Greetings,  My son Brad asked me to post a message letting you know that he is in cub scouts and working hard to learn, earn achievements, have fun and even land a free week of summer camp.  Even if you do not want to participate, I would encourage you to read below “Scouting is a Great Charity” – It may just change your life.  Last year (Brad’s first year in scouting) he was the top seller in his pack.  This year he wants to maintain the top spot (I like that he is competitive ).  Last year I did not help him (aside from going door to door to watch him).   Brad came up with the “idea” for me to post on my blog so I felt like I had to do it. 

Brad’s message follows...

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Did you know you can help me earn my own way in Scouting? Just click here and place an order on my behalf.  Our scout pack uses Trail's End for it’s fundraising efforts. They have made a lot of improvements this year. All microwave products are made with canola oil and all chocolate products contain no hydrogenated oils, so there are plenty of healthy, flavorful snacks to choose from.

70% of your purchase will be returned to my council, my unit and my Scout rewards. Online purchases help us fund fun, educational activities and help more kids experience all the things that make Scouting great.

Thanks for your support,

Brad

If you cannot click on the link above, please copy and paste this full URL into your Internet browser address bar:

http://www.trails-end.com/shop/scouts/email_referral.jsp?id=29131882

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If you have a problem with the link just go to www.trails-end.com  search for scout:

• First Name: Brad
• Last Initial: S
• Zip: 02347

Then in the upper left corner click on All Products

Brad is a member of Lakeville Pack 14 which is a member of Annawon Council and Chartered by Lakeville Lions Club

No pressure,  if you feel compelled to participate, please do so.  If you would rather give to other charities, you might consider:

• Help The Red Cross Donate | RedCross.org

• American Cancer Society® - Donate to Help Fight Breast Cancer

• American Cancer Society® - Give Hope & Help Save Lives

• American Heart Association Donate Now and Help Save Lives

I do not agree with all scouting policies or positions, but with the really great things they do for our boys, I consider them a great charity! 

Scouting is a Great Charity

Scouting teaches our young boys discipline, strong work ethic, social skills, safety, communication, and a host of other things.  In case you are still reading,  I thought I would use this space to share a bit about the scouting program and how scouting has molded my scouts mind…

Last year when Brad started as a Tiger Cub (lowest level in scouting) he was very shy.  When we went to our first couple meetings, he did not really want to go because  he would have to meet new kids.  Not on his list of favorite things to do.  As an only child, he did not have the luxury of having other kids around as he was growing up.  Also, he does not even go to school in our local town because he goes to school about 30 miles away where his mom is the school nurse.   After a couple of weeks, he had made 6 new friends and these kids by the end of the scouting year had become very, very good friends. They made things together, performed charity work together, sang holiday carols together, went on hikes together, went on field trips to the police station (and got locked in jail [that was awesome]), went to camp together, went to the museum of science together and countless other things.  Safe to say they have learned a ton and had a blast.   After all of this, there is no question scouting is the best thing that has happened to Brad in his very short life.  However, the best lessons I think he has learned are  the lessons he has learned from doing fundraisers. 

Just a couple scouting laws:

• The Law of the Pack – “The Cub Scout helps the Pack go.”
• The Scout Law – “A Scout is Thrifty (A Scout pays his own way).”

Last year, Brad really wanted the big fundraising prize.  This “desire” got him to drag me out of the house to knock on doors.  The first couple doors, he held on to my leg and stood behind (hid behind) me as we talked to the neighbors.  After he got about 3 or 4 sales, he was off and running and could not be stopped.  He was asking everyone he came in contact with (even people walking the dog on our street) if they would help support the local scouting program.  This program literally changed his outlook on life as it changed is self-esteem.  He is now turning into a work-a-holic (I know, that is not such a good thing) but very importantly it has taught him good things come to those that take risks and work hard.   So, even if you chose not to support Brad in his efforts, please reach out to the local town you live in and help the scouting program there.  It is a fabulous program and these kids need and deserve (they do lots of community service projects) our support.  By the generous donations of others, our young boys learn lessons for life.  As for me,  I hope Brad goes all the way to Eagle Scout and I will support him and other local kids throughout their scouting career however long that may be.  I am currently doing this by holding a leadership position of Cubmaster of the local scout pack and donating significant time and money to help all our our local kids learn some of the most important lessons in life.

Thank you for your time and consideration!