Press Releases

Mario Perez Heads National Capital Area Council, BSA

JANUARY 5, 2023, WASHINGTON, DC — The National Capital Area Council, Boy Scouts of America (NCAC) is pleased to announce Mario Perez as Scout Executive/CEO as of January 1, 2023. Craig Poland, the former CEO and Scout Executive, retired on December 31, 2022.

Since 2019, Perez served as Deputy Scout Executive/Chief Operating Officer of the NCAC. Previously, he served as the Scout Executive/CEO of the Yucca Council, Boy Scouts of America. Yucca Council serves nearly 5,000 youth and over 2,200 volunteers throughout West Texas and Southern New Mexico. Over a twenty-one year career, Perez has successfully served four BSA Councils and helped to achieve Council objectives in the development and implementation of programs for Scouts of all ranks. His aptitude to work with youth and adults from diverse backgrounds and socio-economic conditions (rural, urban, multi-cultural, corporate, military etc.) has helped in the accomplishment of successful volunteer recruitment, youth membership growth, innovative fund-raising programs and creative youth program delivery.

Perez grew up in western Kansas, where his parents and three siblings still reside. He is a graduate of West Texas A&M University in Canyon TX, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. He is a Vigil Honor member in the Order of the Arrow and completed his Wood Badge ticket in 2006.

“We are excited to have Mario Perez lead the National Capital Area Council,” said Jim Morgan, NCAC Council President. “As Deputy Scout Executive, he has demonstrated his leadership ability during the last few years through the pandemic and its related challenges. I’m confident his proven skills coupled with his vision for the future will keep our Council at the forefront of the Scouting movement in this region and the entire nation.”

“Mario Perez’s hard work and dedication have always been appreciated by our Board,” added Morgan H. Sullivan, NCAC Executive Vice President. “We have been fortunate to depend on his experienced management these last few years. Now, his leadership will take the NCAC forward and benefit even more of the youth in our region by providing the highest-quality Scouting program possible.”

“Over the next few years, my strategic goals are to purposefully connect with community partners to increase our service to the community, to establish new Scouting programs throughout our region with conviction, and to lead the implementation of a far-reaching Strategic Plan that will lay the foundation for the next 25 years of Scouting in National Capital Area Council,” said Perez.

In 2022, the Council’s theme was “Adventure On.” Last year, our Scouts performed more than 440,000 hours of service to the community, 1,263 Scouts attained the highest rank of Eagle, and 5,372 youth experienced the outdoors at one of our camps.

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About Scouts, BSA and the National Capital Area Council

Scouts, BSA provides the nation’s foremost youth program of character development and values-based leadership training, which helps young people be “Prepared. For Life. ™ The Scouting organization is composed of 1,042 million youth members between the ages of 6 and 21 and volunteers in local councils throughout the United States and its territories. For more information, please visit www.Scouting.org.

National Capital Area Council was organized in 1911 and today stands as one of the oldest and the Council with the largest youth membership in America, at just under 34,000 Scouts. The Council territory includes the District of Columbia; Frederick, Montgomery, Prince George’s, Calvert, Charles, and St. Mary’s counties in Maryland; and in Virginia the counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Prince William, Loudoun, Fauquier, Spotsylvania, Caroline, King George, Stafford and Culpeper as well as the independent cities of Alexandria, Falls Church, Fairfax, Manassas, Manassas Park and Fredericksburg in Virginia; and the U.S. Virgin Islands. For more information, please visit www.NCACBSA.org.

The future wellbeing of our country depends on how we support and invest in the next generation.

NOVEMBER 28, 2022, WASHINGTON, DC — An alarming number of young people struggle with feelings of helplessness or depression, intensified by the pandemic as their experiences at home, school and in the community were altered by the past few years. Research shows that when youth are involved in activities with their peers, it has a positive effect on them and others while building emotional resilience at the same time. Resilience thrives in Scouts.

Because the National Capital Area Council, BSA (NCAC)’s Scouting programs help develop resilience by providing young people opportunities to face challenges through adventures, leadership roles, skill building, and earning advancements, this year’s theme for Giving Tuesday is “Raise Resilience.” Scouting experiences help our youth build confidence in their ability to persevere. We structure adventure such that it gives young people the know-how to tackle experiences they’ll encounter for the rest of their lives. Whether it’s overcoming obstacles in the great outdoors, getting outside of their comfort zone to lead a team for a service project, or exploring career options through hands-on professional or scientific experiences, the content of our programs is designed to develop leadership, character and confidence. These experiences help them to adapt well in the face of adversity, to bounce back from difficult experiences, and to be Prepared. For Life.

This #GivingTuesday, the NCAC is asking the community to support our programs by making a contribution to Scouting. Due to the generosity of several NCAC major supporters, the NCAC is challenged to raise $100,000 by the end of Giving Tuesday. That means, every gift given is matched dollar for dollar, doubling support.

In the National Capital Area we are preparing our Scouts to lead effectively, manage conflict, become role models and set goals for their future. This Giving Tuesday provides the community with the chance to make sure our programs continue to raise resilience throughout our local area.

Link for more information and to make a gift: https://www.ncacbsa.org/giving-tuesday/

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About Scouts, BSA and the National Capital Area Council

Scouts, BSA provides the nation’s foremost youth program of character development and values-based leadership training, which helps young people be “Prepared. For Life. ™ The Scouting organization is composed of 2.6 million youth members between the ages of 6 and 21 and more than a million volunteers in local councils throughout the United States and its territories. For more, please visit www.Scouting.org.

National Capital Area Council was organized in 1911 and today stands as one of the oldest and largest councils in America. Scouts from the NCAC do over 400,000 hours of community service each year. The Council territory includes the District of Columbia; Frederick, Montgomery, Prince George’s, Calvert, Charles, and St. Mary’s counties in Maryland; and in Virginia the counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Prince William, Loudoun, Fauquier, Spotsylvania, Caroline, King George, Stafford and Culpeper as well as the independent cities of Alexandria, Falls Church, Fairfax, Manassas, Manassas Park and Fredericksburg in Virginia; and the U.S. Virgin Islands. For more information, please visit www.NCACBSA.org.

 

Local Scouts Help Alleviate Food Insecurity with Annual Food Drive

One in Three Residents Struggle as Scouts Begin 36th Annual Food Drive

NOVEMBER 4, 2022, WASHINGTON, DC— Local Scouts will be kicking off the 33^rd annual Scouting for Food this month. Scouts will post notes, distribute flyers, and advertise virtually to homes throughout the DC metro area on the first weekend of November, then return to collect non-perishable food items on the second weekend, primarily Saturday, November 12, 2022.

Scouting for Food is one of the largest annual food drives in the metropolitan area. Scouts of all ages, from 6 to 21 years old, will participate in Scouting for Food.

“”Last year our scouts collected over 667,000 pounds of food for needy families across our Council territory and that’s about the loaded weight of a Boeing 747 as it’s getting ready to take off,” said Craig Poland, CEO and Scout Executive of the National Capital Area Council, BSA. “Through our Scouting for Food effort we provide the opportunity for scouts to learn the impact possible when they directly help the community.”

According to the Capital Area Food Bank’s 2022 Hunger Report, food insecurity affects approximately 33 percent of people in the Washington, D.C. area. High food and fuel prices have impacted family budgets and contributed to a greater and more desperate need for regular access to nutritious food.

Scouting for Food is held every fall prior to Thanksgiving. Local food banks rely on the efforts of the Scouts to stock their shelves for the upcoming holiday months when food demands are the highest. Items needed include canned protein (tuna, salmon, chicken, peanut butter); soups and stews (beef stew, chili, meat-based soups); 100% fruit juices (all sizes); grains (pasta, whole grain pasta, rice, brown rice, boxed macaroni and cheese); cereals (multi-grain, low sugar cereals, oatmeal); canned vegetables; and canned fruits.

In an effort to promote sustainability and further the Scouting’s tradition of conservation, the Scouting for Food event has eliminated the distribution of plastic bags from its program and will instead use self-adhesive posts, fliers, and door hangs. Community members are asked to provide bags or boxes with their donations to aid in the collection process.

Scouting for Food is co-sponsored by the Safeway Foundation.

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About Scouts, BSA and the National Capital Area Council

Scouts, BSA provides the nation’s foremost youth program of character development and values-based leadership training, which helps young people be “Prepared. For Life. ™ The Scouting organization is composed of 2.6 million youth members between the ages of 6 and 21 and more than a million volunteers in local councils throughout the United States and its territories. For more, please visit www.Scouting.org.

National Capital Area Council was organized in 1911 and today stands as one of the oldest and largest councils in America. Scouts from the NCAC do over 400,000 hours of community service each year. The Council territory includes the District of Columbia; Frederick, Montgomery, Prince George’s, Calvert, Charles, and St. Mary’s counties in Maryland; and in Virginia the counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Prince William, Loudoun, Fauquier, Spotsylvania, Caroline, King George, Stafford and Culpeper as well as the independent cities of Alexandria, Falls Church, Fairfax, Manassas, Manassas Park and Fredericksburg in Virginia; and the U.S. Virgin Islands. For more information, please visit www.NCACBSA.org.