Have you ever been involved with Boy or Girl Scouting? I bet that the odds are 50% that either you, your son or daughter, grandson or granddaughter have been at one time or another, part of the Scouting program. With such a similar code of conduct and mission, it would be no surprise for this to be true. Even at the Mid-Year Presidents Meeting, when the attendees were asked this specific question, about half of the most committed Rotarians raised their hands.
 
The Scouting and Rotary Initiative has been introduced, and the mission is to enhance the collaboration between our organizations through mutual support of our programs. The first step is to find a Scouting Champion in every club that chooses to participate in this initiative. Could this be you or someone you know? At the recent committee meeting, chaired by John Halsey, it was determined to focus on a few relatively easy ways in which to begin this journey. Here are the four goals for this year:
 
  • Invite a Boy Scout and a Girl Scout to give a State of Scouting address to your club
  • Recognize Eagle Scouts and Gold Scouts at their Courts of Honor and at Rotary meetings
  • Act as Merit Badge Counselors (Boy Scouts) and Badge Counselors (Girl Scouts)
  • Share in the delivery of service projects that support our communities
Why is this important? Scouts would make great Rotarians as they emerge to adulthood, but even more importantly their parents would be ideal members of our clubs today. Their similar commitment to service is what ties us together.
 
If you are interested in fulfilling the role of your clubs Scouting Champion, please email John Halsey and express your interest. In the near future we will be able to provide a toolkit to make this a very easy yet highly beneficial program that will enhance both Rotary and Scouting.