Boy Scouts reminisce about past 100 years in honor of anniversary

By Dawn Goodman
Staff Writer
After David Hull and his sons sat through a Boy Scout meeting in the early 1960s, the boys wanted to join.
“The boys loved it,” the McMurray resident recalled.
The only problem was the scoutmaster of that particular troop had a limit of 40 boys, and there were already 40 in it.
Hull’s sons could get on a waiting list, but they didn’t want to wait.
So he talked to his wife and his church and decided to start his own troop.
He still remembers the words of another scoutmaster during Hull’s first training session: “You’ll never do anything more important in your life.”
After decades of volunteering and working for the Scouts, Hull said that’s true.
“Absolutely,” he said. “Without question.”
Hull was voted the top scoutmaster on the east coast. After 11 years of volunteering, he went to work for the Scouts and now has a roomful of memories.
“I just had a great time,” he said. “My dear wife (Miriam) helped me all the way through.”
He has five Eagle Scouts in his family. Boys become Eagle Scouts by earning merit badges and completing a community service project.
Four out of every 100 scouts in the Greater Pittsburgh area become an Eagle Scout, said Bruce McDowell, director of special projects for the Scouts. He said that is higher than the national average.
Hull is one of many in the area who reminisced in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America, which is Feb. 8.
As the Scouts celebrate, the organization wants to look back and forward at the same time, McDowell said. Throughout the year, national and local events will be held to celebrate the anniversary. The anniversary theme is “Celebrating the Adventure; Continuing the Journey.
“It’s a nice moment to reflect and a nice moment to move forward,” McDowell said.