Verdugo Hills Council

The Verdugo Hills Council of the Boy Scouts of America has achieved a Quality Council status. This recognition is given to councils that commit to, and meet standards specified by, the national offices of Boy Scouts of America pertaining to camping frequency, leader training, youth advancement, membership growth and service. The Verdugo Hills Council is divided into the Iron Eyes Cody District and the Foothill District. Both of these districts also met standards set by the national offices of Boy Scouts of America and achieved a separate status of Quality District.

A Dinner and social will be held at the LDS La Canada Ward for all volunteers in Scouting and their Guests. To recognize Packs, Troops, Teams & Volunteers for their service and participation during the past year. Highlights include the presentation of the District Award of Merit, Veteran's Award, Spouse Award, Extra Miler Award, Cubmaster Award, Cub Scouter Award, Den Leader Award, Webelos Den Leader Award, Den Leader Coach Award, Scouter's Training Award, Scouter's Key, Scoutmaster Award of Merit, Commissioner's Arrowhead Honor Award, Distinguished Commissioner's Service Award, Summertime Pack Award & National Camping Award.

Jamboree Troop 826 comprises scouts from 12 different troops representing Glendale, La Crescenta, Montrose, Burbank, Los Angeles, Sunland and Tujunga. The Jamboree Troop will tour a number of historic sites prior to arriving at the national gathering. They will visit Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, Valley Forge, Gettysburg, Annapolis and Washington, D.C., where they will tour the capital and see the Supreme Court, Arlington National Cemetery, Ford's Theater and the Lincoln, Jefferson, Washington and Vietnam memorials, among other important sites.

Jon Maeda, Scout executive for the Boys Scouts of America Verdugo Hills Council is moving on and begins his new position of Director of Field Service with the Boy Scouts Orange County Council on Monday. As the chief operating officer, Maeda will be recruiting new Scouts and scouting groups. The Verdugo Hills Council has 4,000 Scouts, and the Orange County Council, headquartered in Santa Ana, served 28,000 Scouts as of 2009. Maeda has been overseeing two field executives for the Verdugo Hills Council and will now be in charge of 15 field executives in his new post.

GLENDALE — The Glendale Community Foundation announced the approval of a grant request submitted by the Verdugo Hills Council, Boy Scouts of America. The grant will support the complete replacement of the council's office telephone system that over the years had become dysfunctional and outdated. Glendale Community Foundation Executive Director Tom Miller and Foundation emeritus Board Member David Greenbaum presented the $5,000 check to Council President Bob Bunker and Scout Executive Jon Maeda during the Boy Scouts annual Fall Program Kick-Off celebration.

A 26-year-old former Boy Scout employee pleaded not guilty Friday to charges that he allegedly stole $28,820 from the organization's Verdugo Hills Council in Glendale. Donald Thurman, who worked part-time in the council's scout shop, faces five felony counts for identity theft, another five felony counts of forgery and a felony count of grand theft for stealing from the Boy Scouts of America, according to a Los Angeles County Superior Court criminal complaint. Rick Williamson, the local chapter's acting scout executive, said the council was “very disappointed” about the alleged theft, especially because of the ethics and values the Boy Scouts embody.

A few local young people are ready to make Glendale a safer place to live. The group of about 20 people, ages 16 to 20, who graduated from the 13th annual academy of the Glendale Fire Department's Regional Occupation Program on Saturday will soon begin assisting with activities, such as public education and demonstrations. The graduates may also begin to prepare to become firefighters. The 11-week academy began in September and included several hours of instruction.

Buck Wargo CITY HALL -- What the Supreme Court wouldn't do on discrimination over sexual orientation, the Glendale Human Relations Coalition is trying to do on its own. The organization voted 18-5 Thursday night to ask the City Council to stop giving federal block grant funds to groups that discriminate based on sexual orientation, gender identity, domestic partner status and other sex-related criteria. If the ban is adopted by the council, groups such as the Verdugo Hills Council of the Boy Scouts of America will no longer be able to receive grant funds for their programs.

Scouting for Food Drive Nov. 15 The Crescenta Valley scouts will be collecting community resident donations for the Scouting for Food annual food drive tomorrow, Saturday. Assistance is especially needed as all local food banks are in desperate need of food. Scouting troops from the Verdugo Hills Council distributed bags throughout area neighborhoods last weekend for the donations of non-perishable dry or canned goods. Items may also be put into other easy-to-carry bags and placed in an easily seen accessible location by 9 a.m. for pick up. Donations can also be taken tomorrow to one of the following areas between 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.: American Legion Post 288, 4011 La Crescenta Ave.; Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, 4550 Raymond Ave.; United Methodist Church of Tujunga, 9901 Tujunga Canyon Blvd, Tujunga.

I know that I speak for every member of the Verdugo Hills Council for the Boy Scouts of America who join me in extending our heartfelt thanks and appreciation to you, along with your well-respected and well-read publication, for your enthusiastic, full support and coverage you afforded us this year in support of our major council fund-raiser, the 28th Annual Big Strike Auction. Nearly 400 people attended the Burbank Hilton festivities on March 8, certainly in large part due to the excellent promotional stories and pictures that the News-Press made available on more than one occasion in anticipation of this annual major scouting fund-raiser.

Mention Camp Bill Lane to local Boy Scouts of a certain age and you'll get smiles of recognition. The camp, established in the 1940s, hosted hundreds of local Scouts during the years of its existence. Bill Lane, an enthusiastic supporter of the Scouts, had done well as an oil investor. He lived on a large estate near Hill Drive in Eagle Rock and also owned several acres of olive trees near Big Tujunga Canyon in the Sunland-Tujunga area. Scouts had been camping in the area - on an informal basis - since the late 1930s.

A 26-year-old former Boy Scout employee pleaded not guilty Friday to charges that he allegedly stole $28,820 from the organization's Verdugo Hills Council in Glendale. Donald Thurman, who worked part-time in the council's scout shop, faces five felony counts for identity theft, another five felony counts of forgery and a felony count of grand theft for stealing from the Boy Scouts of America, according to a Los Angeles County Superior Court criminal complaint. Rick Williamson, the local chapter's acting scout executive, said the council was “very disappointed” about the alleged theft, especially because of the ethics and values the Boy Scouts embody.

Several locations throughout the city are set aside for youth to have a place to go in times of emergencies, and these are known as Safe Places. Mayor Laura Friedman issued a formal proclamation on March 13 naming March 18 to 24 as Safe Place Week in Glendale. As part of the celebration, the Safe Place Advisory Committee hosted an appreciation reception for all of its supporters on March 21 at the home of Advisory Committee Chairman Norman Mamey and his wife M.J. Karmi. More than 50 Safe Place network volunteers, site representatives and supporters attended, including representatives from the Glendale police and fire departments, Glendale public parks, Glendale Bee Line, YMCA and members of the Salvation Army Advisory Board.

It's not every day that an organization with ties to Glendale celebrates its 100th anniversary. But on Wednesday, Chapter AH of the Philanthropic Educational Organization held that celebration at the Glendale home of Marilyn Butler. About 125 members of Chapter AH, former members of AH, visitors from other chapters and guests were ready to party - albeit in a lady-like way. An afternoon tea with tea sandwiches and sweets satisfied the palate. Co-Presidents Jan Ashford and Betty Swift welcomed their audience.

Iron Eyes Cody, who became famous as the “Crying Indian” in a 1971 “Keep America Beautiful” commercial, was active in Glendale's Boy Scout program for many years. Cody became involved in Scouting activities when his son joined the Scouts. He taught the boys Indian crafts in his 'Moosehead Museum,' which he had assembled in his Atwater home, according to a 1951 Glendale News-Press article. Because of his work with the Scouts, he was named to the Order of the Arrow, a national award given to Scouts who best exemplify the scout oath and law in their daily lives.

Hometown Heroes were honored by the Verdugo Hills Council of the Boy Scouts of America on Wednesday, Dec. 7, a day that marked the 70th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Appropriately, veterans were among those honored at the Oakmont Country Club breakfast. Honored was Burbank Police Chief Scott LaChasse. LaChasse is the son of a World War II prisoner of war at Stalag Luft III. La Chasse's dad was his hero; his mom, his heroine. His mother, Dorothy, was LaChasse's Cub Scout troop leader.

A local Boy Scout troop on Sunday celebrated the first time scouts from that troop have achieved the rank of Eagle Scout. An Eagle Court of Honor event was hosted for Boy Scouts Armen Ter-Zakarian and Matthew Diradoorian. Diradoorian and Ter-Zakarian belong to Troop Ari 4 of the Homenetmen Glendale Ararat chapter, Troop 154 of the Verdugo Hills Council. Homenetmen is an Armenian union of scouting and sporting activities for young people. Ter-Zakarian, 18, is on the St. Francis High School tennis team and has played piano for 12 years.

Have any idea how to teach the Ten Commandments to a bunch of rowdy Boy Scouts? Just throw in a three-mile walk through Glendale, 10 churches and lunch, cooked and served by the Glendale Chapter of the Kiwanis. Close to 80 Scouts participated in the third annual Ten Commandments Hike on Saturday. They gathered in the parking lot of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (the Mormons) in Glendale to register, offer a flag salute and a prayer. A welcome and introductions were handled by Scout leaders from the Verdugo Hills Council.

Jon Maeda, Scout executive for the Boys Scouts of America Verdugo Hills Council is moving on and begins his new position of Director of Field Service with the Boy Scouts Orange County Council on Monday. As the chief operating officer, Maeda will be recruiting new Scouts and scouting groups. The Verdugo Hills Council has 4,000 Scouts, and the Orange County Council, headquartered in Santa Ana, served 28,000 Scouts as of 2009. Maeda has been overseeing two field executives for the Verdugo Hills Council and will now be in charge of 15 field executives in his new post.

T housands of Cub and Boy Scouts learned practical skills while having fun at this weekend's Centennial Council Jamboree at Frank G. Bonelli Regional Park in San Dimas. The event was a joint effort between the San Gabriel Valley and Verdugo Hills councils of Boy Scouts of America and held in honor of the 100th anniversary of Boy Scouting coming to United States, said Lou Schwing, vice president of the program for the Verdugo Hills Council. The council draws boys from Glendale, Burbank, La Crescenta and La Cañada Flintridge and surrounding communities.