PRINTER'S NO. 2365
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No.
470
Session of
2017
INTRODUCED BY DOWLING, READSHAW, HENNESSEY, CUTLER, CHARLTON,
MACKENZIE, BAKER, DAY, WARD, NEILSON, SACCONE, DiGIROLAMO,
ROTHMAN, BIZZARRO, RYAN, MEHAFFIE, PICKETT, SCHLEGEL CULVER,
BOBACK, SAYLOR, MARSHALL, DUSH, SONNEY, HAHN, CORBIN, DAVIS,
KINSEY, MUSTIO, WALSH, METZGAR, ORTITAY, SANKEY,
M. K. KELLER, MILLARD, WENTLING, NESBIT, D. COSTA, PASHINSKI,
MENTZER, ZIMMERMAN, DRISCOLL, FEE, TOPPER, REESE, BARRAR,
NELSON, MARSICO, LONGIETTI, COOK, ELLIS, STAATS, BERNSTINE
AND MAHER, SEPTEMBER 6, 2017
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35,
SEPTEMBER 6, 2017
A RESOLUTION
Designating the week of September 11 through 17, 2017, as "Boy
Scout and Cub Scout Sign-Up Week" in Pennsylvania.
WHEREAS, The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) provides the
nation's foremost youth program of character development and
value-based leadership training in approximately 280 local
councils; and
WHEREAS, Originating in England under the guidance of Lord
Robert Baden-Powell, Boy Scouts grew from Lord Baden-Powell's
desire to convert his military prowess into a nonmilitary nature
skills development opportunity for boys; and
WHEREAS, Newspaper publisher William D. Boyce lost his way in
a London fog and was aided by one of Lord Baden-Powell's young
scouts, becoming so impressed by the young fellow's skill and
cordiality that he founded the Boy Scouts of America on February
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
8, 1910, so that American boys could likewise develop survival
skills; and
WHEREAS, President William Howard Taft became the first
honorary president of the BSA and Theodore Roosevelt was the
organization's first honorary vice president; and
WHEREAS, For more than a century, boy scouting has been an
ongoing adventure that teaches a powerful set of real-life
skills and develops fundamental qualities that help young people
become "Prepared. For Life."; and
WHEREAS, Today, the organization is composed of nearly 2.5
million youth members between 6 and 20 years of age and has
approximately 960,000 volunteers in local councils throughout
the United States and its territories; and
WHEREAS, The BSA is a multilevel organization with
approximately 1.3 million Cub Scouts 6 to 10 years of age and
approximately 885,000 Boy Scouts 11 to 17 years of age; and
WHEREAS, Venturing and Exploring are additional BSA programs
that provide individuals under 21 years of age with adventure
and career experiences to further shape them into responsible
and caring adults; and
WHEREAS, The BSA offers rank advancement and merit badge
awards to foster athleticism, nature and survival skills, and
citizenship development as a means of encouraging maturity,
capability and self-confidence; and
WHEREAS, The highest attainable rank in the BSA is Eagle
Scout; and
WHEREAS, Scouts must demonstrate proficiency in leadership,
service and outdoor skills at multiple levels before achieving
Eagle Scout rank; and
WHEREAS, In addition to the 21 life skills merit badges
20170HR0470PN2365 - 2 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
required to earn Eagle Scout rank, each scout must complete an
extensive service project that he plans, organizes, leads and
manages before his 18th birthday; and
WHEREAS, In 2014, Eagle Scout projects provided more than
$183 million in service to communities across the nation; and
WHEREAS, Collectively, scouts across America recorded more
than 14 million hours of service to their communities in 2014,
at a value of more than $323 million; and
WHEREAS, Since joining the Messengers of Peace program in
2013, the BSA has joined scouts worldwide to contribute more
than 600 million hours of community service; and
WHEREAS, The mission of the BSA is to prepare young people to
make ethical and moral choices over their lifetime by instilling
the values of the Scout Oath and Scout Law; and
WHEREAS, The Scout Oath states that, "On my honor I will do
my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the
Scout Law; to help other people at all times; to keep myself
physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight"; and
WHEREAS, Scout Law requires that a scout is "trustworthy,
loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful,
thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent"; and
WHEREAS, Many great citizens of our nation and Commonwealth
have been Boy Scouts, and 4% of them went on to receive the
Eagle Scout award; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives designate the
week of September 11 through 17, 2017, as "Boy Scout and Cub
Scout Sign-Up Week" in Pennsylvania; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize the
important role the Boy Scouts of America plays in our nation and
in this Commonwealth.
20170HR0470PN2365 - 3 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30