BSA News {News for Scouts}

In 1953, Don Murphy organized the first Pinewood Derby for Pack 280C of Manhattan Beach, CA. Don got the idea for the derby from the soapbox derby's his company sponsored and his passion for models. Murphy wrote the rules and designed the miniature car that could be carved out of soft pinewood complete with nails and wheels in a brown paper bag. Some fathers of the seven den, 55 cub scout Pack put together the two lane race track and battery-run doorbell finish line with winner lights.

February 22 - The joint birthday of Robert Baden-Powell and his wife, who
served for many years as head of WAGGS (The World Association of Girl
Guides and Girl Scouts). This February 22 will be the 150th anniversary
of the birth of Robert Baden-Powell. Most Boy Scout Associations call
February 22 “Founder’s Day.” Most Girl Guide and Girl Scout Associations
call it “Thinking Day.”

I've been highlighting some of the changes that the Scouting has gone through in it's 97 years in the United States. There are some things that were so fundamental about Baden Powell's vision that they exists today with only minor adjustements made to accomodate Scouting's growth. The Scout Oath was a promise that a young man would need to make before becoming a Scout. He made a promise to serve his country and religion, to serve the people around him, and to serve Scouting by following the Scout Law.

In keeping with the Scout Week theme and looking back on some of Scouting's history, I decided to browse Wikipedia at their Scouting Portal to find some more history on Scouting. I found an interesting article on the History of Merit Badges.

Scouting History

Scout Week is also a time to reflect on the history of Scouting. This reflection could be global such as scouting's roots, or a little more local such as your own troop's history, or even as finely focused on your own personal scouting history. Below are a few pictures to get you thinking back.

A stone honoring the first scout camp.

Since its inception, Scouting has always been about helping and serving others. From the young scout who helped William Boyce find his way in the fog to the scouts of today who are helping wherever they can, there is no arguing that Scouting has had a positive impact on both our nation's youth and our nation itself.

This week is Scout Week, a celebration of 97 years of scouting in the United States. It began on Feb. 4th and ends on Feb. 10th.

The Boy Scouts of America was inspired by and modeled on the Boy Scouts, established by Robert Baden-Powell in Britain in 1907. It also borrowed ideas from Sir Ernest Thompson Seton, the YMCA, and a number of other "Scouting" organizations for boys that had sprung up in the decade of the 1900s in the United States and abroad.