Eggscellent! This Cub Scout donated all of his savings to Friends of Scouting

When 9-year-old Sloan Summerall started a small business selling eggs, his goal was pretty simple.

The Webelos from Pack 3217 of Cleveland, Tenn., wanted to save $300 to buy a Nintendo Switch.

But along the way, Sloan had a change of heart. When he heard a Friends of Scouting presentation at his monthly pack meeting, he decided to donate his earnings to his council’s annual giving campaign instead.

“Scouts has been so great for me and has helped me so much,” Sloan says. “I decided I wanted to give back to Scouting, so other kids like me can have the same experiences.”

Helping others at all times? That’s what Cub Scouts do.

An idea hatches

Sloan got his first baby chick when he was 4 years old. He loved caring for the birds and realized he could make a few bucks selling their eggs.

Eventually, he had 20 egg-laying birds. He sold eggs to friends and neighbors and cared for the birds all by himself. He cleaned their coop, fed them, watered them, gathered the eggs and sold the eggs at $3 a dozen.

Business boomed, and eventually Sloan hired his sister to help him keep up with all the work. He pays her $1 for every dozen sold.

Changing course

Sloan had raised $150 by the time his 9th birthday arrived. At his party, Sloan’s parents surprised him with the Nintendo Switch he had been wanting.

Now he had $150 to spend on whatever he wanted. Most 9-year-olds would’ve gone straight to Best Buy. He would’ve had enough for a couple of games and an extra controller for his new Switch.

But Sloan had another idea. At his pack’s monthly meeting, the Cub Scouts and their parents heard a presentation about Friends of Scouting.

Sloan learned that there’s more happening at his council than the average Cub Scout sees. He realized that council professionals do tons of work behind the scenes to make our movement successful. And he heard how Friends of Scouting, or FOS, supports that effort.

So he gave his money — all $150 of it — to the Cherokee Area Council.

“We are very proud of Sloan and his giving spirit,” says Jenniffer Frazier, Sloan’s Cubmaster. “Young men and women like Sloan will grow up to be the leaders of tomorrow, and his gift will allow Scouts to reach others just like him. What a great thing for a 9-year-old to do!”

Thanks to Brian Webb for the blog idea.