Scouts honor - Local Boy Scouts of Paso Robles Troop 60 wave their flag during the 100th anniversary of the scouting organization held at Downtown City Park on Sunday, Jan. 31 at noon.

According to the Boy Scouts of America, when Neil Armstrong famously said, "The Eagle has landed" after taking man's first awe-inspiring steps on the moon, he could have meant it literally.

Armstrong, like many notable figures throughout U.S. history, was an Eagle Scout - the highest rank awarded to male youth through the Boy Scouts of America [BSA].

A higher number of iconic Americans - from the likes of Nobel Prize winners to U.S. Presidents - joined the BSA's ranks as Scouts, Tenderfoots, Second Class, First Class, Star and Life Scouts. Local youth have continued the tradition by earning their own merit badges for community service, climbing, crime prevention and more.

It was with this sense of pride and accomplishment that Boy Scouts of all ages and eras gathered at Downtown City Park on Sunday afternoon for the 100-year anniversary of the prominent scouting organization.

The Boy Scouts of the Del Norte District hosted the event alongside Campfire U.S.A., which also turned a century old this year. The event included scout troops and leaders from across the Los Padres Council, which encompasses San Luis Obispo County including Morro Bay and Cambria.

The celebration began at noon with a scout-led color guard followed by dignitary presentations by community leaders including Paso Robles Mayor Duane Picanco, First District County Supervisor Frank Mecham and Paso Robles City Council Member John Hamon. A traditional barbecue provided by Troop 92, pinewood derby, bottle rocket demonstration and model campsite set the family-friendly atmosphere on the incredibly bright and sunny Sunday afternoon.

"It's exciting to celebrate the past 100 years and look forward to another 100," said Del Note District Senior District Executive Ingrid Olsen. "It's great to see the growth of young men in their character and their leadership skills and to see how they mature."

Just as Boy Scouts inevitably grow into men, the BSA has grown considerably since it's 1910 inception, which says plenty about the organization's continued popularity.

According to statistics provided by the BSA, when America entered World War I, the number of boy scouts outranked the number of U.S. Army soldiers by more than 68,000. Last year alone, a total of 1,913,676 merit badges were awarded to scouts of all ages across the nation. More than 4 million youth members currently participate in the BSA.

Boys ages seven to 10 are considered Cub Scouts, while boys ages 11 to 18 are eligible to be Boy Scouts. Co-ed "Venturing Crews" based on a range of group interests are available for youth ages 14 to 21.

Paso's brand new Venture Crew 6-911 talked about their medical focus during the event. The group, which aims to teach youth how to prepare for careers in the emergency medical services field, handed out information to interested individuals.

"As a venture crew they get to plan out their own activities," said crew advisor David Begg. "We're teaching them to do CPR and are going on overnight trips to provide first-aid for campers and summer camps."

An event announcer and local scout leader encouraged people to check out the different activities provided by the scouting troops, adding that questions should be directed to the young experts themselves.

"As soon as you ask [the scouts questions], their faces will light up as they talk about the passion and joy that Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts gives them," he said.

True to his word, local Boy Scouts took initiative when passersby asked questions about their various activities. A handful of eager scouts from Troop 60 showed off a model campfire as well as tents, canoes, cooking tools, hatchets and knots used during their overnight camping trips.

Troop Historian Wesley Harmon, 13, demonstrated how they constructed the model fire in a "tee pee" form. He said the best part about scouts is becoming a leader.

"We try to focus on boys leading boys," he said. "We go on campouts, do whitewater rafting, go camping in the snow, go to summer camps and we learn things." Last summer, the Troop took a trip to Catalina Island, where the scouts learned about ocean life. Harmon pointed out his oceanography merit badge - his favorite badge yet.

Senior Patrol Leader Alex Cushing, 15, said his favorite badge is for small boat sailing, another activity the troop learned on Catalina. The boys showed off canoes used during other trips and a few tents, which can fit two to three scouts each. A giant compass was used to show the scouts how the real deal works, and a knot display showed the proper knot for any outdoor necessity.

Learning how to brave it in the wilderness - and learning how to use a compass, especially - helped out one of the oldest Boy Scouts at the event. Roy Jennings, who will turn 88 in March, said the skills he learned in a Mississippi troop as a kid helped him during his deployment in the South Pacific during WWII.





For the complete article see the 02-05-2010 issue.

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