[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 7]
[House]
[Page 8782]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




     RECOGNIZING 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA CHARTER

  (Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in 
recognition of the 100th anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America 
Charter. On June 15, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed the law 
granting a national charter to the Boy Scouts of America, which had 
been incorporated 6 years earlier in 1910.
  I spent more than four decades in scouting as a scoutmaster, Juniata 
Valley Boy Scouts Council executive board member and Council president. 
In my own scouting experience, I was honored to become one of just 
2,000 people since 1969 to receive the national Distinguished Eagle 
Scout Award.
  It was my experience in scouting that first sparked my interest in 
public service, in the vein of the Boy Scouts model, which urges us in 
part to do our duty to our country.
  In 2013 there were more than 2.6 million members of the Boy Scouts of 
America. In a time which has in many ways been highlighted by a decline 
of volunteerism, I know that our Nation's future is in good hands with 
these young men and young ladies.
  It is my hope that this wonderful organization continues to 
contribute to the lives of youth for generations to come.

                          ____________________