2016 Annual Report Thousands of boys joined on September 15th during the “Blast into Scouting” sign-up night, and hundreds more have joined since then. Each new Scout received a free model rocket that they got to launch with their family during our Adventure Days!
Explorer
Post 49
Explorer Post 49, also known as Vector Robotics, earned the right to compete in the International Marine Advanced Technology Education Competition in June at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. The Explorers and the underwater remote operated vehicle (ROV) they designed and built competed fervently against 38 teams representing 16 countries.
Christian Cooper earned the
2016 Congressional Award Gold Medalthe highest award Congress presents to youth. The Gold Award requires recipients to complete 400 hours of public service, 200 hours of personal development activities, and 200 hours of physical fitness activities, among other challenging tasks. Christian attends Brown University where he plays Division I water polo.
Blast into Scouting
PTAC hosted the first-ever STEM Inspiration Day this year, during which 18 former NASA astronauts spoke to approximately 3,000 kids in schools throughout Chicagoland.
Aidan Bertocchini,
is a 12-year-old Boy Scout who started a diaper drive when he was just 5 years old after learning that many people struggle to afford this basic necessity. With help from his family, Aidan has grown the diaper drive every year. Last year he was able to donate 11,000 diapers to families in need.
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5,044 Scouts had a life-changing experience at one of PTAC’s camps this summer! These Scouts gained new skills, merit badges, friends, and lasting memories.
An Internationa
l Experience
PTAC Scouts have opportunities to build friendships around the corner and around the world. Local Scouting families hosted 63 international Scouts from Hong Kong, Ethiopia, and Mexico this summer for a weekend of sailing and sightseeing in Chicago before they traveled to the Michigan International Camporee.
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Summer C
The presentations were aimed at exciting students about careers in science, technology, engineering and math fields while motivating them to achieve academic success.
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mit A
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PTAC was able to send 45 Scouts from at-risk neighborhoods in Chicago’s inner-city to the Bechtel Summit Reserve in West Virginia. These Scouts would not have had this lifechanging opportunity without the support of generous donors like you.
Tyler Schutt is an Explorer with
Post 2950 sponsored by the Lansing Police Department. In 2016, he was elected to serve as the National Youth Representative for Law Enforcement Exploring. Tyler attends Trinity Christian College in Palos Heights, Illinois where he majors in both Criminal Justice and Communications and plays on the varsity soccer team. After graduating, Tyler hopes to join the ranks of America’s law enforcement professionals. enforcement professionals.
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piration Da
STEM Ins
PROGRAM INNOVATION Highlights PTAC Scored Gold in Journey to Excellence! The Journey to Excellence (JTE) program is a nationally coordinated set of standardized goals that sets benchmarks, and challenges local councils to move forward in each of the following five categories: finance, membership, program, unit service, leadership and governance. A council can earn Bronze, Silver or Gold recognition in each of these categories and overall. Pathway to Adventure Council is proud to announce that we earned an overall Gold JTE recognition!
View our 2017 - 2018 Journey to Excellence Strategic Plan. www.PathwayToAdventure.org/unitresources 2016 Highlights 470
Eagle Scouts
Welcomed 4,748 new Cub Scout families!
206,090
23,688
service hours
Youth members
17,375
8,409
merit badges
58 Exploring units
Adult members
19 STEM Scouts Labs
PROGRAM INNOVATION Highlights • Co-ed program for boys and girls in grades 3-12 • Weekly, fun, hands-on science, technology, engineering, and math activities • Rotating roles encourages development of teamwork and life-long leadership skills • Older STEM Scouts have the opportunity to publish their work through an online, peer-reviewed journal
STEM Scouts 2016 highlights: • 218 STEM Scouts in 19 Labs • Labs at each level: Elementary, Middle, and High School • Labs in each of the Council’s four communities • 7 new STEM Scout Labs including British International School of Chicago Lincoln Park, Iroquois Community School and Chicago Hope Academy • 147.7% membership gain in STEM Scouts • 90% growth in STEM Scout Labs
OUR VISION Shape the workforce of tomorrow by engaging and mentoring today's youth in career and lifeenhancing opportunities.
• 22.7% growth in Exploring in PTAC •11 new Exploring Posts including Welding at Oak Forest High School, Skilled Trades at IBEW Local Union 134, Health at Roseland Hospital and MacNeal Hospital •G.O. Exploring - new Girls Outdoor junior exploring program for grades 6th - 8th •Peggy and Steve Fossett Foundation - Helped support the 22.7% growth in Exploring •Collins Engineers, Inc. - Sponsored a ‘Quad Copter Show and Do’ at he Career Exploring Day at the University of Illinois at Chicago •Johnson Family Make the World a Better Place Fund - Focus on impacting youth who are in need of critical career-development skills
DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION Our new Diversity and Inclusion Department will work with charter partners to start units in economically challenged neighborhoods in the south and west sides of Chicago and in Northwest Indiana to give all young people the opportunity to join Scouting, regardless of their circumstances.
2016 CAMP Highlights • 6,592 PTAC Scouts enjoyed a camping experience this year • 5,228 Scouts attended a PTAC camp • 400 Camperships given to Scouts in need of financial assistance • 10,817 merit badges completed • 131 Scouts attended National Youth Leadership Training • High Adventure Base attendance: 311 Boy Scouts and 37 Venturers
Financials
Camp Locations Boy Scout Camp Locations Camp Napowan N4789 24th Avenue Wild Rose, WI 54984
Owasippe Scout Reservation 9900 Russell Road Twin Lake, MI 49457
Cub Scout Camp Locations Owasippe Scout Reservation 9900 Russell Road Twin Lake, MI 49457
Camp Betz 3858 Snow Road Berrien Springs, MI 49103
Adventure Camp 4492 S Knoll Road Rochelle, IL 61068
Cub Scout Day Camps Chicagoland & Northwest Indiana locations
PTAC Centers for Scouting Des Plaines Valley Center for Scouting 811 W. Hillgrove Avenue La Grange, IL 60525 (312) 421-8800
Northwest Suburban Center for Scouting 617 E. Golf Road Suite 101 Arlington Heights, IL 60005 (312) 421-8800
Robert J. Welsh Center for Scouting 8751 Calumet Avenue Munster, IN 46321 (312) 421-8800
www.PathwayToAdventure.org
Steve Fossett Center for Scouting 1218 W. Adams Street Chicago, IL 60607 (312) 421-8800