FOS News
Congratulations to those Districts Reaching Goal. We are on pace to make our goal by August 30th. Congratulations to Lakeview District for being the first to reach their total FOS goal. Congratulations to all others highlighted for reaching the goals in either Family or Community thus far.

2008 FRIENDS OF SCOUTING CAMPAIGN

Family FOS is a critical part of the sustaining revenue for the Longhorn Council. Our Friends of Scouting Campaign comprises 32% of the annual budget. It consists of two smaller, tactical campaigns: the Family portion and a Community portion.

Lori Pope, of Santa Fe District, has accepted the leadership position of Council Family FOS Chair. She will give coordination to the District Family FOS Chairs and provide assistance staff in designing effective strategies to involve more units and families in this important council sustaining fund raiser.

New this year is an emphasis on selecting a Unit Coordinator for each unit to lead, assist, and manage the unit's involvement and participation within the Family FOS campaign. The Unit Coordinator will focus on three objectives:
1. Setting a Unit FOS goal.
2. Promoting attendance at the Unit FOS presentation and the importance of the families involvement in the campaign.
3. Follow up with families not present or not responding at the presentation.

Resource for Unit Coordinators

Further information can be obtained from the District Family FOS chair. Congratulations and thank you to all of the district chairs for assisting and giving leadership in this important endeavor. Individuals as of this writing:

Chisholm Trail ...........................Vacant
Indian Nations ..........................EG Swift-White
Three Rivers ............................Vacant
Commanche Trail .....................Clint Flatt
Brazos Valley ..........................Heath Jackson
Frontier Trail ............................Charles Irish
Tonkawa .................................Robert Beardsley
Silver Star ...............................Chuck Mason
Trailblazer ...............................Mike Doyle
Roadrunner .............................Jeff Schaefer
Woodbine ...............................Don Jewett
CrossTimbers .........................Vacant
Tejas .....................................Jim Jones
Trinity Trails ...........................Steven Parker
Santa Fe ...............................Dianne Babcock
Lakeview ...............................Ed Lambert
Topsanah ..............................Craig Torrence
Mustang ................................Alan Buchanan

Schedule your 2008 Family FOS campaign presentation at your Roundtables now.

Click here for FOS 2008 Goal Sheet.

Click here for 2007 Friends of Scouting Campaign Results

The Council must raise 92% of its operating funds and all of its capital development funds. Gifts of cash or securities are needed. To learn more, call Michael Wright at 817-231-8507 or email him at mwright@longhorn.org.

Lockheed Community Grant Information (Word document)

Endowment giving is usually a deferred gift choice-but one that last a lifetime. The Longhorn Council is blessed to have a close relationship with the Longhorn Foundation which provides for the camp improvements and new developments. Making gifts to the endowment fund is easily done. A gift to the endowment builds the capital base of the entire program. Only the interest on the principal can be used.

The Longhorn Council encourages gifts to the Foundation by utilizing the resources developed at the National Council of the Boy Scouts of America.

JAMES E. WEST- is a $1,000 or more gift of cash or securities over and above their regular annual gift to Friends of Scouting. This gift to the endowment may be done in someone else's name or honor. Presentation of the JAMES WEST FELLOWSHIP is done at the Annual Council Banquet..usually in April. Providing a JAMES E. WEST FELLOWSHIP is a marvelous way to provide a lasting tribute to your Scoutmaster. A civic club or employer may also use the West award for honoring a long serving scouting leader from their ranks. There are many different levels of gifting that also earn a James West fellowship; the common thread is the gifts are easily convertible to cash and a relatively short-term (council must receive money or securties within the calendar year).

The HERITAGE SOCIETY- is a group of Scouters and donors who believe in providing the long term future of the Council and the program of the BSA. To do this they make arrangements for Scouting in their estate planning. This has many attractive tax benefits for them. Heritage Society members have made arrangements to leave or provide at least $5,000 in their estate plans to the Council. The means for making this pledge, and initially it is just that-a pledge of intent- is through the will, by a variety of charitable trusts, real estate, or mutual funds and pension funds, or life insurance policies. To learn more about deferred gifting to the Council and what benefits it might hold for you personally, contact the Longhorn Council Scout Executive or Finance Director at 817.231.8500.