Claire Mizutani, Scout –
The Boy Scouts of America annually celebrates its founding on February 8, 1910, based on the program started by Lord Baden Powell in England on August 1, 1907. Scout Sunday was added to the Scout celebration in the middle 1940s. The Scout Sunday tradition was started to make people in houses of worship aware of Scouting, and to allow Scouts to live out their “Duty to God”. The Scout Law says that a “Scout is Reverent” and the Scouts of all ages promise to do their “Duty to God”. These values strengthen youth character in their family, community and faith.
Lord Baden Powell recognized that there is no “religious side” of the scouting movement. He said, “In the Scouts each form of religion is respected and its active practice encouraged and through the spread of our brotherhood in all countries, we have the opportunity in developing the spirit of mutual good will and understanding…. Our objective in the Scouting movement is to give such help as we can in bringing about God’s Kingdom on earth by including among youth the spirit and the daily practice in their lives of unselfish goodwill and cooperation.”
I think that is a good thing to keep in mind for us all, whether we are scouts or not — “to give such help as we can in bringing about God’s Kingdom on earth”.