MANSFIELD, Ohio — Breck Dokken, district director for Boy Scouts of America Heart of Ohio Council, was a Boy Scout growing up, and now he works to keep the program that positively influenced his life alive.
On Wednesday, June 10, community members will have the opportunity to support the longstanding organization by participating in the Ralph Phillips Golf Tournament at the Shelby Country Club.
The four-person scramble tournament begins with a shotgun start at 1 p.m.
“It’s just a fun thing to do,” said Dokken.
Dokken said the tournament is a fundraiser they have hosted for 10 years, and this year’s is the biggest yet. Last year 25 teams registered, this year there are 29 and more are expected to sign up.
The fundraiser usually generates around $14,000 for the non-profit organization and all of the proceeds will be donated to the organization. Boy Scouts of America is the largest, and oldest, non-profit organization in the world, said Dokken.
This year’s tournament is sponsored by Shelby Welded Tube, which is owned by Angela Phillips, Ralph Philips’ daughter. When he passed away in September 2009 his daughter took over the family’s business in Shelby.
“That family has done and does a lot for the community. They (Shelby Welded Tube) is one of the best corporate sponsors around,” said Dokken.
The tournament will have door prizes and chances for patrons to win golf related awards like, Longest Drive Award on hole 16 and a Hole-In-One award. Dinner will be served in the club’s pavilion at 6 p.m.
Dokken believes the Boy Scouts of America is a vital part of the American lifestyle. And, being a Boy Scout himself, he learned valuable lessons about life.
“My interests and hobbies that I have now all came from scouting. What we do here is value-related; we look to have fun with a purpose,” said Dokken.
He continued, “You know you hear the old saying, ‘What did you do at Boy Scouts today, help an old lady cross the street?’ Well I hope so. But the valuable thing there is to learn manners and to show respect to people. Or one of the things we do is teach how to tie knots. Why? Because it builds confidence and it’s something to do and feel good about. And it’s practical.”
One area the Boy Scouts of America organization struggles with, he said, is getting volunteers.
“Without parents who volunteer, we won’t have anything. But time for parents is limited these days. I think that’s just a mental barrier though,” Dokken said with a smile.
The Ralph Phillips Memorial Golf Tournament’s range pass will cost $150 and a greens pass costs $28 per person. Dinner, which will include chicken, ribs, coleslaw, baked beans, cheesy potatoes and dessert costs $20.
There is no rain date for the golf tournament.
