle Scout, Alexander M. Holsinger
1991 — Learning for Life program began
1998 — Venturing program began
2000 — 100 millionth member registered
2009 — 2 millionth Eagle Scout, Anthony Thomas
Membership
Total Cub Scouts — 62,226,396
Total Boy Scouts/Venturers — 52,077,933
Total Youth Served — 114,304,329
Total Adult Volunteers — 33,364,261
Awards
Eagle Scout Awards — 2,043,375
Total number of merit badges awarded — 117,649,303
Top 5 merit badges awarded
• First Aid — 6,537,232
• Swimming — 5,929,179
• Camping — 4,364,027
• Cooking — 4,122,629
• Citizenship in the Community — 3,178,473
IF YOU GO:
WHAT: “A Shining Light Across America” viewing of program via teleconference
WHEN: Saturday, 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
WHERE: Faith United Church, 1001 Fifth Street
WHO: All current and past Scouts, as well as any interested community members
WHY: Reunion, gathering to watch a historic broadcast of the BSA in honor of the group’s centennial anniversary
WEBSITE: The webcast may also be watched on any computer at www.ustream.tv/shininglight or www.bas.org/shininglight at 7 p.m. Saturday
