([Portland], [Or], [03/24/03])—The Boy Scouts of America kicked off a nationwide campaign today in support of U.S. armed forces personnel and reservists with a ceremony at the BSA’s national headquarters. The ceremony included a moment of silence, patriotic singing, and hundreds of staff members tying red, white, and blue ribbons on trees.
Packs, troops, and crews in the Cascade Pacific Council are being asked to honor local service personnel and reservists by tying red, white, and blue ribbons on trees throughout the community. Through this small act of patriotism, Scouts are letting our armed forces know we care deeply about them and the great risk they take to protect this country.
The Boy Scouts of America invites all members of the community to show their support of our brave men and women as they protect America by tying red, white, and blue ribbons in their neighborhood. We encourage people who have friends, family members, or colleagues in the armed services to write the name of that person on the ribbons.
Throughout the decades, the Boy Scouts of America have rallied to the support of our nation’s military and their families. Through countless conflicts, Scouts have stood shoulder to shoulder in support of the brave men and women who protect our nation. As we enter the early days of this current conflict, Scouts, volunteers, and families across the nation will carry on that tradition.
“Our thoughts are with our every serviceperson and reservist fighting for peace in the Middle East, and we pray for their safe return,” said Ron Garland, local Scout executive. “Our oath to serve others is as meaningful today as it was 93 years ago.”
Boy Scouts of America - Connecting youth with communities and families.
About the Cascade Pacific Council, Boy Scouts of America
The Cascade Pacific Council is the seventh largest geographic Boy Scout council in the United States (out of 319) and the twelve largest in terms of membership. The Cascade Pacific Council serves more than 54,000 youth in 18 counties in northwest Oregon and southwest Washington, and is supported by more than 16,500 adult volunteer mentors.
Local Boy Scouts of America Accomplishments
This last year Scouts of the Cascade Pacific Council reached out to the community and achieved the following outstanding accomplishments:
Goodwill/Good Turn-Scouts collected approximately 350,000 pounds of usable clothing and household goods for Goodwill Industries.
Camping Program-The Cascade Pacific Council has one of the strongest outdoor camping programs in the country, camping 12,000 boys at 9 summer resident camps and 10 day camps last year.
Scouting for Food-Scouts collected approximately 555,000 pounds of food for local hunger relief agencies through the Scouting for Food drive.
Guy Miller Tree Plant-Over 2,200 youth and family members planted nearly 32,550 tree seedlings in our forests and neighborhoods in support of the Guy Miller Tree Plant program. This program has accounted for the planting of nearly 2 million trees since its inception.
Community Service-Scouts contributed more than 1.3 million hours of service to local communities last year.
Violence Free Spring Break-In partnership with the Portland Police Bureau, the Police Activities League and other organizations the Scouts have assisted with numerous programs and activities including “Violence Free Spring Break,” an event where over 350 at-risk youth members utilized Scout facilities.
Outreach-Over $36,000 in scholarships was awarded to over 590 youth members for summer camp.
For more information, visit the council's website at www.cpcbsa.org
