Nothing Can Stop This District Executive From Changing Lives

When Julie Chambers found out she had breast cancer, she resisted the urge to close off from her community. Instead, she stuck to her district executive role in the Yocona Area Council and leaned on her family and the Scouting community for support.

“The most important thing is to have somebody there with you,” Julie explained to Daily Journal.

But she doesn’t have just one somebody standing behind her. Her support system doesn’t even end at the district level (where one volunteer let Cub Scouts shave his head in her honor). Julie has the thoughts and prayers of thousand of volunteers and leaders worldwide. That’s how the Scouting family works.

Throughout her treatment last year, Julie’s involvement in Scouting and family events didn’t slip. She even took her sons on trips to Ecuador, the Galapagos, and Ireland. Fellow Scouters who were doctors also went on one of the trips with their kids, easing some of Julie’s fears.

“Never once did anybody say, ‘You can’t do this,'” Julie said of her Scouting team’s support. “Be prepared (the Scout motto) means I have a system. I trust people to know what’s going on with me.”

Julie adjusted her schedule to make the most of weeks between chemotherapy treatments. She planned around Cub Scout camp sessions to make sure the event ran smoothly for volunteers and Scouts.

While she’s making sure to build in more time for naps and preserve her stamina, Julie remains a vibrant leader the council relies on.

“We’re really lucky here in our council,” Chambers said. “We’re a small council, but we do a lot. It’s because of the volunteers, because people care about Scouting and these kids.”
Hear from Julie in the video below and read her full story on Daily Journal.