February 8, 2023 - National Boy Scouts Day | National Kite Flying Day

Welcome to February 8th, 2023 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate the ripple effect and famous adventures in kite flying. On a foggy day in London William Dickson Boyce, an American newspaperman became lost. He was assisted by a Boy Scout who brought him safely to his destination. When Mr. Boyce offered payment to the scout, the boy refused it saying that a good deed needs no reward. But Boyce did indeed pay it forward by organizing similar youth groups into one organization. He founded the Boy Scouts of America program on this day in 1910. Since then the Scouting Program has produced many United States Presidents, 181 astronauts and millions of merit badges that echo that London boy’s good deed. On National Boy Scouts Day, celebrate the ripple effect of those who help others at all times. For most people, kites are simply toys, a way to have fun in the park or at the beach. But not Benjamin Franklin. When he flew his kite in 1752, it became one of the most important experiments in the history of science. Franklin had been studying lightning for some time and wanted to prove that it was the same thing as electricity. He had planned to use a church steeple as a conductor for his experiment, but he got impatient. So he built a homemade kite from a few sticks, a handkerchief, and some string. Then, as we all know, he tied a key to the end and waited for the storm. Luckily, Ben only got a shock. On National Kite Flying Day, celebrate by making the most of a windy day. But if you see storm clouds roll in, get indoors. Not everyone is as lucky as Mr. Franklin. I’m Anna Devere and I’m Marlo Anderson. Thanks for joining us as we Celebrate Every Day! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices