It's an organization that has long been a guiding beacon for boys and young men. And I think we do that job very well. At first glance, Scouting may appear to focus on camping and crafts. But there's much more involved here than fun in the outdoors. Indeed, Scouting has taken on the crucial tasks of developing boys' self-reliance, reinforcing their spirituality, making them physically fit, teaching good sportsmanship, instilling pride in America's heritage and fostering family values.
Scouts learn creativity, fairness, generosity, the joy of achievement and the value of hard work.
Equally important, perhaps, is what scouts don't do-like take drugs, hang out on street corners, shoplift, participate in gangs and disrespect teachers and other adults. Each year, Boy Scouts perform about 50 million hours of community service to America. They remove trash from highways and riverbanks, take food to the needy, help out after natural disasters, develop playgrounds, improve parks, build Habitat for Humanity houses and perform a host of other service projects for senior citizens, hospitals, veterans memorials and other good causes. In the midst of the Depression, Boy Scouts provided nearly 2 million items of clothing, food and household furnishings for the needy. In 1954, Scouts planted more than 6 million trees and set out 55,000 nesting boxes for birds.