Bill Text: VA HJR826 | 2013 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Commending the Virginia Councils of the Boy Scouts of America.
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Republican 5-1)
Status: (Passed) 2013-02-14 - Bill text as passed House and Senate (HJ826ER) [HJR826 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2013-HJR826-Introduced.html
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13104679D Patrons-- Bell, Robert B., Garrett, Minchew and Scott, E.T.; Senator: McEachin WHEREAS, the international youth movement of Boy Scouts, today known as the World Organization of the Scout Movement, was established in England in 1907 by Lord Robert Baden-Powell and currently serves 28 million Scouts and their leaders in 155 countries around the globe; and WHEREAS, the Boy Scouts of America was founded by a group of prominent Americans led by William D. Boyce on February 8, 1910, in Washington, D.C., and was chartered by the United States Congress on June 15, 1918; and WHEREAS, the Boy Scouts of America prepares young people to make ethical choices throughout their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law, including a commitment to do their best to do their duty to God and their country and to keep themselves physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight; and WHEREAS, in 1911, Scouting began a century of service to the youth of the Commonwealth of Virginia, when Richmond Troop #1 was chartered by Tabernacle Church; and WHEREAS, in 1913, the "Richmond Virginia Council, Inc." was chartered by John Stewart Bryan, D. W. Durrett, and 60 civic-minded community leaders, with headquarters in Richmond's old News Leader Building; served 495 boys in 28 troops in its first year; was later renamed the "Robert E. Lee Council"; and today, as the Heart of Virginia Council, will celebrate its 100th birthday on July 12, 2013; and WHEREAS, the nine Boy Scout councils serving all or part of the Commonwealth, including the Blue Ridge Mountains Council, Colonial Virginia Council, Del-Mar-VA Council, Heart of Virginia Council, National Capital Area Council, Sequoyah Council, Shenandoah Area Council, Stonewall Jackson Area Council, and Tidewater Council, serve 42,779 Cub Scouts, 27,779 Boy Scouts, 4,656 Venturers, and 1,977 Explorers, bringing the joys of Scouting to over 77,000 young Virginians between the ages of seven and 20; and WHEREAS, Virginia's Boy Scout councils deliver America's premier youth development program by emphasizing character and service and affording young people unique and increasing opportunities to exercise leadership and responsibility and by the direct example and mentoring provided by more than 32,170 volunteer adult leaders; and WHEREAS, in 2012, Virginia Scouts contributed more than 494,256 hours of community service through projects such as Scouting for Food, Good Turn for America, Habitat for Humanity, and other unit and individual service projects; and WHEREAS, in 1912, the Boy Scouts of America created its highest honor, the Eagle Scout Award, to recognize only the most exceptional young men of character, versatility, and leadership ability, and in the 2012 Centennial Year, 2,149 Virginians reached Scouting's pinnacle of achievement by earning the prestigious rank of Eagle Scout; and WHEREAS, for the past 102 years, the Boy Scouts of America has been committed to producing exceptional young men by building character and values in youth; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend the Virginia Councils of the Boy Scouts of America for over a century of service to the youth of the Commonwealth and the nation; and, be it RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the Council Scout Executives in Virginia as an expression of the General Assembly's gratitude for the organization's commitment to building character and values in Virginia's youth. |
