Family Focus
Scouting Centennial
Boy Scouts mark founding and Jewish presence still echoes.
his week, the Boy Scouts of
America (BSA) celebrates 100
years since its founding by
Chicago publisher William Boyce in 1910.
Scouting for boys began in England
in 1907 when Gen. Robert Baden-Powell
(soon to be Lord Baden-Powell), one
of the Boer War heroes, discovered that
many boys were using his military book,
Aids to Scouting as a guide to outdoor
activities. He began to think how he could
convert his concepts of army scouting for
men to peace scouting for boys. That con-
cept worked so well it spread to become
the largest youth organization in America.
It was in 1910 that Boyce met with
prominent Jewish businessman Mortim-
er Schiff and Young Men's/Young Women's
Hebrew Association President William
National Council. Locally, during the
past 100 years, nearly every synagogue
in the Detroit area has, at one time, char-
tered its own Boy Scout troop.
Continuing that legacy today is Boy
Scout Troop 364, chartered by the
Adat Shalom Synagogue Men's Club in
Farmington Hills; Cub Scout Pack 613,
chartered by the United Synagogue of
Conservative Judaism; and Venturing
Crew 18, chartered by Jewish War
Veterans-Department of Michigan.
In addition, there are hundreds of
Jewish young men affiliated with Scout
programs at schools, churches and neigh-
borhood organizations.
The National Jewish Committee con-
tinues to promote Scouting in Jewish
communities, sponsor the Jewish
With 45,000 Jewish Scouts nation-
wide, Scouting continues to be a
vital resource to Jewish families.
Mitchell. These visionaries believed that
Jews and Jewish institutions should be
involved in the movement based on a
similar program run by Lord Baden-
Powell in England. In 1911, Jacob Schiff,
Mortimer's father, joined Andrew
Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller as the
first major contributors to the BSA.
Mortimer Schiff served as vice presi-
dent of the Boy Scouts from 1910-1931,
when he was elected president. He died
later that year and his family recognized
his passion for the Scouting movement
by donating the Schiff Scout Reservation
and National Training Center in
New Brunswick, N.J.
It was in 1913 that the first Jewish
troop was formed at the 92nd Street
YM/YWHA in New York City. With the
support of William Mitchell, the National
Council of YMHAs created a scouting
committee. Jewish Scouting continued to
find support nationwide.
In 1926, the National Jewish
Committee on Scouting was formed by
Schiff and Cyrus Adler, then chancellor
of the Jewish Theological Seminary in
New York; it was chartered by the BSA
Religious Emblem Award program and
provide Jewish programming at national
Boy Scout events, such as the upcoming
2010 National Scout Jamboree.
With 45,000 Jewish Cub Scouts,
Boy Scouts and Venturers nationwide,
Scouting continues to be a vital resource
to Jewish families in our communities.
Today, there are 3 million young
Americans between the ages of 7 and 20
and 1 million volunteers who are proud
members of the Boy Scouts of America.
"As we enter our second 100 years, the
Boy Scouts is dedicated to re-energizing
our role as the nation's foremost youth
organization emphasizing character
development and values-based leadership
training, and committed to remaining
a vital part of America's Jewish com-
munities," said Allen Olender of West
Bloomfield, chairman-national relation-
ships, National Jewish Committee on
Scouting/Boy Scouts of America. Li
For more information on the Boy Scouts
of America, visit www.scouting.org or the
National Jewish Committee on Scouting,
www.jewishscouting.org .
Congregation Shaarey Zedek's
Boy Scout Troop 23, Detroit, circa 1931.
Scouting roars into its second 100 years.
BOY
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Scouting magazine, July 1931, included
a memorial of Mortimer Schiff.
Boy Scout
Jamborees bring
together 40,000
Scouts every 4-5
years for a week of
brotherhood and
fun and always
include 1,000
Jewish Scouts.
Here is a typical
Synagogue Tent
set up in Virginia.
February 11 • 2010
71