The third Monday in the month of February—Feb. 17 in 2025—is Presidents’ Day, a day to honor the forty-five men who have epitomized the Scouting value of duty to their country since 1789. Though, as Douglas Adams remarked, “Anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job.” So let’s look at some of the people who have exemplified the principles of the OA through this office.
The holiday was created in 1879 and celebrated annually on George Washington’s birthday, Feb. 22. In 1968, it was moved to always fall on a Monday and, in many states, was conflated with the remembrance of Abraham Lincoln’s birthday, Feb. 12. Though we now celebrate all the Presidents on this day, it gives special significance to the lives of these two figures. Washington was a strong military and political leader, exemplifying service through his tenure as the commander-in-chief of the Continental Army and the first head of the government he helped to shape—“forty-five years of my life dedicated to its service with an upright zeal”—and his decision to step down from these posts when he knew it was time for others to succeed him. Lincoln was an equally strong force in politics who always kept the interests of his country in mind, prioritizing the spirit of brotherhood—“the considerate judgment of mankind”—as a unifying force among all the people of the United States.
Since 1911, every U.S. President has served in the position of Honorary President of Scouting America and many have participated in the organization in various ways. Calvin Coolidge, Franklin Roosevelt, and Gerald Ford received Silver Buffalo Awards, and Ronald Reagan received the Silver Beaver Award. Each of these presidents were involved in their local councils, along with John Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson; Dwight Eisenhower was a member of the National Executive Board. Kennedy was a Star Scout as a youth, and Ford attained the rank of Eagle and had a council named after him for a short time. A few more recent presidents were involved in Cub Scouts in their youth. All of these leaders, both inside and outside of Scouting, symbolized the principle of service and of duty to God and country.
On Dec. 29, 2024, the nation lost its longest-living President and one of its foremost Scouters, Jimmy Carter. He did not participate in the organization as a youth, but he became involved as a Scoutmaster and an adult volunteer in the Explorers program. While in office, he was awarded the Silver Buffalo Award for his distinguished service to youth in Scouting. As President and in public life after his time in office, his dedication to brotherhood and cheerful service shone brightly as examples for the nation: his work in government and through the non-profit Carter Center focused on advancing human rights in developing countries—“the right of people to live in peace and to have health care and [have] their children survive are inseparable basic rights of human beings”—and continued to work with Habitat for Humanity and his local church into old age to serve his community. Carter not only exemplified the principles of the OA but all of Scouting’s principles and the values underlying the entire organization. With this Presidents’ Day, may we honor his legacy by continuing the work he did and encouraging the next generation of public figures who can put Scouting ideals into practice on a global scale.