Otetiana Council reaches recruiting record

A record 1,900 Monroe County boys joined Cub Scouts during the recent recruiting campaign held by the Otetiana Council, Boy Scouts of America.

Representing an annual increase of more than 10 percent, the new Otetiana Cub recruiting mark makes the council one of only two in a Northeast United States group of 11 like-sized councils to increase total membership this year.

"Monroe County has always been a bright spot in the country for the Scouting movement," said Larry Pritchard, Otetiana Council scout executive. "Even so, nearly every council has its recruiting challenges, and this year's Cub increase is directly attributable to our dedicated volunteers across the county."

The increase has resulted in the formation of seven additional Cub Scout packs. To date, there are more than 11,000 Scouts in the area, a three percent increase over 2004. Including traditional programs such as Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts, as well as Learning for Life programs, the Otetiana Council serves approximately one of every four Monroe County residents aged six to 20. The council is ranked 41 out of 307 councils for the total number of youth served.

January 22, 2006