The Chester County Council, Boy Scouts of America – which was chartered on Jan. 17, 1919 – recently hosted a 100th Anniversary Recognition Reception at its office in West Chester.

“Not many councils get to call themselves 100 years old,” said Jeff Spencer, the Chester County Council’s new CEO. “It’s pretty unique.”

The reception was the first of many exciting activities that are planned for this year to celebrate and recognize Chester County Council’s prestigious milestone.

The Boy Scouts’ vision is to prepare every eligible youth in America to become a responsible, participating citizen and leader who is guided by the Scout Oath and Law. It achieves this through thousands of dedicated, talented volunteers and a small number of professional staff.

Locally, in 2018, approximately 2,700 adults – in partnership with more than 110 community organizations – volunteered their time to deliver quality-run programs to more than 5,700 youth members.

The Chester County Council’s new headquarters, the Oscar Lasko Program Activity and Resource Campus (PARC), which broke ground in Exton last November, will be completed this year.

Also, in February, the Boy Scouts of America organization will change its name to Scouts BSA to reflect its welcoming of girls.

“We’re opening our scouting program to older girls, starting in fifth grade,” said Spencer. “There’s a lot of good buzz out there about this.”

Click here to learn more about the activities planned in celebration of the Chester County Council, Boy Scouts of America’s 100th anniversary.