From the Commissioner: A Continuing Commitment to Service

“To help other people at all times” isn’t just part of the Scout Oath. It’s what we do. And I see Scouts doing it all over the country.

In June, I had the privilege of representing the BSA at the Gold Medal Awards ceremony for the Congressional Award in Washington, D.C. Multiple members of Congress recognized more than 60 Scouts for their community service and awarded them gold medals. It was an awesome day, and I couldn’t have been prouder of those young people.

Then on July 4, I ran into Sebastian Valdez at a breakfast for the homeless. This Scout, seen in the photo here, was distributing hygiene kits he had assembled at home with his family. He also put his cooking skills to use that day and made pancakes.

This November, for the 35th year, I’ll be serving as the volunteer coordinator for Food for Families, a single-day food drive in Waco, Texas, that last year collected, sorted and stored in the local food bank over a million pounds of food. Food for Families is a collaborative community effort among local Scouts, H-E-B grocery store and Waco television station KWTX.

Over the years, I’ve watched community-serving Scouts grow up and bring their children to work alongside them. That’s how a commitment to service continues — it is passed from one generation to the next.

Yours for better Scouting,

Ellie Morrison

National Commissioner