This year’s entries were some of the finest to date and showcase the strides we’ve made as an organization in building and managing our brands. Congratulations to those who won, and to all those who submitted an entry. Entries are typically accepted from November to January each year, with information accessible from the Marketing Toolbox at www.scouting.org/marketing. For the complete list of winners, click here.

Click to open May 15 issue

The May 15 issue of the Finance Impact Department’s e-Letter has been published and is available online.

In this issue, you can read about how one of our local councils, the Capitol Area Council in Austin, Texas, is using Blackbaud Sphere for its peer-to-peer fundraising. Also in this issue, the Development and Finance Impact departments invite local councils to visit them at the National Annual Meeting; why councils should keep their information updated on GuideStar; the announcement of the new Eagle Scout 2012 yearbook; and the webinar list.

To read the entire issue, click the link above or the image at left. Previous issues of the newsletter are available by following the links under the BSA Newsletters header at right.

Jamboree visitor passes—including one-day, two-days, and all days—are now available, starting at $25 for a one-day pass for visitors who are 6–10 years of age.

Please share this information with your council’s jamboree contingent, units that may be traveling near the Summit, and anyone else who may want to participate in the fun!

Resources:

• Visitor information page on bsajamboree.org
• Scouting magazine’s “Bryan on Scouting” blog

Click graphic to open full size

The dates and locations for this year’s NextConnect National Marketing Summits have been chosen:

NextConnect Oakland—Aug. 12–13
NextConnect Washington, D.C.—Aug. 15–16

Looking to make that next connection with Scouting’s target audiences? Join us for NextConnect ’13, where you’ll hear from industry experts and share best practices with marketing staff and volunteers from across the country.

Attend with your council’s marketing committee to firm up fall recruitment plans and begin planning for 2014! Through a combination of networking, high-level speakers, and interactive workshops, you’ll leave with an arsenal of ideas to market Scouting to the communities you serve.

There are no fees to attend the conference, and complimentary meals will be provided during the conference.

A registration link and conference details will be provided in the coming weeks.

Three years ago, BSA Racing made a huge impact on the national stage during one of the most watched sporting events in the world. That year, Alex Lloyd, the first BSA racing team driver, competed in what can simply be called one of the best drives in Indy 500 history.

Starting at the middle of the pack, Alex finished the 500-mile race in fourth place, the best finish ever in the more than 25-year history of Dale Coyne Racing (DCR). A blend of great driver skill and outstanding pit strategy allowed DCR, one of the smaller and less well-financed teams in the INDYCAR Series, to topple some of the biggest names and teams in the sport; or some might say it was the magic of the 100th anniversary celebration that fueled the historic performance. Either way, this effort was watched by nearly 300,000 spectators and several millions more worldwide, but equally important is that Scouts and Scouters from far and wide witnessed the BSA Racing team compete with skill, determination, and teamwork.

This month, we are excited that our 2013 season driver, Justin Wilson, is poised to represent BSA Racing on the biggest stage in sports. The 2013 Indy 500 is shaping up to be one of the most competitive in history and our driver has been one of the better drivers this year. Justin, after a great podium finish in Long Beach and an awesome top 10 showing in Brazil, is back in the heartland of America to represent Scouting’s nearly 5 million current members and nearly 50 million living alumni.

This platform continues to be one of the most visible for the BSA, and its science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) elements inspire youth to learn more about the sciences in a cool and exciting way. The BSA racing program impacts our organization like no other, and we continue to benefit from the positive national exposure and the high-level corporate connections this relationship provides.

Just like in years past, make sure you spread the word and tune in to ABC on Sunday, May 26, to watch the Indy 500 and cheer for the No. 19 Boy Scouts of America car, driven by superstar driver Justin Wilson. Also visit www.indycar.com to stay in the loop on all the exciting activities leading up to the historic 2013 Indy 500!

For more information on this program, please visit www.scouting.org/motorsports.aspx. If you would like to know more about some of our exciting corporate alliances sponsorships, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at corporate.alliances@scouting.org. We would love to hear from you.

Version 1.0 of the Jamboree Summit App is now available on Apple and Android devices. The Android app clocks in at just over 10 MB and costs 99 cents in the Google Play store. The iOS version for Apple’s iPhone and iPod Touch is 15 MB and costs 99 cents at the App Store.

The AT&T-sponsored app, intended for use by participants, staff, and visitors to the 2013 National Scout Jamboree, provides up-to-date information on all programs and activities being held at the Summit this summer.

Scouts will be able to view their daily schedule of activities, check out a detailed map of the jamboree site, and see where their friends are at any time.

Download it now by clicking the links above or searching “Summit Scouts” on the Google Play store or iOS App Store.

Please keep in mind that this is Version 1.0, and there are placeholders for many new features. Future releases will add functionality and should prove essential come July, when AT&T lights up the Summit with cell coverage so Scouts can enjoy the most connected jamboree ever.

Each council has the ability to issue certificates of insurance of up to $1 million as evidence of general liability coverage to those entities requesting to be named as an additional insured for Scout unit, district, or council events and activities. Unless the other party asked to be named as an additional insured, a certificate of insurance showing “Proof Only” should be provided. With help from the BSA’s insurance broker, the templates for certificates of insurance are available on MyBSA.org. under “Resources” and “Links to BSA Info.”

The templates are designed so the council is able to fill in the appropriate areas and print. The fillable boxes on the certificate of insurance are the only places that need to be filled in by the council. Everything else on the certificate, such as the policy number and carrier information, is locked on the PDF form. This makes the issuance of a certificate of insurance very easy for the council. While they are easy to issue, each time a request is made for a certificate of insurance the request should be taken seriously, and all the paperwork regarding the request should be reviewed thoroughly. Certificates of insurance are considered a part of a business transaction and are governed by state insurance regulations and laws.

Any deviations or alterations to the certificates of insurance can jeopardize insurance coverage for our volunteers, the council, and the entire BSA program!

If there is a time when more information is required on the certificate or the limits are more than $1 million, the certificate will need to be issued by the Risk Management Team in the national office.