Thousands of Boy Scouts march to the Capitol
Photo Courtesy: Marcus Officer
More than 2,000 boy scouts troops from across Texas took part in the annual Report to State Parade Saturday morning. The parade began at the Ann Richards Bridge and concluded on the Capitol steps. It was a celebration of scouting and the important role it plays in life.
J.T. Devenport is one of the thousands of scouts that made the trip to the Capitol. Devenport said he has been in the scouts for 14 years and the lessons he has learned have been invaluable.
"It has taught me an amazing amount of leadership." Devenport said, "It has shown me where I thought my boundaries were, I am so far past it, I can go way beyond what I thought my limitations were."
Ted Linder, Report to State co-chairman, said people can build their entire lives around scouting.
"We live by the scout laws, there are 12 of them." Linder said, "A scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent."
Scouts of the past and present were on hand including Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller. Miller, a former scout, said the scout laws still apply to his life today.
"It helped mold me, taught me about the outdoors, and nature and what good stewardship of the land was and actually a big factor in my life," Miller said.
A life that Devenport said he is blessed to be a part of and one he will share with the next generation of scouts.
"I am so thankful that I got involved in scouting. I thank my parents for keeping me going and supporting me through all of this. I just want to spend, I just hope that in these coming years, as I grow older and getting into my 30's, that I can give back to scouting," he said.
In 2015, Central Texas scouts performed over 64,000 hours of service which resulted in more than $170,000 worth of volunteer work benefiting schools, parks, public lands, and churches.
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