About Suwannee River Area Council

The Suwannee River Area Council’s goal is to provide a quality, dynamic program of learning and adventure that builds well-rounded young people. The Suwannee River Area Council, Boy Scouts of America was incorporated on January 22 1924. Since then it has been our honor to instill in the youth we serve the character, values and traditions that make Boy Scouts of America stand apart in the crowd.

BSA's Commitment to Act Against Racial Injustice

The Suwannee River Area Council stands behind the BSA’s Commitment to Act Against Racial Injustice. We are committed to taking the necessary steps to advance diversity and inclusion efforts within our Council. As Scouters, we should encourage each other to live by the values expressed in the Scout Oath and Scout Law and be mindful of our mission and duty to God, country, other people and self.

The health, safety and welfare of our entire Scouting Family is the top priority for the our council. We remain grateful to all volunteers, staff and donors in our local communities for providing the amazing program of Scouting to the youth of our area.

The Boy Scouts of America has released a National Statement on it’s position on racial injustice and a call to action for the members of scouting to “consider our role and our failures and commit to meaningful action“.  In the statement, the BSA makes it clear that “There is no place for racism – not in Scouting and not in our communities. Racism will not be tolerated” and that “This is not a political issue; it is a human rights issue and one we all have a duty to address“.

To read the National Statement in it’s entirety, please follow the link to the BSA’s Commitment to Act Against Racial Injustice.

Camp Card Sale Update

This year’s Camp Card sale was ON FIRE before COVID-19 came along. But even with the changes that COVID-19 ushered in, we still had strong sales and really high reports of satisfaction with this year’s card. 

Originally,  we had decided to allow the Camp Card Sale to continue until the summer camp season started. However, with the recent cancellation of the summer camp season this year, we have determined that the Camp Card Sale will now continue until July 31, 2020, at which time all units need to completely settle their Camp Card accounts.

If your unit would like to settle prior to July 31, that’s great! Just come by the the Council Service Center Monday through Friday from 9 to 6! We’ll be happy to assist you in settling your unit account – and you’re always welcome to do a partial settlement in the interim as well!

For details on how your unit will continue its sale or when your unit plans to complete its sale and settle its account, please contact your Camp Card Unit Chair.

Current COVID-19 Updates

Updated May 20, 2020

UPDATE: All Council programs cancelled through August 31, 2020.  Based on guidelines from the CDC and out of an abundance of caution for the health and safety of our members, at it’s May 19, 2020 meeting, the Suwannee River Area Council Executive Committee has determined that we must cancel all council programs beginning immediately through August 31, 2020.  This was not an easy decision by the Executive Committee, but it was determined to be the best course of action to protect the welfare of our youth and leaders.

This cancellation, includes Scouts BSA Summer Camp, Cub Scout Day Camp, National Youth Leadership Training (NYLT), OA Summer Bash and Summer Fellowship, Venturing Super Weekend and Fun Day, as well as the Wallwood Workday.

For those who have registered for any of these events to date, please see the refund policy at this link.

The Scout Shop remains open from 10:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. Monday through Friday.  No more than five customers will be allowed in the Scout Shop and front counter area at a time, including children.  All other social distancing protocols will remain in place.

Regular weekly Unit Meetings

  • The Suwannee River Area Council, BSA continues to recommend that weekly unit meetings and activities be suspended and postponed until until further notice.
  • The decision to suspend weekly unit meetings is the responsibility of the unit committee and unit leadership in consultation with the unit’s chartered organization.
  • To discover ways to keep your scouts engage from home and how to keep up with unit meetings online, see our new Scouting at Home webpage.

What can all Scouting members do to protect themselves and others

  • Scouting members should take the same precautions they would for any common cold or flu.
  • Wash your hands frequently and thoroughly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. *(Alcohol-based hand sanitizers with at least 60% alcohol content can work in a pinch, but they’re generally not as effective as soap and water). 
  • Hands should be washed before eating, after using the bathroom, and when you come inside from outdoor activities that caused hands to get dirty.
  • Avoid touching your mouth, eyes or noses.
  • Cough and/or sneeze into your elbows and not your hands.
  • Distance yourself from anyone coughing or sneezing.
  • Encourage Healthy Habits, like eating a healthy diet, exercising, and getting enough sleep.
  • If you are sick, stay away from school, work, Scouts and others.
  • If you have any symptoms of the virus, seek medical attention immediately and follow the advice of your medical professional.

Let’s all set the example to be safe during this time.  If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out.  Thank you.

We will issue new guidance as more information becomes available. As always, we hope you and your family will continue Scouting at Home while we physically distance ourselves and we look forward to the day when we can all be together in person with our larger scouting family!

Stay safe and KEEP ON SCOUTING AT HOME!

Scouting at Home!

The Suwannee River Area Council is committed to keeping scouting alive and available in our communities.  Through this website along with our facebook page and our council e-mail list, we will offer our Scouting units and families opportunities to participate in Scouting activities from the comfort of their own home! 

Check out the activities on our Scouting at Home page and come back often for updates! 

DON’T JUST SIT THERE … KEEP ON “SCOUTING AT HOME“

Now accepting applications for the 2021 National Jamboree

Click on the image above for full details!

Boy Scouts of America Bankruptcy: Local Update

As of February 18, 2020

 

TO:                    Local Stakeholders (Council Volunteers, Council Parents, Friends of Scouting)

FROM:              Terry Whitaker, Scout Executive

SUBJECT:        An Important Update from the Suwannee River Area Council

As a valued member of the Scouting family, our goal is to help you understand recent media coverage about National Boy Scouts of America. 

Please know that Scouting is strong in area, with more than 1,700 youth and over 800 volunteer leaders. All local Scouting programs are continuing as usual.  We remain as committed as ever to delivering a safe and impactful Scouting program in north Florida and south Georgia.

Today, the national organization of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy to achieve two key objectives: equitably compensate victims who were harmed during their time in Scouting and continue to carry out Scouting’s mission for years to come.

I want to highlight important points that are most relevant to the Suwannee River Area Council:

  • The Suwannee River Area Council has not filed for bankruptcy. Our Council is legally separate, distinct and financially independent from the national organization.
  • Scouting programs will continue. This means that unit meetings and activities, district and council events, other Scouting adventures and countless service projects will take place as usual. In short, we expect no changes to the local Scouting experience in our area.
  • Scouting is safer now than ever before. Over many years, we’ve developed some of the strongest expert-informed youth protection policies found in any youth-serving organization. I can also assure you that our volunteers and employees take youth protection extremely seriously and do their part to help keep kids safe.
  • Restricted donations – past, present or future – can only be used for their designated purpose. In addition, Friends of Scouting (FOS) and other annual donations made to our Council will continue to fund necessary day-to-day expenses that are critical to local Scouting programs.

While we do not anticipate the national organization’s bankruptcy filing will have any direct impact on the local Scouting experience or your involvement with our Council, I understand you may still have questions about these issues and things you will see in the news. To that end, the national organization has established a dedicated restructuring website, www.BSArestructuring.org. 

This site includes a helpful Resources page, where you will find a short video  explaining what Chapter 11 means for Scouting, as well as a FAQ.

The site’s Milestones page will be your best source for the latest updates throughout this process. 

If you have any questions about local Scouting, you can always feel free to reach out directly to me or your usual contact within our Council. 

Through your engagement and dedication to Scouting, the Suwannee River Area Council will continue to bring adventures, values and lifelong benefits to youth and our communities for generations to come. Thank you for your trust and support as we continue this important mission.

Yours in Scouting,

Terry Whitaker

Scout Executive

Join Scouting!

We are excited that you are interested in joining the Boy Scouts of America! Scouting is open to all members of your family.  Both girls and boys can take advantage of all of the adventure and excitement available in the scouting programs!

The BSA’s mission is to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Scout Law.  By welcoming both girls and boys into the program, even more youth will have access to the character development and values-based leadership that Scouting promises. 

Joining is Easy!

Whether you’re a parent of an elementary, intermediate or high school aged child, there are plenty of ways for you to get involved with the Boy Scouts of America.  Choose the program that is right for your family and explore the links on our Join Scouting page to see the latest resources and updates.  Then click on map to the left to find a unit near you or call us at (850) 576-4146 and we’ll help you find the unit that is right for you!

Scouts BSA is Here!

Offering all of the Iconic Programs of the BSA to both Boys and Girls

Scouts BSA is a year-round program for youth in fifth grade through high school that provides fun, adventure, learning, challenge, and responsibility to help them become the best version of themselves.

In Scouts BSA, young men and women go places, test themselves, and have one-of-a-kind adventures that can’t be found anywhere else.

For the first time in its 100+ year history, the iconic program of the Boy Scouts of America is open to young women as well as young men, all of whom will have the chance to earn Scouting’s highest rank, Eagle Scout.

Learn More

So... what's going on around our #SRACBSA?

So, you came here looking for information on what’s going on around our council? Wow! That’s great, there are a number of ways to keep up with what’s up around SRAC. Obviously, this website is one of them. There also several other channels available to you keep up with Scouting stuff.  We’ll list them below with links for accessing each one.

  • For detailed information on what’s coming up on the schedule of events, see our “Events” page
  • You can join our electronic mailing list, so that you can receive our newsletter.  You can subscribe by clicking here or you can simply text “SRACBSA” to 22828 and follow the text prompts.
  • You can like our Facebook page
  • You can join our Facebook group , where members can also post announcements
  • Attend a monthly roundtable meeting. 
  • Ask your Den Leader, Cubmaster, Crew Advisor or Scoutmaster

Some of the benefits of participating are: low financial risk to your unit (payment is not due until the unit has had an opportunity to sell their product), organizational support from the Council and Trails End, and a financial benefit to your Council Our mission is to give each and every participating unit the opportunity to reach their financial goals, no matter how large or small.

2017 Annual Report Inforgraphic

Newly released, the Suwannee River Area Council Annual Report in the form of an InfoGraphic. Please click on the thumbnail above to download a full copy of the Infographic image, suitable for posting on websites, social media and sharing with your scouting families and potential families. We’re proud to be able to offer this new resource for the use of our local scouting family to be able to tell the story of scouting locally in a concise manner.

The Suwannee River Area Council, Boy Scouts of America was incorporated on January 22 1924. Since then it has been our honor to instill in the youth we serve the character, values and traditions that make Boy Scouts of America stand apart in the crowd. Thirteen counties throughout south Georgia and north Florida are served by Suwanee River Area Council. If you are not involved in Scouting today please let us know how we can serve you!