([ Portland], [Or], [05/20/05])— On Thursday, May 26 th, more than a 1,000 local Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts will gather at Willamette National Cemetery to place flags on the headstones of our country’s honored dead. This year marks the 37 th time Scouts have gathered in the spirit of reverence, service and citizenship as they place over 120,000 small American flags over the gravesites. Ric Chambers, a dedicated Scouter, has organized this event. He states, “I ask the kids to first say the name, then place the flag . . .The rewards are all internal . . . Once you’ve done this,” he said, “it stays with you.” The Boy Scouts of America includes this service in a long list of opportunities launching the Scouting for America youth service campaign. There will be a short ceremony opened by nearly a 100-Scout honor guard of unit and American flags. Featured guest speaker will be Lt. Colonel Richard Sirianni, Chaplain, Oregon Air National Guard. The ceremony will be concluded by a twenty-one gun salute conducted by the 6 th Engineering Support Battalion U.S. Marine Reserves. Due to overwhelming participation, the placing of the flags is reserved for Scouts and parents of the Thunderbird District, representing East Clackamas and Multnomah Counties. The public is encouraged to visit the cemetery over the weekend.
About the Cascade Pacific Council, Boy Scouts of America
The Cascade Pacific Council ranks among the nation’s largest Scout councils (more than 300) in terms of membership. The Cascade Pacific Council serves more than 48,000 youth in 18 counties in northwest Oregon and southwest Washington, and is supported by more than 15,500 adult volunteer mentors.
Local Boy Scouts of America Accomplishments
This last year (2004), Scouts of the Cascade Pacific Council reached out to the community and achieved the following outstanding accomplishments:
Goodwill/Good Turn – Scouts collected 368,507 pounds of usable clothing and household goods for Goodwill Industries in 2004. Over the past ten years, 4.6 million pounds have been collected.
Camping Program – TheCascade Pacific Council has one of the strongest outdoor camping programs in the country, camping 11,714 boys at seven summer resident camps and ten day camps last year.
Scouting for Food – Scouts collected 450,000 pounds of food for local hunger relief agencies through the Scouting for Food drive in December 2004.
Guy Miller Tree Plant – Over 2,500 youth and family members planted nearly 37,500 tree seedlings in our forests and neighborhoods in support of the Guy Miller Tree Plant program. Since 1977, this program has accounted for the planting of more than 2 million trees.
Violence Free Spring Break – In partnership with the Portland Police Bureau, the Police Activities League, Multnomah County, Boys and Girls Club, and other organizations, the Cascade Pacific Council has planned, coordinated and staffed special events like “Violence Free Spring Break.” Over 375 youth were served for this event alone. These events use Scouting facilities and curriculums to deliver positive, values-based programs.
Outreach – Over $21,305 in scholarships was awarded to 486 youth members for summer camp.
Harris Interactive Study– Men who were Scouts for five or more years as boys are more likely than men with no Scouting experience:
- Graduate from high school (98% versus 83%)
- Graduate from college (40% versus 16%)
- Earn annual household incomes of $50,000+ (33% versus 17%).
Visit www.cpcbsa.org or call 503-226-3423 to learn more about the Boy Scouts of America.
Boy Scouts of America - Connecting youth with communities and families.
This page last modified
May 24, 2005
