Joe Biden has given his first campaign speech of 2024, a year that sees him once again running as a presidential candidate. In his speech, which was primarily dedicated to warning voters about the dangers posed by Donald Trump, he briefly brought up his time as a Boy Scout. For some reason, that has people very curious.
The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) has a long-running history that has included many presidents over the years. Founded in 1910, it is now one of the world’s largest youth organizations, with roughly 110 million Americans having taken part or been involved in some capacity. One such American would happen to be President Joe Biden, who was a member of the Explorers program in his youth.
The BSA and America’s presidents
Only a year after its founding, President William Howard Taft accepted the position of honorary president of the BSA. Since then every president has been offered the same position. The BSA’s mission statement 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.” The aim is to set up young people to become capable and self-reliant and to go on to become helpful members of their community.
Because of this, the sitting President has historically often endorsed the organization. In 1913 Woodrow Wilson was the first president to have a scout escort at his inauguration, a tradition which continues to this day. Since then Presidents have attended events such as the BSA’s National Scout Jamboree and found ways to get involved in the BSA. President John F. Kennedy was the first President to have been a Scout though others, including President Gerald Ford and President Bush who were also involved in scouting in their earlier years.
President Biden was a Boy Scout
While giving a campaign speech on the 3rd anniversary of the Capitol Insurrection on January 6, 2021, President Biden brought up the nearby grounds of Valley Forge, stating:
“I’ve been there a number of times from the time I was a Boy Scout years ago. You know, it’s the very site that I think every American should visit because it tells the story of the pain and the suffering and the true patriotism it took to make America.”
In 1777–1778, Valley Forge was the location of a winter encampment of the Continental Army led by General George Washington during the American Revolutionary War. Now it is a location of historical importance that many visit to learn about its history, including the BSA.
In early 2016, the then-Vice-President wrote a letter to a fellow Boy Scout who had achieved the rank of Eagle Scout. In his response to the news, Biden gave his congratulations and wrote,
“Becoming an Eagle Scout undoubtedly allowed you to learn many valuable life lessons, acquire numerous important skills, adopt guiding principles, and forge new and lasting friendships. I know this because I was once a Boy Scout.”
He went on to encourage the Scout to pursue “honor, loyalty, courage, and service.” Biden played on these notions in his speech as well as the topic of democracy, which he states he stands firmly for whilst his opponent, Trump, does not. “Whether democracy is still America’s sacred cause is what the 2024 election is all about,” he said. “The choice is clear. Donald Trump’s campaign is about him, not America, not you. Donald Trump’s campaign is obsessed with the past, not the future. He’s willing to sacrifice our democracy to put himself in power.”
Bringing up his time as a Boy Scout and the historic location of Valley Forge serves to remind people of the dark times the country faced whilst fighting for their independence and a democratically chosen ruling government. Today, the U.S. is facing a new set of challenges, ones that stories from the past may not be able to solve.
(featured image: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
