Eastern Mountain Sports Launches National Grassroots Initiative

PETERBOROUGH, N.H. (May 29, 2007) – Reinforcing its commitment to expand its direct connection with consumers, Eastern Mountain Sports, one of the nation’s leading outdoor specialty retailers, will serve as title sponsor for this week’s Connecticut Rivers Council Scout Show Boy Scouts of America 2007 in Hebron, Conn. This “jamboree,” expected to draw over 7,000 boy scouts, is a 3-day festival featuring outdoor activities, arts and crafts, educational clinics and displays, games and interactive demos. Eastern Mountain Sports staff members and instructors from the retailer’s Climbing and Kayak Schools will lead eight different clinics on Sat. June 2, educating boy scouts and their leaders on such topics as climbing skills, wilderness first aid, enduring inclement weather conditions, climbing safety and using GPS/geocaching technologies. In addition, Eastern Mountain Sports will offer its bio-diesel fueled tour bus with a custom integrated, 23-foot hydraulically-raised climbing wall to Scout Show participants.

“With our roots in New England, the Connecticut Rivers Council Scout Show 2007 is an obvious choice for Eastern Mountain Sports to strengthen its relationships with the next generation of outdoor enthusiasts,” said Will Manzer, president and CEO of Eastern Mountain Sports. “We need to teach kids about the benefits and riches of the outdoors as early as possible, before the world of text messaging, “IM’ing” and video games takes hold. These dedicated boy scouts already have the mindset, and we are here to provide additional tools to enhance their outdoor experience. This is the first step of a national initiative we intend to expand throughout the East Coast. We are grateful to the Connecticut Rivers Council Boy Scouts for inviting us to participate in this interactive event.”


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Eastern Mountain Sports CEO and President Will Manzer will greet Scout Show attendees as the keynote speaker of Saturday’s opening ceremonies at 8:30 a.m. on the main stage. Afterwards, participating Boy Scouts will be able to experience the main expo area until 5 p.m., where Eastern Mountain Sports will host the following clinics:
9:00 a.m. Hiking Boots and You Choosing the right boots and taking care of them
10:00 a.m. Climbing Skills and Knots Eastern Mountain Sports Climbing School
10:00 a.m. Pack your Yak (Kayak) Eastern Mountain Sports Kayak School
11:00 a.m. Wilderness First Aid Eastern Mountain Sports Climbing School
1:00 p.m. Fitting and Packing Your Pack How to organize your gear successfully
1:00 p.m. Teaching Boy Scouts To Climb Eastern Mountain Sports Climbing School
1:00 p.m. GPS/Geocaching Two hour tutorial on using GPS technologies
2:00 p.m. “Stay Put Stay Dry” Making smart decisions with weather in the outdoors

“Eastern Mountain Sports is a respected leader in the outdoor community and an ideal partner for this event,” said Adam Miclette, chairman of the Connecticut Rivers Council Scout Show. “Its Climbing and Kayak Schools are widely respected for the quality of their programs, and its store Guides have valuable experience to impart on our Boy Scouts. Eastern Mountain Sports will enhance the quality of this year’s show and help us teach the importance of getting outside and enjoying what Mother Nature has to offer.”

For more information on Scout Show 2007, please visit: www.crcscoutshow.org.

About Eastern Mountain Sports:
Founded in 1967 by two New England rock climbers and based in Peterborough, N.H., Eastern Mountain Sports is one of the nation’s leading outfitters of outdoor gear, clothing, footwear and accessories with 67 retail stores in 12 states. Eastern Mountain Sports designs and sells products for outdoor adventurers who participate in a variety of sports, such as mountaineering, backpacking, camping, hiking, adventure racing, climbing, kayaking, mountain biking and snow sports. Eastern Mountain Sports product and technology is tested by its product development and quality assurance teams in conjunction with the Eastern Mountain Sports Climbing, Kayaking and Ski Schools. More information is available at www.ems.com.

About Scout Show 2007
What is Scout Show? The answer dates back to 2000, when Bruce Sullivan and Chris Weimer hatched a plan to bring a National Jamboree-like experience to the Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts and Ventures of the Connecticut Rivers Council. Faces of the Future met with resounding success and in the finest of national traditions, the second version of the Scout Show was held in 2003 at Hammonasset State Park. 2003’s chair was Adam Miclette and the theme was Tribute to the Founder. This was also met with high response, so we now arrive in 2007 with the third Scout Show approaching on the horizon: One World – One Promise. Scout Show 2007 has been put together by a committee of Scouters from around the state, chaired by the dedicated and driving force of Adam Miclette. Our mission: to deliver the best possible experience to the youth of Connecticut Rivers Council, with memories that will resonate in the minds of the attendees for years to follow.


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