Supporting the designation of "Scouting America Day" in celebration of its 115th anniversary.
H. Res. 121, introduced in the 119th Congress on February 7, 2025, is a non-binding House resolution that expresses support for designating “Scouting America Day” in celebration of the 115th anniversary of Scouting America’s incorporation. The resolution recounts the organization’s history (incorporation in 1910, early national organization efforts, its federal charter in 1916) and its contributions—youth development, Eagle Scout recognition, and volunteer service—while noting current participation and service metrics. It designates the House’s backing for recognizing a day to honor Scouting America, without creating new laws or funding. The resolution is symbolic and ceremonial, reflecting congressional goodwill rather than mandating a government holiday or program. It was introduced by Rep. Thompson (PA), with Rep. Bishop listed as a co-sponsor, and referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
Key Points
- 1The resolution designates and supports observing a named “Scouting America Day” to celebrate the 115th anniversary of the organization’s incorporation (founded February 8, 1910; anniversary marked in early February 2025 in the text).
- 2It highlights Scouting America’s purpose: to build self-reliance, character, ethical decision-making, and civic leadership in youth through the Scout Oath and Law.
- 3It provides historical context, noting milestones such as the first Eagle Scout (1912), the federal charter granted by Congress (1916), and ongoing participation and service (e.g., tens of thousands of Eagle Scouts in recent years, millions of hours of service, hundreds of thousands of youth and tens of thousands of volunteers).
- 4It clarifies that Scouting America is a long-standing, federally chartered organization and emphasizes the broad social contributions of its youth and adult volunteers.
- 5It states the sponsoring members and committee path: introduced by Rep. Thompson (PA) for himself and Rep. Bishop; referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.