Built in 1964, the Boy Scouts Memorial is one of the few memorials in Washington DC that were established to commemorate a living cause.<
This monument is also considered unique in the sense that it has been funded entirely by donations collected by Boy Scout Units throughout the country. Today, the monument stands tall on the very same site as the first Boy Scout Jamboree of 1937 and was accepted for the country by the renowned Associate Supreme Justice Tom Clark.
The bronze cast statue is comprised of three figures — a boy scout, who lends the memorial its name, a male and a female form. The Boy Scout is a symbol of all the aspirations of past, present and future-day scouts, while the male form denotes physical, mental and moral fitness. His love for the country, good citizenship, loyalty, honor and courage is also represented by the helmet in his hand, which is also a symbol of his masculine attire.
The female form is a symbol of enlightenment which can be achieved only with love for God and fellow men. The flame in her hand is a sign of the eternal flame of God's Holy Spirit, justice, freedom and democracy. All the donors, who contributed their funds and goodwill towards the construction of this memorial have hand-marked their insignia on scrolls which are now placed at the pedestal of the Boy Scouts Memorial. The memorial has been crafted by the skilled hands of Donald DeLue and also has the Boy Scout Oath engraved on its pedestal.
Today, thousands of visitors throng to the Boy Scouts Memorial to admire this spectacular monument to social change.
The Boy Scout Memorial
15th Street, NW between E Street and Constitution Avenue
Washington DC, DC
