The Cherokee Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America, which serves 11 counties in Tennessee and northwest Georgia, has informed its executive board, donors, supporters, and volunteers that the local organization remains financially strong in light of recent national news stories concerning consideration of bankruptcy at the national level of the organization.
Officials said, "The local Council is a 501(c)(3) entity incorporated in the state of Tennessee and all assets including its Scout camp, Scout Service Center, bank funds, and investments are wholly owned and controlled by the Cherokee Area Council, Inc.
"The Cherokee Area Council is a separate entity from the national Boy Scouts of America organization. The Council holds a charter to conduct Boy Scouts of America programs in a defined geographic territory and receives no funding from the national organization. The Council, in fact, pays fees to the National BSA as a part of its charter agreement and for specific services. The Council receives value back from the national organization, but operates as a financially independent not-for-profit organization.
"All financial support directly benefits the local community with all donations remaining within the Cherokee Area Council, and will continue to do so moving forward, regardless of any financial decisions made by the national BSA organization."
Cherokee Area Council Scout Executive Scott Fosse said, “The Scouting program is vital to the future of our communities locally and nationally. We have a long history of cultivating leaders, with strong development programs for elementary to high school age youth. We’re proud that our Scouts excel academically. Last year, 92% of Scouts achieved a GPA of 3.0 or higher in Math and English. In addition, more than 20,000 hours of community service have been recorded in 2018.
“Over the past 104 years, the Cherokee Area Council has worked tirelessly to ensure that all children are able to participate in Scouting, regardless of their financial background. We’ll continue to focus our efforts on Scouting’s principal values of service to the local community by practicing sound financial planning and stewardship.”