Scouter Spotlight: Meet Jamie Niss Dunn

Jamie-Niss-Dunn

Scouter Spotlight returns this week with a volunteer who
wears many hats—a phrase we hear a lot with so many active Scouters out there.
This week we’re introducing you to Jamie Niss Dunn, from the Northern Star
Council in Minnesota.

Jamie serves as a pack trainer, troop committee member,
roundtable commissioner, and district Cub Scout training coordinator. Now
that’s a résumé! Read on to learn more about this great volunteer.

Tenure in Scouting:
Involved in Scouting since September 1990.

Scouting Family: Three
sons: 19, 23, and 25. They were all Cub Scouts, and the oldest two were Boy
Scouts.

What is your favorite
Scouting memory?

There are too many to count. I particularly like the
expression of joy and satisfaction that comes over a Cub Scout’s face when he
and I have worked to hit the target at the archery range. 
Coaching youth to do their best, whether a Cub Scout, Boy Scout, or Venturer
is immensely gratifying.

What does Scouting
mean to you?

It means helping young people become better adults. It means
experiences I share with family and friends. It means participating in and
sustaining the tradition my husband, grandfather, father, and uncle began
in our family. I was raised to value service to others. From my youngest
days I remember my grandparents and parents volunteering to improve their
community.

What would you say to
a boy who is thinking about joining Scouting?

That he'll have a great time and make wonderful friends.

How do you make the
program relevant to your boys when there are so many other demands on their
time?

Exciting, involving programs still engage the Scouts. We try
to help them balance Scouting with other activities.

How would you improve
Scouting?

Convince more parents that being involved with their
children is the best thing they can do for them.

What advice would you
give to a new leader?

Get trained! Find and tap all the resources in your unit,
your district, your council and the BSA provide for you, and then network like
crazy. My best ideas and my inspiration come from other leaders.

Thanks to Jamie for spending a few minutes with us. If you
know a worthy adult volunteer for Scouter spotlight, let us know by e-mail.


About Bryan Wendell 3282 Articles
Bryan Wendell, an Eagle Scout, is the founder of Bryan on Scouting and a contributing writer.