Above is the official logo being used in the media by the LDS Church which represents the partnership between The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the Boy Scouts of America. This is the first time I have seen our iconic Angel Moroni logo merged within another institution's logo.
In commemoration of the Church’s 100-year affiliation with the Boy Scouts of America, an event called “A Century of Honor” will be held tomorrow night on October 29, 2013, at 7:00 p.m. The event will originate at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, and will be broadcast live throughout North America in English and Spanish. Thousands of local Scouts of all ages will participate. Members of the First Presidency of the Church as well as national BSA leaders and executive board members are expected to attend. Our prophet, President Thomas S Monson, who has served on the BSA National Executive Board longer than any other member, is expected to receive an award.
The Church became the first sponsor of Scouting in the United States in 1913 and is now the largest sponsoring organization of BSA with more than 430,000 boys and young men enrolled. All Scout troops in North America are invited to watch tomorrow night's broadcast live at a local LDS stake centers. Local Priesthood leaders have been asked to use this event as an opportunity for outreach into the community as well as for recruitment.
It was mentioned to me today that incorporated into the performances of the Scout choirs, historical vignettes enactments, and multimedia presentation videos in tomorrow night's celebration in the Conference Center, they will have zip lines cascading down and canoes floating high up in the air as part of the show. Unfortunately in rehearsal, one of the scouts fell from the zip line and broke his arm. Good thing that happened in practice and hopefully no one will get injured tomorrow night.
For more information you can click on the Church's website as will as see the trailer for the event:
http://www.lds.org/church/events/event-to-celebrate-100-years-of-scouting-in-the-church?lang=eng
To see the trailer: http://scouts100.lds.org/#
Side note: Here is a list of "to do" items for local leaders were asked to accomplish before tomorrow's event:
- Contact your LDS-BSA Relationships chairmen or other key LDS Church leadership in your area. The purpose of this conversation is to set up a time to meet to discuss how to make this event as successful as possible for each of the locations within your BSA council.
- Communicate the event plans with the entire professional staff and key council volunteers.
- Working through the established BSA district structure, ensure that each district is aware of which LDS chapels/stake centers will host the event.
- Ensure that each district is aware of the key LDS leadership they should be working with.
- Clearly communicate that all chartered organizations are invited to assist with the planning and are encouraged to participate.
- Develop a plan with the local LDS Church leadership on how to best promote this event to the community. Remember to include www.beascout.org on your promotional material
- Attend the event.
- Remember that your main responsibility for this event is to provide youth the opportunity to join Scouting.
