Hello Thunderbird Family,
I hope everyone has had a fantastic couple of weeks and missed me! I am officially back from an incredible Membership Growth Conference at Philmont Scout Ranch, and I came home with a notebook full of new ideas, strategies, and excitement for the future of Thunderbird District.
Now it’s time to put those ideas into action!
We absolutely crushed our Friends of Scouting Campaign, and now we’re shifting our focus to our next big goal… MEMBERSHIP GROWTH! Let’s show everyone that Thunderbird isn’t just great at raising funds, we’re also the district that grows Scouting in Central Texas!
Upcoming Events
July 12 — Join Scout Night (JSN) Training July 15 — Camping Committee Meeting- Virtual July 30 — Join Scout Night (JSN) Training
Looking Ahead
September 25–27 — District Camporee
October 3 — Scouting 101
October 15 — Scout Shop Road Show
November 14 — Scouter Day SpeedFest
February 4, 2027 — Distinguished Citizen Award Luncheon
Membership Growth — Our Next Big Goal
Now that Friends of Scouting is wrapping up, it’s time to focus on the next challenge…
Growing Scouting!
Currently, we’re sitting at 76.3% of our annual membership goal, and I know that number is only going to keep climbing.
We’ll soon be ramping up:
Join Scout Nights School recruiting Community outreach events Fall recruiting preparation
Our Membership Team is going to play a huge role in helping us get there, and we’d love to have more volunteers join us.
If you’ve ever wanted to help grow Scouting but weren’t sure where to start, this is your opportunity.
Whether you can help at one event or throughout the recruiting season, we’d love to have you on the Membership Team.
Sherrick.West@scouting.org tbirdmembership564@gmail.com
Let’s prove Thunderbird can lead the council in both fundraising AND membership growth!
Friends of Scouting Momentum — The Winners Circle!
What an incredible campaign!
Thunderbird continues proving that we are absolutely small but mighty!
We have officially reached our Friends of Scouting goal and are now working to exceed it! Our next milestone is finishing 15% OVER GOAL, and with just a few more gifts, I know we can get there.
Your donation could literally be the gift that pushes Thunderbird to another record-setting year.
Be part of the winning team!
Donate Here:
https://givebutter.com/friendsofscouting
Remember, you do not have to make your full gift today. You can pledge now and pay later in the year. We can even set up payment schedules that work best for you.
If you’d like to make a pledge or have questions about giving options, simply give me a call, send me a text, or shoot me an email, and I’ll be happy to get everything set up.
Many employers also offer matching gift programs, which can double the impact of your donation!
Matching Gift Information:
https://www.capitolareascouting.org/about/ways-to-give/volunteer-match/
Thank you to every volunteer, presenter, donor, business, and family who helped make this campaign such a success. Every dollar directly supports the youth and units of Thunderbird District.
Important SYT Reminder
Current Safeguarding Youth Training (SYT) status is required for registered adults to participate in many Scouting activities and helps ensure we continue providing a safe environment for all youth and volunteers.
The training system has been updated.
The system will automatically assign the appropriate course based on your training history:
Never completed the new 90-minute course? You’ll be assigned the full course.
Previously completed the 90-minute course and it expired more than six days ago? You’ll retake the full course.
Course still active or expired within the last six days? You’ll receive the refresher.
To complete your training:
Log into My.Scouting.org Open My Training Select Take Course or Retake Course
If you completed the refresher without first completing the full 90-minute course, you will still need to complete the full course.
Please complete this as soon as possible so there are no interruptions to your participation in upcoming Scouting activities.
Help Wanted — Merit Badge Team & District Volunteers
We’re continuing to grow our district volunteer team!
We’re especially looking for adults interested in:
• Teaching Merit Badge Classes at Roundtable
• Unit Commissioners
• Roundtable Commissioner
• District Committee Members
• Additional Pack representation on district committees
Teaching even one Merit Badge class each year can have a tremendous impact on our Scouts.
If you’re interested in serving, we’d love to hear from you.
commissioner.tbird@gmail.com districtchair.tbird@gmail.com Sherrick.West@scouting.org
District Notification Text Messages
Thunderbird District now has the ability to send text notifications for important information including:
• Weather alerts
• Event changes
• Important reminders
• Time-sensitive district announcements
Subscribe here:
We’re one of the first districts in the council using this system, and it’s going to help us communicate faster than ever.
I couldn’t be more excited about where Thunderbird District is headed. We have incredible momentum, amazing volunteers, and big goals still ahead of us.
Let’s finish Friends of Scouting strong, continue growing our membership, and make the second half of the year even better than the first.
As always, thank you for everything you do for the youth and families of Thunderbird District.
Yours in Scouting,
Sherrick West | Thunderbird District Executive
Important: If you completed the refresher course without ever taking the full 90-minute course, you must still complete the full course. If you experience issues, clear your browser cache and try again.
SYT Deadline: May 31, 2026
June 4 — Roundtable & OA Chapter Meeting
June 6 — District Storage Clean Out Day
7:00 PM
Bethany Lutheran Church
