Editor's note: This story has been modified to reflect Phillip Everley's place in Scout history.
BY LUCIE KRISMAN
Glenn Jackson wants the community to understand the value of a Eudora program developed during World War II that still impacts young boys today.
The uniforms may have changed, but the Scout leader said the intentions of the Eudora Boy Scouts remain the same.
"It's still about teaching boys and about citizenship and leadership," Jackson said. "They are still working together and learning things they wouldn't otherwise have the opportunity to."
The 75th anniversary of the Boy Scouts in Eudora will be celebrated with a program at 7 p.m. March 21 at the Eudora Community Center. The event is free and open to the public.
The program will highlight the history of the Boy Scouts in Eudora from their earliest days to today.
The event is hosted and organized by the Eudora Area Historical Society. Executive Director Ben Terwilliger recognizes the importance of highlighting local history.
"Local history provides communities with their identities," Terwilliger said. "Without history, there is no identity."
For Terwilliger, acknowledging a community's history through events like this can also add to that history.
"Events like this one that celebrate history become part of history themselves," Terwilliger said. "It's important for people to know where they came from and what their town's all about."
Former and current Eudora Boy Scouts will have the opportunity to speak at the event. All past and present members are welcome to attend.
The attendance of Emmett Wright, one of Troop 64's earliest Eagle Scouts, will set this anniversary apart. The recipient of the Phillip Everley Most Enthusiastic Scout of the Year award, named after one of Eudora's first Eagle Scouts, will be announced on the anniversary as well.
Jackson feels this anniversary and the long-standing presence of the Boy Scouts in Eudora strengthens bonds between its members and within the community.
For Jackson, this anniversary will also signify 75 years of fostering a wide range of valuable skills and experiences for members. During their membership, members get the opportunity to participate in outdoor activities as well as engineering, technology, traveling and public speaking.
"I don't think the general public knows the scope and depth of studies Boy Scouts get exposed to," Jackson said.
Whether through collecting donated food for the Eudora community or delivering boxed fans for those in need of air conditioning in hot weather, the Boy Scouts of Eudora have spent the last 75 years serving the community in a variety of ways.
Cindy Lynn, a spokeswoman for the Pelathe district of the Boy Scouts, said she respects how the Scouts learn to provide for the community and gain skills throughout the years.
"They do a good job at delivering to their members," Lynn said about the organization. "The community benefits, but the youth benefits as well."