The Family Friends of Scouting Campaign

Have You Made Your Pledge to Scouting?

Each year, the Family Friends of Scouting Fund raising Campaign (FOS) asks your support. As unit leaders, your active commitment to this effort is a key component to the success of the campaign. As we know, the FOS provides a critical source of revenue to fund operating expenses that provide direct service to units in the Juniata Valley Council. This coming year, it is anticipated that FOS support will comprise almost 8.4 percent of the operating budget! As a reminder, or even if you are reading this for the first time, it's important to recall that the revenue from this campaign provides a wide range of services, for example:

FRIENDS OF SCOUTING GIFTS ENSURES:

• Support for Seven Mountains Scout Camp so that camping fees are kept low
• Full-time professional support of all Scouting Units - Cub Scout Packs, Scouts BSA Troops, Explorer Posts, and Venture Crews
• District and council-wide activities
• Operation of the Juniata Valley Council Service Center where volunteer leaders can obtain literature, insignia, advancement badges, and other items vital to their program,
• A full service Scout shop where Scouters of all ages can obtain a full range of Scout supplies, many of which are kept readily available in stock,
• Training for volunteer leaders
• And many other resources to help keep Scouting strong where it counts, at the local unit level!

A national outcomes study commissioned by the Boy Scouts of America and conducted by the nationally recognized research firm, Harris Interactive confirm what many of us have believed for years, that Scouting is important. And while that is not surprising, what is surprising is just how important Scouting's program is on the development of boys and young men and its lasting impact over their entire lifetimes.

We hope you will consider value of Scouting and become part of this year's Friends of Scouting Campaign by making your commitment at a Pack, Troop, or Crew presentation or by sending your contribution to the Juniata Valley Council, BSA. Secure on line contributions may also be made by clicking here.

Unit leaders can assist us by working with your unit committee and plan activities for the months of January through April, selecting a night where a local Friends of Scouting volunteer can make a short presentation about the campaign to the parents and guests in attendance. This may be at a Blue & Gold Banquet, Troop Court of Honor or other event. This will be a brief (about 10 minutes) but important introduction to the Family FOS and is not intended to interfere with your regular program.

Thank you in advance for your active commitment to the Friends of Scouting Campaign. If you have any questions or comments about the campaign, please contact your District Executive or your district fund raising chair. Once again, we look forward to your support and our collective effort towards making our council stronger for our youth.