Boy Scout badge exhibit opens March 1 at presidential library

[February 22, 2012]  SPRINGFIELD -- Badges from the past 60 years for the annual Boy Scout Pilgrimage to Lincoln Tomb will be on display starting March 1 at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library in Springfield, in time for this year's pilgrimage on April 29. The exhibit may be seen free of charge on weekdays between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.

The 49 original Boy Scout Pilgrimage badges are from the Abraham Lincoln Council of Boy Scouts of America and the presidential library's collections. They date from the early 1950s to 2011. Also included is a kerchief slide from 1947. Many were donated in memory of the late Milfred Crumbaugh, a longtime volunteer and friend of Scouting in Springfield who was the parade marshal for the pilgrimage for 20 years.

The first Lincoln Pilgrimage, which still consists of walking from the Lincoln Tomb on the north side of Springfield to the Old State Capitol downtown, was in 1946. Since then, tens of thousands of Boy Scouts from every state in the nation and numerous foreign countries have joined the annual trek.

A different but related event, the Boy Scout Lincoln Trail Hike, started in 1926. To participate, Scouts must read one of a few specific books on Lincoln, prepare a report on the book and hike the 21-mile trail from Lincoln's New Salem to Springfield, for which they receive a medal. The Lincoln Trail was the first hiking trail officially recognized by the Boy Scouts of America. There are now about 300 historic trails recognized by the organization.

The Boy Scouts of America was founded in 1910, and the Springfield-area chapter, the Abraham Lincoln Council, was formed in 1920.

Visit www.presidentlincoln.org for more information about the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum.

[Text Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum file]