BOY SCOUTS TO KICK OFF FRIENDS OF SCOUTING

Former NFL standout Jack Snow will be the attraction Thursday when the Shawnee District Boy Scouts kick off the annual Friends of Scouting fund-raising blitz with a breakfast.

The breakfast will begin at 7:30 a.m. in the State Room of Drury Lodge. Snow, an all-American wide receiver who played 11 seasons with the Rams, will join fund-raising chairman Narvol Randol Jr. as guest speaker.

Snow was a Boy Scout who now lives in St Louis, said district Scout executive Tom Turpin. "He's done some things with us up there, and we just worked to get him involved down here."

Snow caught 340 passes and scored 45 touchdowns throughout his career, which ended in 1975. He coached wide receivers for the Rams in 1982, and has been a color analyst on Rams radio broadcasts since 1992.

Snow, who attained the rank of Star while active in the Boy Scouts, will give a presentation on teamwork and leadership to inspire some 75 volunteers who will be calling on companies and people in the area to contribute during the weeklong campaign. Randol has set a local district goal of $43,000.

Turpin said the Friends of Scouting capital campaign accounts for 30 percent of the district's total budget. Another 25 percent of the budget comes from program fees and 21 percent is contributed by the United Way.

"Our goal was $41,000 last year and we actually just squeaked by," he said. "This is a pretty major chunk of our fund-raising effort."

The Shawnee District serves 1,930 Scouts with 57 units in Cape Girardeau, Bollinger, Perry and parts of Scott and Stoddard counties. Turpin said money raised locally will keep summer-camp fees at Camp Lewallen the lowest in the country.

"We're pretty proud of that because a lot of councils charge $150 to $200 for a week, and we're able to keep it down to about $98 per week, I guess because we do such a good job as stewards of the money," he said.

Money raised will also help finance camperships, uniforms and Scout registration for those in need; training for leaders to ensure a quality program; the Raymond Ritter Scout Service Center; accident and liability insurance to protect both young and adult members; professional staff who counsel, guide and inspire volunteers; Scout properties available for year-round camping and Cub Scout family outdoors events; and an opportunity to influence the young people.

For more information on how to get involved with or make donations to the Friends of Scouting campaign, call Turpin at the Boy Scout Service Canter at (573) 335-3346.