>>SOUTHERN INDIANA —
Remember that Pinewood Derby car that you made when you were 8 years old? Do you think it could still win if you took it out of the attic and dusted it off?
You will have your chance Saturday, as Southern Indiana scouting groups will host a 100-year anniversary celebration in Jefferonville’s Warder Park.
The event is part of a national celebration for the Boy Scouts of America, and beyond the Pinewood Derby track, scouts and the public will be honoring the program, launched in 1910.
“We’re trying to celebrate a scouting program that has served over 100,000 youth in our region, and we’re also talking about scouting programs today,” said Gary Purlee, assistant troop leader with Troop 1 in Jeffersonville.
Today’s groups include the Cub Scouts, which is a family-centered program for boys 8 to 10 years old; the Boy Scouts, which is a year-round program for boys 11 to 17; and Venturing, which is a co-ed program for ages 14 to 20 years old focusing on more adventurous programing, such as sailing and scuba diving.
There are about 3,000 youth in the scouting programs in the Southern Indiana area, Purlee said.
The purpose of the Boy Scouts of America is to provide an educational program for boys and young adults to build character, to train in the responsibilities of participating citizenship and to develop personal fitness, according to the group’s Web site.
While the Saturday event is part of a national celebration, events and exhibits will focus on scouting groups and their history in Southern Indiana.
The scouting groups being represented include Chief Old Ox district — encompassing Clark, Washington and Scott Counties — and the George Rogers Clark district — encompassing Floyd, Crawford and Harrison Counties.
It will feature displays of historic scouting artifacts and memorabilia, including handbooks and uniforms dating back to 1911, pictures and a scouting film from 1929, presentations on local scouting history, the Pinewood Derby track (bring your own car) and an outdoor camping display, Purlee said.
The national organization that launched a century ago quickly established roots locally, with Jeffersonville’s Troop 1 being founded in 1911.
The history of Jeffersonville’s group is another reason for the celebration, as only a few of the chapters throughout the country have that type of longevity, Purlee said.
Since the group has grown, it has developed far beyond the image of helping an elderly woman across the street and provides a substantial outlet for volunteers and support in the community.
Nearly 1.2 million volunteers donated an average of 20 hours per month to the Boy Scouts, which equates — according to an Independent Sector average value of volunteer time to be $20.25 an hour — to an approximate value of more than $5.8 billion annually, the Boy Scouts Web site says.
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SO YOU KNOW
• WHAT: 100th Anniversary Scouting Celebration
• WHEN: 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday
• WHERE: Old Carnegie Library in downtown Jeffersonville’s Warder Park.
