Please join us next Sunday, Feb. 21, as the Freeborn County Historical Society honors the 100th Anniversary of Boy Scouts of America with an open house from 1 to 4 p.m. Admission for Scouts is free as well as children 11 and younger. Admission for all others is $1. We will have special exhibits on both levels of the museum. Coffee, lemonade and bars will be available in Heritage Hall throughout the afternoon.

Boy Scout Facts:

Mission: The mission of the Boy Scouts of America is to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law.

Oath: On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; to help other people at all times; to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight.

Scout Law: A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent.

Boy Scout Motto: Be Prepared

Boy Scout Slogan: Do a Good Turn Daily

The Boy Scouts of America was incorporated on Feb. 8, 1910, and we are happy to be honoring our local Scouts, past and present, as they celebrate the 100th Anniversary of Boy Scouts of America.

Leadership for Scouting programs in 2008 came from 1,165,828 volunteers.

Some 2.8 million youth members and 1.2 million volunteers conducted service projects during 2008. I found this data on the Boy Scouts of America Web site under fact sheets if you would like to learn more details and statistics go to www.scouting.org.

I have two sons who were very active in Scouting and both are Eagle Scouts, so Scouting is very familiar to me. If I remember correctly, Matt’s project was to clean and widen the paths at Bancroft Bay Park and Jeramy did an inventory project for the Red Cross. Scouting is a wonderful opportunity for boys to learn and have fun in a safe atmosphere and I for one am very thankful for the opportunities that my sons were able to have because of the Scouting program.

Last year we had a young man that made picnic tables for the museum as his Eagle Scout project. There have been many projects completed in our area by scouts serving their community.

We hope to see you on Sunday to help celebrate this special occasion in the history of Scouting.

I am busy working on the calendar for the special events of 2010 at the museum and will share the dates of many in my next column. We will be hosting a four-hour AARP refresher defensive driving class on Saturday, March 20, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The cost is $19 and you must pre-register for the class.

Remember that if you have not paid your 2010 membership prior to the end of February you will not receive our next newsletter. We appreciate your continued support to the Freeborn County Museum, Library & Historical Village and our programs. You may pay your membership by stopping by the museum between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday or drop your check in the mail to us at FCHS, 1031 Bridge Ave., Albert Lea.

Pat Mulso is the executive director of the Freeborn County Historical Museum in Albert Lea.