Shared Vision

During its annual business meeting last week, the District Committee approved its 2018 Shared Vision. The district started adopting an annual vision in 2016 to review its accomplishments, highlight goals for the upcoming year, and give families, units and volunteers energy and focus. The district understands that people work best when they seek to accomplish goals that matter to them. That's why in November 2016 the district held a special Saturday Roundtable to unveil the vision and let volunteers, units and families provide input. In 2016, the special Roundtable was held at George L. Smith State Park in Twin City. The event included a morning Roundtable with team-building games and a goal-setting presentation, lunch and a afternoon kayak tour of the park. This year, the district hopes to hold a similar event. You can see the vision, which includes finance, membership and program goals for the district, at this link.

One of the district's goals is to provide more interactive and stimulating Roundtable programming to increase adult volunteer collaboration and enhance unit meeting agendas region-wide. Please take a minute to complete a satisfaction survey for Creek River District's monthly Roundtable. The information gathered will greatly help the Roundtable planning committee improve the 2018 event and provide feedback to other event chairs. The survey can be accessed at this link.

The start of the 2018 Friends of Scouting fundraiser is nearing. Last year, the district raised more than $42,000 to primarily expand its recruiting efforts and youth programming. This includes paying for promotional materials that were instrumental in increasing youth membership by more than 22 percent and enhancing programming, such as growing the Ten Commandments Hike and Spring Camporee, reestablishing a Cub Scout Day Camp and starting a Rotary Merit Badge Clinic. Part of Friends of Scouting includes volunteers making presentations before units at Blue & Gold Banquets and Courts of Honor. Please consider pledging a donation and supporting the district during these presentations, which will mostly take place from February through May. The committee has set a strong foundation to help the District Committee achieve its $40,000 goal in 2018. Last week, the District Committee, including myself, pledged more than $2,200. Thank you for everyone's support as we close this year and start a new one.