| R 184 |
| 2026 -- H 8344 Enacted 03/24/2026 |
| H O U S E R E S O L U T I O N |
| WELCOMING THE NARRAGANSETT COUNCIL, SCOUTING AMERICA, TO THE RHODE ISLAND STATE HOUSE ON MARCH 24TH OF 2026, AND JOYFULLY CELEBRATING SCOUTING MONTH IN FEBRUARY |
Introduced By: Representatives Shekarchi, Blazejewski, McNamara, Casey, Edwards, Paplauskas, Felix, Ajello, Shallcross Smith, and Fellela |
| Date Introduced: March 24, 2026 |
| WHEREAS, The Narragansett Council, 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, more than 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 on February 24th; 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 2025, 1,558 new Scouts and |
| their families joined programs offered by the Narragansett Council; and |
| WHEREAS, When thousands of Rhode Islanders suddenly lost access to their |
| Supplemental Nutrition Assistance program (SNAP) benefits during the federal government |
| shutdown in November 2025, Scouts stepped up to support their communities. Scouts collected |
| 292,038 pounds of food through "Scouting for Food" and delivered that to local food pantries in |
| every community in Rhode Island. Scouts and their leaders also completed 40,451 community |
| service hours in 2025 and donated 254 pints of blood; and |
| WHEREAS, Camping and environmental education have always been vital and integral |
| parts of the Scouting experience. In 2025, at the nationally renowned Camp Yawgoog, run by the |
| Narragansett Council, there were 4,553 campers, over 120,000 meals served, and 16,039 merit |
| badges earned. There were 262 boy troops and 59 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, 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 enrolled its largest share of girl scouts in 2025, accounting for 19 percent of |
| all Scouts in the Council; and |
| WHEREAS, The Narragansett Council's more than 6,800 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 on March |
| 24, 2026, joyfully 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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| LC003511 |
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