Boy Scouts, BARC discuss benefits
BROWNSVILLE – The Boy Scouts of America is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year and Chaz Schieb, the Mon Valley District executive, Tuesday discussed the benefits of Scouting with the Greater Brownsville Area Chamber of Commerce. According to Schieb, studies have shown that the longer a boy stays in Scouting, the less likely he is to spend time in jail and the higher his lifetime earnings will be.
“We know that the more time a kid spends in our program, the more likely he’ll develop character,” Schieb said. “It’s definitely a numbers game. We want the most kids involved in the program and raise the most money, so we can have the best facilities and the best programs.”
Although the Mon Valley District does not extend into Fayette County, the district’s main camp, the Heritage Reservation, is located in Farmington. Schieb said the Fayette County camp serves as the base for numerous activities for Scouts, including the co-ed Venture crews for boys and girls ages 13 and older. Those groups participate in activities such as caving, whitewater rafting and other high-adventure activities, Schieb said.
Schieb said the Boy Scouts nominating committee, which involves Scout members and members of the public, is looking for people and organizations that would make good partners with Scouting. The Mon Valley District is partnering with the Salvation Army in Monessen to offer a full range of Scouting activities for all ages.
Schieb said the Scouts also partner with the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Pittsburgh Pirates, which provide hats for new Scouts in the Pittsburgh Council, which includes the Mon Valley District.
Schieb said anyone interested in Scouting can find nearby groups through the website www.beascout.org.
In other matters, the chamber discussed partnering with the Brownsville Area Revitalization Corp. (BARC), the Brownsville Historical Society and the Monongahela River, Rail and Transportation Museum to promote tourism in Brownsville.
Chamber director Gary Rable noted that a community day will be held Sunday at Patsy Hillman Park, featuring food booths, vendors, performances by area dance schools, a professional wrestling demonstration and other activities. Rable said the idea is to attract more people to the park. With more visitors, vandalism rates tend to decrease, Rable said.
Jack Mores, president of the Brownsville chapter of the Izaak Walton League, said he and Ray Koffler will be attending the league’s national convention this week and will be seeking a $6,000 grant from the national conservation organization for continued improvements at the park to support the outdoor education program begun this year in conjunction with the Brownsville Area School District.