Massachusetts Senate receives annual scouting report; orders it printed in the journal

At a session of the Massachusetts Senate, members received the annual report on Scouting in the Commonwealth and, by unanimous consent, ordered the report printed in the Senate journal.

The report — introduced in the chamber by the senator from First Essex and Middlesex, Mr. Tarr — summarized statewide membership and volunteer activity and highlighted service by scouts. The presentation was accompanied by scouts and leaders from several councils and included an Eagle Scout keynote.

Senator from First Essex and Middlesex, Mr. Tarr, welcomed the scouts on the Senate floor and introduced flag bearers from several councils before the keynote and the formal presentation of the scouting report. Jimmy Poirier, an Eagle Scout with Troop 79 in Andover and the Spirit of Adventure Council, delivered the keynote and described scouting’s range of activities and service. “Scouting provides opportunities for families and communities to create the next generation of conscientious, responsible, and productive citizens,” Poirier said. He also noted his personal achievement of earning all 139 merit badges.

The report presented to the chamber listed statewide totals including 21,469 youth members and, as stated in the chamber, about 10,326 adult volunteers; a later restatement by a presenter in the chamber garbled the volunteer figure, and the transcript recorded inconsistent numbers. The report also cited that scouts across Massachusetts performed more than 200,000 hours of community service and that 6,809 scouts earned the rank of Eagle Scout in 2024.

Senator Nick Collins, the senator from the First Suffolk District, moved that “the report of scouting be printed in the journal of the Senate.” The motion was approved with no objection and the clerk ordered the report printed in the journal. Earlier, Senator Tarr moved the adjournment of the Senate until the next scheduled meeting; the chamber approved that motion by voice vote.

Several named scouts served as flag bearers during the proceedings, including Alexis Yates (Heart of New England), Colton Craftley (Mayflower), Josiah Ford (Narragansett), Weston Roshan (Spirit of Adventure), and George Gordon (Western Massachusetts). Theodore Borden, a star scout from the Western Massachusetts Council, presented the scouting report on behalf of the organization.

Senate leaders and scouting officials thanked volunteers and staff; the chamber recognized Jonathan Pliva, scout executive, and several senator staffers who assisted with the event. Photos were scheduled after the proceedings and the Senate adjourned to meet again at the time announced from the floor.

Note on transcript inconsistencies: membership figures and the adult-volunteer count were stated more than once in the record and included a garbled repetition; the article reports the clearest figures given and notes the transcript inconsistency rather than attempting to reconcile conflicting values.