Our 2017 Honorees Albert Pylinski, Jr., of NYCM Insurance and Mayor Robert Palmieri were able to share some laughs together and thank those who nominated them for the 2017 Community Leadership Award (for Business and Public Service). Months ago, Bill Kline nominated the Mayor and Gary Scalzo nominated Albert (my apologies to Gary again for scheduling this on a day that conflicted with his schedule).
Sam Berardino of Morgan Stanley, our 2017 Leadership Dinner Chairman, welcomed everyone and gave 1) a nice overview of the event and 2) a meaningful description of the Community Leadership Award – and the significance both have for our Scouts.
Albert, a Life Scout whose father was his Troop Leader growing up in Edmeston, was still able to easily recite the Scout Law from memory, admitting it’s been 51 years since he dressed in his Boy Scout uniform.
BSA Leatherstocking Council Executive Board President John Devlin highlighted the Council’s many achievements. He and Sam both described the critical need for funding from the Leadership Dinner, talked about where the money goes and recognized two outstanding honorees this year for their role in attracting the earliest table sales and sponsorship on record for this event. NYCM has also joined Morgan Stanley as the two top sponsors, making its corporate gift in honor of Albert’s achievement (NYCM was also a top donor to the 2015 Henderson Scout Reservation Dining Hall Capital Campaign).
The Mayor and everyone in attendance really studied the invitation list, literally rolled up their sleeves and got to work. New leads were generated, old contacts were updated and with several offers to personally follow up with our prospects to ask them to support our biggest fundraiser of the year – we are on our way with 70 days to go.
Also, when I returned to the office, I heard from our new Entertainment Sponsor Big Blue North Recording Studio, Pam Jardieu has arranged for Poor Tim (Justin Smithson of Showtime) and Shawn Smith (aka ‘Big Sexy’ from NBC’s The Voice) to play their acoustic guitars and sing for our guests Oct. 18, before the program begins!
10 of 30 tables sold as of Aug. 8, 2017
- Two for Morgan Stanley
- Two for NYCM Insurance
- One for NBT
- One for Fastrac
- One for the Observer Dispatch (also promoting this event)
- One in the memory of Dr. John Horn (an Eagle Scout from Painted Post, NY)
- One for Scalzo, Zogby & Wittig
- One for William Kline
Program ads received by the following (Sept. 6 deadline):
- Bank of Utica
- Herb Philipson’s
- New York Sash
- Big Blue North Recording Studio
- Greater Utica Magazine