Boy Scouts of America | Hawkeye Area Council

To the Editor:

Here in our Corridor of Iowa City, Washington and Cedar Rapids, we have wonderful communities that care and are concerned about its youth.  This is evident throughout our schools, parent groups and other organizations.  Recently, you may have heard about financial problems affecting Boy Scout councils in the state of Iowa.  Unfortunately, like many non-profit groups, many organizations have had to trim back spending, cut programming and, in some cases, investigate liquidating camp assets.

This is not the case with Scouting in the Corridor.

2011 was a remarkable year for Boy Scouting in our area.  Our local council, the Hawkeye Area Council, served over 7,000 youth in our local area.  The Hawkeye Area Council ended 2011 with one of the highest youth market shares out of all 295 Boy Scout Councils throughout the country.  Financially, we have ended recent years with small operating surpluses to assist us in future planning. Last year, we actually expanded our camp footprint and invested even more resources in our camp located in rural Linn County.  Lastly, we are able to serve those most in need and deliver Scouting to all youth in the corridor.

2012 is turning out to be an even better year of youth service.  We have funding in place to construct new Tornado Safe Rooms at our camp to enhance safety.  This spring our youth membership, which has been trending upward over the last decade, is growing with a very high number of our members staying year to year!  Later this summer, we will announce exciting news of a new national Scouting retail destination that will be piloted right here in the Corridor. Also, our new Special Needs camp is bringing in Scouts from all over the country and delivering Scouting’s promise.

How is this all possible?  It is possible through the great leadership of volunteers working with involved staff.  Our fiscal management oversight is conducted through an open process with experienced community leadership and involved board members.  Our Strategic Plan for 2016 includes investing with a long-term vision as well as covering short-term needs.  We continue to lay the groundwork for Scouting’s service to our eastern Iowa youth for many years to come.

Check us out on our website at www.hawkeyebsa.org  or on Facebook at “Hawkeye Area Council” or Twitter at @HawkeyeBSA.  

Thank you Corridor for your support!

Sincerely,
Michael Stallman
Board President
Hawkeye Area Council, Boy Scouts of America
 

Good morning from the Eastern Mediterranean Sea! The crew of the USS Vella Gulf and I are about halfway through an 8-month deployment conducting Ballistic Missile Defense of Israel. Since leaving the states we have had an opportunity to see: Rota, Spain; Constanta, Romania; Sevastopol & Odessa, Ukraine; Souda Bay, Crete (Greece); Augusta Bay, Sicily; Naples, Italy; and Haifa, Israel. During our last underway replenishment we received several bags of the popcorn you sent, and we’ve been enjoying it ever since. As an Eagle Scout and a former Philmont Ranger, I was very happy to see the Boy Scouts represented in a care package to our ship; thank you for thinking of us.

And now for the motivational speech…I encourage all of you to pursue your Eagle Scout as much as you can as early as you can. Once you learn how to drive and move on to high school it becomes more and more challenging to complete. As you get closer to turning 18 and prepare to leave home for school or a job, it may become all but impossible. It may not seem like it, but earning your Eagle is still looked at by many people as a big accomplishment once you finish high school. I became an Eagle in February of 2007 and graduated from the Naval Academy in May of 2011. During my time in college, several of my closest friends were Eagle Scouts, and we participated in events every year to help other Scouts advance. Even if you have no desire to join the military, you will be able to call yourself an Eagle Scout for the rest of your life. At the same time, remember to have as much fun as you can...advancing shouldn’t be looked at as an obligation. I promise that getting there is more than half of the fun, but you have to take ownership of that process yourselves. Don’t make your meetings all about watching movies and playing videogames. Get out to the high adventure bases and see things you may never see otherwise. You’ll probably learn things about yourselves and each other that will change your lives forever. Enjoy the ride, and feel free to contact me if you have any questions about Scouting, the military, or life in general.

Thanks again!

-Erik
Former Senior Patrol Leader
OA Brotherhood Member
Troop 181 Plano, TX

Respectfully,
Erik De Sousa
ENS USN
1st Lieutenant
USS Vella Gulf (CG 72)
 

Popcorn for Patriots is a community service project that Scouts participate in during the Hawkeye Area Council fall popcorn sale.
Community members sponsor packages of gourmet popcorn to be sent to any soldier currently serving.
Scouts and community members aslo provide notes of encouragement that are sent in each box.
This year 82 Scouts, leaders and their families helped package 3,051 bags of popcorn into 240 boxes being sent to soldiers serving all over the world. 

The photo below is of Bravo Company 1-194 Combined Arms Battalion serving in Kuwait who received  a shipment of Popcorn for Patriots.
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