Scouts Centennial Celebrated By Local Scouts

By Nancy K. Crevier

At 8 am sharp, 45 scouts from Newtown Boy Scout Troop 270 gathered with dozens of other boys at Camp Sequassen’s Clark Field in New Hartford on Wednesday, August 1. They joined approximately one million other scouts worldwide who gathered that morning for a simple sunrise celebration commemorating the first scout camp, held August 1, 1907, at Brownsea Island in the United Kingdom.

The theme of the ceremony, said Peter Lubinsky, leader of Troop 270 and who organized the Camp Sequassen event, was “One World, One Promise.” The theme emphasized the idea that scouts and people all over the world share the same values, said Mr Lubinsky. “We want to show what we can do in scouting to make the world a more peaceful place,” he said.

The Camp Sequassen ceremony included a brief  presentation by each unit to Lou Salute, the scouting executive for Connecticut Yankee Council. The “gifts of  peace” presentations, said Mr Lubinsky, were an accounting of each unit’s service projects.

Also that day, each unit presented a short commentary on a country that its members chose to represent, and carried a flag of that country to the gathering. Troop 270 selected the countries of the United Kingdom, Japan, and Slovenia to represent on Wednesday.

Throughout the day scouts greeted each other around the camp with a salutation of “Peace through scouting,” and a handshake. The boys were also urged to make or buy an inexpensive, token gift to present to any new friend. Troop 270 made neckerchief slides out of narrow PCV pipe, an ideal gift considering that all scouts present on Wednesday were requested to wear special neckerchiefs created for the event. The scouts were particularly encouraged to reach out to scouts from other troops that they did not already know, Mr Lubinsky said.

Other activities included a reenactment of the first Brownsea Island encampment to view how scouts camped 100 years ago, and dinner prayers for peace offered up by various clergy who were present.

A granite bench inscribed “August 1, 2007, Scouting Centennial” was installed at the camp, thanks to efforts by Mr Lubinsky and his troop. The bench was purchased as a lasting memento of the day through the sales of special edition patches. The Order of the Arrow national honor society service group was honored to take on the work of installing the bench at Camp Sequassen.

The celebration at Camp Sequassen echoed the celebrations around the world, said Mr Lubinsky.