Dear Scouters, Friends and Supporters,
It is my greatest hope that this message finds you and your family healthy and safe. While most of my communication to date has been very tactical and focused on logistics, I wanted to take a few moments to share some personal thoughts and provide a sneak peek on a few initiatives that we are hard at work on launching as I type this message.
As you know, we are experiencing a critical moment in our nation's history. A moment that is severely disrupting our way of life and is clearly altering how, when, where and with whom we gather, travel, conduct business, and participate in movements like Scouting.
And yet, a movement like Scouting has an important place in times of calm and disaster. From our early days of selling war bonds, to the millions of pounds of food our Scouts have collected over the years, or the amount of lives saved by Scouts organizing blood drives, to our Scouts using CPR or lifesaving swimming skills, the world expects more from Scouting. They have seen it in the past and know that service above self is at the core of who we are.
Scouting teaches essential tools that create leaders. Leaders in communities, in corporate offices, on battle fields, in homes and houses of worship. Scouting has and needs to continue to lead the way. One of the ways we do that is through the 135 merit badges that give our Scouts opportunities to learn about a vast array of potential careers, hobbies, life skills and emergency responsiveness. In 2019, over 1.7 million merit badges were earned in the BSA! Nearly 10 thousand of them were achieved right here in the Lake Erie Council! It is estimated that one in three members of Scouting will eventually choose what they will do for their lives work through an encounter in our merit badge program! Think about that for one second. If you want to talk about impact, you need search no further.
But that’s what Scouting does; it creates impact. The merit badge program has done that since the very beginning of our time as a movement. There is so much we can all learn from Scouting, particularly our merit badges. We can and should look to them for not only information but even inspiration for some of the most difficult and seemingly overwhelming times in our lives. So, that’s what I did. In thinking back to my time as a Scout, I was reminded of the Wilderness Survival merit badge and how in the seven priorities of survival - it all hinges on the very first one - POSITIVE MENTAL ATTITUDE.
Teaching Scouts to care for themselves in ways that allow them to come home safely is what we do whenever they are in the outdoors. Most Scouts get along just fine when they are camping, backpacking, canoeing, and taking part in other outdoor activities. They have brought along the clothing and gear they need and have been taught to make good plans and do their best to manage any risks. A good guide for the wilderness and a solid outlook for life if I’ve ever heard one!
But now and then something unexpected happens. Someone wanders off a trail and loses their way. Someone becomes injured, a storm catches us by surprise. A boat capsizes. A snowmobile runs out of gas far from the road. We no longer know where we are, or we find ourselves without the equipment, water, and food that we usually take on our adventures.
When things go wrong, the skills of wilderness survival are what we train our Scouts to rely on to make everything right again. Thinking through the challenges that face us and coming up with good solutions are vital to overcoming obstacles and caring for ourselves everywhere, including in the outdoors - especially when we must get out of difficulties. Wilderness Survival means knowing how to stay alive, and well, until the emergency is over. It means working with nature rather than against it. It means always having a positive attitude – the one essential that can’t be carried in a pack or a pocket.
Many survivors of wilderness emergencies have said that their willingness to survive is the key factor in getting through a difficult situation. One might assume that everyone has an equal desire to survive but that is not always the case. Some people will endure almost unbelievable conditions while others in much less difficult situations might simply give up and quit. Wilderness Survival teaches us, Scouting teaches us to MAKE THE CONSCIOUS CHOICE TO BE AMONG THOSE WHO CAN AND WILL ENDURE!
While America's confidence is bowed, it is far from broken. Together, we are so much stronger than the coronavirus and far more resilient than we might think. We've been through other challenges in the past that seemed, at the time, insurmountable. Each time, we've put aside fear and panic and worked together to emerge stronger than ever as a country. And there is no doubt in our minds and hearts that together, as a country, we will do so once again.
This is a unique opportunity to reassert the unmatched creativity and innovative spirit, technological know-how, unyielding determination and cherished values that define our country's greatness.
I am proud of our staff and volunteers who are working together to create both relevant and entertaining programming and making our now isolated world feel a bit less lonely. If you haven’t seen our Scouting from Home resources, you can access or simply check them out via our council website at www.lecbsa.org/at-home.
In our home, we are relying on the lessons of Scouting more than ever. As parents, Kelly and I, are so thankful for the innovative use of technological resources that our council, along with many others, have deployed to both provide Scout skills instruction as well as a sense of distraction and normalcy during an otherwise difficult time.
Even with resources and support, we know we can and should do more.
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Today, I am proud to share that we are launching the A Scout is Helpful effort aimed at both supporting those serving on the front lines as well as helping those who are in need. Our plan is to make an impact through our Scouting family by raising funds and pursuing a different endeavor each week. For our first week, we will be focusing on those working to care for others. We will be using all funds raised through A Scout is Helpful between now and Monday, March 30 to send food to emergency workers in hospitals and pop-up response centers. This allows us to help two groups at the same time- local restaurants and our heroes who are caring for others and saving lives while putting their health at risk.
To contribute to the A Scout is Helpful fund, simply click here.
We are also looking for suggestions on how we can make the best impact moving forward. We want to hear from you! If you have thoughts, please submit them so we can announce our plan for next week on Tuesday, March 31.
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We are also looking for unique ways that we can raise dollars for the fund. To that end, I am excited to be hosting the first event to do so. This Sunday, March 29 at 11:00 AM, I will be leading the A Scout is Helpful 5K! Here’s how it works. All are welcome to participate by donating at any level. We are suggesting a $25.00 race fee/donation to the A Scout is Helpful fund. Between 10:30 am and 11:00 am, we will Facebook live and welcome pictures of you warming up for your race. At 11:00 am, the pistol will sound, and you will run (or walk) a 5K in your neighborhood. When completed, simply post your time and a finish line picture. We encourage you to get your family involved. Perhaps have them make a finish line for you to cross and get an action shot of you along the route! Let’s have fun with this! You can contribute to the event by clicking here.
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Stay committed to the twelfth point of the Scout Law, A Scout is Reverent. We are proud to invite Scouts and Scouters from across the country to join us for a virtual Scouts Own Service on Friday, April 3rd at 6:00 pm. We will pray, sing, learn, and honor God through a service by Scouts and Scouters, for Scouts and Scouters. An offering will also be available for the A Scout is Helpful fund during the service. It will take place online with further details coming in the days ahead.
The positive impact of Scouting shines through when it lives up to its own commitment to model the Scout Oath and Law. Together, we can keep those alive during this challenging time. Clearly the short term will be different from what we’re used to, but our ability to overcome and adapt is precisely what we have been teaching our Scouts for the last 110 years. As my Scoutmaster used to say when a new Scout would ask him, "What would we do if it rains?" “We go to Plan B,” he would exclaim! When questioned about what Plan B was, he would respond the same way with a smile every time. “It’s Plan A with a poncho, Scout!”
I miss our Scouting family and very much look forward to being with you all in person soon.
Until then, Scout on and stay safe,
Marc J. Ryan
Scout Executive/CEO
