ANNOUNCEMENTS

 August 21 – Tom Costello Memorial Golf Outing and Corn Roast at Lake of the Woods

 August 26 – Rotary Leadership Institute

September 9 – District 6490 Conference

November 9 – CU Sunrise Anniversary and Veteran’s Day Dinner

Bucket Bucks –  August – CU at Home 

Shelter Box Stock the Box Fundraiser – See http:// http://www.shelterboxusa.org/

SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES

August 8, 5:30 – 7:30 PM – Assemble School Kits at United Way

August 21 – 26 – Diaper Drive

September 2, 9-11 AM – Salt and Light

September 9 – Feeding Our Kids

September 30, 3 – 11 PM, Octoberfest

Program

Cary introduced Jared White as our speaker this morning. Jared is the Executive Director of the Prairie Lands Council for the Scouts of America. The Council consists of nine counties in east central Illinois and western Indiana, and current has approximately 1,900 active Scouts. The group includes boys and girls from kindergarten to 20 years of age. Four full-time and three half-time employees are the paid staff with an average of 600 volunteers. 

Jared presented information about the many activities that the scouts can be involved in locally and nationally along with the council’s ownership of Camp Drake and it’s activities, facilities and history. Local Rotary clubs have helped to provide cabins and facilities since the beginning of Camp Drake.

Jared noted that prior to COVID there were approximately 3,000 active scouts in the local Prairie Lands Council.  He is on a mission to increase the current numbers back to the pre-COVID numbers and continue stressing diversity in the membership and leadership. Jared noted that Prairie Lands is one of the top 10 diverse scouting groups in the country. 

He presented the current Prairie Lands budget numbers, noting the costs to maintain their properties and programs and how funds are raised by individual membership cost, fundraising activities with candy bar and popcorn sales, and the need for donations by individuals and groups.