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Welcome to The Lamplighter, the official newsletter of the W. D. Boyce Council!
This newsletter is distributed to all registered Scouters in the W. D. Boyce Council. It’s our goal to keep you up to date on the latest happenings, with information you can use whether you’re a parent, Scouter, charter organization representative, donor or any other friend of Scouting.
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Have a question, idea or something you want to see in a future issue? Please email Charlie Zimmerman, Council Field Director, at charlie.zimmerman@scouting.org
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2024 Annual Fee Update
We heard your feedback and have continued to work with our National Council partners to make joining easier! Now, following the elimination of prorated fees in 2023, we’re very excited to announce the following:
Effective April 1, 2024, the BSA is eliminating the $25 one-time joining fee for new program participants in Cub Scouts, Scouts BSA, Venturing and Sea Scouting.
With this change and some corresponding adjustments to other fees (including a small increase at the council level) the adjusted fee schedule for all Scouting programs in our council will be as follows:
| Criminal Background Check Process Change | |
Effective March 4, 2024, the adult application flow will change to require that Criminal Background Check (CBC) results must be received before the new adult volunteer can assume an active leadership role.
To avoid being caught short, please allow for CBC processing time rather than expecting new leaders to immediately step into their roles upon submitting their applications. Especially if that includes going on campouts or other outings right away.
Once the CBC comes back as “green,” the BSA's automated system will finish registering the adult volunteer and send an email both to them and the unit’s Key 3, stating that they can now engage as an active leader. Until that happens, however, they are not approved to do so.
To keep this from derailing your Scouts’ programs, be sure to submit new Adult Volunteer applications at least 10-14 days ahead of the date when they expect to formally begin their duties.
| District Commissioners and Chairs Meet |  | |
Our council and district leaders work primarily behind the scenes, but that doesn’t mean they’re not always engaged and working for the betterment of the Scouting movement here in central Illinois.
On a recent Saturday morning, our council’s district chairs and commissioners braved bitterly cold weather for a unique “summit” at the Peoria Scout Service Center. Over the course of three hours, these volunteer leaders – along with Council VP of Operations Mike Remmes and Council Commissioner Gene Olson - discussed some of the challenges and opportunities faced by all of our districts. What else did they share? A commitment to continuing our council’s overall membership growth and supporting our units as they provide outstanding programs for the youth of our council.
Moving forward, key focus areas include emphasizing the benefits of adult leader training, welcoming more volunteers at the district level, reinforcing the commissioner role, supporting development activities and working to strengthen the Scouting brand in central Illinois.
Thanks to these volunteers and many more just like them who often work behind the scenes to keep the Scouting movement moving forward!
| Please Welcome Our New Development Director: Michelle Seibert! | |
As the year began, we were thrilled to welcome Michelle Seibert as our new Development Director. In this role, Michelle will lead community and family Friends of Scouting fundraising efforts and the Scouting Clays special event, along with providing support for donor communications and cultivation/stewardship. Michelle has a nonprofit background, previously managing artistic operations and community engagement at the Peoria Symphony Orchestra; she is currently Executive Director of Chicago Chamber Choir. She is experienced in fundraising campaigns, event planning, grant writing, marketing, and donor engagement.
In her free time, Michelle enjoys singing, photography, and spending time with her family—husband Jack, son Henry (11 months), and daughter Kate (4 years).
| Election of 2024 Council Executive Board, President & Officers |  | |
The Annual Business Meeting of the W. D. Boyce Council Executive Board was held in Bloomington on Wednesday, January 17. Acting upon the report presented by the Council Nominating Committee, the board unanimously voted to elect Officers and Members of the Council Executive Board for the coming year. The complete listing of these dedicated individuals can be found at https://wdboyce.org/board-of-directors
With this action, Tony Lees of Peoria was elected W. D. Boyce Council President. Tony is a commercial banker with Morton Community Bank, with experience from previous roles at Heritage Bank of Central Illinois and Busey Bank. Tony has four adult sons, all of whom were in Scouts and three of whom earned the rank of Eagle Scout. He is a 2022 recipient of the Silver Beaver and a past Scoutmaster for Troop 28 at St. Thomas the Apostle Church in Peoria Heights. Prior to being elected Council President, Tony served as our Council Treasurer. He also serves as Treasurer for Peoria Heights Arts and the Community Workshop and Training Center (CWTC).
Tony assumed the role previously held by Jon Williams, and the board heartily thanked Jon for his service to the council during several challenging years.
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Lowaneu Gains New District Chair: Ralph Moshage | |
Also taking place at the Executive Board Annual Business Meeting, the board unanimously voted to appoint Ralph Moshage of Utica as Lowaneu District Chair.
Ralph has been a Scoutmaster since 1979, has helped over 40 Scouts earn the rank of Eagle, and has been recognized with the District Award of Merit and the NESA Scoutmaster Award of Merit. All four of his children have been to Philmont. Ralph is a mechanical engineer whose professional experience includes the development of small-scale ferrous foundry operations technology, a software platform for management of US Navy industrial operations air emissions, and construction and operations management roles in multiple countries. He also serves as an EMT and volunteer firefighter.
Please join us in welcoming Ralph to his new role!
| 2024 Philmont Contingent Spots Available! | |
We are actively seeking a few more participants for this year's council contingent to Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico. Explore the Philmont high-country on a 9-day, backpacking expedition. Experience the thrill of climbing mountains over two miles high! Crews can learn technical rock climbing, archaeological excavation techniques, blacksmithing, western lore, and more! Discover the wonder of "Scouting’s Paradise" just as over one million Scouts, Venturers, Explorers, and adult leaders have since 1938.
Our council has been awarded spots for two crews in 2024 – one for girls and one for boys – for nine-day treks, taking place July 7-16 - travel days not included. We currently have openings in the boys' crew for one Scout and one adult, plus openings in the girls’ crew for two Scouts and one adult.
| Important Caterpillar Matching Gift Deadline | |
Thank you all to Caterpillar employees/retirees who participated in the Caterpillar matching gift and volunteer service programs for 2023!
To be eligible for consideration of the Foundation match, Caterpillar participants must submit matching gift requests and/or record volunteer hours and submit volunteer service match requests online by January 31 of the year following the donation or volunteer service.
These contributions greatly help to increase the impact of Scouting throughout Central Illinois!
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Mark your calendars NOW and plan to attend the 2024 Annual Council Dinner on March 16 at Five Points Washington. Join us for an evening of fellowship as we celebrate recent Scouting accomplishments and recognize the newest recipients of the Silver Beaver award. Registration details will be shared soon!
| Help Wanted in Lowaneu and at Summer Camp | |
Lowaneu District
We are looking for a new District Associate to serve in Bureau, Putnam and La Salle Counties.
Duties of this part-time position include:
- Work with a volunteer committee and other community leaders to identify, recruit, train, guide, and inspire them to become involved in youth programs.
- Achieve progress towards specific goals and objectives which include: program development through collaborative relationships, volunteer recruitment and training, fundraising, membership recruitment and retention.
- Assist leadership with campaign efforts to meet the financial needs of the organization.
- Ensure that all programs are served through volunteers, regular leader meetings, training and activities.
Ingersoll Scout Reservation
We are also still looking for qualified applicants for the 2024 Summer Camp season at Ingersoll Scout Reservation!
“Enthusiastic, entertaining, hard-working, knowledgeable, and sincere” are just a few of the terms that troops have repeatedly used to describe the staff of Ingersoll Scout Reservation.
Each summer, a team of staff members is hired to create a fun summer camp experience for around 1,000 Scouts by teaching exciting new skills, providing adventure opportunities, and encouraging rank advancement.
If you or someone you know would be interested, please check out the full job descriptions here, including directions to apply!
| Thanks for reading and for your support of Scouting! |
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