The camping gear and art supplies purchased for the Iraqi Scouts under SoA's Green Zone Council Outfits Iraqi Scouts project and at the request of 1LT Greg Hembree have been delivered!  We will share photos as soon as we have them. 

You will be pleased to know that I just got back from a week-long trip to Baghdad where I coordinated the delivery of the Coleman Camping gear as well as all of the arts and crafts supplies collected by our scouts in the US. The equipment for the Victory Base Council is safe and sound at their scout camp, ready for their scouts to use at their next outing. The equipment destined for the Green Zone Council is scheduled to convoy to the their location in the next few days and will subsequently be stored at the GZC's scout camp. I don't yet have any photos of the boys actually using their equipment, but I've asked the wonderful adult volunteers to get me some pictures at the earliest opportunity. " 1LT Greg Hembree

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Posted by: Michele Redmond

The much anticipated "Iraqi Scouting Day Camp" sponsored by Iraqi officials and the Green Zone Council was a big success as you can see from the smiling faces of the children who participated in the event.  The camping equipment, including tents, sleeping bags, screenhouses and cooking utensils, supplied by Spirit of America from your generous contributions  were put to great use and will benefit the Scouts for many future gatherings. 

Steven Mehringer with the US Embassy in Baghdad is an active member of the Green Zone Council, an organization comprised of US military, US State Department and Iraqi officials to encourage the rejuvenation of scouting in Iraq.  Mehringer provided these wonderful pictures from the event along with the message below.  Spirit of America will continue to support these boys and girls through our Marines Help Outfit Iraqi Scouts project.

Iraqi Scouts Enjoy Screenhouse Provided by SoA

2007 Iraqi Scout Day Camp Girls having fun

2007 Iraqi Scout Day Camp

Steven Mehringer, US Embassy Baghdad, Public Affairs Section

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Posted by: Michele Redmond

The Green Zone Council (GZC), a group of American military, State Dept. and local Iraqi personnel founded to assist in effort to revitalize Iraqi Scouting, has a new list of needs for the Boy & Girl Scouts of Iraq. Spirit of America is proud of our work with the GZC and the supplies that our donors have helped us to provide through the Marine Help Outfit Iraqi Scouts project.  
Here are excepts from a letter from Army 1st Lieutenant Amy Staub describing the planned activities for the upcoming months. With your support to the Iraqi Scouts project, SoA will help to provide some of these items. If you or your troup would like to make a donation of supplies directly to the Green Zone Council, please contact staff@spiritofamerica.net">staff@spiritofamerica.net">staff@spiritofamerica.net  Subject: Green Zone Council Supplies.

We are currently planning a Scout Leader Training Conference and Scout Camping Event in the near future.  We are currently building a training presentation catered to Iraqi Scouting for starting a new troop.  Any training resources you could provide for starting a new troop we would greatly appreciate.  We will need supplies for the Camping Event in late October this year for approximately 100 scouts (50 Boy Scouts and 50 Girl Guides).  We already have basic supplies for camping such as: tents, sleeping bags, mess kits, lanterns, and coolers.  These were all graciously donated by the Spirit of America with assistance from the Coleman Company.  We need supplies for events we will be doing at the camp to include:
•    Knot tying (Boys only - rope, etc.)
•    First aid (All - band-aids, etc.)
•    Trail mix making (All – plastic bags, raisins, nuts, etc.)
•    Sewing (Girls only – needles, thread, kits, etc.)
•    Arts and Crafts (Girls only – scissors, markers, yarn, etc.)
•    Safety survival (All – whistle, compass, etc.)
•    Orienteering (All – compass, sample maps, etc.)
•    S’mores (All – marshmallows, graham crackers, no chocolate)
•    Mountain Pies (All – pie irons, pie filling)
•    Etc.

We also hope to do a Camporee in the Spring 2008 for all scouts in the Baghdad area, so we will need similar supplies for this event also.  Please send extra if you can or send them later.  The schools that these scouts attend are also very low on supplies such as:
•    Chalk
•    Paper
•    Etc.

Letter from Green Zone Council Co-Chair 1LT Amy Staub

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Posted by: Michele Redmond

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Posted by: Michele Redmond

Thanks to a commitment form the US Marine Corps, some Boy & Girl Scouts in Iraq are getting new supplies. As part of SoA's Marines Fund, which has benefited from donations specifically ear-marked for Marine requests, we have partnered with the Coleman company to outfit 200 Iraqi Scouts with all the necessary camping gear. Scouting encourages values of right and wrong that are universal and can instill a much-needed sense of community for Iraqi Youth.

US Marine Lieutenant Colonel John Schatzel, who is serving as SoA's primary liaison for the  Iraqi Scouts project, is part of the "Green Zone Council" which is spearheading the charge to restore Scouting in Iraq to the positive impact it had prior to Sadaam's rule.

LtCol Schatzel reports that " Yesterday was a phenomenal day in Iraq. Through the generosity of the Spirit of America Organization, the Iraqi Kashafa Scout Program is now the proud owner of camping gear for their scouts. We will send you pictures and articles as soon as possible."

We will post those updates and pictures to share with you as soon as we receive them. In the meantime, here is a listing of all of the items we were able to provide with your generous support:

22 each of the following--Screenhouses, Lanterns, First Aid Kits, Propane Stoves, Outfitter Cook Kits, and Coolers along with 44 2.5 Gallong Water Jugs all designed for 9- man patrols. In addition, we provided 66 Sundome tents each of which can accomodate 3 scouts and sleeping bags and individual mess kits for 200 scouts.

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Posted by: Michele Redmond