The Boy Scouts of America has been teaching patriotism, courage, self-reliance, and kindred virtues to America’s youth for more than 100 years. It is an organization that children have been proud and happy to join for generations. Believing that scouting is a tradition worth supporting, local Cub Scout Pack 401 is raising money to build a scholarship fund to ensure no child is excluded from scouting due to the family’s inability to pay. This is a new project for the Pack to address a new need.

My son joined Cub Scouts when he was eight. That was a year older than his friends, but because of the dynamic nature of this group, he quickly caught up. I credit most of the pack’s excitement to the Cub Master, Judy Shelton. Judy’s son, Casey, and our son, Tommy, were almost the same age and already buddies from Niota School. Judy was a veteran bus driver and a farm wife, but still found time to work with about two dozen boys.