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On my honor: Boy Scouts celebrate 100 years
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Jacob Ford, 13, of Troop 1404 in California, Pa., earlier this month works to control a Sunfish sailboat on Lake Courage during the Greater Pittsburgh Council Heritage Reservation Boy Scout camp near Farmington, Fayette County. -
Drake Palmer, 12, of Troop 301 in Robinson, carries the flag to the flag-lowering ceremony at Camp Liberty. -
Patrick Duggan, 14, of Troop 301 in Robinson, shows off a bass he caught July 7 in Lake Courage at Heritage Reservation. -
Paddling in an "Anything That Floats" contest on Lake Courage are, in craft at left, Dakota Korinko, 11, front, and Aaron Funaiock, 14. In craft at right are Matt Gwynn, 13, front, and Tony Donatelli, 14. All belong to South Park Troop 510. -
Joe Navari, 14, of Troop 115 in Penn Hills, works on archery skills at Camp Liberty. -
Ryan Lynch, 10, at bottom of photo, a member of Troop 215 in Bethel Park, helps fellow troop member Patrick Counihan, 11, center, and Ben Smith, 11, top, of Troop 510 in South Park, work on a swimming merit badge. -
Martin Raitt, left, 10, and Joey Calabro, 14, right, chop carrots for dinner as Eric Hochendoner, center, 15, looks on. -
Preparing dinner are, from left, Nick Sisco, 14, Jeremy Hinnebusch, 13, and Eric Stabb, 12, of the Fox Patrol of Troop 329 in McCandless. -
Boy Scouts from Camp Liberty gather for the flag-lowering ceremony.
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A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent.
It's the law.
The familiar refrain is the official Scout Law that perhaps best describes the mission of the Boy Scouts of America, an organization that for the past century has helped millions of our nation's youth become responsible citizens.
The BSA, one of America's most prominent values-based youth development groups, celebrates its 100th birthday this year. The influence of Scouting on our society is indelible: In addition to those warm and fuzzy images of campfires, leaders from all walks of life credit the skills they learned in Scouting for helping to mold them into successful citizens.
More than 110 million Americans -- including the first man who walked on the moon -- have been Boy Scouts.
The organization has had its share of controversies -- mostly involving membership and policies -- but remains strong and part of the American lexicon.
The ongoing BSA centennial is highlighted by the National Scout Jamboree next week in Virginia. There, some 45,000 Scouts and staff, past and present, will once again "Be Prepared" -- the Scout motto -- to recite the 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."
First Published July 22, 2010 12:00 am
