For 113 years, the Boy Scouts of America have been nurturing skills and friendships among the more than 110 million Americans who have been included since their founding, according to scouting.org.
Boy Scouts of America was born on February 8, 1910, and National Boy Scouts Day is celebrated on the anniversary of its founding each year. To commemorate the event, people will often resolve to do something kind, in accordance with the spirit of scouting.
Boy Scouts work to encourage a positive relationship with nature, a variety of skill sets that can be utilized in future careers, teamwork, and leadership.
Freshman Declan LeCuyer-Schoonmaker, an avid scout, states, “What is one of the most important skills I’ve learned through Boy Scouts? Tying knots.” naming another one of the endlessly valuable skills Boy Scouts learn during their time in a troop.
Many important figures from United States history have been involved with scouting organizations. Presidents such as John F. Kennedy, Gerald Ford, and Barack Obama were all scouts in their youth, and William Taft was made honorary president of the Boy Scouts of America in 1911. Astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were both scouts in their youth, as well as other important figures in American history, like Martin Luther King, Jr.
One can become a scout as young as ten years old, and there are several branches within the community, such as the Cubs, and Sea Scouts, which can cover different age ranges or specialize in certain areas of study.
According to Nationaltoday.com, 87% of Boy Scouts see a direct correlation between their scouting experience and self-esteem, demonstrating the truth of just one of the numerous positive impacts of becoming a Boy Scout.
Foran junior Aidan Riha is a Boy Scout and has been for several years. Riha attends meetings of his troop every week and loves contributing to the environment. On the topic of his scouting experience, Riha states, “I have a really good time, and I’ve learned a lot of new skills.”
