Alumni News

Alumni Day Set for the 2013 Jamboree

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 13:28:00 GMT

As a Scouting alumnus, you are cordially invited to attend Alumni Day at the 2013 National Jamboree on Saturday, July 20. Hosted by the Scouting Alumni Association, this special event will let you catch up with Scouting friends old and new, get the latest updates from the world of Scouting, and take a firsthand look at the new Summit Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve. (Click here for a sneak preview of this world-class facility.)

The Alumni Relations exhibit tent in Legacy Village will be the focal point of activities for visiting alumni. In the evening the biggest arena show of the jamboree will be held, so plan to stay late.

Invitations to the 2013 Alumni Day will be emailed in the spring. For more information, contact the national office of Alumni Relations at BSAAlumni@Scouting.org or 972-580-2032. To learn more about the jamboree, visit www.bsajamboree.org and click the Visitor Information link.

Visit the SAA' Facebook Page

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 14:09:00 GMT

Are you tired of waiting for the latest issue of Alumni Alive! to find out what’s going on in Scouting? Now, thanks to the Scouting Alumni Association’s new Facebook page, located at www.facebook.com/ScoutingAlumniAssociation, you no longer have to wait.

Each month, a staggering 140 million Americans visit Facebook to check in with friends and family, keep track of their favorite products and celebrities, and share their opinions on everything from politics to music. The Scouting Alumni Association Facebook page gives those with a Scouting connection a way to reconnect with one another and with the Boy Scouts of America.

“We’re excited for the opportunity to share news on Facebook that doesn’t fit into Alumni Alive! or that just can’t wait until the next issue,” said Bill Steele, the BSA’s director of Alumni Relations. “We plan to post videos, follow-ups to Alumni Alive! stories, and other items of interest to our alumni.

When you “like” the Scouting Alumni Association page, updates will appear in your page’s feed (accessible from the left side of your main Facebook page). In addition, your Facebook friends will hear of your interest in Scouting—a simple way you can help spread the word about the page and about Scouting in general.

Spread the News About the Scouting Alumni Association

Fri, 14 Dec 2012 13:50:00 GMT

Are you involved in your local council’s alumni relations committee? If so, you can help spread the word about the Scouting Alumni Association by adding a Web ad to your alumni website. It’s as easy as copying and pasting a little HTML code.

The Marketing Toolbox located here contains a variety of Web ads promoting the Scouting Alumni Association. Among them are ads with the following dimensions:

300 x 250 pixels
728 x 90 pixels
160 x 600 pixels

Each ad is illustrated on the site and is accompanied by the HTML code required to display it. You don’t even have to host the images locally.

The site also includes print-ready ads in a variety of sizes. You can download these in both JPEG and PDF formats for local reproduction.

And don’t forget about the other Scouting Alumni Association resources located here. You’ll find business card templates, brochures, fact sheets, posters, and other promotional materials to help get the word out.

Alumni Association Enhances Membership Opportunities

Fri, 14 Dec 2012 13:50:00 GMT

When the Scouting Alumni Association launched in November 2011, there was a single membership level. Starting in March, alumni will have several options for joining the association. The goal is to offer the right entry point for every Scouting alumnus, according to BSA Alumni Director Bill Steele.

“Our definition of alumni ranges from Cub Scout parents and brand-new Eagle Scouts to folks at the height of their careers who are looking to give back to a program that has meant so much to them,” Steele said. “By establishing three distinct membership levels, we feel that we can better serve the needs and interests of all our alumni groups.”

Here’s an overview of the new membership levels:

Hiker Level

Dues: No cost

Term: 1 year, renewable

Benefits:

· Quarterly Alumni Alive! newsletter

Pathfinder Level

Dues: $35 annually, or $25 with proof of membership in one of the following BSA alumni or affinity groups: National Eagle Scout Association, Order of the Arrow, Philmont staff, or graduates of Wood Badge, Seabadge, or Powder Horn

Term: 1 year, renewable

Benefits:

Membership card
Keychain
Lapel pin
Scouting Alumni Association T-shirt
Scouting Alumni Association ball cap
Free bugle call mobile ringtones
Gold-level alumni VIP status at the Summit, including line-jumping privileges
Access to online alumni directory
Quarterly Alumni Alive! newsletter
Discount with BSA Supply Group via Scoutstuff.org or in person at a local Scout shop
One-year membership to the National Scouting Museum, including museum newsletter, free admission to the museum, and Norman Rockwell art gallery access for self and up to four guests
Discounts on interest publications and magazine subscriptions
Discount auto insurance
Retail and auto discounts

Trailblazer Level

Dues: One-time payment of $1,200 (can be split into 12 monthly payments of $100 for one year)

Term: Lifetime

Benefits:

Personalized membership card
Personalized membership certificate, signed by the Chief Scout Executive
Welcome letter from the Chief Scout Executive
High-quality metal logo keychain
Lapel pin
Scouting Alumni Association T-shirt
Scouting Alumni Association jacket
Free bugle call mobile ringtones
Platinum-level alumni VIP status at the Summit, including line-jumping privileges and a special lifetime alumni reception
Access to online alumni directory
Quarterly Alumni Alive! newsletter
Complimentary copy of the Boy Scout Handbook, 12th Edition
Discount with BSA Supply Group via Scoutstuff.org or in person at a local Scout shop
Lifetime membership to the National Scouting Museum, including museum newsletter, free admission to the museum, and Norman Rockwell art gallery access for self and up to four guests
Discounts on interest publications and magazine subscriptions
Discount auto insurance
Retail and auto discounts

Check your email in the coming months to learn how to begin or extend your membership in the Scouting Alumni Association.

Support Scouting Every Time You Shop

Mon, 24 Sep 2012 15:30:00 GMT

Starting this fall, you can help Scouting every time you buy groceries or gas, clothing or concert tickets. All you have to do is apply for and use the new Boy Scouts of America Discover® credit card. Available starting in November, the card will earn money for Scouting when you open an account and each time you make a purchase. The proceeds will be split evenly between the National Council and your local council, allowing you to impact the program on two levels at once. Local councils are expected to earn as much as $10 million through this program over the next five years.

Launching separately this fall will be the Boy Scouts of America Discover Prepaid Card, a reloadable prepaid card parents can give their Scouts to use in place of cash. The card lets parents load, reload, and monitor their Scout’s account online from home, while teaching their Scout good spending habits and fiscal management. Scouts can get live access to safety/emergency service coordinators 24 hours a day.

UMB N.A. is the issuer of the credit card. First California Bank is the issuer of the prepaid card. Both operate under a license from Discover Network.

For more information on the credit card, visit www.boyscoutcreditcard.com. For details on the prepaid card, visit www.scoutsarethrifty.com. On both websites, you can sign up to be notified as soon as the cards become available.

Join Us for Alumni Day at the 2013 Jamboree

Mon, 24 Sep 2012 15:24:00 GMT

Where will you be next July 20? If you haven’t made plans, consider attending Alumni Day at the 2013 National Scout Jamboree. Hosted by the Scouting Alumni Association, this special event will let you catch up with Scouting friends old and new, get the latest updates from the world of Scouting, and take a firsthand look at the new Summit Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve.

Plans are still under way for next year’s celebration, but here’s a taste of what you can expect:

A day of touring the jamboree site
An alumni program featuring entertainment and remarks by prominent Scouting alumni
A commemorative patch (because what Scouting event would be complete without one?)

The alumni program at the 2010 National Scout Jamboree was emceed by Scouting alumnus Joe Wiegard, who has portrayed President Theodore Roosevelt in one-man shows across the country. It featured presentations by two Explorers Club members: Mike Manyak, an Eagle Scout and pioneer in expedition medicine, and Ken Kamler, a Mount Everest explorer and NASA scientist. A talent show featured a dozen acts drawn from jamboree participants.

“We had a wonderful time with the more than 4,000 alumni who joined us,” said BSA Alumni Relations Director Bill Steele. “2013 promises to be even better since it will give visitors a first glance at the Summit, a fantastic facility that will be the epicenter of Scouting for the next 100 years.”

Invitations to the 2013 Alumni Day will be emailed in the spring. For more information, contact the National Office of Alumni Relations at BSAAlumni@Scouting.org.

Glenn Adams Named Alumnus of Year

Fri, 22 Jun 2012 10:27:00 GMT

National Eagle Scout Association President Glenn A. Adams is the latest recipient of the National Alumnus of the Year Award. He was honored at the Boy Scouts of America's National Annual Meeting on June 1 for his decades of service to Scouting and his community.

As a result of Adams' leadership of NESA, the BSA has identified tens of thousands of "lost" alumni, received more than $100 million in alumni support, and strengthened NESA's visibility within the BSA. But Adams has done more than oversee major projects; he has been a hands-on leader. He guided the creation of the Glenn A. and Melinda W. Adams National Eagle Scout Service Project of the Year Award, which debuted in 2010. And more recently he worked directly with Scouting's official artist, Joseph Csatari, in commissioning a painting to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Eagle Scout Award.

Adams has been just as accomplished in his career. He rose rapidly through the ranks of energy professionals, becoming president and CEO of Wolverine Exploration Company, a Fortune 1000 company, at age 34. After several years managing an energy partnership for a New York investment bank, he founded Adexco Production Company with his brother, Craig. Adexco helped lead the industry in exploration of the Barnett Shale unconventional gas field, the largest onshore gas field developed in the continental United States in four decades. Active in many professional organizations, Adams has twice received awards for distinguished service from the Texas Alliance of Energy Producers.

The National Alumnus of the Year Award has five criteria. Each honoree must be an adult alumnus who meets the BSA's current membership standards, must exemplify the Scout Oath and Scout Law, must significantly contribute through community service, must have achieved distinction in his or her career or avocation, and must have contributed significantly to the advancement of Scouting through alumni activities.

Take a Volunteer Vacation at Philmont Scout Ranch

Fri, 22 Jun 2012 10:26:00 GMT

Perhaps your fondest Scouting memory is of a trek at Philmont Scout Ranch. Or perhaps you never made it to the BSA's famous high-adventure base in New Mexico. Either way, you have a chance to get to Philmont this fall thanks to a unique collaboration between the Boy Scouts of America and the American Hiking Society.

The week of Sept. 23 to 29, the two organizations will offer a "volunteer vacation" at Philmont for Scouting alumni and current members. The event will combine five days of trail building with plenty of hiking, fly-fishing, orienteering, and camaraderie with fellow crew members. Volunteers will be led by experienced BSA and AHS crew leaders.

"Trail stewardship and youth outdoor engagement are fundamental to each organization's mission," AHS President Gregory Miller said. "We are thrilled to continue our steadfast partnership with the Boy Scouts of America to engage youth and families in America's great outdoors and to preserve and protect hiking trails."

The cost for the week is $245 for AHS members, $275 for nonmembers, and $175 for youth (who must be accompanied by a legal guardian). The fee includes all meals and lodging—everything but travel to and from Philmont. Space is limited. For more information, visit the volunteer vacation page at the Philmont Scout Ranch website.