Dear fellow Scouting Alum,
Happy 250th Birthday, America! Our semiquincentennial had something for everyone, displaying the incredible breadth of American society.
Fireworks? Check. Historical reenactments? Check. World Cup matches? Check. Musical concerts? Check. The list – like our nation’s potential – is endless.
Some Scouts experienced at least part of their Fourth of July at camp. While camp-based celebrations may lack professional touches, they more than make up for it in earnestness, creativity, and that magic feeling you get when you are at camp.
I don’t know what it is – maybe it’s the setting, the variety of activities, the novelty of the big canvas tents, the magic of the campfire, the endless varieties of “bug juice” and slushie flavors, or the starry sky above, but summer camp just feels like a special place, one of potential, of optimism, and of joy.
It’s also one of the first places where many young people discover what it means to be part of something bigger than ourselves. At summer camp, they learn to work together, help each other, care for the outdoors, respect different perspectives, and leave a place better than they found it. In other words, they begin learning what good citizenship looks like.
Every one of these aspects of summer camp contributes to helping young people make memories and develop in ways that serve them – and our nation – for a lifetime. As you'll see in the stories that follow, the magic and growth don’t end when camp does – it all becomes part of who we are as Scouts.
I hope you have some fond summer camp memories. And I hope you have the opportunity, someday, to say “thank you” to someone who made your summer camp experience possible.
And, if you’re feeling adventurous, look up a Scout camp online – I bet you’ll be amazed at the facilities, the programming, and the opportunities they provide today’s Scouts.
But the sense of wonder – and the citizenship instilled there – remains the same.
Yours in Scouting,
Andrew Miller
Chair, Scouting Alumni
