Page 24 - Scouting Museum

2010 TournamenT oF roSeS Parade
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Scouting’s 100th Anniversary began in spectacular style, with the Boy Scouts of America float in the 2010 Tournament of Roses Parade winning the National Trophy for “Best Presentation of Life in the United States, Past, Present, and Future.”
Marching with the BSA’s float in the New Year’s Day parade were 300 Eagle Scout Award recipients. Eagle Scouts also carried the trophy banners in front of all other award-winning floats, as they and Girl Scouts have done every year since 1966.
Designed by Michelle Lofthouse around Scouting’s 100th Anniversary theme of “Celebrating the Adventure, Continuing the Journey,” the float (30 feet high, 55 feet long, and 19.5 feet wide) was decorated by volunteers from BSA local councils. It depicted time-honored Scouting activities such as camping, hiking, canoe- ing, kayaking, fishing, and rock climbing. Inspired by nature were the sculpted likenesses of an American eagle, a raccoon, an owl, a bear, and a wolf. Also featured were two working waterfalls sym- bolizing Scouting’s commitment to the environment and nature. Riding atop the float was the 2 millionth Eagle Scout, Anthony Thomas of Lakeville, Minnesota, who came to the United States as a child adopted from Korea.
More than a thousand Scouts and their families helped deco- rate the float. A stunningly imaginative variety of natural materi- als was used in the float’s creation, ranging from Spanish moss to weeping bamboo. The cliffs and rocks were partly built of lettuce. The body and wings of the bald eagle were fashioned from buffalo grass and curly seaweed. The BSA emblem was covered with flax, clover, and sesame seeds.
Framed and prominently displayed on the float was the Scout Law, which has guided generations of young Americans in living a life of honor: A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, cour- teous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent.
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Part One
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