2025 -- H 5539

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LC001190

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2025

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H O U S E   R E S O L U T I O N

WELCOMING SCOUTING AMERICA, NARRAGANSETT COUNCIL, TO THE RHODE

ISLAND STATE HOUSE AND JOYFULLY CELEBRATING SCOUTING MONTH IN

FEBRUARY

     Introduced By: Representatives McNamara, Paplauskas, Santucci, Shekarchi,
Blazejewski, Kennedy, Ajello, Fogarty, Ackerman, and Tanzi

     Date Introduced: February 25, 2025

     Referred To: House read and passed

     WHEREAS, The Narragansett Council, like Scouting America, previously the Boy

Scouts of America, was founded in 1910, and is one of the largest Scouting and youth

development organizations in the region, with thousands of youth participants. Since Scouting

America’s beginning, approximately 130 million Americans have participated in its programs

nationwide, to the great benefit of our nation. Through the years, countless youngsters have

developed leadership skills and character, learned how to be self-sufficient, as well as life-saving

and career enhancing skills and have selflessly served their local communities and made positive

differences in the lives of countless people. In celebration of Scouting month, a group of

Narragansett Council Scouts and leaders are visiting the Rhode Island State House today; and

     WHEREAS, The Narragansett Council serves the entire State of Rhode Island along with

cities and towns in neighboring states, and tirelessly endeavors to be accessible to all Rhode

Islanders, regardless of their income or social status. In particular, they work to include

disadvantaged families within our State’s urban communities. In 2024, 1,487 new Scouts and

their families joined programs offered by the Narragansett Council; and

     WHEREAS, The Narragansett Council makes a positive impact in the lives of countless

people within every single Rhode Island community. In 2024, 6,842 Scouts and their leaders

donated 19,653 community service hours, and 177,847 pounds of food were collected through

"Scouting For Food" and given to local food pantries; and

     WHEREAS, Camping and environmental education have always been vital and integral

parts of the Scouting experience. In 2024, at the nationally renowned Camp Yawgoog, run by the

Narragansett Council, there were 4,896 campers, over 130,000 meals served, and 12,458 merit

badges earned. There were 261 boy troops and 60 girl troops attending Camp Yawgoog last year;

and

     WHEREAS, The Narragansett Council also operates the highly successful Adventure

Base Camp at Camp Champlin in Cranston; and

     WHEREAS, Camp Champlin’s year-round “Adventure Base Camp” delivers the youth

development, life skills, and leadership development programs of Scouting not just to thousands

of Scouts every year, but to all Rhode Island youth and families, focusing on unique outdoor

adventure program experiences; and

     WHEREAS The Scouts are proposing a new, state-of-the-art “Leadership and Program

Center” at Camp Champlin that will serve youth and families statewide, positioning the Scouts to

augment the existing outdoor programs with an additional programs and training facility to

expand offerings year-round, especially during inclement weather; and

     WHEREAS, The new, modern facility will feature large meeting space for up to 250

people, a “Wet Lab” for STEM and environmental science programming, a video and tech lab as

well as the new headquarters for the Narragansett Council for which the Scouts are seeking

federal funding to make improvements to water, sewer, and roads; and

     WHEREAS, Throughout the year, the Narragansett Council offers many enriching,

rewarding and educational programs including Fire Explorer’s Academy, Law Enforcement

Explorer Academy, and Police Explorer Stations Day. All of these programs offer young people

the opportunity to participate in practical hands-on activities that explore possible career choices;

and

     WHEREAS, Each year, the Narragansett Council also offers training classes on a variety

of important topics including Youth Protection Training, Leave No Trace & Outdoor Ethics

Classes, National Youth Leadership Training, and Introduction to Leadership Skills; and

     WHEREAS, Since girls were officially welcomed into Scouting in 2019, the

Narragansett Council has enrolled 1,125 girls in Scouting as of December of 2024; and

     WHEREAS, The Narragansett Council's more than 5,500 youth, and their families,

highly value the positive experiences and enriching educational opportunities the Narragansett

Council provides for them as they help to prepare their children to lead successful and rewarding

lives and to make a positive impact within their communities; now, therefore be it

     RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island hereby

welcomes the Narragansett Council, Scouting America to the Rhode Island State House, joyfully

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celebrates Scouting month during the month of February and thanks the Scouts and their adult

volunteer leaders for all the good they do on a daily basis in the State of Rhode Island; and be it

further

     RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to

transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to Mr. Tim McCandless, Scout Executive and

CEO of the Narragansett Council, Scouting America.

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