1920 Society Fund

Youth in the lower Naugatuck Valley will be able to enjoy scouting programs and camaraderie in perpetuity thanks to the newly established 1920 Society Fund, a legacy fund that has been established in celebration of the Boy Scouts of America, Housatonic Council's 100th year serving the region.

John A. Zseller II, Scout Executive with the Housatonic Council, explained that the Housatonic Council's Board of Directors has been working with Valley Community Foundation (VCF) to establish a fund to receive legacy gifts that will benefit scouting in the Valley in perpetuity.

"We are aware of the BSA consolidating councils to better serve youth and we want to make sure that this Fund will benefit the Housatonic Council or Valley scouting in the future," John said.

Scouting is an important part of Valley history. The Housatonic Council boasts over 2,000 Eagle Scouts in its 100-year history! Scouting has helped form many of the Valley's leaders, both yesterday and today.

"We know that some of our scout alumni have not made a bequest or financial commitment to the Council, unsure of what would happen to their gift in the case of a consolidation or merger," said Gary Parker, Board Chairman of the Council Board of Directors. "That is why we set up this fund with specific instructions that should anything happen to the Council that the distribution from the fund will go only to benefit scouting in the Valley. Our hope is that this will reduce any concerns and people will consider making a legacy gift directly to this fund at VCF."

"Our experience with VCF has been great. We know that the funds are well-managed and they have the expertise to accept different types of assets and can help us and our donors with planned giving vehicles," John added.

Approximately 1,000 youth and adults took part in scouting programs during 2019, providing more than 5,000 hours of service to the community by collecting items for local food pantries, planning and completing Eagle Scout projects, marching in parades, and more. "Our organization is about so much more than just camping and the outdoors. We want to make sure that scouting is available for future generations in the Valley," John said. "We can't think of a better way to mark our 100-year anniversary and celebrate scouting in the Valley."