BSA celebrates 100 years of scouting

Interactive scouting experience begins nationwide tour

For the Boy Scouts of America, 2010 is a year-long celebration and an invitation to the nation to experience Scouting like never before.

“This is an incredibly exciting and important time for our organization,” said Bob Mazzuca, Chief Scout Executive of the BSA. “The methods of Scouting continue to evolve to reach the current and future generations, but the Scouting message is the same as it was a century ago. We invite Scouts, alumni, volunteers, and the public to join in our celebration throughout the country over the next year. We are excited about what the future holds, and invite America to continue to be a part of the journey.”

While a 100th Anniversary may seem like an occasion to reflect on an impressive past, the BSA is looking towards the future. Eight major national 100th Anniversary engagement programs have been designed to reintroduce Scouting to the next generation of young leaders and reconnect millions of alumni with the organization. The BSA?s strategic approach to its 100th Anniversary celebration has garnered the support of organizations such as AT&T, ExxonMobil, the United Nations Foundation, the Arbor Day Foundation, and other organizations.

"The Unknown Scout" - Illustration circa 1910

BSA has launched “Adventure Base 100,” a 10,000-square-foot interactive campus featuring immersive and exciting Scout-related experiences. Adventure Base 100 will travel the country throughout 2010, providing more than 40 markets with a hands-on view of Scouting and the difference it makes in the lives of millions of youth.

Designed to reach people of all ages in new, exciting and engaging ways, Adventure Base 100 offers something for everyone:

• A high adventure ropes course for all visitors more than 4 feet tall weighing less than 200 pounds.
• A multi-sensory experience that will provide visitors with the sights, smells and sounds of Scouting through an IMAX-like video, GoScouting! Dome.
• A stage show featuring contests, trivia and skill demonstrations from local Scouts.
• An opportunity to interact with hands-on digital exhibits relating to the Scout experience.
• A chance to ask current Scouts and Scouters questions about their experiences and the organization’s local chapters.
• A traveling museum featuring artifacts from the National Scouting Museum in Irving, TX, as well as the BSA’s 100th Anniversary National Time Capsule, which will include artifacts submitted from local Councils throughout the country.

The closest Adventure Base 100 gets to Montgomery County are the following locations:

• Atlanta, GA: Apr. 16 – 18
• Louisville, KY: Apr. 23 – 25
• Chattanooga, TN: Jun. 11 – 13

‘Celebrate Scouting’ stamp unveiled

In Washington, D.C., the U.S. Postal Service is honoring the scouts with their own “Celebrate Scouting stamp, which will be sold in the summer of 2010, coincides with the Boy Scouts of America?s 100th anniversary.
The new stamp design was created by illustrator Craig Frazier of Mill Valley, California, and depicts the spirit and outdoor adventure of scouting through a backpacking scout and a large silhouette of a scout surveying the landscape.
Since the creation of the international youth scouting movement some 100 years ago, hundreds of millions of children have benefited from opportunities for adventure, skill building, leadership, personal development, and community service provided by scouting organizations.

“I’m very proud to represent the United States Postal Service as we unveil the artwork for the scouting commemorative stamp to be released in 2010 and to recognize what scouting has done for boys and girls alike for more than 100 years,” said USPS Sustainability Vice President, Samuel M. Pulcrano. “I learned a great many things from scouting when I was a boy, and many of those lessons came from my father who served as my assistant scoutmaster. The experience made such an impression on me that I now serve as assistant scoutmaster for my son’s troop.”

BSA Centennial Events

• May 2010: National Hall of Leadership inductees announced
• July 26, 2010: National Scout Jamboree begins
• July 31, 2010:  A Shining Light Across America
• August/September 2010: Pitch for Scouting days at the ballpark
• November 2010: Adventure Base 100 makes its last stop
• December 2010: Last chance to purchase BSA 100th Anniversary trees
• December 2010: A Year of Celebration, Get in the Game, Alumni Connection, and
• January 2011: U.S. Mint completes production of BSA silver dollar

For more information about the BSA’s 100 Year Anniversary celebration activities, please visit our 100th Anniversary Web site at www.scouting.org/100years.