[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 2]
[Senate]
[Pages 1546-1547]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       CELEBRATING BOY SCOUT DAY

  Mr. BROWN. Madam President, 98 years ago today, William Dickson Boyce 
created one of this country's longest standing and most important

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community organizations--the Boy Scouts of America. Today, we join 
Scouting groups across the country and Ohio--Toledo and Cincinnati, 
Chillicothe and Lakewood--in celebrating Boy Scout Day.
  The Boy Scouts of America has a rich tradition of teaching valuable 
skills to the young men of this country. The values which Scouting 
instills--fairness, honor, courage, and respect for others--prepare 
young men to serve their families and their Nation.
  There are more than 3 million boys in the Scouting program, and in 
the past year alone Scouts have earned nearly 2 million merit badges 
and completed more than 33 million hours of community service.
  As an Eagle Scout, I recognize the hard work involved in Scouting and 
commend the dedication and commitment of Boy Scouts and the Scouting 
movement across our country. The journey to Eagle is sometimes 
difficult, often fun, occasionally disappointing, and always rewarding. 
My time as a Boy Scout, in the end, provided me with opportunities to 
develop leadership and organizational skills, helped me to clarify and 
articulate my guiding principles, and instilled a commitment to public 
service.
  The emphasis on community service I learned with Troop 110 in 
Mansfield, OH, has strongly influenced my lifelong commitment to public 
service. The memories and lessons of Camp Avery Hand and Philmont Scout 
Ranch, of success and failure in earning merit badges, will always 
remain with me.
  The Scout Law is a framework that continues to inspire my work to 
this day:

       A Scout is Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, 
     Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean, 
     and Reverent.

  I am a proud supporter of the Boy Scouts of America. I hope my 
colleagues will join me in celebrating Boy Scout Day.

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