Scouting in the News: 100th Anniversary roundup

Bsa100h_4k_sm 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.


About Bryan Wendell 3282 Articles
Bryan Wendell, an Eagle Scout, is the founder of Bryan on Scouting and a contributing writer.