Scouting’s century of service

Trustworthy. Loyal. Helpful. Friendly. Courteous. Kind. Obedient. Cheerful. Thrifty. Brave. Clean. Reverent.

The above list of character traits shares one common bond: Each is part of the law that has governed the Boy Scouts of America for 100 years. Today as the BSA has ended its centennial celebration with its nationwide Jamboree in Virginia, it is an appropriate time to recognize the enduring positive impact of the service organization to communities large and small throughout the nation — including our own.

In the Mahoning Valley, the Warren-based Greater Western Reserve Council of BSA boasts 13,000 members, 1,400 of whom are Scouts with special needs or at-risk youths, and 3,500 registered adult volunteers.

For fully a century, Scouting has nurtured tens of thousands of young American men in the Valley and the nation into adulthood by instilling values of personal responsibility, integrity, character and faith.

The Scouting way of life requires a commitment to service to better our communities and their residents, a desire for peace and cooperation in our nation and world and a thirst for cherishing and preserving the environment around us.

Such ideals have produced strong, responsible leaders for our country for 10 decades now. We’re counting on the BSA to continue that noble mission for years and decades to come.