President Adam Manning welcomed everyone to the Centerville Rotary Club and led reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. Brian Hayes provided the prayer.

Today’s quote provided by Don Overly: "The secret of success in life is for a man (or woman) to be ready for his (or her) opportunity when it comes.” By Benjamin Disraeli  (British statesman)

Thanks to today’s greeters: Elda Gotos Gay and Harvey Smith. 

Welcome today’s guests: Carol Kennard’s guest, Paul Stull, longest tenured member of the Centerville Noon Optimist Club, and Jack Lohbeck, Dayton Rotarian.

Today’s announcements:

• Arnie announced it’s time to start signing up for Pancake Day duties. Don’t forget - Many Hands make light work AND the early bird gets the worm. Sign up for your favorite spot soon!
• Sofie is working on obtaining sponsors - she’s been doing this job for years and really needs help. It’s time for others to stop up to help! The easiest thing you can do is to ask people you do business with. Everyone ask at least one business, PLEASE! Next Thursday, Sofie, Lisa, & Adam will meet after the meeting to strategize sponsorships. Please join and HELP.
• Next Pancake meeting is Sept 4, 11 am at Yankee Trace
• Board meeting was held this week:
  • Sept 27 is our next Service week and we’ll have at least four different opportunities
  • District grants were received: $4,000 for Operation Warm, $2,000 for the literacy project, and $2,000 for the CHS orchard project. Thanks to Chuck King for shepherding our grant applications
  • The Board approved a new membership category for the Centerville Rotary Coffee Club; Thanks to Frank & Arnie for spearheading this new effort.
• If you haven’t already, pay your bill, please
• Jack Lohbeck announced the Dayton area Rotary golf and bowling leagues are always looking for more participants. You can participate any amount of time you have to give. The next golf outing is Sept 5 at the Miami Valley Country Club. Sign up when available and pay as you go. Oct 6 Bowling league starts and runs for 11 weeks, then another starts in January for 12 weeks. We have an annual bowling challenge with the Cincy club. Don Stewart was a star last year.

Happy Bucks this quarter will go to Disaster Relief for those affected by the recent flooding in Texas. Rotary District 5840 will distribute the funds. 

Brad Thorp was our Sergeant at Arms.

Happy Bucks were generously given for:

• Elda GG was happy for our guests and Scouting
• Harvey S didn’t have any money until Elda gave him some to donate
• Carol was happy for her guest, Paul, and thanked Ron & Gina for providing content for last week’s bulletin.
• Mark K for the nice weather.
• Rand O was glad to be here, has a great time playing on the Rotary golf league, and his siblings are doing well
• Socks B said God Bless the Boy Scouts of America
• Wyatt T announced the Board of Camp Kern will once again sponsor a golf outing on October 6, that raises money to send kids to camp. More details will be sent out.
• Jim H was just happy.
• Adam M for today’s guests.
• Lisa GM was happy to not be frozen to the chair.
• Arnie B attended the Dayton Rotary club, where he saw Judy Budi and Phil Raynes, who say hi.
• Kelly M has to step out for meeting, but announced 60 boxes of coats are being delivered to Hannah’s Treasure Chest thanks to our donations.
• Brad H gave thanks to Kelly, Sofie, and everyone who steps up to help with fund raising.
• Wayne D for Texas and for Harvey.
• Pat Turnbull - New son in law, wedding is over
• Sophie MT went back to Belgium, Delphine leaving for college tomorrow
• Mark 10 year open house please come

Our speaker today was Jeff Schiavone, Scout Executive for Scouting America, Miami Valley Council.

Jeff Schiavone graduated from the University of Akron, and has been involved as a Scouting executive in several Council, landing at the Miami Valley Council in 2017. He is a member of the Dayton Rotary Club.

Jeff introduced the video We are Scouting America

He mentioned is is great to be in a room of former scouts, as many shared their scouting stories when greeting him this morning. 

Jeff said changing the name to Scouting America is to  ensure everyone has an opportunity to enjoy scouting. With more single parent families, they want all to be able to participate. In 2019, they  opened to serve women who now comprise 20% of the members. The Scout Oath and Scout Law haven’t changed since 1910.

Jeff share the connection between Scouting and Rotary - the first chief scout executive and Paul Harris worked together to promote their organizations.

Last year there were 77 Eagle Scout projects in the Miami Valley Council.

Cricket Holler is the camp owned by the Council, located in northern Montgomery County.

This year there are 374 youth in 8 scouting units in Centerville/Washington Township. They try to put every dollar back into direct service to the scouts.

There are 130+ merit badges, and for every 100 scouts, 8 will enter a career explored through a merit badge. 

Last year, the Miami Vally Council had no safety incidents - safety is extremely important to them. 

They are in the process of bringing in more Board members. Today’s visitor, Paul Stull is one of their long-term Board members. They recently launched a new Strategic Plan.

They position the organization as a leader in safeguarding youth in changing families and are focusing on rebranding.

GEM City Scouting 320+ scouts who partner with the Dayton Leadership Academy.

Trails End popcorn sales are still going strong. Many just donate to the Heros and Helpers program that delivers the popcorn to the military at front lines.

Scouting for Food is a long time program held in the Feb/Mar timeframe, which enables them to help over a dozen food pantries. 20,000 pounds of food were donated last year.

The Scout Jamboree in 2026 will include over 50 scouts from Miami Valley.

Their main fundraising events include:

• Leadership Breakfast: honor family that does a lot for scouting $76,000 raised last year
• Clay Shoot fundraiser, October 2 & 3; Middletown sportsmen club goal to raise $100,000

Cricket Holler development is ongoing:

• 5 zones now
• Outside rentals available for company meetings, team building, etc.
• Zone 3: Ready, Set, Camp; cabins, showers, shelter all available there

Zone 1 - Heart of the camp - had a $500,000 donor to address honeysuckle removal

Training Center - great for retreats, UD, park agencies use; includes 4 cabins (16 people each).

No longer serve a resident summer camp. Within a 150 mile radius of Dayton, there are 13 resident camps. They partner with the Dan Beard Council, Indianapolis, Michigan, & Louisville camps to send kids from our area.

Don’t have Woodland Trails camp any more. A fund was set up to support survivors of abuse - funds from the sale of the camp were used to contribute to this fund. The camp was sold to ODNR so the natural aspects were preserved.

There is a camp partnership program - several councils collaborate for camps at Cricket Holler. It is their base camp for day camping but doesn’t meet standards for resident camping.

There are many other opportunities through the Miami Valley Council. View the website HERE for more information.