Boy Scout Day (Ohio Boy Scout Week)

February 8, 1910, is the birthday of the Boy Scouts of America. As many know, on this Day, William D. Boyce incorporated the Boy Scouts of America under the laws of the District of Columbia. He personally donated $1,000 per month to keep the organization afloat—on the condition that boys of all races and creeds be admitted.

The first African American Boy Scout troop was organized in 1911 in Elizabeth City, North Carolina. The Girl Scouts, founded March 12, 1912, in Savannah, Ga., remain a beloved organization that promotes friendship, innovation and empowerment among millions of girls across the nation. In Scouting’s first decade, dozens of composers turned out Boy Scout sheet music, including John Phillip Sousa, who wrote the “Boy Scouts of America March” in 1916.

Some interesting facts about Boy Scouts of America (BSA): The BSA is the second-largest Scouting organization in the world. The largest is in Indonesia. When America entered World War I in 1917, membership in the BSA outnumbered the 200,000-man U.S. Army by more than 68,000 members. The 20 millionth Scout was registered with the BSA in 1952; by 2000, that number reached 100 million. Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon, is an Eagle Scout. When he said, “The Eagle has landed,” he wasn’t kidding. In 1969, Armstrong became the first Eagle Scout to be portrayed on a U.S. postage stamp — called “The Man on the Moon.” The first Eagle Scout to earn all available merit badges was Leon Wallace in 1922. Presidents John F. Kennedy, Gerald R. Ford, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama were Scouts as youth, and Jimmy Carter was a Scoutmaster. President Kennedy was the first Scout to become president; Gerald Ford was the first (and to date, only) Eagle Scout president. Ralph Bunche was the first Boy Scout to earn the Nobel Peace Prize, in 1950.

The calendar week including the eighth day of February in Ohio is designated as "Ohio Boy Scout Week." (ORC: 5.2243 Ohio boy scout week. Effective Date: 2008 SB243 04-07-2009)

Source: ohio.gov | scouting.org