Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Tyler Davis: Our first-ever youth board member



We recently announced that we were creating a position on the Council’s executive board that will be manned by a scout who is not the Order of the Arrow chief. We want the boys represented on the board, and who better than a scout – one of our “customers” - to offer insight on what we are doing or what we could be doing for our scouts?

We have our man -- Tyler Davis.

Tyler is a member of Troop 4027 in Caledonia who will be entering his junior year at Caledonia Mumford High School.

An Eagle Scout, he has an accomplished Scouting career.

In 2012, he was selected to become a member of the Order of the Arrow. In 2013 he was selected to be the Ceremonies Chairman of Ashokwahta 339 and earned Brotherhood membership. Later that year, he was asked by Section NE-3A Section Chief Kyle Piper to become the Council Vice-Chief of Native American Affairs where his duties included securing a Native American Dance team to dance at the 2014 and 2015 conclaves.

He has also completed the Northeast Region National Leadership Seminar. In 2014 he was elected as the Ashokwahta Lodge 2nd Vice Chief. In 2015, he planned the centennial conclave and was elected as the Vice Chief of Service. At the Conclave he ran for Section Vice Chief and got elected.

This August he will be attending NOAC 2015 at Michigan State University. In 2016, he intends on going to Philmont, in 2017, the National Scout Jamboree, and in 2018 Sea Base and Northern Tier. He hopes to be lucky enough to attend the 2019 the World Jamboree at the Summit. Tyler aspires to one day become a professional scouter to bring the same impact scouting had on his life to others.

Tyler's duties on our board will run from July 2015 to June 2016, when another youth -- be it a scout, venturer, or explorer -- will assume that role.

This is an excellent opportunity for Tyler --- it will give him experience on an executive board at relatively early age; it will look good on his college application and professional resume; and, most importantly, it will give him the chance to give back to an organization – the BSA -- that has hopefully contributed a great deal to who he is.

Likewise, it's an important opportunity for the board --- there's a lot we can learn from this young man and we're certain he has many great ideas to help advance our council and Scouting in our communities.

Endowment campaign

Here is a message from Thomas J. Madejski M.D. who is overseeing our endowment campaign...


Fellow Scouters and Families,

The Iroquois Trail Council has embarked on a fund-raising campaign to double the size of our Council endowment. The Council Board of directors continuously reviews the financial situation of the ITC. We also attempt to meet certain benchmarks based on the performance of similar size councils. Our current endowment fund is approximately $ 750,000, about half of the recommended size per national standards. The income generated from this fund is used to fund camperships and Council operations. We have a need to generate an additional $36,000 annually in order to secure and operate a new Council Office due to expiration of our lease at our Batavia site.

Based upon those considerations, our goal is to double the endowment fund to $1.5 million over the next 5 years. This would allow us to generate earnings of $30,000 to $ 60,000 annually, and help us secure the future and independence of our Council and our camps.

Prior to the start of the campaign we have secured pledges of over $150,000 towards our goal.

There are many ways to make a gift, including by check, gifts of stock, or through various methods of planned giving or estate planning. Gifts at all levels are helpful and appreciated.

To learn more details about our campaign please review the Campaign Overview available our our Council website:



For details and to learn more about contribution options please contact Scout Executive Jim McMullen (585) 343-0307 or jim.mcmullen@scouting.org.

Thank you for your consideration.

Yours in Scouting,

Thomas J. Madejski M.D.
Iroquois Trail Council President Emeritus


Monday, June 15, 2015

A new face at the Lockport scout shop



The Iroquois Trail Council welcomes the newest member of our team. Marylou Maier has joined us as the clerk at our Lockport Scout Shop. Local Scouters may know Marylou from her volunteer roles with Pack 3071, Troop 82, and the Lockport Day Camp. Stop in to say hi and browse our newest selections M-Th 2-6 and Fri 8-Noon. Marylou is also surveying our customers regarding the Lockport Scout Shop hours, so stop by to share your thoughts!

Friday, June 5, 2015

Board position available for a scout (revised)

Over a month ago, we posted a "help wanted ad" looking for a scout who, as a high school senior, would be interested in serving on the Council board. There hasn't been any applicants, and I believe that's because our search required too narrow of a demographic. As boys get older, they tend to be less involved in Scouting, maybe due to the rigors of the senior year, and the "fumes" -- perfume, gas fumes, and grill fumes (or girls, cars, and jobs). So, there are too few high school seniors in Scouting.

We have expanded the search and allow anyone who will be a high school junior or senior in 2015-2016 to apply.  

Here is the modified request...


We will be creating a position on the Council’s executive board which will be manned by a scout. We want the boys represented on the board, and who better than a scout – one of our “customers” - to offer insight on what we are doing or what we could be doing for our scouts?

This position will be available to an active scout regardless of rank (he does not have to be an Eagle) who will be a high school junior or senior during the 2015-2016 school year. His duties will run from July 2015 to June 2016.

The board typically meets 6 to 8 times a year on the fourth Tuesday at 7:00 PM at the Batavia service center. On the off month, the much smaller executive committee, which he will not be a part of, meets in place of the full board. We typically have August off for summer break, and this year we will be having our first ever board retreat at Camp Sam Wood on July 18th and 19th at which board members will receive training, work on strategic planning and conduct a service project. Beyond those meetings and get-togethers, the scout might find himself interested in helping out with any of our various committees (finance, membership, properties, etc.).

This is an excellent opportunity for the scout who will be selected…it will give him experience on an executive board at relatively early age; it will look good on his college application and professional resume; and, most importantly, it will give him the chance to give back to an organization – the BSA -- that has hopefully contributed a great deal to who he is.

We will be accepting applications until June 21st from which we will select one scout. Interested parties should send a letter via email to Scout Executive Jim McMullen (jmcmulle@bsamail.org) and Council President Bob Confer (bob@conferplastics.com). In that letter, please give us a brief bio and a rundown on your scouting history, tell us why you are interested in the board position and please describe how active you currently are – and will be -- in Scouting.


Monday, June 1, 2015

Jamboree registration is now open

It might be 2 years away, but it's time to start thinking about the National Jamboree. The Council will be sending two contingents to the event. Sign-up is open now. If interested, apply and budget accordingly. It shows a $975 fee on the Jamboree website -- that's just National's fees. There will also be travel fees, side trips, council shirts & patches and more, so the total cost will likely be around $1,500 (more on that later this year). We will begin our team-building and preparation exercises in the summer of 2016.

Here is the link for registration:

http://www.summitbsa.org/events/jamboree/overview/