The following contains highlights of Scouting history in our council area, summarized decade by decade, and representing the first 100 years of the Boy Scouts of America: 1910-2010.
Our History
The Boy Scouts of America was founded on February 8, 1910 by a group of prominent Americans lead by Chicago newspaper publisher W.D. Boyce. Boyce received his chief inspiration from Lord Robert Baden-Powell, who founded Scouting in England in 1907.
In 1916 the Boy Scouts of America received a charter from the Sixty-Fourth Congress of the United States “to promote, through organization, and cooperation with other agencies, the ability of boys to do things for themselves and others, to train them in Scout craft, and to teach them patriotism, courage, self-reliance, and kindred virtues, using the methods which are now in common use by the Boy Scouts.”
In 1924, the Suwannee River Area Council, Boy Scouts of America, was chartered by the National Council to implement a quality Scouting program to all youth in its geographic area. The council is incorporated in the State of Florida.
Scouting has grown in meeting the needs of today’s youth. Many of our community leaders credit their Scouting background for their progress, exemplary character and citizenship.
Today’s program begins with boys in the first grade and includes young men and women in the high school aged Exploring program. Teaching youth and adults to make value judgments and the importance of traditional values continue to make the Scouting program strong.
The leadership of the council is dedicated to continue to expand the Scouting movement and to continue to be a proactive organization.
Click here for additional Suwannee River Area Council History
For a pictorial history (and more) of our council, please visit our online SRAC Museum of Scouting