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Happy 100th birthday, Scouts
Ashley Peterson - Thu, Mar, 11, 2010
Boy Scouts of America is celebrating 100 years of serving the community and learning to better society through the young men’s service club.
BSA held a kick-off celebration event at Redemption Church off Pleasant Ridge, Saturday, Feb. 6. U.S. Rep. John J. Duncan Jr. was the guest speaker, preceding a historical skit performed by Boy Scouts of the Great Smoky Mountain Council.
Bruce Van Cleve, field director for the BSA Great Smoky Mountain Council, said, “I think the strength of Boy Scouts for America for the last 100 [years] is the values. We continue to improve. The volunteer efforts continue to make scouting strong in the community.”
Van Cleve should know; he’s been serving BSA for more than 27 years.
Though BSA started in 1910, scouting began in 1909 in Knox County when a local businessman read about a scouting movement from London, England, and asked for information to be sent to him about the movement from London. He then started the scouting movement in Knox County, Van Cleve said.
“What attracts young people to our organization is the sense of accomplishment, challenging outdoor activities, learning teamwork with their friends, their buddies, and part of that process is setting goals,” Van Cleve said. “You learn what is important and make appropriate decisions. You learn to step outside yourself and help the community. The young person develops important character traits through that process,”
Boy Scouts received their initial training through Cherokee Indians who taught them to hunt, fish, track animals, paddle in dugout canoes and take leadership roles in their towns.
Boy Scouts were pioneered in England with Gen. Baden Powell saw a need to organize boys and help them be productive in society, teaching them values and outdoor skills.
Van Cleve said a visitor in London from the United States, William Boyce, founded Boy Scouts of America after his interaction with a London Scout.
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