Mormon Life - Boy Scouts tag

100-year-old Eagle Scout is honored in his 100th year

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 10:01:00 -0600

source: deseretnews.com

Glade Sanders was just 9 months old when the Boy Scouts of America awarded the first Eagle Scout badge in 1912.

Sanders, who is 100 years old himself, is receiving a rare honor for his decades of service in Scouting. Troop 133 in Nephi honored the pioneer in Scouting during a recent Court of Honor.

Sanders, who has been a Boy Scout since 1929, was awarded the prestigious Outstanding Eagle Scout Award by the National Association of Eagle Scouts.

Scouting is helping boys realize self-worth, potential

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 11:32:00 -0600

source: ldschurchnews.com

At first glance, Alex and Colten fit the profile of the thousands of young men in the Church who earn Scouting's Eagle Award each year.

Colten, 16, enjoys water sports and was drawn to all of the merit badges that allowed him to be outdoors. One day he'd like to own his own business. His 17-year-old friend, Alex, counts the first aid merit badge as a personal favorite and plans to serve in the military or maybe become a psychologist.

Why I regret I'm not an Eagle Scout

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 11:06:00 -0700

source: deseretnews.com

Mormon Life says: Something to share with your boys. I remember the first time I put on a Scouting uniform. My mother hadn't even ironed on the patches yet, but as a young Cub Scout, the shirt had the unmistakable power of making me stand a little bit taller.

One day a week I took a different bus after school, one that would drop me off near our den mother's home in Charlottesville, Va. I loved to sprint the two long blocks to the divine Doneitta Quillon's house to meet my fellow young rabble-rousers. Doneitta put up with so much, was so patient and long-suffering, she could have taught the prophet Job a thing or two.

Teen's scouting skills help save a life

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 10:59:00 -0700

source: ldschurchnews.com

Mormon Life says: Wow! What an incredible young man. What seemed like a usual after-school night for Brandon Neilson as he headed to Santa Margarita Catholic High School in Santa Margarita, Calif., Dec. 12 to pick up his younger sister Ali from volleyball practice quickly turned into a night of lifesaving.

When Brandon, a 16-year-old member of the Live Oak Canyon Ward, Santa Margarita California Stake, parked and was getting ready to get out of the car to head into the school, he forgot where to go; he had not attended that school, but he had been there before for water polo matches and to pick up his sister from practice.

David Archuleta: the Eagle, the temple and the music

Tue, 29 Nov 2011 10:14:00 -0700

source: deseretnews.com

Mormon Life says: Good things are happening for David: receiving his Eagle Scout, going through the temple, he's on the cover of LDS Living (okay, that last one is a little biased).

It’s been a year since David Archuleta was the featured artist of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas concert.

Sporting a sweater and scarf, the 20-year-old "American Idol" star was in town last week to promote his Christmas concert CD and DVD, sign autographs, sit for some media interviews and enjoy Thanksgiving with his family before beginning a Christmas tour.

Polishing off a turkey sandwich during an interview, Archuleta described how honored he was to be invited to sing with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir he grew up admiring.

Safety first in Church activities is focus of new Young Men website

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 09:50:00 -0700

source: ldschurchnews.com

President Thomas S. Monson often enjoys quoting James Barrie, who said, "God gave us memories, that we might have June roses in the December of our lives."

For countless members, such "June roses" are cherished memories from an adventuresome Scout camp, a life-changing youth handcart trek or, perhaps, a few fun days spent roughing it at a Young Women camp. Church-sponsored activities and events have enriched the lives of Latter-day Saints for generations. But the success of all such activities — and the happy memories they promise — will depend on keeping all participants free from harm and injury.

Autistic Boy Scout earns all 132 merit badges

Mon, 17 Oct 2011 12:41:00 -0600

source: MormonTimes.com

Mormon Life says: Even without the merit badges, he's an awesome kid. Nate Christensen seems like a typical almost-18-year-old boy. Now in his senior year at Bingham High School in South Jordan, he plays the trumpet in the marching band. He took a longtime friend to the school’s homecoming dance. He loves popular music artists from Justin Bieber to Owl City. He enjoys playing “Just Dance” on his family’s Nintendo Wii and writes a blog in his free time. He admits that his favorite class at school is his sports class.

But two things set him apart. One is that he’s earned 132 merit badges — every possible Boy Scout merit badge he could earn. The other is that Nate is autistic.

Nate's mother, Sandy Christensen, said that Nate tests somewhere in the middle of the autism spectrum. One wouldn’t easily guess that when talking to him.

LDS leader dismissed after criticizing Friends of Scouting

Thu, 22 Sep 2011 10:41:00 -0600

source: sltrib.com

Mormon Life says: What's your personal opinion on Friends of Scouting? Kenny Thomas says he could not in good conscience lead the annual Friends of Scouting fund drive in his LDS ward in Herriman without first sending an email to members to tell them that the money helps pay high salaries for Boy Scout executives and doesn’t stay with their local scout units.

He says that upset his stake president, who persuaded his bishop to release him after four months as president of the ward Young Men organization. The stake president sent him an email saying he was “appalled” at “misinformation” Thomas spread and suggested he did not “follow the prophet.”

David C. Roth, president of the LDS Herriman South Stake, told The Tribune that Thomas was “released because of his unwillingness to support scouting in general,” which is an activity arm of Young Men in the church, “and not just because of what he did with Friends of Scouting.”

LDS Cub Scout earns national recognition for heroism

Wed, 31 Aug 2011 14:04:00 -0600

source: ldschurchnews.com

Not every story has a happy ending. Fortunately for our family, this one does.

It was mid-July 2010 and Bryce, then 9 years old, had spent the day with Cub Scout Pack 166 of the Rogers Ward, Rogers Arkansas Stake, hiking and exploring Hobbs Recreation area. He was tired, but going up to the property with his dad in the evening was one of his favorite things to do. Besides, his dad (Barry D. Wall) would be using his "new to him" tractor and Bryce wanted a ride.

Barry had cut down some trees and wanted to get them moved so he could get a new road cut in. Bryce rode on the tractor until a chain was hooked around a large tree trunk, then he hopped off before his dad began pulling the tree up the hill.

Lightning kills LDS Boy Scout, another scout drowns in Bear Lake

Thu, 14 Jul 2011 10:00:00 -0600

source: deseretnews.com

A pair of 12-year-old Boy Scouts were killed in separate accidents Wednesday — one dying after being struck by lightning and the other drowning in Bear Lake.

The first Scout was killed, with a second boy injured, when a fast-moving hailstorm rolled through northern Carbon County about 10:30 a.m.

Members of the Scout troop from the Granite Park LDS Stake in South Salt Lake scrambled for cover when the hailstorm moved in, said John Gailey, program director for the Utah National Parks Council.

Deaf Boy Scout receives Eagle

Tue, 01 Mar 2011 09:54:00 -0700

source: hawaiinewsnow.com

A high school senior is the first deaf scout in Hawaii to earn the rank of Eagle Scout. Joshua Salomon received his court of honor on Wednesday at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Kahala from the Aloha Council and Hawaii Troop 108.

Earning the Eagle Scout rank is the highest advancement rank in boy scouting. According to the Boy Scouts of America, in 2009 about five percent of all boy scouts earned the prestigious rank. Some of the requirements include earning 21 merits badges, serving as a troop leader and completing an Eagle Scout board review.

Joshua's parents, Al and Kathie Saloman said that they started him in Tiger Scouts on the Big Island around the age of six because they wanted him to be involved in something positive.

LDSScouter.blogspot.com is a good parent resource

Mon, 10 Jan 2011 11:21:00 -0700

source: MormonTimes.com

What’s one of the biggest obstacles to having a good LDS Scouting program?

“Leaders and parents who have never seen the Scout program run properly,” explains blogger Arwen Spor, “they cling to what David C. Pack (LDS-BSA Relations Director) has referred to as ‘incorrect traditions.’”

So Spor, along with her husband, Shane, both of Elko, Nevada, decided to compile all the online LDS Scouting information into one place, LDSScouter.blogspot.com, as “a resource for any other LDS Scouters in the US looking for help, advice or inspiration.”

Finding an LDS connection with Kipling's 'Jungle Books'

Wed, 29 Dec 2010 10:34:00 -0700

source: MormonTimes.com

Dec. 30 marks the birthday of Rudyard Kipling, the British author.

And though that may seem like a weak hook for a Mormon Times column, there is a sturdy connection.

Kipling was good friends with Lord Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the Boy Scouts. And when Baden-Powell began the Boy Scouts, he based the movement on Kipling's novel "The Jungle Book."

In 1892, it seems, Kipling married an American woman and moved into a cottage in Brattleboro, Vt. (Joseph Smith country). As he watched the snowflakes fall during the chilly winter, he wrote about the steamy jungle. His two "Jungle Books" were published in 1895.

Boy Scouts save fathers' lives

Wed, 17 Nov 2010 00:13:00 -0700

by Erin Nelson
source: ldsliving.com

Mormon Life says: Five young Boy Scouts saved their dads from a near-fatal hunting accident by using their Scouting training. Incredible. What started out as a hunting trip to see who could get the biggest elk, ended with five boy Scouts saving the lives of their family.

Brady Sawyer (16), Max Butler (15), Gus Butler (14), Adam Cook (14) and Chase Cook (14) were hunting earlier this month at the Little Sheep Creek trailhead near Lima, Mont. When they discovered their fathers, Randy Cook, Bret Butler and friend of the family Carl Saunders unconscious in a different tent.

Max recalls the smell of propane gas and vomit when he first realized there was a serious problem and they all knew to get help. The boys immediately took action to make sure their fathers and friend were in a clean place before two of the boys drove down the mountain to call for help. Max told his younger brother Gus that if the men stopped breathing they needed to do CPR.

“The entire drive down the mountain,” Max said, “I was praying and hoping we did everything right and knew we had to leave it up to God.”

Back at camp, the three younger boys pulled the unconscious men out of the dirty tent and into their clean tent and made sure there was plenty of ventilation. “We didn’t know what to do,” Adam said, “but it came to us as we were working.”

The boys cleaned out the vomit from the men’s mouths and followed the steps they were taught by their scout master, Bret Butler, by making sure to call for help, take their pulse, clear their airway and check their breathing.

“I couldn’t believe this was happening,” Gus said. “Dad [Bret Butler] was Scout leader and his first aid took over me and I knew what to do.”

While the three boys were waiting for the ambulance, a few hunters came to their aid. They helped the boys put the men in a pick-up to haul them down the mountain where the ambulance would get to them faster. The ambulance arrived in minutes and the men were rushed to the hospital, but news at the hospital wasn’t positive. Doctors told the boys that there is a small chance for complete recovery and a good chance for brain damage. Nine hours with a leaking propane heater is a very serious condition. “We should have lost them,” Brady said.

With two of three men at home with a full recovery, this accident is nothing more than a miracle. Carl is still waiting for an infection to heal before he can be released from LDS Hospital in Salt Lake City. He is expected to be home soon.

All five of the boys credit the Boy Scouts program for helping to keep them calm. The thought of losing his father made Chase cry and pray, but he knew that the Lord and Scouting program were a big help.

“In Boy Scouts,” Chase said, “we are preparing for what could happen in the future.”
Brady contributes their fast action to the scouting program. “I think we would have been more freaked out without Boy Scouts,” he said.

For four of the boys, having their father home for Thanksgiving is a miracle. “We are going to have our own dad who shouldn’t be around,” Chase said.

Bret, Randy and Carl call these boys their heroes and know that if it weren’t for their quick attention, their outcome would have been different.

“I don’t want my dad to be angry,” Adam said. “I won’t leave the house without telling him I love him and giving him a hug.” For Chase, knowing that his father, Randy, is alive has strengthened their relationship. “There is a bond that will never be broken between us,” Chase said.

The thought that he may have a different dad, with brain damage, was hard for Gus to take, but through this accident it has made him appreciate his father more and their relationship has grown stronger.

For Brady and Max this accident marks the end of their Boy Scouts journey. Max has earned his Eagle and Brady is waiting for the board to approve his Eagle project. The other three boys have learned that Boy Scouts isn’t boring or doing things they will never use, but that it is a great teacher to them. Chase, Adam, and Gus take their scouting serious now and know that they will never know when what they have learned will come in use.

148 Boy Scouts earn badges thanks to one Scout leader

Wed, 17 Nov 2010 00:04:00 -0700

by Gladis Higginbotham
source: ldsliving.com

It’s not every day that someone takes on a challenge to help 148 kids earn their Scout badges and learn some history while at it.

Mark Allen, scoutmaster for troop 1078 in Katy, Texas, was training to get his Woodbadge—the pinnacle of training for adult Scout leaders. As part of his training, Allen had to write a ticket—a list of things he committed to doing to benefit his troop, district and Scout council.

Allen said that as he thought about his ticket, two very important, yet not well-known, badges came to mind. He then set a goal of working with 100 Scouts in the Sam Houston area council to help them earn these badges.

These two badges, the Texas Boy Scout award and the Texas Cub Scout badge, have a great importance in the state because they define the history of Texas and teach the kids about gratitude for what they have been given, while making their world a better place to live.

Allen decided that because it was the 100th anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America, he would take 100 boys and help them earn these awards.

Allen said the community was very supportive and really rallied around the opportunity. “It was a very unique opportunity,” Allen said. “Most of the kids were not LDS, so it was a tremendous community outreach.”

As Allen started his preparations, he learned that Sam Houston IV, great-great-grandson of the famous Sam Houston—the first president of the Republic of Texas—lived in the area. Allen wrote him a letter inviting him to be part of the program he was putting together. Houston was happy to help.

“One value of Scouting is working together,” Allen said of helping the boys, regardless of their religion. “In Scouting there are various flavors of Christianity so that wasn’t even an issue. We are in the South where there’s a general acceptance of religion, so I would say, even though only 25 percent were LDS, it was never really an issue, never . . . . Whether they are LDS, Jewish or Catholic, it doesn’t matter.”

Not everyone in the country thinks the same, however, and as he remembered the incident in North Carolina where LDS parents were rejected as Cub Scout leaders because of their religion.

“I would say it is an unfortunate event, not representative of the Boy Scouts and their Scout law or Duty to God. This is not representative of my experience and I’ve spent a lot of time in community outreach.”

Allen also expanded on the fact that a lot of people think that because LDS Scout troops do things differently, it is hard to get along. However, he explained that the majority just get along and celebrate those differences.

“What we try to do is focus on the common things, focus where we have similarities and not where we have differences.”

In the end, 148 lives were changed for the better and now he plans to do the same with the environmental merit badges while reaching out to the community—LDS and non-LDS alike.

A Salute to Scouting: 100 Years of the BSA

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 17:00:00 -0700

by Kedrik Hamblin
source: MormonLife.com

Mormon Life says: Once called A Knighthood of Youth, the international Scout Movement is the largest youth movement the world has ever known, now having a presence in one hundred and sixty nations. While it began in England in 1908, this February marks the centennial of Boy Scouts in America, where the program is strongest and where The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is its oldest and largest supporting institution. You've seen them in uniforms, toting flags in parades, camping in the mountains, and you're sure to have seen them at your local LDS meetinghouse.

You might ask why Church leaders believe so firmly in a boys' organization. Scouting, you'll find, is about more than just learning to light a campfire and set up a tent. The great merit of this program is its emphasis on service and duty, and that is why the Church has been by its side for ninety-seven years.

Like so many great things, this monumental program began with one man's vision -- in this case, one man in search of a little adventure.

Baden-Powell -- the Father of Scouting At the time when Latter-day Saints were building the Salt Lake Temple, and soon after the Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association (YMMIA) was organized in 1875, an Englishman by the name of Robert Baden-Powell joined the British Army.

Longing to see combat, he often volunteered for assignments and served in numerous posts, including that of a spy in several countries. Through his experiences, he became an expert at reconnaissance and scouting techniques and authored several books. Although he advanced through many ranks, he hadn't seen the action he longed for after more than twenty years of service.

His chance finally came when he transferred to Mafeking, South Africa, where the Boers, enemies of Great Britain, laid siege to the town for 217 days. Baden-Powell organized local citizens into fighting units, instructed soldiers to pretend to lay landmines and barbed wire, and even mounted a cannon from the 1700s onto an armored train to attack the heart of the Boer camp. He also made use of the boys' corps of messengers, who accomplished a number of smaller tasks throughout the town. Although not responsible for organizing this group, he was impressed by them and later wrote about them in a scouting manual.

Returning to Britain a national hero in 1903, he was surprised to learn that his military book, Aids for Scouting, had become a bestseller and was being used by youth and youth leaders. Baden-Powell began rewriting his book to better accommodate youth. He tested his ideas out in 1907 when he went camping with twenty-two boys on Brownsea Island. After publishing Scouting for Boys the next year, he began organizing Scouting groups and set up the office of the Boy Scouts of England. King Edward VII granted the Boy Scouts a royal charter in 1910 and advised Baden-Powell to retire from the army so he could focus on Scouting.

Boys' organizations were not a new concept, however. In the United States, several groups, such as Daniel Carter Beard's Sons of Daniel Boone and Ernest Thompson Seton's Woodcraft Indians, already existed. Baden-Powell corresponded with Seton and gathered many ideas from him. Later, at a dinner in the United States, Baden-Powell claimed he received a lot of inspiration from both Seton and Beard. "At best," he once said, "I am only a sort of uncle of the international movement."

Scouting became more popular and spread more quickly than other boys' organizations. Seventy-six countries began Scouting between 1908 (when it officially started in England) and 1920. As Scouting progressed, Baden-Powell continued to be involved; after marrying Olave St Clair Soames, he even helped his wife in building up the Girl Scout movement. He died in 1941.

Scouting Adopted in America and the Church The history of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) begins with a legend. It is said that Chicago newspaperman William Boyce was traveling in London and had become lost in a thick fog when a boy appeared and helped Boyce find his way. Boyce attempted to give a tip, but the boy refused because he was doing his duty as a Boy Scout. Soon after, Boyce sought the Scouting for Boys handbook and, upon returning to the States, formed the Boy Scouts of America in 1910.

As Baden-Powell's model of Scouting became more popular, groups across Europe and the United States sprang up and began using the title "Scouts." The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints noticed the movement as well and, using the structure of the YMMIA, Anthony W. Ivins, general superintendent, organized the MIA. Scouts in 1911. The Church organized patrols and developed lessons for boys similar to those in official Scouting.

In 1913, the Boy Scouts of America invited the Church to be an official part of their program. Bryant S. Hinckley -- father of Gordon B. Hinckley -- and Oscar A. Kirkham traveled to New York City and, after hearing about BSA's focus on honor, service, and duty to God, returned with a favorable opinion. At a meeting with the YMMIA committee, Hinckley moved to officially adopt the BSA program. The First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve approved the decision.

The Boy Scouts issued a charter on May 21, 1913, to the MIA Scouts, and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints became the first institution to be officially affiliated with the Boy Scouts of America program.

The LDS Church expanded the Scouting program and since that time has produced more Boy Scouts than any other organization in the United States. Today, the Church is still leading the pack, with over 37,146 units and approximately 402,127 Scouts at the end of 2008.

While the majority of LDS Scouts are in the United States, LDS young men also participate in Scouting in many other countries, such as Indonesia, Japan, Korea, South Africa, Germany, England, and Canada.

Scouting and Young Men Although many think the Church's use of Scouting is primarily to teach camping and outdoor skills, its main goal is to complement Aaronic Priesthood development.

Priesthood, in essence, is a plan of service to others. In order to more fully serve others, young men are expected to live high moral standards, and they grow to be men with strong, virtuous foundations that continue to benefit the Church and the world. Likewise, Scouting is designed to turn young, spirited boys into disciplined, responsible men, who also have a strong moral foundation and can make the world better. The purposes are parallel.

"The ideals of Scouting," George Albert Smith said, "like the principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ, are intended to make boys better companions, more useful citizens, and happier individuals."

Through Scouting, young men also learn leadership and responsibility, further enabling them to fulfill various roles as they progress in the Aaronic Priesthood and eventually receive the Melchizedek Priesthood.

"Scouting is Aaronic Priesthood," says Elder F. Melvin Hammond, an emeritus general authority of the Church. "I can't disassociate them. They're together."

Through most of his life, Hammond has been involved with Scouting, but he was especially involved while serving in the Young Men organization, first as a counselor and then as general president. Having worked firsthand with young men, he knows the challenges they face. "These young men need something to help them through all the tragedy of drugs, crime, and pornography that is so often mentioned by the brethren. What we need are young men that grow up to be great men. I think Scouting does that."

The success of young men in this world is important to the Church, Hammond says. Scouting creates an inner power in boys that makes them great. "That's really what we try to do in the Church -- help our boys become great, noble citizens and servants of Christ. That's what we want for them, and I think Scouting has a real impact on them."

Prophets and Scouts The impact of the LDS Church's involvement with Scouting can not only be seen in the number of boys that participate but also in the support and service of its own leaders.

Joseph F. Smith, who accepted the program into the Church, and every Church president since has fully endorsed Scouting; in fact, many Church presidents have been involved in it. George Albert Smith served as president of a local council for several decades and also served as a member of the BSA's National Executive Board. Ezra Taft Benson was one of the Church's foremost Scouters. He became an assistant Scoutmaster in 1918 and later became a member of the National Executive Board in 1949. He was continuously involved in Scouting throughout his life and heartily endorsed the program for young men.

The Silver Buffalo, the BSA's highest award, has been given to nine Church presidents, including President Thomas S. Monson, for their service in Scouting. This award was created in 1926, and other recipients include thirteen U.S. presidents, Walt Disney, Neil Armstrong, and Jimmy Stewart.

"The epitome of a Scouter in this Church is Thomas S. Monson," Hammond says.

President Monson joined Scouting at age twelve, was a Life Scout and Explorer crew member, and has been involved in Scouting ever since. He has served in numerous positions in Scouting, including a merit badge counselor, chaplain at a Canadian Jamboree, member of the Canadian LDS Scouting Committee, and member of the General Scouting Committee of the Church. President Monson became a member of the National Executive Board for the BSA in 1969 and has had the longest tenure of any member of the board.

As a BSA delegate, President Monson traveled to World Conferences in Tokyo, Nairobi, and Copenhagen and also served as a member of the International Committee. He has also aided many Scouting projects, food drives, and other programs.

Along with other presidents of the Church, President Monson has received numerous Scouting awards. He is one of two Church presidents, the other being President Benson, to receive the Bronze Wolf, international Scouting's highest award, which has been awarded to only three hundred and twenty people in the last seventy-four years.

"Scouting teaches boys how to live, not merely how to make a living," President Monson has said. "How pleased I am that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1913 became the first partner to sponsor Scouting in the United States."

Growing in America During its one hundred years, the Boy Scouts of America has grown to be an important icon. "It may have been the most important growing, maturing experience for our three boys," says William F. Cronk III, past national president of the BSA and current chairman of the World Scout Committee. "If you go to an Eagle Scout court of honor and see . . . six or seven seventeen-year-olds stand up, listen to them speak and observe how they present themselves -- you can feel and see their self confidence, their self esteem, and the depth of their character."

Cronk, who has been involved with Scouting since he was a Cub Scout, says Scouting helps define a boy's adult personality and is the beginning of comfortable experience in leadership. With Boy Scout alumni that number in the hundreds of millions, they can have a tremendous impact on the world around them.

"There's no . . . other organization that has that kind of power, influence, and alumni. It's just overwhelming," Cronk says. "The Boys Scouts of America is celebrating its one hundredth year. To have organizations that have been around for over a hundred years -- somebody must be doing something right. It's pretty remarkable."

Cronk, while not a member of the LDS faith, calls the Church a "brilliant partner" with the BSA and acknowledges the strong relationship between the two. "The Church has just been an unbelievable supporter of Scouting. They are magnificent caretakers and enthusiastic. They're generous with their money, their time, and their calendar. I'm very impressed."

The Future of Scouting With shifting times and interests, the novelty and importance of Scouting has dimmed for many. One question members ask today is if the Church is going to leave Scouting. "My answer to that, although I no longer speak for anybody but myself, is no," Hammond declares. "The Church is not going to get out of Scouting -- as long as Scouting maintains the high standards of morality, judgment, and wisdom that [it does] now. . . . It has such great impact on our young men.

"There are a lot of young men who are not in Scouting that are great and will be great," Hammond continues, "but [Scouting] still has the ability to create that inner power that makes them good."

Scouting represents the adventure of boys growing to be great men who make their country a better place. So what has the Boy Scout program meant to America and the Church in this last century?

Ezra Taft Benson answered that question perfectly when he said, "I would to God that every boy of Boy Scout age in America could have the benefits and the blessings of the great Boy Scout program. It is truly a noble program; it is a builder of character, not only in the boys, but also in the men who provide the leadership. I have often said that Scouting is essentially a spiritual program, a builder of men."