[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 140 (Thursday, October 1, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2432]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA MENTORS AND VOLUNTEERS HONORED WITH STATUE IN 
                      RIVERFRONT PARK; SPOKANE, WA

                                 ______
                                 

                      HON. CATHY McMORRIS RODGERS

                             of washington

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 1, 2009

  Mrs. McMORRIS RODGERS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 
dedication and commitment to service exemplified by the mentors and 
volunteers of the Boy Scouts of America and to commemorate the 
installation of a statue, dedicated in honor of these mentors and 
volunteers, in Riverfront Park in Spokane, Washington.
  The support and assistance of the community and those directly 
associated with the Boy Scouts has made this project a reality. Over 
the course of three years, funds were raised and a location secured for 
the installation of the ``Footsteps of the Future'' statue honoring the 
volunteers and mentors involved with the Boy Scouts of America. A gift 
from Troop 325 and the Inland Northwest Council of the Boy Scouts to 
the City of Spokane, this bronze statue, over seven feet in height, is 
inspired by the National Boy Scouts of America statuette that is 
oftentimes given to those attaining Eagle Scout rank. The models for 
the statue are two Boy Scouts from Troop 325; the older Scout is 
depicted pointing the way for the younger Scout.
  However, perhaps the greatest impetus behind this project was the 
inspired service of a Spokane-area man who devoted nearly 40 years of 
his life mentoring the youth in our community as a Boy Scout leader. 
Dean Dinnison, former Scoutmaster of Troop 325, served honorably with 
the United States Marine Corps for four years during World War II. It 
is fitting, then, that the statue honoring his commitment to service 
and that of countless other mentors and volunteers should be placed at 
the western-most edge of Riverfront Park, in the Veterans Park.
  Madam Speaker, as we recognize 100 years of Scouting in America this 
year, I believe the ongoing service of our Nation's Boy Scouts and the 
mentors and volunteers who help shape them as leaders in our 
communities deserves recognition. It is my hope that this statue, like 
the two boys it is modeled after and the man who inspired its creation, 
will serve to inspire future generations of our Nation's youth to a 
vibrant life of civic involvement. I invite my colleagues to join me in 
honoring the volunteers, mentors, and Scouts of the Boy Scouts of 
America and in commemorating the dedication of the ``Footsteps to the 
Future'' statue.

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