Heart of New England Council, Scouting America, is pleased to announce the appointment of Jason Pigg as the new Scout Executive and Chief Executive Officer, effective March 1, 2025.
Jason Pigg is a lifelong Scout and Scouter, an Eagle Scout, and the proud father of two Eagle Scouts. With deep family connections to the Scouting movement, Jason is passionate about the positive impact that Scouting can have on the youth in our communities.
Jason’s 19-year Scouting career began as summer camp staff and has included roles such as Camp Ranger, Properties Director, and Camping Director. Most recently, he served as Chief Financial Officer and Director of Support Services at the Pathway to Adventure Council in Chicago, IL. During his tenure there, his leadership contributed to significant membership growth, innovative community partnerships, and successful capital fundraising initiatives.
Heart of New England Council looks forward to Jason applying his extensive experience and passion for Scouting to support and enhance the Scouting programs in Central Massachusetts.
Please join us in welcoming Jason and his wife, Lindsey, to the Heart of New England family.
With the retirement of our Scout Executive Mark Barbernitz, the Executive Board wanted to provide transparency and clarity regarding communication during this transition period.
I know that you will join me in wishing Mark all the best as he embarks on his new adventure. Mark’s tenure has resulted in our council being on solid financial footing with record camp attendance.
A search committee has been meeting and we are actively engaged in the process of recruiting a new Scout Executive. The timeline is difficult to predict, but rest assured our singular focus is to attract the best talent to be our next Scout Executive.
In the interim, it is business as usual in the council and we are in good hands during this transition.
Your key council contacts remain in place and ready to serve you. In addition, we are joined by Stephen Hoitt, the Council Service Territory Director, who will serve as acting Scout Executive in the interim. His contact details are:
Stephen Hoitt Council Service Territory 10 Director Email: Stephen.Hoitt@Scouting.org Cell: 585-734-5706
As you are aware, the items that Stephen Hoitt should be advised of include:
- Council professional staff employee matters
- Youth Protection policy (YPT) required notifications
- Serious incidents & safety concerns (i.e., any threat or use of a weapon, any abuse of a child that meets state reporting mandates for bullying or harassment, etc.)
For everything else, please continue to contact your Council team.
I know that working together we will continue to deliver the best Scouting program to our youth. We appreciate your patience, understanding, and continued commitment during this period.
Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have additional questions.
Kevin Kearney
Heart of New England Council President
Kevin.Kearney@hnescouting.org
Rutland, MA (May 7, 2024) – The Boy Scouts of America today announced that it will be changing its name to Scouting America. This change reflects the organization’s ongoing commitment to welcoming every youth in America to experience the benefits of Scouting. The name change to Scouting America will go into effect on February 8, 2025, the organization’s 115th birthday.
This announcement also comes as the organization celebrates the fifth anniversary of welcoming girls into Cub Scouting and Scouts BSA programs. Boy Scouts of America currently serves 176,234 girls and young women across all programs, including more than 6,000 who have earned Eagle Scout status.
“Though our name will be new, our mission remains unchanged: we are committed to teaching young people to be Prepared. For Life,” said Mark Barbernitz, Scout Executive and chief executive officer of the Heart of New England Council. “This will be a simple but important evolution as we strive to ensure that everyone feels welcome in Scouting.”
Heart of New England Council, via partnerships with 170 community organizations, serves 4,000 youth in more than 60 communities in Central Massachusetts.
Scouting America builds on the organization’s 114 years of helping America’s youth. Its ongoing goal is to provide young people with a safe environment where they can learn meaningful life skills and have fun, educational experiences, fostering their growth and future outcomes as leaders, and be prepared for life. At the same time, values instilled by the Scout Oath and Law help prepare young people for lives of purpose and impact.
More than 130 million Americans have been through Scouting programs since its founding in 1910, and currently, more than 1 million youth, including both men and women, are served by 477,000 dedicated adult volunteers in local councils throughout the country. To date, more than 2.75 million youth have earned Scouting’s highest rank of Eagle Scout.
In addition to supporting the nation’s youth, Scouting America will continue to be an important asset to strengthen our communities, having provided more than 7 million hours of volunteer services for community improvement and other projects across the country.
About Scouting America
Scouting America provides the nation’s foremost youth program of character development and values-based leadership training, which helps young people be “Prepared. For Life.®”
Scouting America welcomes all of America’s youth into its programs. Our goal is to give them fantastic experiences in the outdoors, and elsewhere, where they can grow with us in a safe environment. More than 130 million Americans have been through our programs since our founding, and currently more than 1 million youth are served by 477,000 dedicated adult volunteers in local councils throughout the country. To learn more about Scouting America’s mission, visit Scouting.org.
About the Heart of New England Council, Scouting America
Headquartered in Rutland, the Heart of New England Council is a 501(c)(3) organization that serves about 4,000 boys and girls in more than 60 communities in Central Massachusetts. We provide the nation’s foremost program that teaches young people character, leadership, and citizenship through fun and exciting adventures for the entire family. We foster a culture of diversity and inclusion that makes it enriching to participate, volunteer and work in the Scouting program.
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