On Friday, October 7, 2022, Bit-Wizards’ Be the Magic Foundation announced its newest partnership endeavor at the Greater Fort Walton Beach Chamber First Friday Coffee.
The Boy Scouts of America Gulf Coast Council serves the youth in four districts (Choctawhatchee, Lake Sands, Long Leaf Pine, and Pensacola Bay) that span 11 counties in Florida (Bay, Washington, Holmes, Gulf, Walton, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Escambia) and Alabama (Conecuh, Escambia, Monroe).
- The mission of the Boy Scouts of America is to provide character development and values-based leadership training, which helps young people be “Prepared For Life.”
“In short, Scouting instills values and builds character: scouting changes and shapes lives,” said Vince Mayfield, CEO at Bit-Wizards. “Bit-Wizards and Be the Magic Foundation partnered with the Gulf Coast Council of the Scouts to invest in our children of Northwest Florida. I challenge every business owner on the Gulf Coast to make a similar investment, no matter how large or small. I promise you that your generous investment will pay dividends.”
During Friday’s presentation, the Gulf Coast Council received $55,000 total in monetary and skill-based funding. Through skill-based funding, Bit-Wizards will provide in-kind marketing and software development services to the Gulf Coast Council and provide Merit Badge Courses for their troops in STEM and Business Education.
“The Gulf Coast Council is thrilled to be a new partner with Bit-Wizards and Be the Magic Foundation,” said Greg Voyzey, Scout Executive & Chief Executive Officer. “This partnership benefits thousands of youth in Northwest Florida and Southern Alabama by allowing Scouting to provide necessary resources for our volunteers for quality program delivery.”
- Voyzey says that partnerships like these are critical for local Scouting to continue to provide leadership development, character development, personal fitness, and citizenship training for our youth.
During his presentation on Friday morning, Mayfield said there are over 135 merit badges that teach skills from Aviation to Plumbing to Electronics. His 13-year-old daughter, who aspires to be an Eagle Scout like her dad, earned her Welding Merit Badge, which includes a basic understanding and hands-on experience doing MIG and TIG Welding.
“No matter where my daughter goes in life, she will have that experience and perspective,” he added. “The skills and character learned in progressing through the Scouting program and opportunities for leadership and community service benefit our children and positively impact and shape their lives.”
- “As an Eagle Scout myself, I learned leadership, work ethic, self-reliance, the duty to others, duty to family, duty to country, and reverence to God. The youth of today are our future community leaders. They are our future artisans. Their contributions will affect and inspire the future generations of our county and world.”
