Scouting in the News: 100th Anniversary roundup

Whenever a major organization reaches its 100th birthday, it’s a headline-making story. But when that organization is the Boy Scouts of America, we have a major news event on our hands.

To help you sort through the reams of media coverage about the BSA from the past few days, we present this roundup of excerpts from some of our favorites. Click the link with each excerpt for the complete story.

The Christian Science Monitor presents a piece on peace—and how Scouting helps promote it:

Sometimes parents in my troop remark about their son’s growth, or a good turn he has done, or how an older Scout helped a younger one. I reply, "This is Scouting. This is the way the world could be."

Over the weekend, ABC’s “Good Morning America” aired a comprehensive story on Scouting’s legacy:

Scouts camp, hike and earn merit badges in wilderness survival, computers, farm mechanics, chemistry, and more. But while most Scout activities center on having fun outdoors and exploring nature, these experiences are meant to build character, self-reliance, and citizenship.

The Seattle Times interviewed former and current Scouts, including Eagle Scout Evan Skandalis. The high-school junior showed wisdom beyond his years:

“As far as being an Eagle Scout, the badge is just fabric," said Skandalis. "But what it stands for is so much more important. The program has allowed me to go canoeing in Minnesota and Canada, build trails in Mount Shasta, and backpack in the mountains that I have come to love. The Scouting movement still has relevance to this country, and it has a distinct imprint on the American experience. It really turns boys into men."

And don’t miss this touching personal account from Eagle Scout Arnold Mears. The Baltimore Sun published the 17-year-old foster child’s account of how Scouting came through when he needed it most:

Things had gotten bad at home, and I was locked out of the house. I had nowhere to turn, so I went back to my friend's house, and her mother was a den leader. And it all clicked. I found out about Scouting, and I liked it right away.

I knew I could achieve the things I wanted to once I got into Scouting. It taught me how to think on my own and think fast. It gave me ways to see progress. By earning merit badges and moving up through the ranks, I could see myself accomplishing things every week or two.

And the more I achieved, the more I wanted to. I wanted to be an Eagle Scout, and I got there.

Comments

[MBrown]

Several magazines have been running articles on the BSA's 100th Anniversary. Am aware of the following:

History Channel's History Magazine ran a cover article on us in their January issue.

American Legion's magazine ran a cover article on us in their February issue.

VFW's magazine ran an article on us in their February issue.

[Brendan Blowers]

The Christian Science Monitor piece was a nice read. As an official Licensee of the Boy Scouts of America, we will be attending the Licensee event in Asheville, NC in March and have created some special 100th Anniversary giveaways to commemorate this historic event. Congratulations Scouts!