BY CHARLEE BEASOR
Not many organizations can say they’ve been around for 100 years. But the Boy Scouts of America is one of the few who can, and they are proud to be celebrating the milestone.
The Hou Koda District, which serves Hendricks County, western Marion County, and part of Boone County, celebrated its achievement Friday morning at the annual Breakfast for Scouting event at Jameson Camp.
Hou Koda stands for “Welcome Friend.”
Former and current Scouts, business leaders, Scout masters, and parents heard from various members of the scouting organization before enjoying a breakfast catered by Boulder Creek restaurant in Brownsburg.
“I’ve been scouting since I was a little guy,” event chairman Scott Black said. “I’m from a scouting family, and fortunately I have a son also interested in scouting and I’m with him there too.”
Black told the audience that young men benefit from scouting in several ways.
“Why is scouting important? Schools don’t focus as much on patriotism and reverence,” he said. “To learn (values), to be a good father, citizen, scouting is important. And it is a program that needs to be supported by all people. If you meet a young boy, tell him about scouting.”
Two Hendricks County Scouts also addressed the audience.
Avon resident Josh Swoverland, as he explained to the group, was born with a spinal cord abnormality and is in a wheelchair.
“Without scouting, I would not be able to talk to you today,” he said. “I would have hidden in a corner. Scouting has given me things like confidence and friends. A lot of the Scouts I was with in Cub Scouts, I’m still in contact with them.”
He said one of the things he learned from Scout Master Charlie Woods was that he can do anything he puts his mind to.
“(He) told me he wasn’t going to treat me any differently because I was in a wheelchair,” Swoverland said. “Sometimes he made me work harder, which pushed me in scouting and in sports. Next year I’m going to the University of Illinois and I’m going to play track and basketball and get a degree in psychology and speech education.”
Jacob Glennon of Brownsburg, the other Scout to address the group, was awarded the heroism award for assisting a woman struggling in the water off the shore of a South Carolina beach when Glennon was fishing.
“There was a lady struggling with her child and the lifeguard jumped in and helped the child and I helped the woman and pulled her out of the rocks before the paramedics got there,” he said. “I didn’t think much of it at the time, but my scout masters did.”
He was awarded the Medal of Merit for his actions in helping the woman.
“I never thought scouting would do so much for me,” Glennon said. “I’ve made so many friends. I’m from the Brownsburg and Danville area, where my family has a farm. Scouting is important for kids who are in the lower class area and subdivisions where they don’t have a chance to (be outside on a farm).”
Scouts are required to pay a $16 fee to register for the Boy Scouts, however, the operating cost to support one scout is about $150.
Butch Straber, district chairman for Hou Koda District, said community, friendship, and leadership support are all important aspects of keeping young men in the Boy Scouts.
There are three funding groups which comprise the “Friends of Scouting” funds. They are Family Friends of Scouting, Leadership Friends of Scouting, and Community Friends of Scouting.
The Community Friends of Scouting effort is the fund that the breakfast was targeting, by inviting local business and community leaders to the event.
“What we wanted this breakfast to do is pull business leaders into scouting,” Black said. “A lot of these folks used to be Scouts, and they can get a better sense of (today’s) scouting.”
Chuck Fippen, Hou Koda District vice chairman, asked people in the audience to consider supporting the local Boy Scouts.
“Scouting is a really deeply rooted organization in Hendricks County and Indiana and one of the only organizations that has been around 100 years,” Fippen said. “(Scouting values) are as important today as they were back in 1910 and I believe the organization will be around another 100 years.”
Black closed by saying current stereotypes of Scouts where they are a pack of young men who just follow around their scout master is not accurate.
“As a scout growing up in the 1970s, the national slogan was ‘Scouting rounds a guy out.’ It gives a good foundation, it’s a great way to grow into adulthood,” he said. “Scouting is a lot more than (stereotypes). We want them to get involved as young guys. Encourage boys to join scouting.”
Black said $5,292 was raised at the breakfast.
Local sponsors for the breakfast included Hendricks Regional Health, Cranfill Development, and Sebree Architects.
charlee.beasor@flyergroup.com
