In 1909, a dense fog in London, England caused American visitor William D. Boyce to lose his way. Boyce stopped under a street lamp to figure out where he was when a boy approached him and asked if he could be of help.
"You certainly can," said Boyce. He told the boy that he wanted to find a certain business office in the center of the city. "I'll take you there," said the boy.
When they got to the destination, Mr. Boyce reached into his pocket for a tip, but the boy stopped him.
"No thank you, sir. I am a Scout. I won't take anything for helping," said the boy.
"A Scout? And what might that be?" asked Boyce. The boy told Boyce about himself and about his brother Scouts. Boyce became very interested. After finishing his errand, he had the boy take him to the British Scouting office. At the office, Boyce met Lord Robert Baden-Powell, the famous British general who founded the Scouting movement in Great Britain. Boyce was so impressed with what he learned that he decided to bring Scouting home with him.
On February 8, 1910, Boyce and a group of outstanding leaders founded the Boy Scouts of America.
To learn more about Scouting in the Country click here for National Boy Scouts of America website.
National Research Studies document how Scouting instills values
