'It is kind of magical': Black Warrior Council celebrates 100 years of Scouting

Gary Cosby Jr., The Tuscaloosa News
·2 min read

Hundreds of Scouts from around West Alabama camped, played games, practiced skills and enjoyed the outdoor life at the Moundville Archaeological Park.

The celebration, which marked the Black Warrior Council of the Boy Scouts of America's 100th annual encampment, was held last weekend at the park, one of the nation's premier Native American Heritage sites.

"We cover 12 counties. This anniversary is a testimony to Scouting's relevance in today's society. Go back a hundred years. It was relevant back then to young people and it still is today," said Bill Gosselin, CEO of the Black Warrior Council.

Gosselin said he is excited about the future of Scouting. Membership in the various Scout organizations in West Alabama grew last year and there were more than 700 people participating in the encampment. The kids participating Oct. 29 ranged from 5-year-olds in the Lion Cubs program to 20-year-old Venture Scouts.

Oct 29, 2022; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Mason Owenby, a Webelo Scout from Lakeview, waves his flag as Boys Scouts in the Black Warrior Council gathered in the Moundville Archaeological Park to celebrate their 100th anniversary encampment Saturday.
Oct 29, 2022; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Mason Owenby, a Webelo Scout from Lakeview, waves his flag as Boys Scouts in the Black Warrior Council gathered in the Moundville Archaeological Park to celebrate their 100th anniversary encampment Saturday.

Justin Hayes, council program director for the Black Warrior Council who is from Fayette, grew up in Scouting. He was part of Troop 45 and began as a Tiger Cub in the early 1990s. He earned his Eagle Scout rank at the age of 18.

He said that Scouting can show young people that there's more to life than staying glued to your smartphone.

"Scouting gets kids off the (cellphone) screen. You can see statistics where kids stay on the screen a lot more than they do outdoors. Scouting gives them that outlet to get away from being on the screen and gets kids outdoors," Hayes said.

Gosselin said that forging an appreciation for the great outdoors is an essential part of Scouting's mission.

"Even before cellphones, there was a purpose behind Scouting to get kids into God's creation and experience what is outside. Scouting gets the kids out of their houses, out their schools and what we see is kids kind of automatically put their phones in their pockets and start enjoying what is going on around them," Gosselin said.

Oct 29, 2022; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; The Boys Scouts in the Black Warrior Council gathered in the Moundville Archaeological Park to celebrate their 100th anniversary encampment Saturday.
Oct 29, 2022; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; The Boys Scouts in the Black Warrior Council gathered in the Moundville Archaeological Park to celebrate their 100th anniversary encampment Saturday.

The 100th encampment included model rocket launch demonstrations, archery, sling shots, tomahawk throwing, camp cooking, ham radio demonstrations and the ability to visit the museum at the Moundville Archaeological Park.

Gosselin said it was a wonderful to see the kids enjoying all the activities the encampment had to offer.

"Scouting has a unique capability for exposing kids to the world around them. I don't know how Scouting works, necessarily, I don't know what the secret sauce is, but it is kind of magical when you see it happening in this kind of environment," Gosselin said.

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: 'Kind of magical': Black Warrior Council marks 100 years of Scouting