Boy Scouts of America® Istrouma Area Council

Red Stick Distinguished Citizen Recognition Dinner

Date/Time:

Location:

Whitney M. Young, Jr. Service Award

The Whitney M. Young, Jr. Service Award was designed by National BSA to recognize individuals and corporations who have been instrumental in the development of Scouting for rural, urban, and suburban youth who often face challenging barriers. This award recognizes "unsung heroes," those who do exceptional service for disadvantaged youth.

Whitney Moore Young Jr. was an American Civil Rights leader and National Director of the Urban League. The mission of the Whitney M. Young, Jr. Service Award Reception is to secure community resources in support of the Scouting program for at-risk youth and to provide experiences that develop self-esteem, character values, and life skills, thereby enhancing the lives of young people in disadvantaged areas of our community.

Proceeds from this event will support Scouting programs throughout the Istrouma Area Council’s thirteen parish area; providing experiences that develop self-esteem, character values, and life skills and enhance the lives of young people across our community.

Red Stick Scouting

The Boy Scouts of America, Istrouma Area Council collaborated with the East Baton Rouge Housing Authority in 1999 to bring scouting to inner city youth in the Baton Rouge area. The program continues to this day. These youth don’t have the funding, transportation, or volunteer leadership available to participate in Scouting in the traditional sense.  Scouting units that belong to this program are members of the Red Stick District. In 2020, this expanded to include after school Scouting programs as select elementary schools.

Camp Character

Camp Character is a one-week day camp for Scouts in the Red Stick District. The Scouts are taken daily by bus to Avondale Scout Reservation in Clinton, Louisiana where they have the opportunity to swim in a lake, hike, participate in archery, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) activities, make crafts and play in the popular GA-GA pit. Law enforcement professionals come out and serve as leaders to provide exposure to positive role models. Scouts receive two meals and a snack daily.

Sponsorship Levels

Mayor Sharon Weston Broome Biography

Sharon Weston Broome is a firm believer in achieving progress through inclusion, innovation, and information.

Since taking office, Mayor Broome has placed a heavy focus on improving the quality of life for citizens while building resiliency through infrastructure improvements. She has focused on addressing transportation, drainage, public safety, education, economic development and revitalizing neighborhoods.

Mayor Broome is the first female Mayor-President of the City of Baton Rouge and East Baton Rouge Parish. She previously served as a Baton Rouge Metro City Council Member, a Louisiana State Representative and a Louisiana State Senator.

While serving in the legislature, Broome became the first woman to hold the leadership positions of Speaker Pro Tempore in the House and President Pro Tempore in the Senate.

Mayor Broome has been recognized for her service and leadership by several organizations. She was selected for the inaugural class of the Bloomberg-Harvard City Leadership Initiative. Mayor Broome was recently appointed co-chair for the Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative and serves on the advisory board for the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

She has been recognized for her service and dedication to Baton Rouge. Mayor Broome was recognized by the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, the Louisiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence, the American Heart Association, Every Child Matters, and the National Congress of Black Women.

Mayor Broome has earned awards for her exemplary efforts in her community. She has received the Luminary Award from Links Incorporated LA Capitale Chapter, the Baton Rouge NAACP Lifetime Achievement Award, Girl Scouts Louisiana East 2017 Women of Distinction Award and the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. (Lambda Kappa Kappa Chapter) 2017 Citizen of the Year Award — just to name a few.

Broome holds a B.A. in Mass Communication from the University of Wisconsin-Lacrosse. She is a 2019 recipient of UW-L Alumni Association’s Maurice O. Graff Distinguished Alumni Award. Mayor Broome received her M.A. in Communications from Regent University. The mayor has served as an adjunct instructor at the Manship School of Mass Communication at Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge Community College and Southern University.

Faith and family are priorities for Mayor Broome. She is a member of United Christian Faith Ministries Church and is happily married to Marvin Broome. They are the proud parents of three children and have three grandchildren.