SPANISH FORT, Ala. — A group of four Alabama Webelos from Spanish Fort received a pleasant surprise last week when they were formally invited to kick of Inauguration festivities by leading the crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance. Johnathan Doyle, Jackson Harris, Reece Killingsworth, and Jacob Small will recite the Pledge before the beginning of the Voices of America concert held this Thursday at the Lincoln Memorial.
The 9 and 10 year-old members of Pack 117 have experience reciting the pledge to large crowds, as they led a filled Ladd-Peebles Stadium before Donald Trump’s “Thank You” rally in December. After their strong performance, Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) recommended them to the Inauguration Committee, which sent out a formal invitation.
“It was a big surprise when they went to the Thank You speech in Mobile with Trump. That was surprising and over the top and when they were asked to go to Washington, it was unbelievable really,” scout mom Jennifer Doyle told WALA Mobile.
Webelo Scouting is a division of the Boy Scouts of America and serves as a middle rank between the Cub and Boy Scouts. Children working on their Webelo Badges fall between the ages of 9 and 11.
According to WALA, the parents are paying for the trip out of pocket, but hope to recover some of the cost from fundraising and contributions from Pack 117. Regardless, the kids are certainly excited to see the nation’s capital. “We’re going to try to see the Smithsonian and stuff,” they said.
The Webelo pack will not be the only group from Alabama playing a role in Inauguration Day festivities. President-Elect Donald J. The marching band from Talladega College, America’s oldest private, historically black liberal arts college, will make an appearance alongside various other ensembles from around the country.
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Trump will be inaugurated as the forty-fifth President of the United States on Jan. 20.
