9 January 2009
Scoutreach Brings Cubs to Obama’s Inaugural
Posted by admin under: Outings .
Esteban Parra at The News Journal talks about a group of poor Cub Scouts who are going to see President-elect Obama when he drops the “elect” from his title. Similar to the Pennsylvania group I talked about before, this group of Scouts are excited to witness history.
On Jan. 20, more than 100 of them not only will break out of their neighborhoods but witness history when they travel to Washington, D.C., for the inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama.
“We’re going to meet the first black president,” said 11-year-old Willie Howard, a fifth-grader at Stubbs Elementary School.
The Cub Scouts’ historic journey is part of an outreach program by the Del-Mar-Va Council Boy Scouts of America to broaden the horizons of at-risk inner-city youths.
Called Scoutreach, the program partners with city schools and community centers to give children adult role models and standards of behavior while creating experiences outside their neighborhoods.
…
“It breaks your heart because you see these children and you think ‘Boy, what can I do to brighten these children’s horizons so that they know they can do something,’ ” said Bernice Thomas, who runs Bernice’s Educational School Age Center Summer Camp in Wilmington.
The day camp also takes participants on field trips to expose them to different cultures and experiences.
Doug Tynan, chief preventive health psychologist at Nemours Foundation, said research shows that children in poverty frequently are restricted to their home environment, whether it be a city or small town.
“Their experiences are limited in terms of occupation, in terms of places to eat and things to do,” he said.
A field trip, such as the one being taken by the Cub Scouts, can have a more powerful impact on the children than viewing it on television.
I’ll say! “Look at the pretty fire on TV” versus “I am making a fire with my own hands”. And let’s not discount the fact that there are millions of people who would sacrifice their own kids to get a chance to see the inauguration of the next President. So, yeah, Scoutreach is pretty cool.
Update: Some Boy Scouts from Pottsboro, Texas, will be going, too, says Rashi Vats.
Eleven-year-old Boy Scout Wade Walters of Troop 911 in Pottsboro is excited to go with 21 other scouts in his Boy Scout troop to see the president take the Oath of Office.
“It’s a once in a lifetime thing going to Washington D.C. and marching in the parade.”
The troop has been raising money for the past seven months, and after help from family, friends, local businesses and community organizations, they raised the $41,000 to pay for the trip.
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