I am honored and excited to step into the role of Council President. A tremendous thank you to my predecessor Steve Hammond who did an outstanding job as Council President over the past 3 years. It is a privilege to follow in the footsteps of Steve and so many other great past Presidents and I hope that I can do as good of a job as they have done in this role. It is particularly exciting to be Council President during the 75th anniversary of Camp Shenandoah. I first went to that camp in 1983 as a little Cub Scout and back then, for me as a Cub Scout, Camp Shenandoah was the most magical place I’d ever been. I still have that same level of excitement every time I go through the camp gate and I look forward to celebrating 75 years of our amazing Camp during 2025.

Our council experienced membership growth and strong financial performance during 2024. Many other councils around the country were not so fortunate. I look forward to building upon the success and momentum of last year as we begin the journey ahead. In 2025, we need more Scouts and we need more volunteers. We need a successful Friends of Scouting campaign with 100% of our units participating and we need effective Special Events that raise the funds necessary to deliver a quality Scouting experience for our youth. We need another robust summer camp and we need continued high quality programs and activities. With your help, I am confident that the Virginia Headwaters Council will deliver the promise of Scouting to our youth, our units, and our adult volunteers.

I look forward to working with the council officers, our Executive Board, and Council Commissioner Matt Phillippi and Scout Executive Sue Hart on the business of Scouting in the Virginia Headwaters Council. We will strive for excellence in 2025 and I cannot wait for the journey ahead!

Yours in Scouting,
Mike White