[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 35 (Thursday, March 15, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E380]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          THE BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA, REPORT TO THE NATION 2000

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. ROBERT W. NEY

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 15, 2001

  Mr. NEY. Mr. Speaker, yesterday I had the distinct pleasure to join 
you and a group of young leaders from the Boy Scouts of America as they 
presented their 2000 report to the U.S. House of Representatives. I was 
honored to meet with these young leaders and heroes. To further record 
their visit to the Capitol and efforts of the past year, I am 
submitting a copy of their report to follow my remarks for printing in 
the Congressional Record.

            Report to the Nation 2000, Boy Scouts of America

       In 2000, the Boy Scouts of America celebrated its 90th 
     anniversary and the addition of its 100-millionth youth 
     member. Nearly five million youth had the opportunity to 
     participate in the programs of the BSA during the past year, 
     thanks to the efforts of more than 1.48 million committed 
     adult volunteers. All of this is made possible through 
     support from tens of thousands of chartered organizations and 
     community groups throughout the nation.
       For our youth members and participants, Scouting is about 
     outdoor adventure and having fun with friends. But Scouting 
     is much more. Scouting is a values-based program designed to 
     instill self-discipline, self-confidence, self-reliance, and 
     self-worth--qualities that last a lifetime.


                              Our Mission

       The mission of the Boy Scouts of America is to prepare 
     young people to make ethical choices over their lifetimes by 
     instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law.
       The Boy Scouts of America has long been recognized as the 
     nation's foremost leader in values-based youth development. 
     Though we tend to view our movement through statistics that 
     highlight our strengths and accomplishments, the real focus 
     of Scouting is the powerful impact it has on a single youth 
     and his or her family. In a time of declining ethics and 
     shifting morals, we remain steadfast in our purpose: to 
     instill positive values in young people that enable them to 
     mature into adults of strong character.


                              Our Programs

       Cub Scouting. As a result of a national marketing program, 
     Cub Scouting, for boys ages 7 to 10, served 2,114,420 youth 
     members in 2000. Enhancement of age-appropriate programming 
     has resulted in greater opportunity for youth to participate 
     in Cub Scouting's contemporary family activities. Reflecting 
     the increased emphasis on and expansion of day, resident, 
     pact, and family camping opportunities, more than 41 percent 
     of Cub Scouts participated in an outdoor activity.
       Boy Scouting. Membership in Boy Scouting, for 11- to 17-
     year-olds, reached 1,003,691 in 2000. Eagle Scout, the 
     highest rank a Scout or Venturer can achieve, was attained by 
     40,029 young men. The number of Scouts who experienced a 
     long-term camping expedition reached its greatest level ever 
     in 2000 with 58.2 percent of all Boy Scouts and Varsity 
     Scouts participating in these educational outdoor adventures.
       Venturing. This high-adventure program for young men and 
     women ages 14 to 20 has enjoyed continuous growth since its 
     introduction in 1998. Built around an advancement program 
     with the Venturing Bronze, Silver, and Gold awards, Venturing 
     grew to 233,858 members--a 15.7 percent increase. The number 
     of Venturing crews increased 12.1 percent in 2000 to 17,684.
       Learning for Life. Participation in this classroom- and 
     workplace-based character education program continued to 
     increase in 2000, growing 3.2 percent to 1,589,988 
     participants. More than 17,000 organizations nationwide used 
     Learning for Life to help young people develop life skills, 
     positive attitudes, values, and career awareness. New Jersey 
     selected Learning for Life as a program of merit to be used 
     in that state's new character education initiative.
       Scoutreach. Scouting's coordinated effort to reach out to 
     more urban and rural young people focused on the Hispanic 
     market in 2000. New Spanish marketing materials and training 
     aids were developed along with a number of bilingual 
     publications designed to make Scouting programs more 
     accessible to Hispanic youth and their families. The esteemed 
     Whitney M. Young Jr. Service Award was bestowed upon 148 
     volunteers--the largest number of recipients in the history 
     of the award.


                                 Awards

       The National Court of Honor presents the prestigious Silver 
     buffalo Award to distinguished citizens for exemplary 
     national service to youth. In 2000, recipients of Scouting's 
     highest commendation included Charles L. Bowerman; M. Anthony 
     Burns; Robert M. Gates; Roger R. Hemminghaus; Louise 
     Mandrell; C. Dudley Pratt Jr.; Thomas E. Reddin; Frank G. 
     Rubino, M.D.; Alfred S. Warren; Togo D. West Jr.; and Edward 
     E. Whitacre Jr.
       The BSA's National Court of Honor awarded the Honor Medal 
     With Crossed Palms to six Scouts and Scouters who 
     demonstrated unusual heroism and extraordinary skill or 
     resourcefulness in saving or attempting to save a life at 
     extreme risk to self. Other awards for lifesaving and 
     meritorious action were presented to 234 Scouts and Scouters.
       The Young American Awards recognizes excellence in the 
     achievements of young people ages 15 to 25. The 2000 
     recipients were Julius D. Jackson, Carl F. Regelmann, Svati 
     Singla, Alison L. Smith, and Christopher K. Sokolov.


               America's Promise--The Alliance for Youth

       In 1997, the Boy Scouts of America pledged 200 million 
     hours of service to America by our youth membership by the 
     end of 2000. We are pleased to announce that we have 
     surpassed that objective by completing more than 214 million 
     hours. As part of this effort, members of Scouting's national 
     honor society, the Order of the Arrow, performed more than 
     2,000 hours of service in Yosemite National Park. Scouts in 
     New Orleans participated in Good Turn fairs in which they 
     performed services for the community including removing 
     graffiti and restoring playgrounds. The BSA's involvement in 
     this worthwhile effort represents its commitment of service 
     to our nation as expressed in the Scout Oath and Law.


                        Preparing for the Future

       Strong leadership has always been a hallmark of Scouting. 
     In this tradition, this past year our National Executive 
     Board selected Roy L. Williams as the Chief Scout Executive. 
     In May, Williams will introduce a strategic plan for 2002-
     2006 that targets five issues critical to the future of the 
     Scouting movement. Those issues are traditional membership 
     and unit growth, total financial development and stewardship, 
     marketing and strategic positioning, leadership, and 
     Scoutreach. By addressing these key issues, the BSA will 
     ensure that its values-driven programs will be around for 
     generations to come, and will continue to reach out to share 
     America's values with today's youth, tomorrow's leaders.
     Roy L. Williams,
                                            Chief Scout Executive.
     Milton H. Ward,
                                                        President.

     

                          ____________________