I'm Baaack!

Hello Scouts and Scouters alike,

I'm back from a long and protracted hiatus. While we're in the throws of a wintry wonderland, I hope that we all take a moment to realize that today is the official 100th anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America.

Reflecting on how Scouting has changed my life brings back a number of mixed emotions. I spent some of the best moments of my childhood in Scouts. The pinewood derby, my first camping trip, and even learning about all of the adventure of a mud puddle are some of my fondest memories.

I learned how to work hard, and then work harder still as a Boy Scout, in my troop and at Goshen Scout Reservation. This is where I also learned how to deal with tough situations like a parent's divorce or the death of a close friend.

The Boy Scouts of America have been changing lives for the last century and strengthening the moral fortitude of our nation. Our core values of character, citizenship and fitness translate into all sections of society. We are needed, as leaders and guides.

I am rededicating myself to the important work we all do so that Scouting tomorrow is stronger than it is today. It is my hope that you will all join me and the thousands of others like me and do the same. God bless you all.

GC

Don't Read This....

Hey Gang,

As we find ourselves winding down the school year--the days are getting longer, children are participating in little league and soccer, long lines are forming outside of the local ice-cream stand--thoughts start to arise about what you, your boys and your entire families are going to do for the two-and-a-half months between the last bell of June and the first bell of August.

This is a time where families reconnect, they go on vacations and spend more time with each other. It is also a time where children are able to explore the world around them, they can read and find adventure in their own imaginations, or experience their backyards by finding mystery, and science in a mud puddle. The summer is a magical time that I remember as being full of great fun, surprise and excitement.

In no place is this more prevalent than in Summer Camp. As a child, I went to many camps--Swim Camp, Horseback Camp, Church Camp, Arts and Crafts Camp (BOO!), Sleep away camp, and Scout Camp. Each had a different effect on me; each taught me a skill or more about myself (if you need a horse groomer, I'm pretty mean with a curry comb).

My fondest memories come from Scout Camp. This is where I was able to be in the woods, sleeping in a tent with my best friend, and on a daily basis, I would go swimming, boating, do arts and crafts, learn more about nature, and do the ever popular shooting sports of archery and rifle or BBs. And I got to do it with my mom and dad. The other camps, I got dropped off at and got to tell my folks about it--at Scout Camp, it was a family experience; we got to tell the rest of the family at gatherings about how mom freaked out when I caught the black rat snake and showed her, or how dad was so proud when I landed my first bass without any help.

I know that it is sometimes difficult to balance long hours, demanding commitments, work vacations and other pieces that make up the complex puzzle that is life. I will venture to say though, that if you are not considering going away to a Scout Summer Camp (sleep away) with your Scout, you are doing him a disservice. If you ask him, he'll say he joined Scouting to do all of the things that Summer Camp offers--the fishing, the camping, the campfires, the s'mores, the archery, the BBs, and most importantly, making new friends.

When people ask me what I do for a living, rather than saying outright that I'm a District Executive, I tell them I'm in the "memory making" business. It is my business to help you make memories for your young ones--to help foster positive childhood experiences so that the next generation of leaders will have the fortitude to inherit this great nation and world. Thanks for reading and as always, feel free to comment so that other readers may share in your experience.

GC

The Relevance of Scouting

Hello out there! I hope that you are all doing well in your respective units and in the community at large. Today's topic is about the relevance of Scouting. We are upon the 100th year of Boy Scouting in America and throughout the century we've seen many changes. There's been a man on the moon, women have received the right to vote, our school systems are de-segregated, we've fought in two World Wars, become a global economy and faced Earth Shattering attacks in the very city that has come to represent America as a whole. Scouting has endured through all of these occasions, through the highest peaks and into the deepest and darkest trenches. Our values and ideals, the lessons we teach and share, and the good we do for the community and the world remain timeless.

Some would say, however, that we're losing touch with the world around us. That society is changing at such a rapid pace, that Scouting is becoming more and more irrelevant to the popular culture that is being embraced. Our critics are stating plainly, that our program is designed for a 1950's America and still, in fact, serves only those who refuse to embrace our current surroundings.

My question to all of you out there in Montgomery District Cyberspace is simple: Are the critics right? If so why? If not, what are you doing that is keeping Scouting alive, fun and relevant to youth members and their families?

Thanks for doing what you do and I look forward to the discussion.

GC

Reconnecting with our Chartering Organizations

Hello Montgomery Scouters!

Over the last few days I have noticed a plethora of institutions that sponsor Scouting units along my commute from Damascus to the Southern part of Montgomery County. We are sponsored by churches, civic organizations, mosques, temples, synagogues, parks, PTOs, parents' groups and a whole host of others. Though these groups have a wide berth of different philosophies, all sharing the common desire to perform great service in our community and to help the people in it. They sponsor Scouting units as a way to connect directly with families and other community leaders in hopes of having an impact on future generations.

This is a great bond for Scouting. It is the cornerstone of how our program works.By having an active role in the selection of our leaders, Chartering Organizations can easily mesh theirs ideals and beliefs with the values and outdoor education that Scouting provides.

In the time that I've been involved as a professional Scouter, I've noticed that a lot of our units have become very self-sufficient. It is no longer a requirement for the Church pastor to be at pivotal meetings; they don't need the PTO president to help select the new Committee Chairman, and the relationship between Scouting Unit and Chartering Organization dilutes to Scouts needing a building for meetings, storage space, and once a year, signatures on the charter. More frightening is when a Scouting unit loses it's momentum and finds itself at collapse. A professional Scouter or district volunteer will meet with a Church Pastor who'll say something along the lines of "The Boy Scouts are Strong here...." when in reality, the Troop stopped meeting 3 months previously.

I urge you to really look at your relationship with your chartering organization. Is it strong? When was the last time you invited the Institutional Head to see all of the amazing things you're doing? Did you know that every Chartering Organization has a voting seat on the District Committee?

Please add your own comments about your relationship with the organization that charters your Scouting unit? Does anyone have any good stories? Anything that we should avoid?

Thanks for your participation!

GC

Boy Scout Recruiting

Greetings Scouters near and far,

Today I want to touch on the topic of recruiting for outside of the Cub/ Join Scout night arena and into the vast chasm of Boy Scout recruiting. This seems to often be a subject that rarely gets any face time when it comes to our membership agendas, as (and rightfully so) the prevailing theory is that if you get Cubs in early, they're more likely to stay in the program.

However, I find that this theory is not enough to sustain any type of growth within our organization and in our District. If we simply wait for boys to join our Troops, then what happens to those who we missed? What happens to those who were not interested in Cub Scouting? Does this mean that every boy is asked to join Scouting between the ages of 6 and 10 years old and that's it?

I have heard much discussion on this subject. What I'd like is to have your thoughts about what we can do better, both as a Council, District, and in your own Troops to put forth a truly concerted effort to recruit boys. I'd like this to remain positive and I'll ask that those who respond please refrain from finger pointing, i.e., "Council doesn't provide enough materials" or "Our feeder Pack doesn't feed into us anymore."

Thanks in advance for your participation and I look forward to reading your responses.

Gary

Why Go to Cubworld?

If you're a parent and you are wondering what type of activities Scouting has to offer during the summertime, wonder no more! The National Capital Area Council of Boy Scouts has many summer offerings for you that can be found here.

This Posting is specifically for the Parents and Leaders of Cubs that are Wolves and Bears. Our Council built a Camp, Camp William B. Snyder with your sons in mind. We offer programming that challenges the imaginations of boys, gives them a sense of excitement and adventure, and provides growth opportunities for them in a positive atmosphere. Our hope was that families and Packs would excitedly anticipate attendance at Camp Snyder every year.

By and large, Camp Snyder remains severly under capacity. Last year we served close to 1,600 scouts at Snyder in our overnight camping activities. Currently, we are not on track to match or exceed that number of boys.

Kevin Costner told us, "If you build it, they will come." Yet, you are not coming. It means that there's something missing that will attract you. I'm asking for your help, leaders of Montgomery County, to tell me what you are looking for when selecting summer camping activities. We know that boys join Scouts to go camping and be in the outdoors--it is my goal to expose them to a quality program in a natural setting.

Please post your comments about what it will take to get you to our Camp this summer. I'd love to have some very healthy discussion about this and more topics to come.

Thanks for supporting Scouting!

GC

A Blog... for Us?

Greetings esteemed Scouting Parents, Leaders, Volunteers, Friends and Families to what I hope will be an open forum for the questions, concerns, and kudos for Scouting in the Montgomery Central portion of our Council.

I got the idea to blog from a colleague when he told me that he really felt that he didn't have an effective way to communicate with the volunteers he served on a regular basis. Phone calls are tedious, blast emails and news flashes are not interactive and Roundtables are not frequent enough.

In listening to this I realized that many of his concerns are shared within our area too. It is my hope that we can communicate effectively, positively and constructively in this forum. I also hope that this will be a good way to share ideas amongst yourselves and to start rebuilding the connections between Scouters in our community. I'm glad to be serving you all, and I look foward to the success of Scouting in Montgomery County.