03/16/2020
From California Inland Empire Council Leadership:
March 14, 2020
SUBJECT: SUSPENSION OF SCOUTING ACTIVITIES WITHIN THE CALIFORNIA INLAND EMPIRE COUNCIL
Our unwavering commitment in Scouting is the safety of our youth members, families, volunteers and employees. First and foremost, the decision to participate in Scouting is voluntary and each family should make a personal decision for what level of participation, if any, they will have in Scouting meetings and activities during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Our Council leadership continues to monitor this situation closely alongside local health officials to determine the most appropriate response to the conditions at hand. Therefore, in accordance with the announcement of School District closures, the California Inland Empire Council strongly recommends and expects an immediate suspension of all in person Scouting activities, meetings and gatherings until local School Districts resume operations.
The California Inland Empire Council offices and Scout Shops will remain open during this period.
All Scout Units, Districts, Council committees, etc. are to begin using conference calls, emails, and other communication channels to stay focused on Scout programs and postpone or cancel any gatherings until further notice.
Unit, District and Council leadership should respect any family's and individual’s decision not to participate during this outbreak and make plans to help Scouts re-engage after the outbreak has passed.
As Scouts and Scouters, it is our duty to Be Prepared. We also must not panic while making the best decisions possible for our Scouting programs and its members. Our Council leadership is committed to being diligent with regular communications as this situation evolves. If you have not read previous updates, we ask that you do so to stay abreast of this situation and use the resources and guidelines that are designed to help lessen the chance of spreading this virus and protecting our communities.