On Thursday, July 11, at 6 p.m. at Golden Ranch, the Crane District of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA), which encompasses Selma and Dallas County, will host an interest meeting for organizations considering forming a BSA unit.

According to Crane Senior District Executive Leith Wilson, the meeting is a way of recruiting local organizations to establish their own BSA units that will fall under their guidance and receive training, guidance and support from the district.

“A lot of people don’t realize that any church, school or any other organization with the same mission as the scouts can become a unity,” Wilson said. “We as a district guide them, but they lead the overall operation of the unit.”

With “School Night for Scouting” on the horizon, when local troops will get training and begin being involved with the organization, Wilson said now is the perfect time to begin recruting organizations that might be interested in sponsoring their own troop.

Wilson said that, currently, there are about 20 organizations in the area hosting BSA troops.

“We’d love to see four or five additional groups,” Wilson said.

Organizations that are already established and working with young people in the community have the benefit of established leadership and organizational infrastructure, as well as a base for membership.

Further, adding a BSA troop to an organization’s outreach efforts lends a “tried and true” method for instilling self-reliance, discipline, teamwork and other traits in young people.

Wilson said that community organizations, churches or schools that take part in the program help the BSA “better serve the youth of our communities.”

For more information or to sign-up for the interest meeting, contact Wilson at 334-419-0567.