Dallas Couple Gives $25-Million to Local Boy Scouts Chapter

Trevor Rees-Jones (upper right, with his wife, Jan) was a Boy Scout in Dallas. Trevor Rees-Jones (upper right, with his wife, Jan) was a Boy Scout in Dallas.

October 17, 2010 | Read Time: 1 minute

How much: $25-million

Who gave it: Trevor and Jan Rees-Jones. Mr. Rees-Jones heads Chief Oil & Gas, in Dallas.

Who got it: The Boy Scouts of America’s Circle Ten Council chapter, which serves the Dallas metropolitan area.

Purpose: The money was contributed as part of the council’s $90-million centennial capital campaign. (The council turns 100 in 2012, when the campaign is scheduled to end.) The bulk of the gift, $20-million, will create an endowment for the ScoutReach program, which enables boys from needy families to participate in scouting activities. The rest will support renovation of a scout camp.

How the donor is connected to the cause: Mr. Rees-Jones was a scout in the Circle Ten Council as a boy.

How the gift came about: Rex Tillerson, chief executive of the Exxon Mobil Corporation and head of the national board of the Scouts, approached Mr. Rees-Jones.

Impact of the gift: Pat Currie, the Circle Ten chief executive, sees the gift as a positive sign that charitable giving has not disappeared in the state despite the economic downturn. He says, “For people who have the resources, they are willing to support things that make a difference. It sends a message loud and clear to the rest of the community.”