Parents Guides to Protecting Your Children From Child Abuse
The natural next question is: Why should I give money to my local council? Many councils answer this with what’s called “The Iceberg Analogy.”
The Iceberg Analogy
The thinking here is that Scouts and volunteers see only 20 percent of what councils provide to members. There’s a whole lot more beneath the surface.
They support you, the volunteer, so you have more time to enjoy the life-changing fun of Scouting.
What do councils provide? In other words: What’s beneath the surface?
- Volunteer and staff training
- Insurance coverage to protect volunteers, chartered organizations, staff members and properties
- Support staff for registration, publications and other program support
- Camp promotion for Cub Scout day camps, Boy Scout summer camps, high-adventure bases and more
- Camp rangers to keep the council camps up-to-date and ready for Scouts and families
- Camp equipment, like tents, cooking equipment, camp vehicles, building repairs, canoes, equipment replacement and repair, and general upkeep of council camps
- Recognitions for leaders who complete training, volunteer for special projects and help in many Scouting roles
- Professional staff to work with volunteers to organize new units, manage fundraising programs, conduct training, assist membership recruitment, provide counsel and direct support for district, camps and programs
- Administrative needs, including postage, computers and links to the National BSA computer system and copy machines.
- Service center to provide additional support to volunteers
- Audio-visual supplies used in training, at camps and in volunteer meetings
- Postage to mail materials to leaders, parents and youth members
- A council website to keep you informed
- Reference publications and resources, including program planning guides and popcorn resources
- Camp scholarships, uniforms and registration fees for disadvantaged young people
As you can see, there’s more happening at your council than the average volunteer sees. And it can’t happen without the support of families like yours.
Daniel Webster Council is a division of the Boy Scouts of America that serves all of New Hampshire. The council serves all youth starting in Kindergarten to age 21.
In 1912, two years after the Boy Scouts of America were founded in the United States, the Manchester Council (#330), a volunteer-led council was organized. Initially there were only two troops, both of them chartered by the YMCA. As Scouting grew in popularity, three more makeshift and unrecognized councils sprang up in Dover, Claremont, and Portsmouth. The council grew steadily and added a Scout Executive to its staff in 1919.
On January 9, 1920, the Manchester Council was granted an official charter with the Boy Scouts of America. At that time, the council represented ten troops and 256 Scouts within Manchester, and 87 troops with a total of 1621 Scouts in New Hampshire. In 1925, the Manchester Council acquired Camp Manning in Gilmanton for use as a summer camp. While the Manchester Council grew rapidly, the rest of New Hampshire’s Scouting program saw limited growth.
On May 25, 1929, the Manchester Council was renamed the Daniel Webster Council (#330),and expanded to cover Scouting for the entire state. The new name was derived from New Hampshire statesman Daniel Webster.
The Daniel Webster Council is divided into eight geographical districts:
- Abnaki District
- Arrowhead District
- Historic District
- Massabesic District
- Mt Monadnock District
- Sunapee District
- Wannalancit District
- Nutfield District– dissolved as of 1/1/2019 – Towns split between Historic, Arrowhead, and Massabesic Districts
- Exploring Division
Daniel Webster Council also has a state-wide outreach program, Scoutreach, to provide all families an opportunity to experience Scouting with the elimination of financial barriers.