What do Jim Morrison, lead singer of The Doors; Sam Walton, the founder of Walmart; and U.S. President Barack Obama have in common?

All three were Boy Scouts.

While its membership may be forever youthful, Boy Scouts of America officially turns 100 next week.

On Feb. 8, 1910, BSA was founded by William Boyce. Legend has it the American businessman, lost in the London fog, was guided to his destination by a British boy scout. When the lad refused compensation, explaining that he couldn’t accept money for doing a good turn, Boyce was so impressed, he researched the English scouting organization, and the rest is history.

Since then, the following oath has been recited more than 112 million times:

“On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; to help other people at all times; to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight.”

Those are precisely the values-based, character-building aspects of scouting that drew two local scoutmasters to their troops.

Brian Taladay, 40, leads Cub Scout Pack 92, and Craig Rogers, 49, heads up Boy Scout Troop 95. Both Wellington groups operate under the Longs Peak Council of BSA. Headquartered in Greeley, it covers an expansive territory from northeast Colorado to southeast Wyoming and includes the Nebraska panhandle.

While marking the BSA centennial is a yearlong affair, Taladay said his troop will celebrate next week’s actual birthday with cake and a PowerPoint presentation on Pack 92 history.

Taladay’s 30 members, ranging in age from 7 to 10, just finished going door to door collecting goods for the Wellington Food Bank. Next up is the annual Pinewood Derby. The Fourth of July parade is another big event for the pack, whose float placed second in the holiday Parade of Lights.

Taladay, head custodian at Eyestone Elementary School, still fondly recalls his Cub Scout days.

“I stunk at sports, so being a member of Pack 199 at Putnam (Elementary School) helped me out a lot,” he said. “I was a Boy Scout in Troop 97, which is still very active and under the same scoutmaster, Jeff Snowden.”

Taladay went on to become an Eagle Scout, scouting’s highest rank, attainable only through a rigorous process that includes a community service project, 21 merit badges and a board review.

“I don’t think most people know what it takes to get there,” he commented. “The longer you’re in, the harder the ranks. It’s more of a teamwork concept than competition. You can’t make it if you go it alone, that’s for sure.”

Taladay said he returned to scouting upon request.

“My sister, Diane, asked me to get involved because my nephew, Travis (Ziegler), wanted to get into scouting,” Taladay said. “It’s great getting to do a lot of things with him and the other boys. Camaraderie’s the big thing, and what benefitted me the most.”

Taladay credited scouting as preparation for the workforce.

“I can see scouting influences,” said the native of Bermuda whose father served in the Navy. “It’s helped me in dealing with conflict and challenges. It literally programs you for life.”

While interacting with others is an integral part of scouting, so is getting outdoors, which is just what Rogers’ Boy Scouts are planning to do this weekend during a friendly Olympic-themed sledding competition at the Gould Community Center, southeast of Walden.

Rogers said his troop is in its 52nd year and looking forward to celebrating BSA’s anniversary with a councilwide, three-day campout in September near Estes Park.

A design engineer for Waterpik, Rogers took over troop leadership in August to spend more time with his sons. Tyler, 18, serves as his assistant scoutmaster, while Jake, 15, is a member.

“I only made it through Cub Scouts myself,” he said, laughing at the irony. “I was scared to death of our scoutmaster. He was former military with one of those booming deep voices. He scared the snot out of me.”

While Rogers regretted his own short tenure with BSA as a youth, he said he appreciates this go-round.

“I love being outdoors and how Scouts teaches self-sufficiency,” he said. “I believe in all the ideals of Boy Scouts: duty to God; that they’re clean, trustworthy, honest and loyal.”

The Scout Law, by the way, states in full: “A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent.”

Calling his a “very varied” group, Rogers said he is trying to let the 21 members, ages 11 to 17, run the troop.

“I’m there basically for logistics and finances,” he stated. “Well, and to reel them in on ideas like, ‘Let’s go to Yellowstone for the weekend.’ It’s really about the kids. There are other things I could do with my time I wouldn’t enjoy as much.”

Rogers mentioned other ideas in the works. Dawn Swanson is trying to start up a co-ed Venture Scout group for older scouts, 14 to 20 years of age, based in Wellington.

Call Rogers at 689-3700 for more information and to donate to the troop’s March 6 annual fund-raising auction.

Mike Houser has two boys in Troop 95: Kevin, 13, and Nathan, 16. Nathan is a Life Scout, who will soon be working on his Eagle Scout rank, just like dad, who will turn 50 two days after BSA turns 100.

“Scouting is one way for me to get into a way of life and thinking of other people,” said Nathan, a sophomore at Poudre High School who plans to study mechanical engineering. “I love it. It’s cool…all the outdoor events and my friends within the troop.”

Rogers anticipates at least another four troop members will go for Eagle Scout status, including Michael Cienfuegos-Baca, another PHS sophomore, who is already working toward it.

“There may be a stigma that scouting’s not cool and the uniform’s dorky,” he said. “Not anymore. I’m proud of it and of them.”

With national scholarships up to $40,000 available for Eagle Scouts who are currently high school seniors, it appears he who is a Scout has the last laugh.

Just ask Microsoft’s Bill Gates, astronaut Neil Armstrong or Olympic swimmer Mark Spitz.