Serving the community
of South Lawndale, Little Village,  26th Street and St. Agnes Catholic Church 
continuously since 1931

Thomas Zriny, Scoutmaster
eagle306@comcast.net

Remember next year's Owasippe summer camp dates: July 11 to 24, 2010

"When one door closes, another opens;

but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened."

- Alexander Graham Bell (1847 - 1922), American Inventor

Boy Scouts of America’s Centennial Commemorative Coin Receives Presidential Approval

DALLAS, October 16, 2008—President Bush recently signed into law the Boy Scouts of America Centennial Commemorative Coin Act (H.R. 5872) which authorizes the minting of 350,000 silver dollar coins in recognition of BSA’s 100th Anniversary in 2010.  Only two commemorative coins are selected for U.S. Mint production each year, and minting of the coins for 2010 will occur between February 8, 2010 and January 1, 2011.  For each coin sold, there is a $10 surcharge – representing a $3,500,000 donation – that will be made available to local councils in the form of grants for the extension of Scouting in hard to serve areas.

The Boy Scouts of America was founded on February 8, 1910.  Since then more than 111 million youth have participated in Scouting’s traditional programs, including 248 members of the House of Representatives and the Senate.  In the past four years alone, Scouting youth and their leaders have volunteered more than 6,500,000 hours of service in their communities through more than 75,000 service projects. 

“It is a great honor for the Scouts to be recognized with this Centennial Commemorative coin.  We thank the President, the House and the Senate, especially Congressman Sessions and Senator Sessions for their support,” said Bob Mazzuca, Chief Scout Executive, Boy Scouts of America.  This is a treasured moment in the history of our organization and we are grateful for the millions of Scouts and volunteers who have served as the foundation of our success for nearly 100 years.”

The act received strong bipartisan support from both the House and the Senate.  Introduced earlier this year to Congress by Congressman Pete Sessions (R-TX), an Eagle Scout with four generations of Boy Scouts in his family, the act received overwhelming approval with 403 Members of Congress voting for it.  “Boy Scouts are a significant part of American culture, shaping the values, citizenship, and skills of millions of young men,” Congressman Pete Sessions stated. “From conservation to character building, the Boy Scouts 100th Anniversary celebrates the highest Scouting ideals of helping others and making communities stronger.”

Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL), who also is an Eagle Scout, was the Senate sponsor of this legislation, which passed by unanimous consent on September 27, 2008.  “I am pleased that the Senate has approved this legislation to mint a commemorative coin celebrating an important mark in the Boy Scouts history.  Scouting has been a positive influence on millions of young men across the country,” said Senator Sessions.

H.R. 5872 legislation states that the commemorative coin must be “emblematic of the 100 years of the largest youth organization in the United States, the Boy Scouts of America.”  The act also outlines other design mandates of the silver dollar including that it must show its designated value, the year 2010 and have inscriptions of the words “Liberty”, “In God We Trust”, and “E Pluribus Unum”.  The coin will weigh 26.73 grams, have a diameter of 1.5 inches and contain 90 percent silver and 10 percent copper.  The design will be selected by the Secretary of the Treasury after consultation with Chief Scout Executive Bob Mazucca and the Commission of Fine Arts.  The selected coin design will also be reviewed by the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee.

Earlier this year, the Boy Scouts of America kicked off a multi-year 100th Anniversary celebration.  Over the next two years, BSA will reintroduce to America the contributions Scouting makes in communities across the country and the positive impact Scouting has on millions of young lives. The 100th Anniversary celebration will include major national events, activities, and initiatives to engage nearly 3 million youth and 1.2 million volunteers; an estimated 50 million Scouting alumni; and the general public.

About the Boy Scouts of America
Serving nearly 4.7 million young people between 7 and 20 years of age with more than 300 councils throughout the United States and its territories, the Boy Scouts of America is the nation’s foremost youth program of character development and values-based leadership training.

"What you do speaks so loudly that I cannot hear what you say."

- Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 - 1882), American Essayist, Philosopher, and Poet