We are monitoring COVID-19 and are prepared to ensure Scouting thrives locally.
As COVID-19 and its impact continue to evolve and develop, we remain focused on the health and safety of our units and Scouts, as well as our commitment to you.
Lake Erie Council is here to support you and is working hard to ensure our team continues to provide you with exceptional service.
We have launched Scouting at Home, an online resource hub that has our latest news, projects Scouts can do from home, live broadcast schedule, demonstrations, resources, and much more!
We have moved the majority of our communications to our website and social media channels — so please follow @LakeErieBSA on Facebook and Instagram. We have limited our emails to only essential information to ensure you are not flooded with unnecessary content at this time.
Our Unit Serving Executives are available via phone, Zoom, and email to arrange pick-ups, guidance on virtual meetings, and home Scouting.
Membership processing, including rechartering and stand-alone, applications will take place on Wednesdays and Fridays. Information can be mailed directly to the Unit Service Center (2241 Woodland Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44115) or pick-ups can be arranged with your Unit Serving Executive. We will be installing a dropbox outside the service center and when this project is completed we will announce it on our social sites.
Advancement, including the rank of Eagle Scout, will be processed every Thursday. Learn more about national's response to advancement in the linked FAQs and LEC's protocols here. Information can be mailed directly to the Unit Service Center (2241 Woodland Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44115) or pick-ups can be arranged with your Unit Serving Executive. We will be installing a dropbox outside the service center and when this project is completed we will announce it on our social sites.
UPDATES
As many of you know, Governor Mike DeWine’s series of public health mandates issued over the past several days have caused us to cease normal operations across all facets of our organization. Just last week, we made the difficult decision to postpone our programs and events through April.
Today, we have decided in the interest of our Scout's safety and health, to postpone events and continue camp closures through May 7, 2020. To learn which events are affected and their new dates, read our detailed outline here.
The Unit Service Center and Cleveland Scout Shop will remain closed at this time through March 27, 2020. Again, work with your Unit Serving Executive to have membership and advancement paperwork turned in and processed. You can also mail directly to the Unit Service Center. Any urgent Scouting supplies can be ordered online at www.scoutshop.org or by calling 800-323-0736.
In accordance with national guidelines, units should avoid in-person gatherings; instead, they should utilize digital and online resources, such as video conferencing, to continue Scouting meetings, projects and advancement, adhering to the current youth protection guidelines already in place for digital communication. Unit Serving Executives can help you navigate this digital environment and you can find resources on our website.
While this is a challenging time for Scouting, our community, our country, and our world, it is also a time for us to rise up and do extraordinary things. Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. Let us come together and show Scouting will thrive and overcome this challenge. Share your #scoutinginaction photos (How are you continuing Scouting from home? How are you helping your community?) and participate in conversations @LakeErieBSA on Facebook and Instagram.
And finally, as a non-profit organization, we rely on event attendance, program fees, donations, and meeting revenue to operate. Canceling events will have a significant impact on our overall operating budget. If you are able, donate at GiveScouting.org. You can become a monthly donor and be part of the Keepers of the Flame program here.
This is an incredibly formidable and complex time of unknowns and we are doing our best to navigate these difficult times with keeping our Scouting families safety at the forefront of every decision. Please know that we join you in wanting to re-open our properties, programs, and events as soon as possible.
Thank you for your patience and trust in Lake Erie Council as this situation continues to evolve.
Yours in Scouting,
Marc J. Ryan
Scout Executive / CEO
Additional Resources
