Political Quotes

“I rise today to celebrate an organization that is near and dear to my heart, Scouting America. February 8 is National Scouting America Day, which recognizes the legacy of the organization and the young Americans who have gone from Scouts to leaders in their communities. On May 17, 1977, I became an Eagle Scout myself, as a member of Scout Troop 52 in Walker Township, Pennsylvania. Over the years, I proudly held various leadership roles with Scout troops in Pennsylvania, including two separate stints as Scoutmaster for Troop 353 in Howard. During my time as a Scoutmaster, I was honored to see many young men achieve the rank of Eagle Scout. Since the rank's inception, close to 3 million Scouts have earned Eagle Scout status. Scouting America--formerly known as the Boy Scouts of America, and actually that is still the name of the movement as chartered by Congress--was established in 1910 by William D. Boyce. The mission of the organization is to prepare children for lives of impact and purpose. Since it was founded, more than 130 million young men and women have participated in Scouting America's programs. Mr. Speaker, at its core, Scouting encourages its members to leave our country and the world a little better than they found it. Scouting America has helped build future leaders by combining educational activities and lifelong values with fun. Scouting founder, Lord Baden-Powell of England, defined Scouting as a game with a purpose.”