Why I donate to Scouting

It is that time of the year, Friends of Scouting.   I want to tell you about why I give to my Council.  I have already told you why I do what I do.

I give to my Council for the exact same reason I give money to my children’s PTA and School Foundation.    So, that there are people and resources for them to learn and have fun.  My school’s PTA raises money for the Teachers and Students to use because the State keeps cutting back the funds needed.  Each year the PTA gives each Teacher $450 to buy supplies.  It also provides a coffee service (you know they need coffee) and so much more.  The PTA also has paid for laptop for each teacher when the School District didn’t.  Now the Teachers can go home sooner than stay at school on P90 Desktops running on 16megs of RAM.  Try playing Minecraft on that?  Wait, you can? On the iPad or iPad Mini or on your Android Tablet that you kid has?

The Foundation also works to help fund Teacher Positions that the State cuts funding for.  Yes, years ago when the State was at the throats of Students our School put on a huge auction that brought in way over $125k.  (This is before Elliot/Rachel were even in Pre-K.)

We as parents also fund outdoor activities, as in trying to save Outdoor School.  Another article about it here as well.  In the end, the City of Portland, somehow in the midst of its own budget crunch, help fund the program.  This is after a group of Portlanders raised $300,000 to help save it.  Suffice to say, it was saved.  It was saved because people cared about the program.  The same lies with the PTA and School Foundation.

So, what about Friends of Scouting?  What does it do?

It does a lot.  Friends of Scouting brings Scouting at risk youth who do not have the resources pay for it themselves.   It does pay for Council Support Services & Program Planning.  But it also helps pay for training, liability & accident insurance. (We as Scout Units do not have to pay or have coverage. Not all Council’s give this).  It also provides for the upkeep on the camps and other facilities within the Council.  The Cascade Pacific Council covers 18 counties in NW Oregon and SW Washington.  It is one of the larger Council’s.  The Scouting Programs include Cubscouts, Boy Scouts, Varsity, Venturing, Sea Scouts and Explorer Posts.  The last three does include females starting at the age of 13.  Scouting is NOT just a BOYS ONLY Club.

So, while a donation might not directly impact your child in the Scout Unit (in my case a Cubscout Pack) it will help someone down the line.   What I can say is that within our Council, there is a thank you that is given.  If our Cubscout Pack meets it goal, we get free rank badges for the year.  We also get free camping at any site suited for Cubscouts for the year, but does not include Summer Camp.  (We have enjoyed staying at Scouter’s Mtn for the past several years and recently the Webelos II went camping at Butte Creek.)

So, Friends of Scouting is just the same as funding the education via the PTA or School Foundation or an Outdoor School.  But, if you really want to have a direct impact on getting something for yourself, try OVER THE EDGE!  Now, that was fun!  I did it last year!

And yes, I have already made my 2013 FOS Donation.

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GOING TO JUMP NOW

I am hoping you can help me to reach my goal of $2500 to go OVER THE EDGE on June 29th at the US BankCorp Tower for Scouting in the Cascade Pacific Council. I am $1235 away from going OVER THE EDGE.  I need $2500

Currently I am half way to my goal.  However, I need your help making it to $2500.  Your donation of $25, $50 or even $100 will get further than just getting me OVER THE EDGE.  It will help those Youth get to Summer camp and give Scouting year round to those who cannot afford it.

The slide show below is what happens within the Pack that I am a Cubmaster for.  I have a lot of photos from 2008 till now.  These are from this past year.  This is what you can help make sure other youth can have with your donation. Please take 5 minutes and follow the link to the website and make your donation that is 100% Tax Free. Please help others to experience Scouting and change their lives while doing it.

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Push me Over for @cpcbsa #boyscouts

Hello all: It’s the Friday Report for sending Me OVER THE EDGE for Cascade Pacific Council and Boy Scouts!

Thank you to all of those who have already Donated!  We are at $1050!  Awesome.  There are many reasons to donate to a cause.  Please consider donating to help the Cascade Pacific Council provide a great program to both Girls and Boys.   I need to raise $2500 and I am 41% of the way there.  Please consider a $25, $50 or $100 donation today.
Click on this link to donate!

Your donation is 100% Tax Deductable for the 2012 Tax Year.  So let’s Donate for the Future Leaders today!

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Going over the Edge

Hello Friends, Scouters and Country people!  Quick update on getting me “OVER THE EDGE“  I have had several donations in the past 72 hours, which is awesome!  Thank you to those who have donated.  I really appreciate it.

Right now, there is $785 in donations.  Which leaves $1,715 to go!  If you have not donated, please consider a donation between $15 & $25.
Every bit helps the Boys and Girls within the Cascade Pacific Council.

Your donation is 100% Tax Deductable for the 2012 Tax Year.  So let’s Celebrate Tax Day today and Donate for the Future Leaders today!

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What Scouts offers…..

Robert Baden-Powell and the first Scout at the first Scout encampment, August 1907, Brownsea Island, England. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Scouting in any flavor offers a lot to the youth that they serve.  It could be Girl Scouts, American Heritage Girls, Campfire, Boy Scouts and the list goes on.   All programs feature Leadership Skills, Fun and getting outside.  In a recent meeting with all the folks down at Council and at the last Top Team meeting, we were told about how our Council’s Summer camp program is down.  I think we are at 46-48% of use.  Council wants us to get to 78% in three years.   The Scout Exec stated that while we are property rich, we are not where other Councils are at with Summer camp numbers..  Within the same meetings it was shown that there are 92,000 boys within the Council that are not in Scouts. (I would like to include girls in this, but I just do not have that number).

Now, in a recent development in the Portland Public School system, they are talking about a lot of cuts to many programs.  One of these is an Outdoor Program for the 6th Grade.  Also, within our School the 5th Graders used to go on this but at a different time.  It now has not happened for a year or two since parents did not step-up and make it happen.  For the 6th Grade program, it is available for both Boys & Girls.  The School system paid for it via Taxes.  While I think it’s a great thing to go and do, this is just another reason for Scouting.  Here is local reaction to the proposed cuts from KGW.

Schools are facing budget cuts and cut vital programs, teachers and staff.  Is there waste?  Sure, let’s get that out first.  This is a perfect reason for a Lean Six Sigma project to take place.   I would also recommend the Senior Management group to do Woodbadge.

Here is my point…..Scouting provides Camping to generally all kids 1st-12th grade.  It might be Girl Scouts till Venturing and Cub scouts to  Boy Scouts, throw in Sea Scouts for both too!  What Scouting also does is help the community way more than just a week out in the woods.  It provides Leadership Skills along with skills to explore different occupations.  So, while the Portland Public Schools are not going to be able offer the Outdoor School, Scouting is there to pick up.

Go here to find a Boy Scout Unit.  Support Scouting in Portland.

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