Happy 100th birthday, Boy Scouts

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    By Kristina Schroeder

    Whether it”s because of the thrill of the outdoors, a passion for learning or the excitement of earning merit badges, boys all over the world have something in common – a love of the Boy Scouts program.

    August marks the 100-year birthday of the program and Scouts worldwide are honoring the anniversary with celebrations, exhibits and ceremonies.

    “We were up at Scout camp in June and kind of celebrated it there,” said Joseph Ostensen, Scout master of Troop 41 in Provo. “They talked about the history of Scouting, where it came from and things like that. There was a big emphasis on the 100-year anniversary.”

    Troop 41 is part of the Utah National Parks Council of the Boy Scout of America, which is the largest council in the country, with more than 5,200 units.

    “One of the main reasons [we”re so big] is the support of the LDS church and the high concentration of LDS wards,” said John Gailey, council spokesperson. “Every ward has a couple of units. So we have a very high percentage of boys that participate in Scouting in our state, especially compared to other locations around the country.”

    The council covers the area from Point of the Mountain down to the Grand Canyon, and has numerous districts, which are broken down further into units, troops or dens.

    The council”s main goal is to “prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law,” according to the mission statement.

    The scouts” current mission follows the same guidelines the original Scout troop – which began with 20 boys on Brownsea Island in England – followed in 1907.

    Gen. Robert Baden-Powell began the program by writing a book titled “Scouting for Boys.” The book was a peaceful version of his military scouting book “Aids to Scouting” that he decided to write after discovering its popularity among young boys.

    Boy Scouts of America was then founded in 1910, and the LDS Church officially adopted the program into its youth curriculum in 1913.

    Boy Scouts from all over the world are now returning to Brownsea Island to participate in the “World Jamboree,” one of the biggest events of the 100-year commemoration.

    In the past week, scouts in England have been participating in the same activities in the same locations as the original Scout troop.

    Thousands of visitors have flooded the campgrounds, taking in “The World at a Glance,” which also happens to be the Jamboree”s theme.

    “The daily influx of visitors has surpassed the number of Jamboree participants,” said Luz Taray in an article on the Jamboree Web site. “Day visitors [are coming] in all ages, from infants to great grandparents. They [are arriving] in droves as groups, families, parents or couples.”

    Troops here in Utah participated locally in the celebration on Aug. 1 by conducting an 8 a.m. flag ceremony – a ritual followed by most Scouts around the world.

    Michael Staib, a 9-year-old from Alpine, said he loves flag ceremonies and honoring his country.

    “My favorite thing about Scouts is you can learn new stuff and create new things,” he said. “I like saluting the flag and doing service, like picking up litter.”

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