Welcome to the Southwest Florida Council!

School Sign-up Nights for new Cub and Boy Scouts will be held: Panther - Lee & Hendry Counties ~ Thursday, August 28th from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at all public elementary school cafeterias in Lee & Hendry Counties Alligator - Collier County ~ Thursday, September 11th from 7 – 8:00 p.m. at all public elementary school cafeterias located north of Golden Gate Parkway and on Thursday, September 18th from 7 – 8:00 p.m. at all public elementary school cafeterias located south of Golden Gate Parkway. Two Rivers - Charlotte & Sarasota Counties ~ Thursday, September 18th from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. at all public elementary school cafeterias in Charlotte & Sarasota Counties Manatee - Thursday, September 11th from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at all public elementary school cafeterias in Manatee County   Advice from the Top: Leaders need Scouts' qualities USA TODAY July 20, 2008 Corporate management reporter Del Jones spoke to Chief Scout Executive Robert Mazzuca, 60, about the leadership lessons of Scouting from a business perspective. Following are excerpts, edited for clarity and space.   Community Service Hours The Council is looking for High School Juniors & Seniors who need community service hours to qualify for the Bright Futures Scholarship.  The Council has data entry tasks that can be completed between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m.  Whether it is 5 or 50 hours we have community service hours for your son or daughter. Youth Protection & Criminal Background Checks ~ Deadline is August 1, 2008 As dedicated BSA volunteers, you understand the importance of keeping our youth safe in the Scouting program. To ensure Youth Protection, our organization has conducted criminal background checks on all new volunteers since April 2003. Because some volunteers have been continually registered in the program before April 2003, some have not had a criminal background check. In the next few moths, we will be communicating with those volunteers on this issue. Volunteers who have not had a background check should have received a letter from our Chief Scout Executive, Bob Mazzuca, recognizing them as valued volunteers and explaining the need for criminal background checks and our continued youth protection efforts. The letter will explain the need for consent to conduct a criminal background check and direct volunteers to a Web site www.bsacbc.org where volunteers can authorize and provide information needed to conduct a CBC.  Should you decline the to authorize or fail to complete the process before August 1, 2008, your membership in the Boy Scouts of America will be expired.  When your membership is expired, should you decide to reactivate your adult volunteer status, a new completed registration form will be required and a criminal background check will be conducted at that time.   Distinguished Citizen Honorary Announced Boy Scouts to Honor Lieutenant Governor Jeff Kottkamp as 2008 Distinguished Citizen of the Year! Scouting taught some of America's top CEOs the value of service to others... Years later, they're still making a difference.  UPCOMING COUNCIL & DISTRICT EVENTS: Southwest Florida Council Camp Miles Closed for Hunting Season: 9/5/2008 - 9/7/2008 OA Fall Fellowship: 9/12/2008 6 PM - 9/14/2008 11 AM OA LEC: 9/14/2008 11 AM - 1 PM Council Program Meeting: 9/18/2008 7:30 PM - 8:30 PM Council Popcorn Sale Starts: 9/21/2008 Akela Training Camp: 9/26/2008 - 9/28/2008 Rosh Hashanah - Jewish Holiday: 9/29/2008 Summer Camp Trade Show: 10/4/2008 10 AM - 1 PM Yom Kippur - Jewish Holiday: 10/8/2008 OA LEC: 10/9/2008 7 PM - 8:30 PM	SCOUT LINES 2008 3rd Quarter E-Newsletter    Governor's Serve to Preserve Patch    Be a Part of the Solution  Boy's Life Go Green Series
Can You Dig It? Camp Miles New Ranger House Ground Breaking The Boy Scouts of America ~ Southwest Florida Council recently held a ground breaking ceremony to celebrate the start of construction on a new ranger house at Camp Miles. The camp located in the Price Sanders Reservation in Charlotte County serves Boy Scouts, JROTC units, civic clubs and others who come from all over Florida to camp. The Camp and ranger house sustained damage from Hurricane Charlie and the Council recently began construction with the help of Larry Denmark and the Hammer Construction Service Team.	Boy Scouts 100th Anniversary Plans & Information   The Value of Scouting ~ Across the country, Scouts are making a difference... National Policy on Political Events 2008 How to Succeed at Earning the Centennial Award! No. 14-582 NEW DVD! It provides examples of how to interpret each criterion and how to establish and achieve the goals set.