2025 -- H 5539
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S T A T E O F R H O D E I S L A N D
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2025
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H O U S E R E S O L U T I O N
WELCOMING SCOUTING AMERICA, NARRAGANSET T COUNCIL, TO THE RHODE
ISLAND STATE HOUSE AND JOYFULLY CELEBRAT ING SCOUTING MONTH IN
FEBRUARY
Introduced By: Representatives McNamara, Paplauskas, Santucci, Shekarchi,
Blazejewski, Kennedy, Ajello, Fogarty, Ackerman, and Tanzi
Date Introduced: February 25, 2025
Referred To: House read and passed
WHEREAS, The Narragansett Council, like Scouting America, previously the Boy 1
Scouts of America, was founded in 1910, and is one of the largest Scouting and youth 2
development organizations in the region, with thousands of youth participants. Since Scouting 3
America’s beginning, approximately 130 million Americans have participated in its programs 4
nationwide, to the great benefit of our nation. Through the years, countless youngsters have 5
developed leadership skills and character, learned how to be self-sufficient, as well as life-saving 6
and career enhancing skills and have selflessly served their local communities and made positive 7
differences in the lives of countless people. In celebration of Scouting month, a group of 8
Narragansett Council Scouts and leaders are visiting the Rhode Island State House today; and 9
WHEREAS, The Narragansett Council serves the entire State of Rhode Island along with 10
cities and towns in neighboring states, and tirelessly endeavors to be accessible to all Rhode 11
Islanders, regardless of their income or social status. In particular, they work to include 12
disadvantaged families within our State’s urban communities. In 2024, 1,487 new Scouts and 13
their families joined programs offered by the Narragansett Council; and 14
WHEREAS, The Narragansett Council makes a positive impact in the lives of countless 15
people within every single Rhode Island community. In 2024, 6,842 Scouts and their leaders 16
donated 19,653 community service hours, and 177,847 pounds of food were collected through 17
"Scouting For Food" and given to local food pantries; and 18
WHEREAS, Camping and environmental education have always been vital and integral 19
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parts of the Scouting experience. In 2024, at the nationally renowned Camp Yawgoog, run by the 1
Narragansett Council, there were 4,896 campers, over 130,000 meals served, and 12,458 merit 2
badges earned. There were 261 boy troops and 60 girl troops attending Camp Yawgoog last year; 3
and 4
WHEREAS, The Narragansett Council also operates the highly successful Adventure 5
Base Camp at Camp Champlin in Cranston; and 6
WHEREAS, Camp Champlin’s year-round “Adventure Base Camp” delivers the youth 7
development, life skills, and leadership development programs of Scouting not just to thousands 8
of Scouts every year, but to all Rhode Island youth and families, focusing on unique outdoor 9
adventure program experiences; and 10
WHEREAS The Scouts are proposing a new, state-of-the-art “Leadership and Program 11
Center” at Camp Champlin that will serve youth and families statewide, positioning the Scouts to 12
augment the existing outdoor programs with an additional programs and training facility to 13
expand offerings year-round, especially during inclement weather; and 14
WHEREAS, The new, modern facility will feature large meeting space for up to 250 15
people, a “Wet Lab” for STEM and environmental science programming, a video and tech lab as 16
well as the new headquarters for the Narragansett Council for which the Scouts are seeking 17
federal funding to make improvements to water, sewer, and roads; and 18
WHEREAS, Throughout the year, the Narragansett Council offers many enriching, 19
rewarding and educational programs including Fire Explorer’s Academy, Law Enforcement 20
Explorer Academy, and Police Explorer Stations Day. All of these programs offer young people 21
the opportunity to participate in practical hands-on activities that explore possible career choices; 22
and 23
WHEREAS, Each year, the Narragansett Council also offers training classes on a variety 24
of important topics including Youth Protection Training, Leave No Trace & Outdoor Ethics 25
Classes, National Youth Leadership Training, and Introduction to Leadership Skills; and 26
WHEREAS, Since girls were officially welcomed into Scouting in 2019, the 27
Narragansett Council has enrolled 1,125 girls in Scouting as of December of 2024; and 28
WHEREAS, The Narragansett Council's more than 5,500 youth, and their families, 29
highly value the positive experiences and enriching educational opportunities the Narragansett 30
Council provides for them as they help to prepare their children to lead successful and rewarding 31
lives and to make a positive impact within their communities; now, therefore be it 32
RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island hereby 33
welcomes the Narragansett Council, Scouting America to the Rhode Island State House, joyfully 34
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celebrates Scouting month during the month of February and thanks the Scouts and their adult 1
volunteer leaders for all the good they do on a daily basis in the State of Rhode Island; and be it 2
further 3
RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to 4
transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to Mr. Tim McCandless, Scout Executive and 5
CEO of the Narragansett Council, Scouting America. 6
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