[Editor's note: What follows is a guest blog post written exclusively for Cracker Barrel readers by Judge William S. Sessions. Sessions, a Distinguished Eagle Scout, is a former United States District Court Judge and the former director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Now, he's leading the initiative to promote the BSA's centennial coin.]
Hello! I am Judge Bill Sessions, and I am glad for this opportunity to introduce myself as the honorary chairman of the Boy Scouts of America’s initiative to promote the Boy Scouts of America Centennial Silver Dollar. This March, the United States Mint will mint and make available for sale, beginning March 23, 350,000 Boy Scouts of America Centennial Silver Dollars. Surcharges from the sale of the coins may raise up to $3.5 million for the BSA Foundation, to help extend Scouting in difficult to serve areas. I am grateful for the opportunity to support the BSA. Scouting has had a tremendous and lasting impact on my own family.
I joined Scouting while my father was an Army chaplain in the south Pacific during WWII. And though he had never been a Scout himself, my father, Will A. Sessions, Jr., saw great value in it. Upon his return from the war, he became a pastor at a church in Kansas City, Mo., and wrote the first nationally distributed handbook to support Scouts in earning their God and Country award.
My journey into the program began in Troop 136 in Kearney, Neb. After my father’s return from the war, we moved to Kansas City, where I became a Sea Scout. I continued on through Scouting to earn my Eagle award. And, not long before I did, I had the experience of a lifetime at Philmont. I saved every penny to come up with $100 for the monthlong trip, and was at Philmont when WWII ended. It was an experience I will never forget.
My three sons were involved in Scouting as boys, and they still find great joy in it to this day. My son Pete (Congressman Pete Sessions of Dallas, Tex.) went on to earn his Eagle Scout Award, and later, the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award. It was in Scouting that my children discovered their love for camping and the outdoors. My wife and I had always encouraged our children to attempt to achieve goals they thought they could not, and Scouting reinforced that idea of challenging yourself. I saw my sons grow and change into ambitious young men who weren’t afraid to take action.
Scouting continues to bring me immense pride as I watch my grandchildren participate in the program. Once again, I have the opportunity to watch as our young family members develop the drive to learn and accomplish on their own. I am reminded that you never know what will capture a young person’s imagination, nor what they’ll do with the tools you help them acquire. What we give through Scouting is an education, in the truest sense, and it’s the greatest gift we can give our children.
The Boy Scouts of America Centennial Silver Dollar will be available beginning March 23, 2010 at noon (ET). You may place your order through the United States Mint or by caling 1-800-USA-MINT.
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