Preparing Today’s Youth to be Tomorrow’s Leaders

Whether you donate your time, talent or treasure, the effect your participation has on local youth is critical.  How?  Find out in this week’s Featured Charity blog.

National Capital Area Council (NCAC), Boy Scouts of America is the largest youth-serving organization in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area which includes Virginia, DC and Maryland. NCAC was organized in 1911 and today stands as one of the oldest and largest councils in America. The council service area is divided into 22 districts plus one Learning for Life division.

The mission of the Boy Scouts of America is to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law.  The vision for NCAC is to accomplish the mission of the Boy Scouts of America in such an exemplary manner as to be recognized as the premier youth organization in the communities we serve.

The Facts:

Boy Scouts of America teaches our youth to be good citizens and trains them to become leaders. In a study, The Values of Men and Boys in America revealed that Scouts are: 

• Better educated
• Goal-oriented
• Have higher ethical standards
• Team players
• Get along with others
• Care for the environment
• Respect the elderly

Studies show that 91 percent of Scouts complete high school and are more likely to earn a college degree. Another recent nationwide survey revealed that 89 percent of class presidents were Scouts and 71 percent of football captains were Scouts.

What Does NCAC Have To Do With All Of This?

At its core, Scouting is a fun, dynamic, engaging program that focuses on the development of positive character traits, leadership skills, confidence, self-reliance, physical and mental fitness as well as civic responsibility and environmental stewardship.

In 2012, we accomplished:

• 56,585 youth members were served by our council
• 21,593 adult volunteer leaders served in our council
• 1,470 scouts earned Eagle Scout
• 5.2 the average number of service hours per youth member
• 812,763 pounds of food were collected
• 22 districts were serviced by our council
• 78% youth retention rate
• 52,633 merit badges earned
• 22,594 campers visited Camp Snyder
• 9,000 campers attend Camp Goshen

More than 221,285 service hours – valued at more than $4.8 million!

In short, being a Scout prepares today’s youth to be tomorrow’s leaders. The lessons of Scouting – character, leadership, physical fitness and citizenship – are as important now than any time in our more than 100 years of heritage.

With the Scout Oath and Law as fixed points to navigate by, the Scouting program does much more for our young people than teach them to be prepared. It teaches them to be Prepared. For Life.

Volunteer & Help Sustain the Boy Scouts Program:

Several groups are responsible for supporting Boy Scouting: the boy and his parents, the troop, the chartered organization, and the community. Boys are encouraged to earn money whenever possible to pay their own expenses, and they also contribute dues to their troop treasuries to pay for budgeted items. Troops obtain additional income by working on approved money-earning projects. The community, including parents, supports Scouting through workplace giving campaigns, the CFC, Friends of Scouting, campaigns, bequests, and special contributions to the NCAC. This income helps provide leadership training, outdoor programs, Marriott Scout Service Center and other facilities, and professional service for units.

Whether you donate your time, talent or treasure, the effect your participation has on local youth is critical. On average, it costs $200 to sustain programming opportunities for one Scout for one year.  It costs $380 a week to send a child to Scout Camp – or $55 a day, which seems like a small price to give local youth an experience that makes a life-changing difference.

Learn More & Connect With NCAC BSA!

Web Site: www.boyscouts-ncac.org
Support NCAC through the CFC: #49874