Merrimac District
Page Last Updated 02/05/2010

 

District Chairman Carl Clements 235-4813
District Commissioner George Seemann 773-0212
District Executive Evan Sommerfeld (540) 537-6305 or (757) 952-6609
Membership Chairman Jonathan Lindstrom 374-4625  
Finance Chairman Vacant  
Camping Chairman Vacant  
Advancement Chairman Vacant  
Activities Chairman Diane Short 485-5117
Training Chairman Steve Balch 483-4715
Cub Scout Training Chair Joann West 583-8830
Order of the Arrow Advisor Albert Joynes 483-7808
Boy Scout Roundtable Thomas Ishom 484-6206
Cub Scout Roundtable Joann West 538-8830
Cub Scout Day Camp Leslie Bulger 538-1601

 

Regular District Meetings
Commissioner Meeting Monthly 1st Wednesday Simonsdale Presbyterian Church 7:00 PM
District Committee Meeting Monthly 1st Wednesday Simonsdale Presbyterian Church 7:30 PM
Cub Scout Roundtable Monthly 2nd Wednesday St Andrews UMC 7:30 PM
Boy Scout Roundtable Monthly 2nd Wednesday St Andrews UMC 7:30 PM

 

Calendar Snapshot
District Pinewood Derby March 6
District Dinner March 20
Bike Rodeo April 17
Spring Camporee April 30 - May 2 (Introduction to Outdoor Leader Skills training will be offered at the same time but is a separate event)
Day Camp July 5-9
Boy Scout Training Feb 20 for Scoutmaster Specific Training
Cub Scout Training February 13 for Cub Scout Leader Specific
Membership We are always looking for opportunities to market Scouting to the community as a means to strengthen our relationships with our neighborhoods, schools and supporting businesses.  If your elementary school will let us host a family pinewood derby we will buy the pinewood derby cars and use it as an opportunity to grow your pack.    Also, we have a free bounce house that is great at spring fairs.  The District Executive just can't tow it behind his 60's mustang.  Let us know if you have creative ideas or if you could use support.
Advancement Thank you for submitting your advancement reports.  We like seeing the youth earn ranks & achievements for everything that they do.  On occasion we get advancement reports that list youth not yet registered in the BSA.  If you require extra youth or adult registration forms, please let us help.  We are always excited to welcome new families into the program.  Getting everyone registered helps maintain good records, keeps everyone on important mailing lists relative to activities and fun stuff, maintains general liability insurance and also aids the council in receiving much needed funding from generous organizations like the United way.  Please try to submit membership as quickly as possible.
Activities & Civic Service The Merrimac District Dinner is just around the corner.  On March 20th well gather together to celebrate a great 2009 and a great year to come.  We would like to use this opportunity to recognize outstanding volunteerism in our district in many ways.  If you are eligible, or if you would like to surprise someone who is eligible for any Adult Leader Knots, then lets rush to get in the applications so the council can prepare the appropriate form of recognition.  To see the vast selection of knots, please click here (this is a great resource but not an official BSA list).  Also, this is an opportunity to recognize two over-and-above-truly-outstanding-volunteers with the District Award of Merit.  You may click here for the application and submit them to the council contact:  Evan Sommerfeld esommerf@bsamail.org, (757) 952-6609, or (540) 537-6305.
Training There is so much good training online and we are slowly learning of volunteers that are locked out of myscouting.scouting.org.  If this has happened to you, please contact us.
Camping Promotions If you would like more information regarding Day Camp or Resident Camp Summer in Merrimac or at Pipsico Scout Reservation please let us know as soon as possible.  Also the Cub Resident camp Early Bird registration is March 1 for reduced pricing.
Finance
The Tidewater Council operates on a few key sources of income to include popcorn sales that directly benefit both the unit and the council, local Scout Shop sales (not online sales to national), United Way and the annual Friends of Scouting Campaign.  
 
The Merrimac District Friends of Scouting goal for 2010 is $50,000 which is quite attainable.  Our mission is to complete this annual campaign by May 1st and celebrate in victory and you can help.  

 

Family Friends of Scouting - If your unit has not yet scheduled its Family presentation on a Pack, Troop, or Crew, please contact us to schedule a date.  Every family deserves the opportunity to give.
 
Mark your calendars for March 23rd.  The event is the Breakfast of Champions at the Virginia Beach Convention Center and Frank Beamer, the coach of Virginia Tech Football, is the guest speaker.  The Breakfast of Champions if a Friends of Scouting fundraising event.  The minimum contribution is $50 for the event as the cost per chair is about $40 and ideally about $167 or more.  If you would like to attend, host a table of 10, or sponsor a table, please let Evan Sommerfeld know at esommerf@bsamail.org, (757) 952-6609, or (540) 537-6305.  Our goal is to have at least 25 Merrimac tables.
 
Corporate & Organizational Support - We are very eager to deliver a presentation on the BSA to any company, civic organization, association, union, church or institution.  Presentations can be made for the Friends of Scouting Campaign, Council or Pipsico Endowment contributions or for public relations.  Please assist us in being a community organization with any leads, scheduled events or creative ideas.  This is our 100th anniversary year to celebrate.
 
To make an unsolicited contribution please make checks payable to Boy Scouts of America and in the notes write "Merrimac FoS Campaign" or to schedule an appointment for a visitation or to host a private fundraiser, please contact Evan Sommerfeld at esommerf@bsamail.org, (757) 952-6609, or (540) 537-6305.  These contributions remain local.
District Committee & Commissioner Service The District is always interested in expanding the talent, and resources, of the District Committee.  The key sub-committees are advancement, activities & civic service, camping promotions, training, finance.  The purpose of the committee is to strengthen and grow Scouting in the community and to make the units it serves more successful.  The commissioner staff is made of experienced Scouters who make direct, and regular contact, with units and help maintain the standards of the Boy Scouts of America. They also oversee the unit charter renewal plan so that each unit reregisters on time with an optimum number of youth and adult members.  If you are interested in supporting at this level, or if you would like to make a recommendation, please let us know.

 

BSA
Tidewater Council, Boy Scouts of America
Serving the youth of Southeastern Virginia and Northeastern North Carolina
1032 Heatherwood Drive, Virginia Beach, VA 23455
Office: 757-497-2688 | Fax: 757-473-3305 | More contact info
www.tidewaterbsa.com 

 
 

Please note that the council specifically prohibits any individual from harvesting emails and sending unrelated and unnecessary communications to individuals listed on the Tidewater Council, Boy Scouts of America site without their expressed and written approval.  Unwanted electronic communications includes anything of a commercial nature.  All commercial inquiries should be sent via regular U.S. Mail to the service center address.  The council hereby opts out on behalf of all individuals listed with an email address on this web site.

Please see the Can-Spam web site for further information.

Confidentiality of Membership.  The Boy Scouts of America has the responsibility to protect the confidentiality of the names and personal information of those who are affiliated with the movement.  No commercial or unauthorized use is to be made of the lists (names, addresses, and other personal information) of members or of financial supporters, or those who answer surveys in connection with Scouting.  The council does not authorize anyone to make copies, paper, electronic or by any other means any such lists for any reason without the permission of the Tidewater Council.  When a list is needed it will be authorized and it shall be returned or destroyed.  All such authorizations shall never exceed a one year time frame.  Chartered organizations should take care to guard the lists that contain their members.   

The Tidewater Council will willingly work with all law enforcement agencies to ensure that laws concerning spam, especially anything of an illegal nature are prosecuted to its fullest.  This includes complete access to our web site, our back channels and any tools that might reveal the individual identities of anyone seeking to perpetuate anything of an illegal nature.