ARRANGEMENTS:  American Flag posted, after the regular presentation of colors.  House lights are dimmed, and flag is spot lighted.  Narrator reads the following after the Pledge of Allegiance has been recited.

NARRATOR:  "God Bless America" is a prayer that is in every heart.  While the statesmen of the world are seeking paths to peace, we can ask ourselves, "What is the strength of America"?  What are the secrets of our nation's power?

An agriculturalist might have you believe America's strength lies in its soil.

A merchant would say that a nation's power rests in its commerce.

A manufacturer might say that it is in technology, in machinery and in the skilled labor to operate plants to produce manufacturer's products.

A politician might contend that a nation's strength is in national policies.

An educator might declare that knowledge is a nation's power and that our country's greatness is in its learning.

A scientist would say that a nation's power is in science, in the products of the laboratory.

The military man most likely would insist that a nation is great according to its weapons and military strength.

But America's real strength is the character of her people.  It took character to survive that first winter at Plymouth Rock and that other winter at Valley Forge.  It took character to pack your things into a rickety wagon and push off into a land of vague promise and specific terror.  It took character to tell a nation that slavery was wrong, to say that might is not right.

Because character is needed today more than ever before, the Boy Scouts of America is concerned more than ever about building strong character in boys. We want to guarantee that America is as strong in this space age as it was at it's birth.·

Will everyone please stand and join me in singing “God Bless America”?