50+ Lifestyles

Scouting Corner

By Thomas McDermott
Scout Executive, Illowa Council
Boy Scouts of America

In March, Illowa Council hosted the “Dan Beard College of Commissioner’s Service.” The lunchtime keynote speaker was Hector A. “Tico” Perez. Tico is an Eagle Scout, an American attorney and a partner in Baker Hostetler firm. He is the current national commissioner of the Boy Scouts of America. He is also a member of the Florida Board of Governors, president of the Orlando Utilities Commission and vice-chairman of the Orlando Arts Council. When he travels around the United States he wears the universal emblem of Scouts lapel pin. He is often asked, “You guys still around? I don’t hear about the Boy Scouts too much.” He hopes to change that image during this “Year of Celebration!”

So, check out the Boy Scouts! The Oakridge Boys did. They wrote a song by that title in 1981 for the Boy Scout Jamboree held at Fort AP Hill in Virginia. They were there for the closing ceremonies and preformed their song! At the closing ceremonies in 1985, they were asked to do that song again as their encore!

In April, Illowa Council will celebrate the Gathering of the Eagles honoring the class of 2009 Eagle Scouts of the Illowa Council, Wednesday, April 14, 2010 at Heritage Hall, Rock Island Arsenal. Keynote speaker: Major General Yves J. Fontaine. The evening will also have a special recognition for a community leader.

Pinewood Derbies for the Cub Scouts – Many packs have their
annual pinewood derby races in the spring. The Pinewood Derby Race is officially 50 years old this year. Read more about the history of the Pinewood Derby on page 20.

Continuing with our countdown to……..
100 Things You Didn’t Know About Scouting

90. The seven Mercury Project astronauts designed the original requirements for the Space Exploration merit badge.

89. Raymond Cobb was 25 when he reportedly became the first “Complete Scout,” completing all merit badges and earning Eagle, Ace, Ranger, Silver, and Quartermaster Awards.

88. It is believed that Robert Baden-Powell and W. D. Boyce never met.

87.In June 1942, Time magazine dubbed the BSA “Public Scavenger Service #1” for its outstanding wartime collection drives.

86. Ernest Lawrence was the first Boy Scout to have a chemical element named in his honor: lawrencium. He was also the first former Scout to win the Nobel Prize for Physics, in 1939.

85. Charles Scruggs of Cuero, Texas, was reportedly the first recipient of the Honor Medal for lifesaving in 1911.

84. Eagle Scouts who served as Chief Scout Executive include Joseph Brunton Jr. (1960–1966), Alden Barber (1967–1976), Harvey Price (1976-1979), James Tarr (1979–1984), Jere Ratcliffe (1993–2000), and current Chief Scout Executive Robert Mazzuca.

83. Chess legend Bobby Fischer was the author of a chess column called “Checkmate” in Boys’ Life from 1966 until 1969

82. In 1912, five of the 23 Eagle Scouts came from West Shokam, New York.

81. Today, approximately 100,000 Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, and Venturers with disabilities are registered with the Boy Scouts of America in more than 4,000 units chartered to community organizations.

Be here next month to see some more trivia about the Boy Scouts of America.