Two top Topeka Rotarians talked about their terrific vocational topics Thursday, April 7.

Jeff Moe, Scout Executive at the Jayhawk Area Council, Boy Scouts of America, and Jim Leiker, President and CEO of Easter Seals Capper Foundation, presented a vocational program featuring service to youth. Each had a unique twist. 

“Boy Scouts is 99% volunteer driven,” Moe said. “It is the volunteers – parents, grandparents, college students, those without children who believe in the program – who actually deliver the product to the scouts. It happens in church basements, schools, neighborhood centers, homes, every week in dens, packs and troops.”

The full time scouting workforce are enablers, setting up units, helping train the adults, working to keep the Scouting train on track. Moe talked about the many types of work that he does as the head of the local organization.

“Fundraising, setting direction, following the mandates from the higher level organization, board of directors who, selecting and developing staff,” are among the many daily tasks required. The career field is about 3,500 people deep across the United States and in Scouting the career typically requires relocation for promotion.

Moe spoke at his last Topeka Rotary meeting. He is among those relocating soon for a significant promotional opportunity leading one of the largest Scout Council’s in the world – 24,000 Scouts and families in and surrounding Columbus, OH, area. God Speed Jeff!

Leiker talked about the amazing Easter Seals Capper Foundation, a Topeka institution for 90 years. His remarks centered more on the role of non-for-profit leadership in the Topeka area.

“If you added all the charitable groups together they would employ more than 1,500 people in the Topeka area, making the non-profit sector the 8th largest employer in Topeka,” Leiker said.

He has been at Capper for 19 years now, coming into the job with a master’s degree in justice administration.

“When we enable every to live to the limits of their freedom without barriers, I guess that is the ultimate sort of justice,” Leiker said.

Fund-raising is also a part of his work and a successful part.

“We regularly get calls from similar organizations asking: ‘how big is Topeka?’ They just can’t believe the amount of money we can raise from the population. I think it comes from a long, successful history and a great record,” Leiker said.

The Rotary Vocational awareness programs are presented four times a year as a part of the Rotary Vocational Branch of Service. If you would like to talk about your vocation or want to suggest a Topeka Rotarian to speak please contact Joyce Martin, Vocational Committee Chair or Roger Aeschliman, committee member.