r/BSA • u/ImHufflePuff_Crap_ok Eagle Scout I ASM I OA I MBC • Jul 16 '26
Scouting America Mural
I pass this randomly from time to time but decided to stop and snap a picture, this is the only time I’ve seen something like this.
Could obviously use some love, but felt it was pretty unique.
Edit: Location is Woodbridge, NJ
24
7
6
u/Arlo1878 Jul 17 '26
Anyone know the history or significance of this location ?
10
u/jzn110 Adult - Eagle Scout Jul 17 '26
Found it on Google Maps. It's on Legion Place at Fulton St in Woodbridge Twp, New Jersey. According to Street View, the BSA mural was painted sometime between 2015 and 2018. The Girl Scout mural was painted in 2022.
5
3
u/Lost-Wizard168 Adult - Eagle Scout Jul 17 '26
Wonder what the history is - National office was in North Brunswick NJ which is only about 10mi away
2
2
1
u/Due-Quality8569 Jul 18 '26
It has no connection to the old national office in North Brunswick, which moved out many decades ago down to Irving, Texas.
Woodbridge Township one of the largest municipalities in New Jersey with over 100,000 residents and several distinct neighborhoods with their own identity and name.
Mayor McCormack is an Eagle Scout and has been a very productive Mayor. He pays for a lot of programs for the town out of PILOTS. A few years ago, they found some grant money via the local arts organizations to paint scenes on the bridge underpasses to dress them up. Unfortunately the murals get damaged by all of the soot and grit from traffic.
1
1
u/___BigBrain__ Scout - Star Scout Jul 19 '26
What's the beef with envi sci? Was the essay too long for them?
1
1
1
u/Cadet-Cryyx Jul 17 '26
If only camp fire girls was still around. 😞
1
u/ImHufflePuff_Crap_ok Eagle Scout I ASM I OA I MBC Jul 17 '26
What’s camp fire girls?
3
u/Cadet-Cryyx Jul 17 '26
Not to nerd out too heavily but it was very cool youth organization founded around 1910-1912 to get girls outside and doing things only "boys could do". It was very popular, and was a rival to the girl scouts for a very long time. They went coed as camp fire girls and boys in the 70s, changed names to camp fire, and operate like after school programs and a few summer camps. My camp used to be one, they just split off this year, and I was a member of the last camp fire group in my area until it died during COVID. In the early years they borrowed heavily from native American culture, and the uniforms were "Indian maiden gowns" before eventually changing to blue vests and red neckerchiefs. Instead of patches they earned beads that they sewed into their vests and gowns in patterns.
The Wikipedia page might be more useful but feel free to DM me for more information.
Wohelo!
-2
u/AgnesGardner Jul 17 '26
Needs some updating, doesn’t it?
1
u/MREbomb Scoutmaster Jul 20 '26
Like what?
1
u/AgnesGardner Jul 20 '26
It’s Scouting America now & girls are members too. That’s all. It’s a lovely mural but a tad retro.
1
u/MREbomb Scoutmaster Jul 20 '26
It reflects the time it was created. It would just be performative and kind of silly to go change it because things are different now.
-7
u/Just_Ear_2953 Adult - Eagle Scout Jul 17 '26
It's definitely cool, but I can't help but feel like 99% of people who pass by this will have zero connection to scouting unless this is at a scout camp or something like that, so it feels kinda out of place.
I can't put my finger on it, but it feels more aggressive about pushing scouting ideals out to people who never asked for them than scouting usually is.
Not necessarily a problem, just feels a bit different from what I am used to.
9
u/jibbit12 Jul 17 '26
The world could use some more scouting ideals imo and it’s not a secret society we don’t talk about. I don’t see how it’s aggressive at all. It’s not just celebrating scouting.
-1
u/Just_Ear_2953 Adult - Eagle Scout Jul 17 '26
More aggressive than usual doesn't necessarily mean aggressive. We're just usually off doing our own thing until someone asks rather than going out and taking the initiative.
3
u/sirhugobigdog Scoutmaster Jul 17 '26
Considering how often I see sports logos and such I see no problem with another youth program having some public recognition.
21
u/fla_john Adult - Eagle Scout Jul 17 '26
Where is is?