EMBODYING EXCELLENCE: Daniel Webster Council

It's easy to say that the Boy Scouts is a great program: after all, what other organization expects its members to be trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent? These aren't suggestions. It's the scout law.

While people know scouts do good deeds and the Boy Scouts is dedicated to molding boys into the leaders of tomorrow, they may not be as aware of the true impact that the Daniel Webster Council Boy Scouts of America is having in NIL The Council serves 23,000 youth through 7,800 adult volunteers and 500 community organizations. It serves every NH community except four. It is the 56th largest council in the nation out of 309. "Folks in New Hampshire are surprised by the number of youth in the program and the scope of our outdoor program," says Al Lambert, scout executive.

Aside from the sheer number of lives the Council touches, though, the impressive programs it has developed are what make the NH program a standout. Celebrating its 75th anniversary, the Daniel Webster Council is carefully balancing its commitment to traditional values while exploring new opportunities to connect with young men and women. Several of the programs developed by the Daniel Webster Council have been adopted by the Boy Scouts of America, other scouting councils and nonprofits across the country.

The Council recently partnered with the International Center in Manchester to help children who have immigrated with their families. There are 25 youth involved in the program, which introduces them to the community, provides support to their families and "educates them about what being an American means."

The Council also developed a program to identify boys and girls who are in jeopardy of failing in elementary or middle school. Through its Outdoor Adventure Program, the children learn to have fun with education through a combination of scouting-designed classroom programs and the Council's outdoor facilities. It's been so successful, it piqued the interest of Sen. Judd Gregg, who helped to secure federal funding for the project so it can be expanded statewide. The Council also partners with Easter Seals of NH to provide outdoor camping to disabled youth.

With so many scouts in NH, the community contributions of the Council are far reaching. Every November, the Council conducts its Scouting for Food Campaign, which collects more than 500,000 pounds of food for the hungry. Each scouting group is required to provide at least 20 hours of community service annually, and projects range from park clean-ups to trail maintenance programs. There are also approximately 200 scouts each year who seek to attain the rank of Eagle Scout, which requires they put together extensive community projects.

"What energizes me most is the community service we do. From the basics of teaching 7- and 8-year-olds to give back to the community to the fantastic scope of the Eagle projects, I'm impressed with the impact those community service projects are having across the state," Lambert says.