Celebrating a century: Boy scouts mission stays true after 100 years

Carroll County Times
2/8/2010

One of the great debates in Boy Scout circles is the potential introduction of an Under Armour shirt to be worn while completing service projects, hiking and camping.

Some traditionalists are wary of the proposal and prefer the tan button-down uniform shirts. The Boys Scouts of America are being diplomatic, encouraging scouts to submit the shirt colors they most prefer in an online survey.

The Boy Scouts of America have undergone a series of changes throughout its 100 years in existence, but the mission remains the same: to equip youths with the life skills necessary to become future leaders.

Several community leaders credited their participation in scouts for building self-confidence and offering the skills necessary to be successful adults during a breakfast celebrating the Boy Scouts of America centennial at the Westminster VFW Thursday.

The Rev. Ronald S. Fisher, rector for Church of the Ascension in Westminster, said his time in Boy Scouts was just as valuable as his four years in college and three years as a seminarian.

Mary Bostwick Shellman is credited with starting the first Boy Scouts troop in Carroll County. She used the 300 scout members to help spread the word against the evils of alcohol during the prohibition movement, according to documents at The Historical Society of Carroll County.

She signed her initials to messages because women were not allowed to be Boy Scout leaders. But after a local official printed her name on a letter, her cover was blown. National scout leaders asked for her resignation.

The Boy Scouts of America voluntarily removed all gender restrictions from adult leadership positions in 1988. Carroll boasts several women in leadership positions, including Noel-Marie Taylor, the chairwoman of activities.

Scouts in Carroll continue the organization’s longstanding tradition of community service.

The 2,051 youths involved in scouting completed more than 30,000 service hours, collected more than 27,000 pounds of food for Carroll County food banks last year and planted more than 1,000 trees.

Eagle Scout Chris Anderson, of Westminster, volunteers for several organizations, including The Arc of Carroll County and Best Buddies. Anderson completed a service project at The Arc to earn his Eagle Scout designation three years ago. He renovated an outdoor break area at The Arc with picnic tables, landscaping and handicapped accessibility.

“Scouting has provided me with hundreds of opportunities to learn and grow,” he said.

During a presentation at Thursday’s breakfast, Eagle Scout Andy Smith discussed a scouting survey that indicated 1 out of 100 scouts becomes a clergy member and 1 out of 100 will save a person’s life based on skills learned in scouts.

“That’s what scouts does,” he said. “It creates leaders.”

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