TO THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
William F. Cronk
President |
Robert J. Mazzuca
Chief Scout Executive |
Donald D. Belcher
National Commissioner |
For nearly a century, Boy Scouts have
served others at all times. In fact, the
Boy Scouts of America was founded
on the premise that to be a good
citizen you must do for others.
In 2007, the Boy Scouts of America
continued serving others by
specifically addressing the issues of
hunger, inadequate housing, and poor
health through the Good Turn for
America initiative-a collaborative
effort with Habitat for Humanity, the
American Red Cross, and The Salvation
Army. From January 2007 through
December 2007, more than 1.4 million
service hours were reported by 5,915
units, resulting in 15,246 services
projects with the involvement of
approximately a quarter million youth
and adults. In addition, 315 BSA
members were honored in 2007 for
their courageous performance of
lifesaving and meritorious actions.
In addition to providing service to
others, the BSA continues making a
difference in the lives of its youth
members and participants. Through
the efforts of almost 1.2 million
dedicated volunteers and the support
of religious and civic organizations,
the BSA reached millions of young
people in 2007 with its program of
citizenship, mental and physical
fitness, and character development.
While these numbers are impressive,
millions more youth can benefit from
the BSA’s programs by learning
leadership, developing character, and
serving others. Thus, the BSA
continued focusing on reaching
greater numbers of youth through its
National Strategic Plan, titled “2010:
When Tradition Meets Tomorrow,” and
emphasizing the importance of each
council maintaining a strong financial
foundation. In 2007, the collective
fiscal surplus of all local councils
increased by more than $3 million for
the second consecutive year. In
addition, total council unrestricted
operating net assets increased by
more than 15 percent over 2006.
Scouting is strong and experienced a
growth in the number of young
people introduced to Scouting’s
values in 2007. The Boy Scouts of
America will continue to recruit
quality leadership, adequately fund
programs, invite eligible youth from all
backgrounds to join, and offer a fun
and exciting program-enabling
young people to become
extraordinary adults.
William F. Cronk
President |
Robert J. Mazzuca
Chief Scout Executive |
Donald D. Belcher
National Commissioner | |