SCOUTMASTER’S MINUTE
Gary M. Louie, Scoutmaster, Troop 176
The Story Of A Good Turn How Scouting Started in the One day in 1909 in A boy approached him and asked if he could be of help. "You certainly can," said Boyce. He told the boy that he wanted to find a certain business office in the center of the city. "I'll take you there," said the boy. When they got to the destination, Mr. Boyce reached into his pocket for a tip. But, the boy stopped him. "No thank you, sir. I am a Scout. I won't take anything for helping." "A Scout? And what might that be?" asked Boyce. The boy told the American about himself and about his brother scouts. Boyce became very interested. After finishing his errand, he had the boy take him to the British Scouting office. At the office, Boyce met Lord Robert Baden-Powell, the famous British general who had founded the Scouting movement in Boyce was so impressed with what he learned that he decided to bring Scouting home with him. On What happened to the boy who helped Mr. Boyce find his way in the fog? No one knows. He had neither asked for money nor given his name, but he will never be forgotten. His Good Turn helped bring the scouting movement to our country. In the One Good Turn to one man became a Good Turn to millions of American Boys. Such is the power of a Good Turn. Hence The Scout Slogan: DO A GOOD TURN DAILY! |
Since that foggy day in
A HISTORICAL TIMELINE
1910 Boy Scouts of
1911 The first edition of the Handbook for Boys is published. Some 300,000 copies are printed.
The first awards for heroism are presented by the National Court of Honor.
1912 By 1912, Scouts are enrolled in every state.
The first Eagle Scout Award is earned by Arthur Eldred in Troop 1 in
1916 Congress grants the Boy Scouts of America a federal charter on June 15, giving special protection to the name and insignia and limiting membership to American citizens.
1918 After the signing of the armistice, the slogan "The War Is Over, But Our Work Is Not" is adopted. Scouts render nationwide service during the influenza epidemic.
1927 Three Scouts--David R. Martin, Douglas Oliver, and Dick Douglas--accompany the Martin Johnson Expedition to
Sea Scout Paul A. Siple accompanies Commander Richard E. Byrd to the Antarctic.
1941 With the declaration of war, the government requests Boy Scout service for the distribution of defense bonds and stamp posters; collection of aluminum and wastepaper; defense housing surveys; victory gardens; distribution of air-raid posters; cooperation with the American Red Cross; and, by joint agreement with the Office of Civil and Defense Mobilization, services in three capacities--messengers, assisting emergency medical units, and firewatchers.
1943 Long trousers and the Scout cap become part of the official uniform!
1969 Young women are accepted as participants in special-interest Exploring posts.
The Seventh National Jamboree is held at
1982 Alexander M. Holsinger becomes the millionth Eagle Scout registered.
1986 The BSA is touched by the Challenger disaster, as two of the space shuttle crew members were active in Scouting as youths. Lt. Col. Ellison S. Onizuka attained the Eagle Scout rank in 1964 in
1998 The coed Venturing program is launched. Venturing quickly becomes the fastest growing Scouting program, with a membership of more than 288,000 young men and women by the end of 2003.
2005 The Boy Scouts of
I have mentioned in the past that our troop comes from a long and wonderful legacy of past Troop 176 scouts and scouters. However, from a larger perspective, we also come from a long and wonderful legacy of scouting in the
That legacy not only includes the development of skills and leadership that we see on a daily and weekly basis in our own troop program, but also, on a larger scale, the value of public service to our community and nation as a whole. In our history, we have seen how Boy Scouts have aided our nation in meeting the needs of people during times of war, disasters, and other crises. We have also seen men and women involved in the Boy Scout program grow and mature into the leaders and heroes of our nation. They have taken the values and principles they learned in their Boy Scout years and applied them to their careers in business, government, science, education, and so on. And other less high-profile people, like those of us in this room, have applied those Scouting principles in their families and in their own troops!
We, here in this room, are all part of that great movement! You (name various scouts in front row). You are all part of this great movement that started on a foggy day in
So, I would like to challenge each and every one of you:
As you go on your outings,
as you study your knots and lashings,
as you learn to administer first aid,
as you learn how to camp in the snow and build snow shelters!
As you gather canned food for the needy,
As you proudly march in the July 4th parade,
As you plant flags on the gravesites of those who gave their lives in the defense of our nation,
As you do a good turn daily,
And as you practice the Scout Oath and Law in your daily lives,
Remember where scouting has come from, and look ahead to the future - to where YOU can take scouting, to the impact YOU can have on another young man’s life! It will be a worthwhile journey, one you will never regret!!
Thank you!