2011 Annual report BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA MECKLENBURG COUNTY COUNCIL
Mecklenburg County Council
A word from our council President
Council Highlights 2 5 1 Scouts earned the Eagle Award in 2011 1 0 , 1 3 0 Merit badges earned
Boy Scouts of America was chartered by the US Congress more than 100 years ago. After 97 years in our own community, the BSA Mecklenburg County Council is still vibrant and relevant.
5 , 8 7 7 Total youth advancements earned 1 , 7 5 2 Cub Scouts attended day camps, resident camps and special needs camps 2 , 41 6 Boy Scouts,Venturers and adults attended long-term summer camp 3 6 0 Youth served in our nationally recognized Scouting Through Soccer programs
Serving our community 2 5 , 1 0 0 Service hours invested back into our community just through Eagle Scout projects $ 4 0 , 3 3 0 Donated locally to send popcorn to our military and their families around the world 1 7 5 , 3 4 4 Pounds of food collected during the Scouting for Food Good Turn program in 2011 3 , 6 0 0 Registered adult volunteers
2011 was a banner year for Scouting with increases in the number of youth attending camps, trained leaders and Eagle Scouts. Our Scouting for Food program again enlisted thousands of Scouts to collect over 175,000 pounds of food to help feed the hungry in our community. In the fall, we recruited over 1,800 new Scouts and families while retaining 71% of the Scouts we recruited in 2010. It is indeed an awesome time to be involved in Scouting in Mecklenburg County. Benton Bragg Council President
Did you know?
We had a record attendance of 1600 Scouts at summer camp in 2011!
Mecklenburg County Council
Scout Oath On my honor, I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country, to obey the Scout Law; to help other people at all times; to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight.
Sources of Income Project sales and foundations 3% United Way of Central Carolinas 8% SPECIAL EVENTS 8% OTHER REVENUE AND INVESTMENTS 10% PRODUCT SALES (POPCORN AND CAMP CARD) 19% FRIENDS OF SCOUTING 29%
Scouting Programs
Expenses
Boy Scouting 3525 Boy Scouts/107 Troops
Learning for Life 1162 Youth/17 Groups
Tiger Cub Bobcat Wolf Bear Webelos Arrow of Light Tenderfoot Second Class First Class Star Life Eagle
Total ranks earned :
Venturing 661 Venturers/50 Crews Exploring 755 Explorers/25 Posts
569 1097 635 546 577 480 448 379 357 288 254 247
CAMPING AND ACTIVITY FEES 23%
Cub Scouting 4981 Cub Scouts/120 Packs
Advancement
5,877
81%
18%
1%
DIRECT PROGRAM SERVICES
SUPPORT SERVICES
NATIONAL COUNCIL SUPPORT
Total merit badges earned :
10,130
Did you know? Mecklenburg County ranked among the top 20 councils nationwide in merit badges earned per Scout!
Mecklenburg County Council
Facilities and programs
Fun at summer camp!
Camp Grimes
• 1,200 acres open for the year-round program located in the beautiful South Mountains • 2,416 Boy Scouts, Venturers and adults attended long-term summer camp • National youth leadership training course held 48 youth participating • SEALS training for troop, junior leaders—three courses with over 150 youth
Belk Scout Camp
• 240 acres open year-round for camping, training & programs, located 30 minutes from Charlotte • 1,752 Cub Scouts attended day camp, resident camp & camp for youth with disabilities • 450 new Cubs and parents attended Trailblazer Adventure Day • Wood Badge, an advanced leadership training experience completed by 60 adults
special initiatives
fun at Day camp!
Special Initiatives is our council’s commitment to teach the values of Scouting, and provide youth from all walks of life a Scouting experience. Every youth, regardless of disability, ethnicity, citizenship or socio-economic status, benefits from positive adult interaction, outdoor experiences, hands-on learning, life skills, leadership training, and the lessons from selfless acts of service to the community. Through our trained staff and a host of resources, our Special Initiatives Cub & Boy Scouting, Venturing and Learning for Life programs offer boys and girls (6-20 years of age) in Mecklenburg County, the kinds of experiential learning opportunities that help them grow into healthy, community-minded, productive citizens.
Did you know?
We had a 71% retention rate; ranking the council #1 in Area 5!
Mecklenburg County Council
a scout is TRUSTWORTHY LOYAL HELPFUL FRIENDLY COURTEOUS KIND OBEDIENT CHEERFUL THRIFTY BRAVE CLEAN REVERENT
Leadership Dinner James E. Rogers, Chairman, President and CEO of Duke Energy was honored as the Distinguished Honoree for the annual leadership dinner. He also served as the keynote speaker for the event.
Camp Card John Mahaffey gave support and leadership to the second annual camp card sale. Over 33,900 cards were sold. Units earned more than $84,000 from the sale to support their summer camp programs.
Patron Luncheon Bob Morgan, President of the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce was the speaker for this annual event.
Popcorn Anthony Aldrich led the popcorn sale. Scouts sold in 49 out of 50 states in the US. In addition, $40,330 in donated popcorn was sent to our military and their families around the world.
Golf Mike Miller gave leadership to the council’s 21st annual golf tournament held at Piper Glen Country Club. Nineteen teams competed for the John M. Belk Memorial Cub Sporting Clays Jim and Fred Griffith gave leadership to our most successful sporting clay shoot. This annual event was held at Meadow Wood Farm and had 26 teams competing.
2011 Boy Scouts of America Popcorn Sale
Selling Across the USA!
Auction Paul Stein and his committee organized The Oktoberfest Auction. The auction was held at Mercedes Benz of South Charlotte. A special thanks to Felix Sabates for hosting the auction.
Did you know? 251 young men earned the rank of Eagle Scout, providing more than 25,100 community service hours!
Mecklenburg County Council
Austin Reeder, a Webelos Scout from Pack 198, was at home working on his computer when his mother Kelly started choking on something she was eating. She began coughing as she tried to dislodge the food caught in her throat. Austin, from another room, heard the coughing and rushed to his mother. He quickly observed that his mother was turning pale and blue in the face. Taking quick and calm action, Austin moved to her and performed the Heimlich maneuver. This action caused the food to dislodge itself from her throat enabling her to once again breathe. Austin learned the Heimlich as part of his ready man badge during Webelos Resident Camp. Both of them credit his Scout training in saving Kelly Reeder’s life.
scouting makes a difference William Fitzgerald Jr., age 13, of Troop 63 will not be overcome by obstacles set in his path. Having Downs Syndrome doesn’t stop him from enjoying the activities shared by his peers. His father, William Fitzgerald Sr., couldn’t be more proud of his son. He also recognizes the values being instilled within the Boy Scouts that promote unity, teamwork, and belonging. Fitzgerald states, “He has the confidence to tempt failure because trained, caring Boy Scouts of America staff, Scoutmasters, and peer Scouts appreciate his differences in the various Scouting activities from troop meetings to campouts and more notably, at summer camps, and enable him to feel that his efforts are just as important as those of others.”
Tenderfoot Scout Nolan Sutter, from Troop 97, was on a family vacation in Colorado skiing with his dad when he witnessed a horrible accident. Nolan watched as a skier, Andrew Willis, turned onto a tree trail, lose control, went airborne and slammed into a boulder. Nolan skied over to the trail, looked around and noticed Andrew lying in the snow. When Nolan reached Andrew, he yelled back to his dad to call 911. Nolan rolled him over, removing the snow from his face and stayed with him holding his head and talking to him until the ski patrol arrived and assessed the situation on how to proceed. Due to the location where Andrew landed, he would not have been seen for several minutes or even hours. Nolan’s quick thinking and Boy Scout training most certainly saved the life of Andrew Willis.
Did you k now? 360 youth served in our nationally recognized Scouting Through Soccer programs!
Mecklenburg County Council
Jarvis Williams epitomizes the true meaning and value of Scouting. Few Scouts have been confronted with the lifelong challenges he has faced. Jarvis is the younger of two children being raised by a single parent. No personal car, a mother working to provide, he always managed to chorale the resources he needed to attend Scout meetings, participate in camps and other activities. He has always demonstrated an ability to lead well beyond his years. Running his troop meetings after the Scoutmaster resigned, he was a role model to the younger Scouts. Jarvis earned his Eagle Scout award with Troop 1914 and plans to attend college after graduating from high school.
scouting makes a difference Life Scout Brent McKnight, Jr., from Troop 413, was participating on a mission trip to Haiti. Brent’s math teacher, Joe Rego, was also part of the mission group. He was eating a sandwich and had a portion of the food lodged in his throat, completely blocking his airway. Mr. Rego motioned to Brent and gave the universal sign for choking. Without hesitation, Brent performed the Heimlich maneuver on Mr. Rego. Brent was able to act calmly, and immediately; something both he and Mr. Rego attribute directly to Brent’s Boy Scout training in first aid. Given the situation, it is evident that Mr. Rego may well not have survived the choking incident.
22-year-old Chad Gombar, who has been part of Scouting for 8 years, has autism. His disability, however, did not get in the way of him earning his Eagle Scout badge. For his Eagle Scout project, he cleared leaves, brush and rocks from Emmanuel Baptist’s ball fields and fixed up the concession area. He’s part of Troop 601 in Mecklenburg County, a troop for boys like Chad. His sash boasts 33 badges, all of which he worked hard to earn. Earning his physical fitness badge was one of the greater challenges for Chad, but after 12 weeks of excersise, he accomplished his goal and now it sits as the final badge on his sash. Chad is optimistic of his future, and plans on working for Union Diversified Industries someday.
Did you k now? Last year, 1,752 Cub Scouts attended day camps, resident camps, and special needs camps!
2011 council officers Benton S. Bragg, President Henry A. Harkey, Past President Robert E. Branan, Commissioner J. Ronald Martin, Treasurer David F. Brawley, Assistant Treasurer B. Palmer McArthur, Attorney
G. Mack Patterson, Vice President/Program John Sequeira, Vice President/Membership Joseph W. Grier, III, Vice President/Administration William A. Nichols, Vice President/Properties Victor O. Holloway, Vice President/Special Initiatives
Eric P. Andreozzi, Vice President/Finance Stern Dixon, Vice President/District Operations Arthur J. Gallagher, Vice President/Exploring Steve Jegier, Vice President/PR & Marketing Mark A. Turner, Scout Executive
executive board Anthony A. Aldrich Eric P. Andreozzi Scott H. Angel William B. Barnhardt George E. Battle, Jr. C. Vance Beck John D. Bond, III Artis G. Boyd Staton E. Boyette, Jr. Deon Bradley Benton S. Bragg Robert E. Branan David F. Brawley Andy Brincefield W. Charles Campbell Matthew J. Canavan Richard C. Carter, Jr. C. S. Clardy C. S. Clardy, Jr. Derick Close
Chris Corbitt William B. Cornett Steve Crump Charles T. Davidson Pablo de la Canal Stern Dixon Arthur J. Gallagher Peter S. Gilchrist, III Michael Gleaves E. Blake Graeber, III Jessica Graham Joseph W. Grier, III Jim Griffith Preston Griffith M. Stephen Hagood Henry A. Harkey Frank Headen William G. Higgs Victor O. Holloway Steve Jegier Thomas J. LaBonte
Marshall Larsen George W. MacBain William B. Macurda John H. Mahaffey J. Ronald Martin Robert R. Marshall B. Palmer McArthur David M. McDonnell Michael J. Miller Gary Mitchell Ivan Mothershead Michael E. Munley Thomas C. Nelson Stan Nester William A. Nichols, Sr. William A. Nichols, Jr. R. Stephen Pace Peter B. Pappas Richard F. Parker G. Mack Patterson
advisory council David Auger William M. Barnhardt N. Craig Bass Thomas M. Belk Thomas L. Burgess Rex C. Byers W. R. Cuthbertson Edwin A. Dalrymple Henry Donaghy
Charles Fonville William H. Fox, Jr. Peter C. Gorman Hilda H. Gurdian Ben Hawfield R. Bruce Jamieson Bill R. Kelley Thomas R. Lawing, Sr. G. Dodson Mathias Joel L. Moser
Thomas F. O’Brien Terry Orell Randy Pellisero Carlos E. Sanchez G. R. Smith Herbert H. Sparks David Trusty Norris R. Woody
Ralph A. Pitts Eugene C. Pridgen F.C. Proctor Richard B. Reiling Arthur D. Ringwald Bill Rose Judith H. Schulte John F. Schultze John Sequeira John O. Skelton Alan Simonini Paul D. Stein Paul A. Stroup, III Edwin H. Wadsworth Barry Weiss Steven D. Westphal Landon R. Wyatt Jeffrey M. Yoh Beth Zeiss P. Anthony Zeiss