Career Report - Final Paper Part C

Isabelle Ackerman
RPTM 101: Introduction to Recreation Services

Introduction

My Career Report was done on October 5th, 2023. I spoke with Mike Manner, the

Director of Camping for the Laurel Highlands Council (LHC) of the Boy Scouts of America, also

known as Scouts BSA. I selected Mr. Manner as one of his responsibilities is managing the LHC’s

Heritage Reservation which has four Scout camps. I worked as a counselor for three summers at

the Cubs Scout’s Camp Independence. Mr. Manner graduated with an undergraduate degree in

Classics and Education from Ohio Wesleyan University and then a master’s degree in Recreation,

Parks, and Tourism from Frostburg State University. He has worked in the field for twenty-six

years and seventeen of those with Scouts BSA.

Mission/Purpose of the Agency/Department

The mission and purpose of Scouts BSA is to prepare young people to make ethical and

moral choices by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oathi:

“On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout

Law; to help other people at all times; to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and

morally straight.”

And the Scout Lawii: A Scout is Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient,

Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean, and Reverent.

Clientele Served

The Scouts BSA serves Scouts of all genders, adults 18 and over, families, communities,

organizations, clubs, and more. The ages of these clients range from five years old entering Cub

Scouts to 17-year-olds finishing as Scouts. Scouts BSA has membership requirements.

Participants fill out an application, pay an annual fee, and adults 18 and over must take a youth

protection class, and have a background clearance completed. The Laurel Highlands Council

covers 15 counties in the Pittsburgh area excluding South Lafayette County. Beginning in 2018,

Scouts BSA allowed boys and girls to both join as youth members.

Services and Programs Provided

The Scouts BSA has several options based on age and interest. Youth start as Cub Scouts

from ages 5-10 where they are introduced to outdoor activities and focus on citizenship,

character development, and personal fitness. Scouts ages 11-18 participate in higher level

outdoor activities like “camping, hiking, building projects, and community services iii and

“develop academic skills, self-confidence, ethics, leadership skills, and citizenship skills.”iv The

Laurel Highlands Council has six camping properties. From ages 14 to 20, some Scouts

participate in Venturing, Exploring, and Sea Scouts. Venturing is more of an event or adventure-

based program versus regular meetings. The Exploring program allows members to focus on

career exploration. Sea Scouts focuses on boating and water safety. These programs provide

activities where college aged youth can continue in Scouts.

Staffing

Laurel Highlands Council has 225 staff members. Twenty-five of them are full time and

the other 200 are part-time, seasonal, and volunteers. The Recreation departments has eight

members. Many of the seasonal workers are high school and college students who work on at

the camp properties during the summer. Volunteers are often adults who were involved in

Scouting with their children who are now grown, but the adults still want to enjoy Scouting

activities.

Funding

Scouts BSA receives money used to pay its staff and maintain properties through

membership fees, donations, fundraising, investment income, and rental fees. The United Way,

a non-profit organization, also provide grants.

Professional Issues

During the interview, I asked Mr. Manner what challenges that he faces and what excites

him about his position. He responded that ever since COVID, more people have wanted to be

outside and there has been a growth in Scouts BSA. However, many are not committed to the

meeting the Scouts BSA development and rank advancement expectations and they do not

understand the importance of quality maintenance of cleanliness of themselves and outdoor

areas. They think that camping in brining a van or RV with the intention of “being comfortable”

indoors. Cell phones are a huge distraction among both youths and adults that make them less

engaged in the activities as they are on their phone and not “living in the moment”.
Conclusion

My interview turned out very well and I was happy with the discussion. Mr. Manner is

very nice to talk with and I am glad to have gotten to know him better. As mentioned earlier, I

worked the LHC Heritage Reservation camping property for three summers as a high school

student. I am interested in working there this summer in a more-adult role with increased

responsibility.
Since the interview in October, Mike Manner is no longer with the Scouts BSA Laurel Highlands

Council, and I do not know his home address. I addressed my Thank You note to Dave Weber

who worked for Mike as the Heritage Reservation Program Director.

i
What are the Scout Oath and Scout Law? 11/17/23, Boy Scouts of America.
https://www.scouting.org/about/faq/question10/
ii
What are the Scout Oath and Scout Law? 11/17/23, Boy Scouts of America.
https://www.scouting.org/about/faq/question10/
iii
Programs: Discover Fun, Adventure, and Learning through Scouting: Scouts BSA, 11/17/23, Boy Scouts of America Laurel
Highlands Council. https://lhcscouting.org/about/programs/
iv
Programs: Discover Fun, Adventure, and Learning through Scouting: Scouts BSA, 11/17/23, Boy Scouts of America Laurel
Highlands Council. https://lhcscouting.org/about/programs/