SCOUT EXECUTIVE'S MINUTE

Dear Fellow Scouters:

The month of May 2006 in the Northwest Suburban Council is certainly one of recognizing our fellow Scouters for a job well done over the past year. On May 5th, we’ll be hosting our Council Recognition Dinner and honoring nine new Silver Beaver recipients that were mentioned individually in last month’s Northwest News. Congratulations to each one of them for their many years of service to youth, to Scouting, to their community, and to the Northwest Suburban Council. It is Scouting’s highest award presented at the local council level. Please offer them the congratulations that they deserve for their dedicated service and commitment.

Just a little later in the month the Northwest Suburban Council will be hosting the BSA National Endowment Art Tour. Original Norman Rockwell and Joseph Csatari paintings will be on display locally for this “by invitation only” event, but I wanted to make sure that all on our Scouting family knew that several of our own Scouters were going to be honored by the Chief Scout Executive at this event: Greg Webb, Brad Epstein, Derek Hartley, and Mr. and Mrs. Rich Politowicz. Their significant planned gifts will help the council to serve local youth in perpetuity and they should be thanked by each of us for their outstanding efforts on behalf of the Northwest Suburban Council.

Likewise, our Council Endowment Committee led by Ron Schagrin should be thanked for their many hours of planning and execution in developing this very worthwhile event that will help benefit the Northwest Suburban Council, the surrounding Chicagoland councils, and most of Illinois as well as parts of Wisconsin and Iowa. Their extended reach has been much further than their actual grasp, will help their councils now and far into the future because of the Herculean efforts.

Towards the end of the month representatives of the Northwest Suburban Council will be honored at the BSA Annual Meeting in Washington, DC with not just one, but TWO National President’s Awards for Marketing Excellence. Congratulations to Jim Emigh, the entire Council Marketing Committee, and designer Mark Swimmer for their leadership in getting the word out on Scouting to both our internal and external publics. Their efforts often go unsung, but to garner multiple national recognitions within one year says it all. Please thank these volunteers for their efforts on our behalf.

Finally, it is that time of the year to pause and thank one another as one program and/or school year draws to a close and another one begins. Thank you, each and every Scouting volunteer for what you have done in the lives of youth within our council’s territory. Your efforts and leadership continue to set the standard for quality Scouting.

Best regards,
Stephen J. Taylor, CFRE
Scout Executive
staylor@bsamail.org