Attention! Message from Brad Neisheim, Scout Executive
The Heart of Virginia Council qualified to receive the 2011 Journey To Excellence Gold Level of Recognition from the Boy Scouts of America! In its first official year of use, the Journey To Excellence (JTE) recognition program of Scouting has been a big hit with Scouting Units, Scouting Districts and Councils. JTE, as it has become known, recognizes and measures improvement in youth camping, advancements earned by members, adult leader training, youth retention, commissioner service to units, youth membership, fund raising and financial strength and service hours to the community. It is the most effective annual measurement that the Boy Scouts of America has ever utilized and has been embraced by volunteer and staff in all programs!
Welcome to this website of the Heart of Virginia Council of the Boy Scouts of America and thank you for your support and involvement with the greatest youth development program in the country. Incorporated in 1910, it has served several generations of families all over America with programs of leadership and character development, citizenship training, personal fitness, and a whole lot of fun.
We are very proud of our local council that serves 24 counties and 4 cities and which will celebrate its 100th anniversary during 2013. Scouting remains a strong, viable and fun way of life here in central Virginia and now has some 14,000 young people involved with 500 Cub Scouting, Boy Scouting, Venturing and Exploring units chartered to local community organizations. These units and youth members are supported by over 5,000 adult volunteer leaders, 9 district committees and commissioner staffs, a 75-member council volunteer executive board and a dedicated council staff comprised of 17 BSA-commissioned professional Scouters, 10 office support staff, 2 full time camp rangers, and 16 part time staff who serve as Scoutreach program aides. 80 seasonal summer staff members support and operate the two council summer camps from June until August: The Cub Scout and Webelos Adventure Camp (CWAC) and Camp T. Brady Saunders, both located on the beautiful Heart of Virginia Scout Reservation in Goochland County.
It is our mission to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes based on the values of the Scout Oath and Law. Our ‘Main Thing’ is to ensure that we serve an ever-increasing number of youth members with quality a Scouting program.
Let us know how the council can be of service to you. The website has numerous places for you to click to give you information about forming a Scouting program, finding a unit for a youth to join, making a gift, finding out ways to volunteer, where to go camping, adult training programs and how to register, how to register for summer camp and many more services.
Feel free to drop me an email at brad.nesheim@scouting.org or phone me at 804-204-2611. If I’m not available, call Ellen Milano at 204-2610 and speak with her. We want to get you the support that you need.
Best wishes. Thank you for supporting the mission of the BSA!
