Full-time Position
Under the leadership of the Mount Baker Council CEO/Scout Executive, the Development Director will be responsible for all aspects of the Council’s donor solicitation program including annual and sustaining giving and major gifts, foundations and grants, special events, and product sales. Additionally, the Director will be responsible for implementing comprehensive stewardship strategies of donors at all levels. This position is an exciting and challenging opportunity for a highly motivated, energetic fundraising professional who is eager to participate in the evolution of the fundraising programs at the Mount Baker Council.
Key Responsibilities of Development Director
Benefits:
All BSA councils are equal opportunity employers. In addition to offering a competitive salary, full-time professional Scouting offers benefits to include major medical, prescription coverage, dental, vision, life-insurance, long-term disability, short-term disability/salary continuation, accidental death, a BSA Match Saving Plan, plus compensation for authorized and approved business-related expenses to include phone, auto and mileage reimbursement. We also offer paid time off and ten BSA holiday observances.
For full position description including qualifications or to apply, go to https://www.scouting.org/careers/open-positions/job-position/?id=9171
Posted March 2022
Full-time position
Serving the Counties of Whatcom, Skagit, Island and San Juan
The Mount Baker Council of the Boy Scouts of America is seeking a talented individual who is passionate about recruiting and coordinating resources for our volunteer program leaders. Scouting is available to the thousands of young people in Whatcom, Skagit, Island and San Juan counties. The Unit Serving Associate ensures that the program remains safe, standardized, and significant to the young people and family participants and is supportive our Charter Partners and their Scouting units.
The strongest candidates will possess servant-leadership qualities, the ability to work a flexible schedule (including some nights and weekends), and a desire to enrich the lives of members of our community.
Our Unit Service Associate will perform the following key tasks in their positions:
Benefits:
All BSA councils are equal opportunity employers. In addition to offering a competitive hourly salary, full-time professional Scouting offers benefits to include major medical, prescription coverage, dental, vision, life-insurance, long-term disability, short-term disability/salary continuation, accidental death, a BSA Match Saving Plan, plus compensation for authorized and approved business-related expenses to include phone, auto and mileage reimbursement. We also offer paid time off and ten BSA holiday observances.
For full position description including qualifications or to apply, go to https://www.indeed.com/job/unit-serving-associate-96eea22172e6a3c9
From Council President, Steven Davis
Membership Recruiting Update
Every youth should have the opportunity to join Scouting. Our traditional efforts to invite friends to join us on the Scouting trail include hosting join nights, sending flyers to schools, participating in community events, and, well… just asking friends (which tends to be the easiest). Your district membership teams are hard at work generating support and material to help you with these efforts – but be on the lookout for training and suggestions in the coming weeks.
But what about people we don’t know? Or, what about people who don’t know Scouting really exists or what we do? We’re working hard to reach them too and we’re investing in a few methods to help.
Marketing: We need to raise awareness for our program within our service territory. To help, we’re investing in new market research and marketing initiatives so families are aware of the the Scouting program within their community. Plans include an investment in social media marketing, search marketing, YouTube videos, and more. If you see posts or content we’re sharing – please like, comment, and/or share. Your help gives our posts more eyeballs!
Recruitment: Every school should have a Pack, or availability to a Pack. Right now, that’s not the case. As a prospective parent or Scout, if you don’t have a Pack, Troop, Crew, or Ship that’s nearby and/or meets on a date that’s convenient with your schedule, you’re likely not going to join that unit.
We need to do a better job starting and supporting new units. And that’s hard work. Real hard. To help, we’re creating a couple new positions: A New Unit Director and a New Unit Support Specialist. The New Unit Director will help forge new and strong relationships with Chartered Partner Organizations, outline the strategies to build a strong unit, and gain their commitment to helping. Concurrently, the New Unit Support Specialist will help execute the recruitment of both Adult Volunteer and Youth Members. Every new unit will also have a Volunteer Commissioner to be a friend and resource.
Yes, we need to support our current units and current membership. Unit Commissioners, District Volunteers, District Directors, and District and Council Events are all meant to lend this support.
Yes, we need solid program. Round tables are meant to facilitate the sharing of ideas and best practices. District and Council events, like Camporees, Webelos-Rees, Cub Scout Adventure Day, Family Camp, Day Camps, Summer Camps… all are valuable programs to help support programs ran by units.
There’s much we need to do, as always. But with the support of amazing volunteers, focused effort, a great program, and high demand (I mean, who doesn’t need Scouting) – I’m confident we can continue our path of providing every youth the opportunity to join Scouting.
If you are interested in applying to go as an adult leader, bringing our contingent troops on this once-in-a-lifetime trip, please contact Mark Hallerman, Mount Baker Council Jambo Chair at markhallerman@hotmail.com for information and application. Adult applications are due March 16, 2022 (via email markhallerman@hotmail.com) or to the Scout Office care of Professional Dan’l Adams.
Dear Mount Baker Council Members,
As a valued member of our Scouting community we are reaching out to provide you with an update on the BSA’s financial restructuring, and to explain how the Mount Baker Council is participating in the effort to equitably compensate survivors of past abuse and to ensure the future of Scouting’s vital mission.
Our Council’s Contribution:
As part of the Boy Scouts of America’s financial restructuring, the national BSA and its local councils have agreed to contribute specified amounts to a trust (the “Trust”) set up for the benefit of survivors. The amount each local council was asked to contribute was determined using a combination of information obtained through the claims process and an assessment of each local council’s ability to sustain Scouting in their area after the contribution. We expect that, in the coming weeks, the specific contribution of each local council will be filed with the Court, but we know now that the total value of the Mount Baker’s Council’s contribution will be $2,127,213.
We have determined to satisfy the Council’s contribution obligation in full by contributing the Everett Service Center to the Trust, which has an appraised value approximating the required contribution amount. This approach provides a way for the Council to satisfy its obligations without drawing upon donor funds, impacting operating budgets, or compromising the Council’s ability to fully serve its Scouting community. It also provides an opportunity for us to consolidate our two service centers into one location and to rethink how we can best deliver services to units and scouts.
The Mount Baker Council is legally separate and distinct from the national organization. Our camps, properties, and local donations are controlled by our Council. We share in the BSA’s commitment to equitably compensate survivors of past abuse. We believe that we can fund our contribution to the Trust while ensuring that Scouting can continue to serve youth, families, and communities in Northwest Washington for generations to come.
It is important to note that restricted donations can only be used for their designated purposes and are legally protected so that they are used as the donor specified. Local donations through programs such as FMSC Club, Popcorn sales, and the Council Auction’s Raise the Paddle go straight to supporting Scouting in our communities today; these donations are used in real time and are critical to maintaining local operations.
The BSA’s Path Forward:
There is still much to be done to obtain approval from the Court to solicit survivors to vote for the BSA’s amended Plan of Reorganization. However, the BSA is wholeheartedly committed to working toward a global resolution. The BSA intends to seek confirmation of the Plan this fall and conclude its financial restructuring around the end of this year.
While this is an important step forward in the national organization’s financial restructuring, we also want to take a moment to recognize the exciting things happening in our Council. There has never been a better time to be a part of Scouting. This fall, we look forward to welcoming new members to our ranks as we anticipate these new members along with our current Scouts to “Escape the Indoors” and enjoy the outdoor experiences at Fire Mountain Scout Camp, including the Cub Scout Adventure Day, Webelos-ree and Haunted Camp. These are the experiences that make Scouting so valuable.
Thank you for your continued support of Scouting. If you have any other questions about the national organization’s financial restructuring, please visit www.bsarestructuring.org.
Yours in Scouting,
Mount Baker Council Key 4
On August 4th the Council Key 4 – the Council President, Council Commissioner, Council Scout Executive, and incoming Council President – held a Town Hall discussing some of the options the Council is looking at to better serve our members.
The Town Hall was recorded for those who could not attend. We encourage you to watch the Town Hall and then respond to the survey below.
As we close down the school year and head straight into summer, I’m always reminded of my many campaign experiences in Scouts.
In Cub Scouting, we had fun! We made an oven out of a cardboard box; ate ice cream we just made by rolling around cream and sugar in an old coffee container; dropped eggs wrapped in various layers of protection to see who could keep their egg from cracking; and launched rockets to new heights.
When I was old enough to attend BSA camp at Fire Mountain, adventures in my first few years were all about my first week away from home without family, fishing, figuring out how to get around camp, hunkering around a campfire until the wee hours of the night, and swimming. Climbing, Wilderness Survival, and Shooting Sports all came much later (I never was able to complete my Rifle Shooting merit badge). Every year was different, but all equally amazing.
As someone who has grown up in the program, I can’t recommend taking advantage of these camps and programs enough. Aside from the traditional Cub and Scouts BSA camps ran by the Mount Baker Council, we’re also holding another “Family Camp” offered on Labor Day. I’ve outlined a few Mount Baker Council offerings below – check them out and if you haven’t already, please be sure to sign up today.
Regardless of what program you select and where you go camping, be sure to take time this summer to get outdoors and find your next adventure!
Steven Davis
Council President
Life is still busy, even during the pandemic. And a packed and busy schedule often means that certain activities — usually those that don’t directly affect our quality of life — must take a spot on the back burner. Unfortunately, community service is one of those types of activities for many. 
It seems ironic that we’re writing to explain the benefits of community service, a key value with the Boy Scouts of America. It is, after all, supposed to be a selfless act, and should be appealing simply based off the inherent instinct to do the right thing. Many Scouts, however, are still in the process of developing such instincts, and the activities they participate in during childhood and their Scouting experience can greatly affect their development. Community service comes in many forms, but no matter the application, it teaches our Scouts the value of service to others. If that’s not quite enough information to convince you, here are some other reasons why volunteering is important as a child:
Kids’ world views are limited, especially if they grow up seeing only a single way of life. Whether it’s the less fortunate or other volunteers, community service grants the opportunity to work with people from all walks of life and humanizes individuals who kids otherwise wouldn’t have gotten to know.
A lot of times, these skills are almost impossible to teach on a moment-to-moment basis and must be learned through hands-on experience with others.
If you want to teach your kids something, teach by example. Especially for younger children who still need support in new environments, it’s important for kids to see that their parents not only approve of what they’re doing, but are doing it themselves, too. Plus, family time is always beneficial to children — studies show that kids that value time spent with their family are the happiest.
Another study, conducted by DoSomething.org, revealed that the main determining factor in youth volunteer work was if they had friends who also volunteer. Turns out, it’s crucial to establish a community of friends and family who all share an interest in volunteering – hence the Scout’s own den, patrol, crew or ship members.
Community service can often produce visible results: a smile on a stranger’s face, a food basket out for delivery, or even a purring shelter kitty can register with children as positive outcomes of a job well done. Not only that, but because most volunteers in the world are adults, community service gives kids the chance to work with people older than them, legitimizing their voice as individuals.
According to research done at Tufts University, kids who volunteer are more successful in school and more likely to graduate from both high school and college. Kids often learn to plan and manage their own time while volunteering and become accustomed to interacting with those from different backgrounds — soft skills that play a crucial role in not just higher education, but life in general.
How to Get Your Scout Involved in the Mount Baker Council’s Summer of Service Project Good Turn.
Being a member of the Boy Scouts of America and the Mount Baker Council is one of the best ways to ensure your Scout is consistently encouraged to give back. It allows them to volunteer with fellow Scouts regularly, but also encourages parents and community members to volunteer alongside them as Scout Leaders. Scouting teaches the community that giving back is more than just an obligation — it’s an activity in which the benefits work both ways.
This summer, the Mount Baker Council will be coordinating a council-wide Project Good Turn called the Summer of Service. In this issue of the Echo and also on our website, your Scout and your unit can learn how they can be part of our effort to give back to our communities through service. Just say yes to service and Scout On!
Kevin Nichols, Scout Executive
It’s important to make sure we offer Scoutng to EVERY family. Often time this means being in the schools or community to recruit new familes to our Scouting programs. But in the last year with COVID-19 shutting down schools and keeping us from meeting in person many of our Cub Scout Packs and Scouts BSA Troops have seen more than normal numbers of familes chosing to not recharter. For many familes this may not be because they dont WANT Scouting they just weren’t intrested in the viruatl meetings. Now that we have more opportunities to get back together as well as summer time Camp programs lets make sure we invite them ALL back!
