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Don’t miss our upcoming Pony Express District Roundtable on Thursday, November 17^th starting at 7:00 PM located at Wamego School District Office (1008 8th St, Wamego, KS 66547). The featured program is our Recharter and Journey to Excellence Workshop. The District team will provide direct support to assist your Unit’s successful completion of Recharter and Journey to Excellence. It is vital we have representation from each of our Units. Please bring a laptop to work on your Unit’s Recharter. Snacks and beverages will be provided.

The BSA issues charters to community organizations to enable them to use the Scouting program under their own leadership as a service to their children, youth, and families. Re-chartering is the process of renewing the charter agreement between the BSA and the organization and renewing the registration of youth and adult members. Every unit must recharter annually.

Rechartering on time is critical. It is required for units to qualify for Journey to Excellence. It is required for units to continue registration without interruption. It is required to ensure Scouts are registered, critical for receiving rank advancement and other awards, and for insurance coverage.

The Jayhawk Area Council is pleased to announce its 13th class of honorees recognizing twenty individuals under the age of 40 that are leaders in our community. These honorees are helping make Topeka and Shawnee County a great place to live, work and play.

Each spring a call for nominations goes out to the great Topeka community for candidates who’ve shown leadership and community involvement.  Once the nomination period has closed, all nominees receive an invitation to apply. Annually, the program receives more than 200 nominations and 100 applications. 

“It was a privilege to lead the selection process for Topeka’s Top 20 under 40. The caliber of applications this year was extraordinary, and all on the committee were challenged to narrow down the final 20. This group represents the bright future of Topeka with leadership, passion and generosity ,” notes Kelly Potter, Special Events Advisor .

The following list of 2022 honorees have been chosen from a pool of prominent nominees for their notable accomplishments in professional and personal service to build a stronger Topeka. Evaluation and selection of the nominees was completed by a committee of more than 20 community members.

The 2022 Class of Honorees are:

• Chelsea Artzer, Principal, McClure Elementary
• Kate Butler, Associate Attorney, Barber Emerson, LC
• Sean Dixon, President, Visit Topeka
• Dr. Jessica Dorsey, Executive Director, Kansas Volunteer Commission with the Kansas State Department of Education 
• Ashley Esquibel, Vice President of Human Resources, Envista Credit Union
• Nick Gardner, Principal, Ross Elementary School
• Emmanuel “Manny” Herron, Founder, Infinite Properties Group LLC
• Jodi Litfin, Assistant Solicitor General, Office of the Kansas Attorney General
• Mallory Lutz, Lobbyist, Little Government Relations
• Haley Matherly, Volunteer and Family Engagement Manager, Topeka Habitat for Humanity
• TJ McDonald, Membership Sales Manager, Greater Topeka Partnership
• Marcus Miller, Executive Director, First Tee – Greater Topeka
• Michael Odupitan, CEO and Founder, Omni Circle
• Rockell Otero, Financial Controller, Prairie Band, LLC
• Julie Phillips, Director of Grants, Communities in Schools of Mid-American, Inc.
• Eric Purcell, Wealth Advisor, Clayton Wealth Partners
• Kelly Rippel, Crop Claims Adjustor, Zurich North America / Rural Community Insurance Services (RCIS)
• Amber Smith, Deputy Judicial Administrator and General Counsel, Office of Judicial Administration
• Gretchen Spiker, Director of Communications, City of Topeka
• Lauren Wolf, Senior Registered Nurse Investigator, Kansas Attorney General’s Office

On November 10^th, the Jayhawk Area Council will host a banquet at Townsite Avenue Ballroom to recognize the 2022 honorees.   To make a donation in their honor, purchase a ticket to the event or to become a sponsor visit www.jayhawkcouncil.org/20Under40. Topeka’s 20 Under 40 is a premier event benefiting the Jayhawk Area Council Boy Scouts of America.

The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) has worked to keep the membership fee as low as possible. As you know, costs continue to rise, and the annual fee must be increased to address the fiscal realities we face to deliver a safe and quality Scouting program. The fee adjustments are consistent with the National Council’s long-range projections that were announced two years ago.

To ensure we have the resources to fulfill the promise of Scouting, the following national membership fee structure will take effect August 1, 2022.

• $75 for Cub Scouts, Scouts BSA, Venturing and Sea Scouts participants
• $100 for a unit charter/affiliation fee
• $15 for Scout Life magazine; this is the first price increase since 2005

There will be no change in fees for the following programs:

• $45 for Exploring participants
• $45 for all adult volunteers (includes cost of background check)
• $25 one-time joining fee for new program participants in Cub Scouts, Scouts BSA, Venturing and Sea Scouts

The above represent the annual membership fees which are due for existing members when you unit recharters in January 2023.  For new members joining this fall, fees will be pro-rated (except for the $25 joining fee) based on the month they join. The fall membership packets will have the update membership fees chart included.

These are national membership fees only. Councils have the option of adding a local council membership fee in addition to the fees that are paid to the national council.  Your Jayhawk Area Council executive board has elected not to institute a council membership fee program. Your annual Friends of Scouting contributions, participation in the annual popcorn sale and attending your council’s summer camp programs and council events all help support the local council operations mitigating the need for a council membership fee.

The national membership fee helps cover the cost of essential services, including program resources, liability insurance for those participating in approved Scouting activities, criminal background checks, youth protection, and the development of intellectual property for national, council, and unit programs. As they move forward, the national council executive board will continue to look at the membership fee structure and how they deliver the Scouting program for future generations. Thank you for your understanding, together we will continue to provide a great Scouting program for our families.

Our friends from the Quivira Council wanted us to share the following information regarding Scouting activities at this year’s Kansas State Fair.

Did you know that Scouts can enter exhibits at the Kansas State Fair? Scouts BSA exhibits and demonstrations will be housed in the Oz Building from September 9-18, 2022 at the Kansas State Fairgrounds in Hutchinson, KS. This is an amazing opportunity to showcase our Scouts and our programs! There are lots of things Scouts can be doing NOW to get ready for the State Fair. How can you join the Quivira Council at the 2022 Kansas State fair?

Scouts of all ages (and their leaders) are encouraged to enter exhibits into the Kansas State Fair. Registration opens online May 1st. Exhibits should be submitted by August 1st, 2022 to avoid a late fee! The comprehensive list of exhibit classes can be found here. Unit Leaders can assist by reminding scouts to keep projects that can be entered as an exhibit!

Scouting units can sign up to present a scouting demonstration at the State Fair. Participating Scouts will have FREE admission the day they present. Find out more here. Scouting units wanting to sign up will need to submit their form no later than August 1st. Units will be notified of the schedule by August 15th.

Parents and Adult Volunteers can sign up to volunteer at the Scouting Exhibits. Volunteers are responsible for monitoring the exhibits and receive FREE admission on their volunteer days. Volunteers can sign up here! Eagle Scouts from 2021-2022 are encouraged to submit a 5×7 photo of themselves along with a short paragraph describing what Scouting has done for them.

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TOPEKA, KS—The Jayhawk Area Council is now accepting nominations for the 2022 “Topeka’s Top 20 Under 40.” Nomination forms can be accessed at:  https://jayhawkcouncil.org/20under40/nominations/  through June 3, 2022 at midnight.

“Being able to launch nominations now is such a positive light for our community in a time that has been very uncertain for many,” says Jayhawk Area Council President, Nick Xidis. “Each year I’m excited to be a part of the process that focuses on the young talent in our community.”

Each year “Topeka’s Top 20 Under 40” program honors 20 individuals under the age of 40 based on their leadership and achievement both professionally and as members of the Topeka/Shawnee County community.  A selection committee, comprised of established leaders within the Topeka area, determines the final 20 honorees based on the applications received from the nominees.  The honorees will be recognized at an awards banquet on Thursday, November 10, 2022.

The Jayhawk Area Council encourages the nomination of any individual over the age of 18 but under the age of 40 at the time of nomination who demonstrate leadership, work-ethic, strong character, and service to the Topeka/Shawnee County community. Nominations are encouraged for young leaders that have been nominated and applied in the past, but were not selected as an honoree.

To submit your nomination for this year’s “20 Under 40” awards, please visit: https://jayhawkcouncil.org/20under40/nominations/.

To learn more about the “20 Under 40” program, visit: www.jayhawkcouncil.org/20Under40 or www.facebook.com/20Under40.