Scouts Celebrate 95 Years of Service
The Boy Scouts of America celebrates 95 years of service. In celebration, local Scouts from the Trails West Council, headquarters in Wood River, Illinois, will participate in a special celebration to mark 95 years of Boy Scouts and 75 years of Cub Scouts. The event, an encampment, will be held at the St. Louis Regional Airport in Bethalto, May 13 through 15, 2005. “This is a celebration of Scouting,” said Tim Garber, Scout Executive for the Trails West Council. “It’s designed to highlight the service Scouts and Scouting volunteers provide in their communities.”
“The purpose of the Boy Scouts of America is the same today as it was 95 years ago,” said Chief Scout Executive Roy L. Williams.
“So many things have changed in our world—Scouting has remained constant and true to its mission of serving youth and helping them learn to make better decisions throughout their lives,” Williams said.
The Boy Scouts was founded in Great Britain in 1907 by British military hero Lord Robert Baden-Powell. Two years later, William D. Boyce, a Chicago publisher traveling in London, became lost in a fog. A young boy helped him find his way. When Boyce thanked the boy for his aid and offered him a tip, the boy explained that it was his duty as a Scout to help others, and he declined the tip.
Impressed with the boy’s actions, Boyce met with Baden-Powell and laid the groundwork to bring Scouting to the United States. With the help of Ernest Thompson Seton, Daniel Carter Beard, and James E. West, the Boy Scouts of America was established on February 8, 1910.
“Anyone who was ever a Scout and would like to relive the experiences, or anyone who would like to find out what Scouts is all about, is invited to show up at the airport on Saturday, May 14th” Garber says. Events begin with a flag ceremony by the American Legion at 9 am followed by a full day of activities put on by local community organizations. First Aid by the American Red Cross, crafts by Tandy Leather, displays by the Metro East Humane Society, St. Louis Herpetological Society, the Nature Institute, St. Louis Science Center, The Magic House, Center for American Archeology, and Metro Search and Rescue are only some of the activities that will be available.
For more information on the Encampment, contact the Trails West Council, BSA, Service Center at (618) 259-2145.
