BSA News {News for Scouts}

BlueCross BlueShield of Michigan has donated $1,000 to Hiawathaland Boy Scout Council and Girl Scouts of Peninsula Waters Council in support of their upcoming Scouting Centennial Celebration.

From the article:

The fun and fitness themed family event will be presented May 18 – 20 at the U.P. State Fairgrounds in Escanaba. Activities will include Pinewood Derby and Rope Runner competitions, Brownsea Games, Fun and Fit activities, Scouting Around the World displays, tours of the Pocket Park and Gas and Steam Engine Village, and a day-long art project presented by the Bonifas Center.

The full article can be found here: http://www.dailypress.net/stories/articles.asp?articleID=8208

Boy Scout Troops 718 and 799 of Thousand Oaks, California are hosting a Monopoly Tournament to raise funds. The goal of the first annual tournament is to benefit the Ventura County Council's Endowment Fund and to create a Scholarship Fund for Disadvantaged Scouts. This scholarship fund will be used to help supplement the costs of Scouting for those in need. Visit the BSA Monopoly Tournament website for details.

I think that this fund raiser serves as a real example of the type of creative and innovative fund raising that is necessary to be successful. I can remember back to the early 90's when my troop (Troop 354) first started selling fruit. At that time, no one in the area was really doing it and we were really making a solid profit. My father and I didn't pay for week camp for a number of years because we (mainly my father) had sold enough fruit to cover our costs. A few hurricanes and the growing popularity of this fund raiser (and thus competition among non-profits) caused our profits to decrease. While we still do the fruit sale for our loyal customers, we are at the point where we need a new idea for raising troop funds; perhaps an east coast monopoly tournament might be it.

A PDF of the registration packet for the NE4 Quest can be found at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/juniatavalleycouncil/files/

Venturing Quest 2007

The Northeast Region, Area 4 Venturing Officers Association invite Venturers, Sea Scouts, and their guests to attend the 2nd annual Area 4 Venturing Quest. The 2007 Quest weekend will be held at Camp Bashore, Jonestown, Pa, Friday, April 13, through Sunday, April 15, 2007.