Bush Hails Values Taught Through Scouting in Videotaped Remarks to Jamboree

BOWLING GREEN, Va. – President Bush hailed the Boy Scouts on Monday, saying the organization's values "are the values of America."

In videotaped remarks to 32,000 boys attending the National Scout Jamboree at Fort A.P. Hill, Bush said young people can make a difference by the lives they lead and the lives they touch.

"Every society depends on trust and loyalty, on courtesy and kindness, on bravery and reverence," Bush said. "These are the values of scouting and these are the values of America."

Bad weather on Sunday prevented Bush from making the short flight from Washington to Fort A.P. Hill, Va., about 40 miles north of Richmond, to address the scouts.

During his campaign, Bush often praised the Boy Scouts, and he defended the organization when it came under attack for a ban on gay scoutmasters last year.

In his videotaped remarks, Bush said the Boy Scout uniform is a symbol of commitment to high standards.

"What you have learned in scouting will see you through life. In good times and difficult ones, the scout motto will always help you: 'Be prepared.' And whatever you do, the scout oath will always guide you: 'On your honor, do your best."'

Bush also praised the commitment of adults who work with the scouts.

The nation's 91-year-old scouting movement has grown to about 5 million participants after dipping as low as 3.1 million in 1979.

The quadrennial Jamboree, known as "the Olympics of Boy Scouting," attracted boys from two dozen countries. The nine-day event ends Wednesday.