Scout leader celebrates Golden Eagle anniversary

Posted 1/23/25

When Bruce Green was growing up, Philadelphia was a very different place. The 67-year-old lifelong Mt. Airy resident describes his youth as a divisive time where young people stuck to spending time in their own neighborhoods and many of them resorted to joining gangs. When he used to be asked what gang he was involved with, Green had a bit of an unusual answer.

"I was a Boy Scout," he says with a smile.

Following the traditional path of Cub Scout to Boy Scout to Eagle Scout, Green has spent his life dedicated to the ideals of Scouting America, including being a responsible citizen and …

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Scout leader celebrates Golden Eagle anniversary

Posted

When Bruce Green was growing up, Philadelphia was a very different place. The 67-year-old lifelong Mt. Airy resident describes his youth as a divisive time where young people stuck to spending time in their own neighborhoods and many of them resorted to joining gangs. When he used to be asked what gang he was involved with, Green had a bit of an unusual answer.

"I was a Boy Scout," he says with a smile.

Following the traditional path of Cub Scout to Boy Scout to Eagle Scout, Green has spent his life dedicated to the ideals of Scouting America, including being a responsible citizen and providing service to others. Having received his Eagle rank in 1975, Green will be celebrating his 50th anniversary as a member of the National Eagle Scout Association (NESA) this year.

A life spent Scouting

Speaking with Green reveals a treasure chest of experiences and stories from his time as a Scout. He even has tales of some famous encounters.

For example, Green fondly recalls his 1974 trip to Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico. Green had a chance to meet Martin Luther King Sr., the renowned pastor and civil rights leader, who spoke about giving a public confession of Jesus as Lord and Savior. Green, who had been raised religious by his parents Curtis and Louise, was profoundly moved by these words. This was just one of many formative experiences in his Scouting journey.

Being a Scout has also led Green around the globe, visiting locations such as Puerto Rico, Panama, and Japan. His role in the NESA today also involves a monthly donation to the Cradle of Liberty Council – the local Scouting America chapter – to support the Boy Scouts.

As a Scout, Green appreciated learning how to volunteer and gaining handy skills, two things that he believes have been lost in modern society.

"There used to be a lot more of a volunteering-type atmosphere than there is today," says Green. "It was much more of a hands-on [culture], repairing things such as radios, TVs, jewelry, and clothing…instead of going to the shop and buying a new one if it wore out. Nowadays, it's much more of a throwaway type [culture]."

Service beyond the Scouts 

In addition to his time as a Scout, Green has had plenty of other adventures throughout his life. After graduating from Germantown High School in 1975, Green waited until his 18th birthday to enlist in the United States Air Force. His father did not want to approve Green's enlistment, but once Green turned 18, he was allowed to make his own decision.

"[My father] had been a WWII veteran and he had been discriminated against," Green said. "He understood…dealing with segregation. He didn't want to sign the papers for me to go right into the service at that time. He said, 'That's a decision you'll have to make on your own, but I'm not going to get involved with that."

Green went on to spend eight years in the Air Force as a telecommunications officer. His first overseas assignment was in Guam. However, after getting sick, he returned home to Philadelphia.

Green attended the Community College of Philadelphia and then Eastern University, where one of his professors was Wilson Goode, the first African American mayor of Philadelphia. Green graduated with a liberal arts degree in political science.

After completing his education, Green began his career as an educator in the Philadelphia public school system. Among the many schools he has worked at is Roosevelt Elementary School, where he himself once attended.

In his free time, Green is a history buff and enjoys visiting presidential museums and libraries. He explored those of George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, Herbert Hoover, Richard Nixon, and Ronald Reagan. He has even seen the farm near Gettysburg where Dwight Eisenhower would take weekend retreats as president.

Earning trust and gaining community

Scouting America is important to Green on several levels. When he first joined the Scouts as a young child, it was meaningful to gain his parents' trust.

"[Joining the Scouts] showed that [my mother and father] gave a certain amount of trust and respect to me to go out and do what I wanted to do," says Green. "They didn't baby me along."

Once he got to high school, Green says Scouting provided him a path away from the temptations that come at that age. He says everyone thinks they know it all at 16 or 17, but they're mistaken.

Scouting also gave Green a community of friends and plenty of leadership opportunities, such as being a summer camp counselor in his teens. He even was put in charge of the firing range at the summer camp, which was a responsibility he took great pride in.

As Green reflects on his 50 years as an Eagle Scout, he notes a special connection to presidential history: Gerald Ford was the only president who was an Eagle Scout. When Green reached Eagle Scout rank, he received a membership card signed by Ford, who was president at the time. Within the next couple of years, Green hopes to visit Ford's presidential library in Ann Arbor, Michigan.