VFW Department of Washington
Scouting Program
Kent-Meridian Post 6785, Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States
Post 6785 coordinates Scouting/VFW activities for all Scouting units in the Kent School District. The Green River District (https://www.facebook.com/groups/greenriverdistrict/) of the Chief Seattle Council provides the Scout Chair with units of the District that are in the Kent School District. The Girl Scouts of Kent, WA (https://www.facebook.com/GirlScoutsOfKentWa/) Service Unit of the Western Washington Girl Scouts of the USA Council, provides the same information for Girl Scout units in the Kent School District.
The Post is currently preparing to charter (sponsor) a Cub Scout Pack, which will meet at Springbrook Elementary School, as we meet in the Army Reserve Center and have no facility of our own with which to provide meeting places. We also have a relationship with two Boy Scout troops, Troop 467 at Cross and Crown Lutheran Church; and Troop 449 at Nativity Lutheran Church. We have members at each church who work with these troops.
The Scout Committee has a flag retirement program. Traditionally, Troop 467 does flag retirements (respectful burning) around Memorial Day and sometimes around Veterans’ Day. The Post Scout Chair collects flags needing retirement, so that Troop 467 has sufficient worn and damaged flags for the ceremonies. In addition, the Post advertises the program through the Green River Scout District’s newsletter, The Current, to encourage other units, who would like to learn the proper way to retire flags, to use the Post as a resource.
We are currently working with the Green River District and the Kent School District Girl Scouts, seeking nominations for Scout of the Year, a national VFW program.
The VFW also provides two scholarships a year for each of the four Boy Scouts of America (BSA) National Areas, to attend Wood Badge, the week-long advanced leadership training program for adult leaders in all BSA programs.
Past activities have included:
- Providing a $75.00 campership for a Boy Scout who was attending a Scout Camp in another Council area.
- Providing guidance and resource information for an Eagle Scout candidate who was interested in a flag retirement related project.
Scouting Chair: Scott Eliason – 206-310-4157
VFW Scout of the Year Scholarship Program: Annually, the Veterans of Foreign Wars recognizes three individuals (Eagle Scouts, Girl Scout Gold Award recipients, Sea Scout Quartermaster Award, and Venturing Summit Award) who rose above their peers in exemplifying the exceptional qualities of their rank. In this nationwide program, the 1st place winner receives a $5,000, 2nd place $3,000, and 3rd place $1,000.
In the selection process, local VFW Posts select one winner from the applications they receive by March 1st. Posts select and submit their winner’s application to their VFW District by March 22nd. Districts forward their winner’s application to the VFW Dept of Washington by April 15th. The Department then selects a State winner and forwards that application to the VFW National Headquarters by May 1st for national-level judging.
To be eligible for the award, the candidate:
- Be a registered, active member of a Boy or Girl Scout Troop, Venturing Crew, or Sea Scout Ship.
- Must be the recipient of the Eagle Scout Award, Girl Scout Gold Award, Sea Scout Quartermaster Award, or Venturing Summit Award.
- Have demonstrated exemplary citizenship in school, scouting, and community.
- Have reached his or her 15th birthday and be enrolled in high school at the time of selection.
- Be enrolled in high school at the time of selection. Applicants still in high school who reach their 18th birthday during the nomination year remain eligible if otherwise qualified.
- Scouts enter through only one VFW Post. A local Post can be found by zip code at: http://www.vfw.org.
The Application can be found at: http://www.vfw.org/Community/Scout-of-the-Year-Scholarship/
Boy Scouts Wood Badge Scholarship:
A $150 scholarship to help VFW members who are BSA registered adults to attend a 7-day adult leader training course.
Those who have earned their 2016 Girl Scout Gold Award or Boy Scout Eagle, Sea Scout Quartermaster, and/or Venturing Summit Award are encouraged to apply for the Scout of the Year program.
Kent area applicants should forward their paperwork to
Scott Eliason, Scout Chair
Veterans of Foreign Wars
Post 6785, 20128 3rd Ave S
Des Moines, WA 98198-2513
Cell Phone: 206-310-4157
The application can be found at:
http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/Media/Relationships/VFWWoodBadgeScholarship.aspx
VFW Post 6785 
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