You’ll need all the rest you can get before kicking off one of Scouting’s biggest years.

I HOPE THAT MANY OF YOU are taking a moment to catch a breath and enjoy the holidays after another exciting (and hectic) fall season of recruitment, leader training, and other Scouting activities that set your units into high gear. These are important months for ensuring that you can deliver a quality Scouting experience and get your Scouts ready for what’s coming up in the new year.

I still find it difficult to grasp that in about eight months we will open the Summit Bechtel Reserve in the scenic mountains of West Virginia, home to our 2013 National Scout Jamboree. The months and days are flying by, but we will be ready. These are exciting moments in Scouting’s history that will create many lasting memories for those Scouts able to participate in the Summit’s July opening and jamboree events.

While these are important times for Scouting on a national scale, we also need to find every opportunity to reach out to and engage our local neighborhoods in the communities we serve. Encouraging young people to join our movement and recruiting parents as leaders and volunteers is as important as ever. We’ve seen great progress in membership growth this past year, which tells us that our Journey to Excellence strategy and pursuit of the “Main Thing” has us on the proper course for a sustainable future.

Let’s continue to be innovative and create great programs to bring more Scouts on board, while serving the needs of our current Scouts who are eager to advance and experience new adventures. We expect that 2013 will be an exciting year for Scouting, and you’ll want to ensure your Scouts are “Prepared. For Life.” and ready to enjoy every minute of what lies ahead.

Speaking of days flying by, I can’t believe that I’m already into my first few months in my new role as Chief Scout Executive. Your support and ideas have been very welcome. Keep them coming to wayne.brock@scouting.org.

We have much to look forward to in the coming year. From our home to yours, Ernestine and I wish you all the best this holiday season.