We only have a short time to
live, so we must do things that are worthwhile, and do them now."
Lord Robert Baden-Powell, Scouting’s Founder
Please remember
Scouting in your Will...
Scouting’s
original founder, Lord Robert Baden-Powell, lived by an interesting motto: We
only have a short time to live, so we must do things that are
worthwhile, and do them now.
This belief clearly influenced his vision of the organization he was to create.
But it also continues to define the true importance of Scouting, the relevance
and impact of its programs, and the vital role that our great volunteers play in
making Scouting what it is today. Through our wills, all of us can ("do them
now") help insure that Scouting will continue to build character, citizenship
and fitness in the future. The charitable bequest (will) is the most familiar
and widely used way to benefit Scouting at some future time. It is how most
donors establish a legacy after their lifetime. Most who include Scouting in
their wills benefit their heirs at the same time. A charitable bequest is
completely deductible from the estate. Depending on your needs, there are many
forms a bequest to Scouting can take. These include:
1. General Bequest
- a
designated sum of money from your estate, such as $10,000. These are among the
first bequests to be fulfilled in an estate.
2. Specific
bequest -
a specifically
designated item, such as a certain stock, a specific home or piece of land,
artwork, etc. If you don’t own the item at the time of your death, the
beneficiary will get nothing.
3. Percentage
bequest -
a designated percentage of your estate, such as 10 percent. This is a good way
to ensure that inflation will not reduce the value of your bequest to Scouting.
4. Residuary
bequest -
a designation that
gives Scouting all or part of what remains after your general and specific
bequests are satisfied. There may or may not be any gift for Scouting with such
a bequest.
5. Contingent
bequest -
a bequest that
will not take effect unless another bequest fails, such as to a spouse or other
relative who might predecease you. Many donors establish "testamentary"
charitable trusts in their wills. These many be annuity trusts or unitrusts -
just like those created during life - but are funded or created in a will. Also,
for donors who use living trusts instead of a will, Scouting and other charities
can easily be included in those. For those already with wills, simple changes
can easily be made with a codicil. A codicil is a simple addition or amendment
to an existing will. As with all bequests, codicils remain revocable during your
lifetime. Regardless of your charitable plans, it is important to regularly
review your will and make sure it meets the changing needs of you and your
family. Please give thoughtful consideration to how you can impact Scouting into
the future, forever. If you have any questions please contact Dennis Stamstad at (920) 734-5705.
James E. West
Fellowship
James E. West was
the first Chief Scout Executive of the Boy Scouts of Amerca, and he served in
that position for more than three decades. The West Fellowship Award is
available to gifts of $1,000 or more in cash or marketable securities to the
Bay-Lakes Council. The gift must be in addition to, and not replace or
diminish, the donor’s annual Friends of Scouting support.
Many individuals
and corporation make James E. West Fellowship gifts on behalf of someone else:
·
In
honor of a new Eagle Scout
·
In
honor or a Silver Beaver recipient
·
To
recognize a retirement, special accomplishment or anniversary
·
In
Memory of a Special Individual
All Fellowship
awardees are presented with a special leather bound certificate, pin and uniform
knot. James E. West Fellows are automatically members of the Bay-Lakes Heritage
Society.
For more
information on the James E. West Fellowship, please call Dennis Stamstad at
(920) 734-5705.
2007 James E. West Fellowship Brochure
1910 Society
Founded in 1910, the Boy Scouts of America has grown into some thing larger and
more significant than anyone anticipated. We honor that special date by
presenting the 1910 Society award to donors who make gifts of $25,000 or more to
their council endowments. These gifts can be in the form of cash, securities,
land, five-year pledges, or other property suitable to the Bay-Lakes Council
Endowment Fund or easily converted to cash. There are four levels of
recognition in the 1910 Society that honor four very special individuals who
shaped modern-day Scouting. All gifts can be payable over five years.
1) Earnest Thomas Seton, nationally known artist and naturalist, author of the
first official American Scout handbook and many other books important to
Scouting;
Seton Level membership: $25,000 minimum gift
2) Daniel Carter Beard, first chairman of the National Court of Honor, national
Scout commissioner, and author of many well-known books and stories for youth;
Beard Level membership: $10,000 minimum gift
3) Theodore Roosevelt, first Chief Scout Citizen, first Vice President of the
BSA, and President of the United States;
Roosevelt Level membership: $500,000 minimum gift
4) Waite Phillips, one of the BSA's first benefactors, and donor to the BSA of
almost 130,000 acres of land in New Mexico which became Philmont Scout Ranch;
Phillips Level membership: $1,000,000 minimum gift
The Founders Circle
The Founders Circle is intended to recognize deferred gifts designated to the
Bay-Lakes Council endowment fund. With deferred giving (also called planned
giving) so widely and effectively used by so many donors, the Bay-Lakes Council
wants to recognize the importance of such major gifts. Donors are recognized
for gift commitments with a minimum value of $100,000. Unlike the other
endowment recognition awards, the donor may qualify for membership with gifts
made through:
- Charitable bequests in a will or a codicil
- Charitable trusts, such as unitrusts, annuity trusts,
and lead trusts
- BSA Gift Annuities or BSA Pooled Income Fund Gifts
- Life insurance/retirement plan designations
- Other deferred gifts approved by the Bay-Lakes Council
As with the 1910 Society, there are four levels of membership within the
Founders Circle. They are:
Bronze--$100,000
minimum gift commitment
Silver--$250,000 minimum gift commitment
Gold--$500,000 minimum gift commitment
Platinum--$1,000,000 minimum gift commitment
The early founders of the BSA had the vision and commitment to make Scouting the
number one youth organization in the world. In that spirit, we honor the
modern-day visionaries who qualify for the Founders Circle in their commitment
to perpetuate the visions and beliefs of those founders.
For more information on how you can participate in one of these endowment
recognition programs, contact
the Bay-Lakes
Council at (920) 734-5705.
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