Meet the New Scout Executive Juan F. Osorio

Mayflower Council’s new Scout Executive, Juan F. Osorio, arrives in Milford, Massachusetts, from the Chattahoochee Council in Columbus, Georgia, where he has served as Scout Executive since 2018. Before assuming this position, Juan held various roles in the Narragansett Council (Providence, RI), where he grew up as a Scout and earned his Eagle Scout Rank. He began his tenure at the Mayflower Council at the beginning of March, succeeding Bryan Feather, who retired in December 2023. Osorio recently sat down with MayflowerBSA.org to provide insights into his personality and hopes for the Mayflower Council and Scouting overall.

This is the first of a two-part Q&A.

John Bishop for MayflowerBSA.org: Juan, please tell us about your beginnings in Scouting.

Juan Osorio, Scout Executive, Mayflower Council: I started Scouting in the first grade. My next-door neighbor was a Cub Scout. Every Saturday, he would attend a Cub Scout meeting across the street at the church. One Saturday, I asked him where he was going; he said, “Come and join me,” and I have been in Scouting ever since. I was instantly hooked on the program, and ultimately, I became the second Eagle Scout of Troop 3 Central Falls, Rhode Island, a ScoutReach unit. During my time in the troop, our Scout Executive, Dave Anderson, would take ScoutReach kids hiking at Mount Mercy. When I was 16, I had the opportunity to go with the group and Dave. During that campout, I realized I wanted to do what Dave did and work for the BSA for the rest of my life. I wanted to be a Scout Executive. I wanted to give back to the program that’s given me so much and be devoted to offering Scouting to kids nationwide.

MayflowerBSA.org: Explain “ScoutReach” to people unfamiliar with it.

Juan Osorio: ScoutReach is the BSA’s vehicle to reach inner-city, at-risk youth. The Narragansett Council has a solid ScoutReach program. They went to schools and community centers in areas that had a high poverty rate, where there’s a higher percentage of single-parent families, kids being raised by grandparents, aunts, and uncles, and families that face increased adversity. They offered the Scouting program to those families at a heavily subsidized cost through ScoutReach, allowing them to enjoy Scouting and attend summer camp. When I started my profession with the Boy Scouts of America, I began as a ScoutReach Program Specialist. It was my job to go into these low-income communities and be the Cubmaster and Scoutmaster to multiple different Scout groups so that they could find a quality program locally.

MayflowerBSA.org: Are you born and raised in Rhode Island?

Juan Osorio: No, I was born in Medellin, Colombia. My mother brought my sister and me to this country when I was just three, and my sister was eight. I grew up in Central Falls, Rhode Island, and graduated from Central Falls High School. I lived in Rhode Island until I moved to Georgia to be a Scout Executive there.

MayflowerBSA.org: Now, just by showing up with the name Juan, you’re changing the look of the Mayflower Council. And the Mayflower Council itself has already earmarked diversity as one of the things it needs to improve. What are you bringing to the table, besides yourself, to ensure we reach as many different types of people as possible?

Osorio with a group of Georgia Scout Executives.

Juan Osorio: As a minority, diversity is critical and very near and dear to my heart. I have worked with the National Boy Scouts of America on the Citizenship and Society Merit Badge; I am a co-founder of the L.I.S.T.O.S., the Hispanic Work Resource Group for the BSA; and I was part of the first edition of the employee DEI training with the National Boy Scouts. Again, because I am a minority and have faced adversity as one in this country, I need to make sure that we are equitable across the board, not only in ethnicity but also in gender, sexuality, and age. All of them will be our focus as we move forward to ensure that we are fully inclusive to all our families and youth, allowing them to join and enjoy our great programs, regardless of background.

MayflowerBSA.org: That is in keeping with Baden Powell’s original intent. For example, he brought poor and wealthy kids together and did his first experimental Scout camp. He also helped start the Girl Guides. How do you speak to the traditionalists in Scouting regarding the future?

Juan Osorio: Scouting brought specific values to the United States from the UK, many of which have stayed the same for 114 years. However, the Scouting program differs today from 20 or 30 years ago. The world has changed, we in the BSA have evolved, and we must continue growing to meet today’s families’ needs. Millennial parents, our target audience, have a different philosophy on life from those of prior generations. And so, we have to meet that market. While Scouting has had an incredible history in our nation, we continue to evolve to stay relevant to today’s society while staying true to the values found in the Scout Oath and Law. We’re teaching character, and we should be able to teach character to all the kids in the United States of America.

MayflowerBSA.org: Part of that character and roots in the Scout Law makes it possible for the Scouts to adapt to people’s schedules and have multiple focuses in the family. What would you say to a child or a child’s family who says, “My kid plays baseball and soccer?” How does Scouting fit into that web of wonderful things that children do?

Juan Osorio with with Medal of Honor recipient Colonel Ralph Puckett, Distinguished Eagle Scout.

Juan Osorio with Medal of Honor recipient Colonel Ralph Puckett, Distinguished Eagle Scout.

Juan Osorio: For many years, Scouting has faced the challenge of kids enjoying sports and many other activities along with Scouting. Our unit leaders have been very adaptable to allow those schedules. Scouting is one day a week, for the most part. We do outdoor activities and campouts but are flexible, which is excellent. Our parents can do much more with their child at home through Scoutbook and other interactive means that allow us to extend our program into their households. Technology is a great thing, but technology has caused us to work longer hours as adults. We go home, we’re at the dinner table with our family or watching TV, and we might be on our cell phones looking at our emails. That’s the challenge that we face in today’s day and age. As we digitilize our program more, it gives those families more access to enjoy it. Again, we must continue evolving to stay relevant in our market.

MayflowerBSA.org: To that end, Scouts BSA are kids who are dealing with academics, athletics, art, and music – all those beautiful things that may make a focus solely on an Eagle Scout or an Eagle Scout project difficult.

Juan Osorio: As an Eagle Scout, I have a lot of love and respect for those of us who attain that rank. However, Scouting is much more than that, and too often, as an organization, we focus only on Eagle Scouts. We have to focus on the delivery of our program. Suppose a Scout in our program is interested in the outdoors rather than our advancement. In that case, they should be allowed to continue to be in the program and enjoy it. Advancing, while important, is not the only facet or purpose of our organization. Some Scouts might enjoy merit badges, others the outdoors. Some may enjoy the weekly meetings and not like to go camping. Others might want to make it to Eagle Scout by age 15, and others, like myself, might barely scrape by and hand in their Eagle Scout application the day before they turn 18.

MayflowerBSA.org: As adult leaders, we don’t want to turn away anyone interested in Scouting, even if they aren’t solely focused on the ultimate goal of the Eagle.

Juan Osorio: Our program is a well-rounded program that welcomes everybody. Suppose that means kids want to enjoy the program without the advancement? In that case, that is perfectly okay. As a former Scoutmaster who has produced 17 Eagle Scouts, outside of those 17 Eagle Scouts, I had hundreds of kids who benefited from our program that, to this day, see me in a grocery store and thank me for providing them with a quality program and values they continue to carry. They’re not Eagle Scouts but retain many values that Scouting taught them. It’s not a pass or fail; it’s not “Eagle Scout” or “no Scout.” There are a lot of other opportunities within our program for our Scouts to learn and grow.

MayflowerBSA.org: One of the things I’ve heard recently, anecdotally, is that being an Eagle Scout no longer helps people on the way to college and employment success. That’s probably wrapped into some harsh realities the Boy Scouts of America have faced over the last few years. What do you say to that?

Juan Osorio: Being an Eagle Scout has directly opened doors for me. I went to Rhode Island College and was part of the PEP program. They only accepted about 30 incoming college students. The only reason I got accepted was that I was an Eagle Scout. It helped me in my life and continues to benefit me. As a Scout Executive, I meet and work with many C-suite corporate leaders. Time and time again, they will tell me that if they see a candidate is an Eagle Scout on their application, they will consider them. It’s not a shoo-in, but a “Hey, this person has accomplished a lot at a young age; they can be great on my team,” giving them more opportunities. There are still a lot of other skills that they must prove. However, Scouting generally teaches the soft skills our youth do not receive because of the other challenges they face. I think employers, now more than ever — especially after COVID — are realizing that. It’s the soft skills that they’re looking for in some of these new employees coming into the corporate world.

MayflowerBSA.org: Soft skills? Meaning teamwork, civics, and leadership training?

Juan Osorio: It is as simple as conversing and looking your manager in the eye. Something as simple as knowing how to interact in a team setting. Those are things that we teach. Those are the types of soft skills that colleges and employers are looking for.

Look for Part 2 next week…

Mayflower Council Scout Executive Juan F. Osorio

CORI and SORI Forms For Summer Camp

Requirements for Leaders, Volunteers and Staff Members Attending or Working at Summer Camp

Camp Resolute and Camp Squanto places the greatest importance on creating the most secure environment possible for our youth campers.

We are required by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Public Health regulations to obtain a CORI (Criminal Offender Registry Information) and a SORI (Sex Offender Record Information) check on all adult leaders, volunteers attending camp with your troop and camp staff.

Any adult leader or volunteer who will be providing leadership while they are in camp must have a completed CORI and SORI form on file with the camp regardless of the amount of time they are in camp.

CORI Request

The CORI request for for summer camp is different than the CORI request form you filled out to be a volunteer with the Mayflower Council. Massachusetts camps are required to perform a CORI check that will result in the camp receiving all conviction, non-conviction and pending information in both the adult record (age 17 and older) and juvenile data. As this is a different CORI check being completed a different CORI form than the one you filled out to volunteer in Scouting is required.

The CORI regulations require that each leader, volunteer or staff member provide a government issued photo identification such as a driver’s license, passport, state identification, etc… and that a copy of the ID be kept on file with the camp.

SORI Request

Camp Resolute and Camp Squanto is also mandated by Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Public Health to obtain a Sex Offender Registry Information (SORI) report from the Massachusetts Sex Offender Registry Board (SORB) for all camp staff or volunteers. The Sex Offender Registry Board is a public safety agency responsible for protecting the public from sex offenders.

Required Forms

All leaders, volunteers and staff members must complete each of the following forms:

CORI Request Form for Summer Camp

SORI Request Form

District Leadership Structure Changes Coming

Over the past year, a great deal of discussion has ensued regarding the district leadership structure of Mayflower Council. It has become increasingly challenging to fill the many district committee positions and ensure that the support needed for the Scouting program is being provided in the most efficient, effective, and consistent manner.

A committee was formed last summer of individuals from across the council to determine the best path moving forward given the current number of unfilled positions. A wide variety of options were considered and discussed at length; it was decided that to best way to provide a quality scouting program in Mayflower Council was to adopt a more Council centralized support structure in place of what has previously been a District-centered approach. It is extremely important to note that the continued involvement of current leaders, and recruitment of others, will be a critical element as we move forward. The knowledge base and dedication of the current corps of volunteers will be integral to the new leadership structure.

To facilitate a smooth transition to this type of structural leadership change, an Implementation Team has been identified to collect information and identify “next steps” for the transition. It is anticipated that the roll out will occur in a stepwise fashion during the 2024-25 program year. In the coming months there will be in-depth discussions amongst various committees and constituents to solicit input and help the Implementation Team develop a well-defined roll out plan. This will be an evolving process, with information to be provided as it becomes available. The Implementation Team is planning to hold a Council-wide Summit in October, open to those currently serving in District leadership positions and all others who are interested.

A contact email (click here to email ) has been set up to ensure that individuals can ask questions at any time as we move forward with the transition. Every effort will be made to ensure responses are sent as quickly as possible, recognizing that answers to many questions may not be available until the roll out plan is better defined.

Sharable announcement flyer

“Around The Campfire” Podcast – Episode One

Check out Mayflower Council’s “Around The Campfire” Podcast, a new show designed specifically for unit leaders and volunteers. Hosted by Rob DiFazio, an Eagle Scout from East Bridgewater serving on the Membership & Unit Service Team, this episode of the podcast covers a variety of topics, including Webelos to Scout transitions with Wood Badge-trained Scouter David Laucirica, and Eagle Scout Aaron Christian (both from the Membership & Unit Service Team). Logan Ferraro, Program Executive, gives an overview of BlackPug and CampDocs, as well as upcoming events. Additionally, Rich Carlson, our Council Commissioner, provides an update on our new Scout executive. Don’t miss out on this informative podcast!

Council Service Center Adverse Weather Policy

With the impending snow storm we would like to remind our community about our adverse weather policy. The council follows the lead of the Milford school system when setting its adverse weather policy. If Milford Public Schools close, so does the Milford Service Center. If the Milford Public Schools announce a delay (1 hour delay for example) the council service center delays its opening by the same time. We encourage everyone to follow the weather and school closure reports on Boston media such as WCVB Channel 5 in order to stay informed and up to date on school closings and weather alerts.

2024 Annual Membership Fee Update

Effective April 1, 2024, the BSA will eliminate the $25 one-time joining fee for new program participants in Cub Scouts, Scouts BSA, Venturing and Sea Scouting.

$85/yr for Cub Scouts, Scouts BSA, Venturing and Sea Scouting participants ($5 increase)
$65/yr for all adult volunteers ($5 increase)
$30/yr for Scoutreach (No change in fee)
$25/yr for Merit Badge Counselors (No change in fee. Only for Merit Badge Counselors not already registered as leaders)
$50/yr for Exploring participants Youth & Adult (No change in fee)
$100/yr unit renewal/affiliation fee (No change in fee)
$15/yr for Scout Life magazine (No change in fee)
Council Program Fee will remain at $48 for Cub Scouts, Scouts BSA, Venturing and Sea Scouting participants until July 31, 2024 and then will increase to $68 on August 1, 2024

Lace up your Hiking Boots

Lace up your Hiking Boots for the BCT (Bay Circuit Trail)

What if there was a local hiking trail that travelled around the city of Boston, through some 37 local cities and towns offering natural beauty, historical interest and access to trail heads and trail segments using the MBTA and public transportation? A trail that is managed by a collaboration of private and public entities including the Appalachian Mountain Club and local town and city conservations departments. Hiking, biking, cross country skiing and snow shoeing are all available on the trail. If that were the case, you would be describing the Bay Circuit Trail! The BCT is some 230 miles long, starting at the mouth of the Merrimack River and ending in Kingston Bay on the South Shore circling the city of Boston.

We are inviting all Mayflower Scout units to choose a trail segment either in their own hometown or a trail segment of their choice, so that all or units together will cover all 230 miles of the trail in a single day! Cub Scouts, Scout BSA and Venturers are all invited to participate. Trail segments can be assigned by hiking ability and length to accommodate the novice or the experienced hiker. We would ask that a photo be taken at both the start and the end of your hike as proof that you have completed your part of the trail. Scout units from other local councils are also cordially invited to join us on hike day. We are planning an ending celebration after all 230 miles have been completed. Did I mention that there will be a cool and unique patch made available to all registered hikers? Hike day is planned for Saturday May 18th. Watch for a future registration link and additional detail as we get closer to hike day. Unit leaders include this in you units’ activity planning, you will want to be part of this once in a lifetime opportunity!

Mayflower Council Executive Board Portal

Welcome to the Mayflower Council Executive Board Portal, a secure and centralized location designed to streamline board operations and enhance collaboration among executive members. This portal provides a comprehensive suite of tools to facilitate efficient meeting management, document sharing, and secure communication, enabling you to make informed decisions and drive strategic growth for our organization.

Visit Board Portal

Always Room for More – Earn A Recruiter Patch

Always Room for More

Earn your “Recruiter” patch in 2023

The founder of the Scouting movement, Sir Robert Baden Powell — better known as B-P in Scout circles — once said:

“An invaluable step in character training is to put responsibility on the individual.” In the spirit of that wise sentiment, the Mayflower Council is looking for some recruiting help.

And who better to ask than the Scouts themselves?

During the months of November and December, we encourage individual Scouts to look to their friend groups and ask potential Scouts to join them at a meeting.

Scouts who successfully recruit a friend will receive a “Recruiter” patch courtesy of the Mayflower Council – we’ll provide it free!

There are three steps to earn the badge:

Encourage your Scouts to encourage a friend to attend an upcoming meeting or event and join before December 31.
When a Scout recruits their friend, a Scoutmaster or Cubmaster completes this form.
We will ship the Recruiter Badge to your unit to award to your recruiters as part of your next Court of Honor or rank advancement. We will also send the newly enrolled Scout a “Welcome” letter.

It’s as simple as that.

Meanwhile, we’re hoping to build on the work everyone put in during “Join Scouting Day” and “Slices for Scouting” and bring even more youth into BSA membership via Mayflower Council.

And we know that our Scouts are up for the challenge. So, let’s get to it!

2024 Silver Beaver Award Nominations

In Scouting, we say “it’s about the youth” and none of our adults are involved for the recognition, but every now and then we need to say thanks especially to those volunteers whose leadership and example has left a lasting positive impact on the program and the broader community. One way we do that is through nominating a Scouter for the Silver Beaver Award, the highest adult recognition a council can bestow. Take a few moments to reflect on volunteers within your unit or district and consider nominating them for the Silver Beaver Award.

To simplify the process this year a new online nomination form was completed. This form will allow you to save your work and go back and add additional information at another time prior to the nomination deadline.

SILVER BEAVER NOMINATION FORM

All nominations must be received by Tuesday, January 2, 2023.

A detailed nomination form, to review before completing the online form, is available by clicking here. Kindly do not submit paper versions of the form.

Questions regarding nominations should be emailed to: awards@mayflowerbsa.org. The awards will be presented at the Council’s Recognition Dinner to be held April 24, 2024.

Frequently asked questions about the Silver Beaver Award:

Overview

To recognize registered Scouters of exceptional character who have provided distinguished service within a council. The award is presented by the National Court of Honor on behalf of councils.

Who Can Earn This Award?

Anyone may nominate any deserving registered Scouter to the council, which selects recipients for the following year. Each council may process their own annual allotment of Silver Beaver awards and shall send a list of Silver Beaver awards presented each calendar year to the National Court of Honor no later than January 31 of the following year.