To the Speaker of the House of Representatives
To the Speaker of the House of Representatives
As January 1, 2000, approached, millions of people around the world
looked forward with anticipation to finishing one century and starting
another. The Boy Scouts of America looked forward not to finishing and
starting anew, but rather to continuing to build on nine decades of
instilling in youth the strong values and morals that will make a
difference in the lives of millions in a new century.
We continue to realize today that we must look back to yesterday to
see what James E. West and the other founding fathers of the Boy Scouts
of America knew to be true: the future of our society is vested in each
successive generation and the values they inherit. We look toward
Scouting's future and can be confident the organization is stronger
than ever and will continue to guide new generations on the high road
of noble character and constructive citizenship.
The final year of the 20th century was a good one for Scouting. For
the third consecutive year, Scouting's strong growth continued, with
membership increases in Cub Scouting, Boy Scouting, and Venturing.
With the support of more than 90,000 chartered organizations, over
3 million youth members were prepared for a lifetime of citizenship,
strong character, and service by committing to the values of the Scout
Oath and Law. More than 1.2 million adult volunteers, working with
professionals in 319 councils nationwide, passed along to these young
men and women the same principles, aims, and ideals that have been
part of Scouting since 1910.
Much of the BSA's success in 1999 was due to the 1998-2002 Strategic
Plan, a plan that identifies and addresses the challenges of the Scouting
movement for the new millennium. Councils across the nation continued to
embrace the five critical issues of the plan: leadership; total financial
development; traditional unit and membership growth; marketing; and endowment
emphasis and stewardship. By addressing these issues, councils enable the Boy
Scouts of America to be one of the nation's premier youth-serving organizations
and the program of choice for the young people of today and tomorrow.
Young people today face more challenges than ever before, but thanks to
thousands of dedicated Scouting volunteers, supporters, and professionals,
they also have more opportunities. It is with great honor and pride that we
take the time-proven values and traditions of yesterday and combine them with
the accomplishments of today to ensure that the values of the Scout Oath and
Law remain strong tomorrow.
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Edward E. Whitacre Jr.
President |
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Milton H. Ward
Executive Vice President |
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Jere B. Ratcliffe
Chief Scout Executive |