Historical Highlights - 1980's

1980

BSA's 70th anniversary year concluded with gains in both membership andunits. Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, and Explorers passed out fliers across thecountry urging participation in the 1980 National Census. Cub Scouting celebrated its 50th anniversary and was highlighted by the registrationof the 30 millionth Cub Scout since 1930. A new Official Patrol LeaderHandbook was issued. The first National Explorer Winter Olympics washeld in Squaw Valley, Calif. More than 500 Boy Scouts and leaders representedthe BSA at jamborees and activities in Switzerland, Scotland, Denmark,and Canada. Membership, December 31, was 4,326,082. Total members to date,64,840,661.

1981

For the second consecutive year, the Boy Scouts of America showed gainsin membership and total units. The 10th National Scout Jamboree was heldat Fort A. P. Hill, Va. Dr. Thomas C. MacAvoy, Corning, N.Y., was re-elected president. The National Explorer Presidents' Congress was held in Indianapolis, and the National Order of the Arrow Conference convened at the University of Texas at Austin. A new Official Scoutmaster Handbook was released. Murray, Ky., was picked as the site for the new Boy Scout Museum. Morethan 3,000 Boy Scouts and leaders represented the BSA at jamborees andScouting events in Switzerland, Scotland, Denmark, and Canada. Membership,December 31, was 4,355,723. Total members to date, 70,774,443.

1982

Alexander M. Holsinger became the millionth Eagle Scout registered. Forthe third consecutive year, the BSA showed gains in membership and units. "Shaping Tomorrow," a project aimed at addressing critical issues of the1980s, was initiated in January. Four of the program concepts—Tiger CubsBSA, Bear Enrichment, Prepared for Today, and Explorer Marketing—were field tested and implemented. Edward C. Joullian III of Oklahoma City was elected president during the National Council meeting in Atlanta. Cub Scoutingpublished the Cub Scout Leader Book, which combined five separatebooks—the Cubmaster's Pack Book, Den Leader's Handbook, Webelos Leader's Book, Den Leader's Coach Book, and Pack Committee Book—into one volume. The Backpacking merit badge was introduced. "Catch the Scouting Spirit" was announced as the national program theme for 1983-84. Membership, December 31, was 4,542,449. Total members to date, 68,140,738.

1983

The Boy Scouts of America showed gains in both membership and units forthe fourth consecutive year. The BSA received the Margaret Pope Hovey Awardfrom the President's Committee on Employment for the Handicapped for outstandingcontributions to the rehabilitation and employment of people with disabilities.The BSA had registered more than 200,000 youth with disabling conditions.Tiger Cubs BSA, for 7-year-old boys and their adult partners, began itssecond year. Pilot testing of Varsity Scouting was concluded with a recommendationfor implementation to begin in 1984. Both the 15th World Jamboree and the29th World Conference were held. Membership, December 31, was 4,688,953.Total members to date, 70,014,715.

1984

Sanford N. McDonnell of St. Louis was elected president during the NationalCouncil meeting in Salt Lake City. The third edition of the Boy Scoutsof America Fieldbook was produced. Introduction to Family Campingwas published and the Family Camping Association was launched. The BSAcompleted its fifth consecutive year of membership gain. Varsity Scouting, for boys 14 through 17, was launched nationwide. More than 2,000 VarsityScout teams were organized, serving about 30,000 Varsity Scouts. Membership,December 31, was 4,748,511. Total members to date, 72,014,206.

1985

The Boy Scouts of America celebrated its 75th anniversary. "Pride in thePast . . . Footsteps to the Future" was the theme that told the story throughexciting events conducted during the year. Ben H. Love became the eighthChief Scout Executive. The high point of the year was the 11th NationalScout Jamboree held July 24-30, at Fort A. P. Hill, Va. First Lady NancyReagan was a special visitor at the jamboree. A BSA history book titled TheBoy Scouts: An American Adventure was produced in cooperation withauthor Robert W. Peterson and American Heritage Publishing Company. Youthmembership increased for the sixth consecutive year, registering a 2.7percent gain over 1984. Cub Scouting introduced a new emphasis on Cub Scoutsports. The BSA Scouting for the Handicapped program was cited for its innovative approaches in serving disabled Scouters and was the recipientof the 1985 National Organization on Disability Award. Membership, December31, was 4,845,040. Total members to date, 73,639,425.

1986

Membership requirements for Tiger Cubs BSA and Cub Scouts became primarilybased on grade in school rather than age. The plan was expanded to includefirst-grade boys as Tiger Cubs and second-grade boys as Wolf Cub Scouts.Webelos Scouting was expanded to 2 years for fourth- and fifth-graders.The BSA was touched by the tragic Challenger disaster, as two ofthe crew members were active in Scouting as youths. Lt. Col. Ellison S.Onizuka attained the Eagle Scout rank in 1964 in Holualoa, Hawaii. Dr.Ronald E. McNair reached Star rank as a youth in Lake City, S.C. Boys'Life magazine celebrated its 75th anniversary. Charles M. Pigott, presidentof PAC-CAR, Inc., in Bellevue, Wash., was elected president. The BSA conducted a nationwide Donor Awareness Good Turn to inform American families of the urgent need for donated human organs and tissue. The BSA ended 1986 withits seventh consecutive year of membership increase and the largest in30 years. Membership, December 31, was 5,170,979. Total members to date,83,686,624.

1987

The Boy Scouts of America began to address five "unacceptables" in Americansociety: drug abuse, hunger, child abuse, illiteracy, and unemployment.The nation's largest anti-drug abuse education campaign was launched withthe release of a booklet titled Drugs: A Deadly Game. Another booklet,ChildAbuse: Let's Talk About It, was distributed to help parents, teachers,and Scout leaders deal with the issue. Also, the booklet Child SexualAbuse: How to Deal with It was released for training professional andvolunteer Scouters. Fast Start videos were distributed to Cub Scout leaders,and a new edition of the Webelos Scout Book was published. About3,000 BSA members attended the 16th World Jamboree in Australia. For theeighth consecutive year, the BSA's youth membership increased. Membership, December 31, was 5,347,098. Total members to date 78,353,590.

1988

The first annual Scouting for Food drive harvested more than 60 millioncontainers of food. The campaign "Drugs: A Deadly Game" received the 1988Presidential Citation for Private Sector Initiatives. To help reduce childabuse, the BSA distributed two publications, How to Protect Your Childrenfrom Child Abuse and Drug Abuse: A Parent's Guide. A 2-year WebelosScouting program was introduced; for the first time fourth-graders wereeligible to become Webelos Scouts. Resident camping for Cub Scouts wasapproved. A closed-circuit teleconference was broadcast nationwide by satellite.Hugh Downs, a longtime Scouting supporter, hosted the event, which ledto the organization of 8,132 new troops. At the biennial National Councilmeeting in San Diego, Eagle Scout Harold S. Hook, chairman and chief executiveofficer of American General Corp., was elected president. Youth membershiphad its ninth straight annual increase. Membership, December 31, was 5,377,493.Total members to date, 80,589,269.

1989

The 12th National Jamboree at Fort A. P. Hill, Va., drew 33,000 Scoutsand leaders. The new Troop Operations Plan included separate patrols fornew Scouts and new advancement requirements. The second annual Scoutingfor Food drive netted 72 million containers of food for the nation's needy.A new package of materials for the campaign "Drugs: A Deadly Game" wasdistributed. Advice for preventing sexual abuse of children was incorporatedinto all training of adult Scouters, and a video called A Time to Tellwas produced for showing to Boy Scout troops. Youth membership experiencedits 10th consecutive year of gain. Membership, December 31, was 5,363,593.Total members to date, 82,998,087.

The Boy Scouts of America

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