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Ninety-nine years and counting
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Anonymous user Tue Oct 3, 2006 10:50:49 PDT
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0 responses 0 comments In 1907, at a place in South England called Brownsea Island, a small group of youth only 22 strong came together as a brotherhood of sorts to celebrate a new tradition that would soon take over the world. 
Sir Robert Baden-Powell, a major-general for England at the age of 43 during the Siege of Mafeking in Africa,  wrote a book during the 217-day war called “The Aids to Scouting.” It was a military book meant to be used for spying, scouting and tracking the enemy. However, the book was being used as a teaching tool and as a guide book for youth leaders.
Seeing how this book was being used and how it affected the youth, Sir Baden-Powell decided to write another book called “Scouting for Boys,” which started a worldwide Scouting Movement.
In 2007, a World Jamboree will celebrate the 100th anniversary of Scouting and the event will draw many people from all over the world to Brownsea Island in order to commemorate the movement and its founder. Millions of Boy Scouts worldwide will travel to England to be a part of the largest outdoor gathering of Scouts ever.
Locally, the Southern Sierra Council in Bakersfield is the center of scouting service for the Kern, Inyo and Mono counties.  The council has been here for 87 years and will continue to build tomorrow’s leaders today.  If you’re interested in joining a long-lasting, character building program that involves outdoor activities and high adventure while learning, this is the place to come. Scouting is for boys in the first through 12th grades. 
The Boy Scouts of America also prides in having a coed-based program.  Venturing is for all boys and girls ages 15 to 21 years of age and has a high adventure-based outdoor program, which includes snowboarding, sailing, skiing, mountain biking, rock climbing and hiking.
We also have career-based programs for the same age group. Career-based opportunities are sponsored by Hall Ambulance; the Kern County Sheriff Department; the Bakersfield Police Department; aviation at Minter Field; the Kern County Fire Department; a nursing program; and more.  This is an opportunity for the youth of our area to have a hands-on approach to a career prior to college.
The Southern Sierra Council, Boy Scouts of America is always looking for the youth of Bakersfield to join. For more information, call Jeff George at 325-9036.

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