Calling All Boy Scouts!

The Narragansett Council, which administers Scouting in Rhode Island, is sponsoring a reception at the Officers’ Club in Newport on March 2 at 5 pm for all individuals who were ever active in Scouting as a youth, adult or as a parent.  The reception will include food, a cash bar, door prizes.

“Scouting national is making a strong effort in the wake of the centennial to reconnect with our veterans.  We just want to let them know what the organization is doing these days,” said Nick Sarantakes, a professor at the Naval War College and a scout volunteer.    

The reception will be an opportunity for former Scouts to join an alumni organization.  There will also be door prizes for those attend and free food.

“Not everyone can offer their time or be active in the organization, depending on where they are in their careers, but Scouting was great fun and I know people who were in the organization generally want it to do well,” Sarantakes stated.  He is also writing a book on the Eagle Scout award and is hoping to get individuals on base who hold this honor to fill out a questionnaire about their experiences.  

The Boy Scouts of America is the largest youth organization in the United States.  The Narragansett  Council is one of the oldest in Scouting.

 Many public leaders have recognized its importance.  “More and more I have grown to believe in the Boy Scout movement,” Theodore Roosevelt stated in the early days of the organization’s history. “I regard it as one of the movements most full of promise for the future here in America. The Boy Scout movement is distinctly an asset to our country for the development of efficiency, virility, and good citizenship.”

Harry S. Truman felt the same way:  “What a greater nation this would be if the principles of Scouting could be woven more closely into our daily lives. If we can impress upon our youth principles of friendliness and mutual respect, we shall go a long way toward establishing a better understanding among the nations of the world. The Boy Scouts of America is making a vital contribution to the character-building of our boys and young men.”

Release courtesy of Sarantakes.