We are well on our way to getting all our local units rechartered before December. However there are some units who have still not turned in everything needed to complete the recharter process.
If your unit has not completed and submitted everything needed to complete your charter, please contact our commissioner staff for help. If you do not know who your unit commissioner is, please contact your district commissioner staff.
It’s one of the best way for us to show our communities all the great things that go on in Scouting. It is 40-50 Scouting units in the Town Center Mall with nearly 2,000 Scouts, visitors, friends, and family all wanting to see what Scouting is about.
“Why Should Our Unit Participate?”
It is a lot of fun! It is a chance to show off why your unit is the best. It is a chance for Cub Scouts to see Boy Scouts in action. Boy Scouts can see Venturing and Sea Scouts in action.
“What Can Our Unit Do?”
The possibilities are limitless!!! (except for the space and rules of the mall): Pinewood derbies, space derbies, rain gutter regatta, rubber band target shooting, soap carving, realistic first aid, knot tying, model campsites, monkey bridges (think safety!), map and compass, leather work, mask making, and the list goes on. Plan now for your display (remember to make it interactive) and mark the date on your calendar. Complete packets will be distributed to all units in November.
“Is There Anything Else We Can Do?” Yes, we need your help planning Scout-O-Rama 2012.
Please contact Paul Ladwig at: pladwig@verizon.net or 805-733-3857
Where to Go Camping Guide
The new Order of the Arrow, Chumash Lodge 90 “Where to go Camping Guide” is just out, thanks to the efforts of the Camping Promotion Committee. In the coming weeks we will be making portions of it available on the website in searchable categories, but the whole document in pdf form is available for download immediately.
The Guide includes a lot of good information on camping in general and listings of camping locations on here on the central California coast. Contact information is also included for Harry Holden so end users can send in corrections, additions, changes and any suggested improvements to the Where To Go Camping Guide. The table of contents gives you a list of additional topics covered in the guide.
Camping Hints
For A New Scoutmaster: Fundamentals of a Scout Outing
Tour Plan Requirements
Fire Permit
Wilderness Manners
Forest Service Road and Trail Identifications
Camping Locations
Ventura County
Santa Barbara County
San Luis Obispo County
Monterey County
Out of council locations
National camping locations
Headquarters Information
Camping related books, maps, websites and equipment sources
In the camping sections of the guide you will find information such as the camp style (camp site, primitive camp site, group camp site, drive in site or hike in site), map location, elevation, camping units available, group site, day use site, toilets, reservations needed, and whether or not the site is open all year. This is very helpful information for Scouts and Scout leaders looking for a good outdoor program of camping.
Introduction
The Guide to Advancement is the official source for administering advancement in all Boy Scouts of America programs: Cub Scouting, Boy Scouting, Varsity Scouting, Venturing, and Sea Scouts. It replaces the Advancement Committee Policies and Procedures and Advancement and Recognition Policies and Procedures, which are no longer valid.
Be aware that statements or interpretations offered from unofficial websites and other such sources may be out of date or incorrect. They will not be considered in resolving advancement questions and issues. In situations not specifically covered in this guide, advancement chairs, coordinators, or other administrators should make decisions based on the aims and mission of the Boy Scouts of America, as well as the Scout Oath and Scout Law—and common sense.
Online Version
The online version for the Guide to Advancement 2011 will be updated more frequently than the
printed manual.
Regardless the program—Cub Scouting, Boy Scouting, Varsity Scouting, Venturing, or Sea Scouts—where advancement takes place, it is nothing more and nothing less than a method. It is a means toward accomplishing the Boy Scouts of America mission. It is not an end in itself. When as advancement administrators — both volunteer and professional—we recognize this, we can expect success. To see it otherwise is to indicate we have forgotten our purpose.
Significant Changes
Producing the Guide to Advancement involved many members of the Boy Scouts of America’s national staff and many volunteer advancement administrators at all levels from across the country. The result is an all-new resource intended to more efficiently meet the needs of those who would most often consult it. Because this resource is completely different from its predecessors, it is difficult to cite specific differences.
However, a number of sections merit close review and are covered in more detail on page 7 in the new Guide to Advancement 2011.
ATLANTA - New ads for the Atlanta Council of the Boy Scouts of America are attracting national attention. The ads feature young boys in full scout uniforms sporting full beards.
The “Be One With the Wild” ad campaign rolled out in schools in the Atlanta area just a couple of months ago, and the Boy Scouts say its working.
“We've been very fortunate to have this campaign in our council and it has recruited over 6,500 new Cub Scouts to the scouting program,” said scoutmaster Degas Wright.
Wright says that's significantly more than in years past. He says the ads are catching the eye of 6- to 10-year-olds.
“The rugged look, it's different it says, ’Wow that's cool to be a part of that.' So…It's taken off with the boys,” said Wright.
Some local Boy Scouts told FOX 5 that the ads may be weird, but if they get younger kids involved then they support it.
“I think it's kind of inspirational, go into the woods, grow a mountain man beard and go camping all the time,” said Boy Scout Andy Wood.
Various blogs from across the country are sounding off about the ads. Some are saying the photos are a bit creepy. In the public relations world, the publicity the ads have generated is a sign they are working.
"Badge of Honor" - National Recruitment Campaign
Strong messages, powerful imagery, and fun scenarios are elements of the 2012 national recruitment campaign available in November. The “Badge of Honor” themed campaign proves that the memorable moments associated with earning a badge, hiking a trail, or hanging out with friends are an invaluable part of the journey to being Prepared. For Life.™
All recruiting materials will be in Spanish as well and will include fliers, online banners, posters, yard signs, and radio and TV PSAs. All marketing resources will be available on the Marketing Toolbox and Brand on Demand. The early rollout of these materials is aimed at helping council staffs prepare for membership growth conferences and for 2012 fall recruitment. Additionally, a 2012 membership packet will be mailed to local councils in November.
In this video Chief Scout Executive Bob Mazzuca introduces our 2012
recruitment campaign, Badge of Honor.
New, Youth-Only Venturing Leadership Award Qualifications Announced
The Venturing Leadership Award is presented by councils, areas, regions, and the National Council to youth Venturers who have made exceptional contributions to Venturing and who exemplify the Venturing Code and Oath.
To qualify for one of these award levels, nominees must do the following:
Be registered and involved as a Venturer for at least one year.
Be a youth member when nominated for the award.
Hold a leadership position or an office at the unit, district, council, area, region, or national level, as appropriate for the level of the award presented.
Show exceptional dedication and give outstanding leadership and service to Venturing and Venturers (on the level appropriate for the award).
Please note: Councils may select adult council VLA’s for this year using the current guidelines if the paperwork has been submitted to them before December 31, 2011.
For more information on the Venturing Leadership Award, download the VLA guidelines.
Eagle Scout Scholarship Applications Now Available
In 2012, the National Eagle Scout Association will award 153 scholarships varying in size from $1,000 to $50,000 to deserving Eagle Scouts through various scholarship funds. To learn more about the scholarships and access application instructions, visit NESA's 2012 Scholarship Applications site.
BSA Awards Central
Have you ever had questions about the large number of awards available in the Boy Scouts of America? Many of us are not familiar with awards such as the Memorial Gold Star, North Star, Founder's Bar or the National Den Award. To help us all find information on these awards the BSA has created a new web page called Awards Central. This page lists over 90 awards (in alphabetical order) with links to additional information on each award.
"You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you."
Dale Carnegie
Web Site of the Month
The ScoutmasterCG.com web site is full of ideas, information & inspiration for Scout leaders, just as the graphic says. This site has a lot of good information for adult leaders trying to help their Boy Scout troop provide a quality Scouting experience for each Scout. Clarke Green, the site author, has served his troop as Scoutmaster for 27 years. He obviously has a great love for the Scouting program. His love of Scouting shows in the breadth and depth of information provided on Scouting and his attention to detail in maintaining the site. The collection of podcasts (recordings) on key leadership concepts and challenges are well worth the time for a good listen.
In a recent communication with Clarke Green, I asked him about his motivation for building and maintaining this web site. Here is Clarke's response:
"Maintaining a blog faithfully means writing, writing requires reflection, thinking and learning. It's an exercise that clarifies things and sorts things out. Scouting has a terrific potential for good; writing about it helps me understand it all that much better. If what you write appeals to others they begin to interact and the interaction furthers understanding."
"At some point what I was writing began to be useful to fellow Scout leaders and they started asking questions. I was pleased to be able to answer some of them or at least help them along as so many others have helped me. I have also learned a lot from them."
Since starting his blog in 2005 there have been 1,135 articles posted, 1,769 comments with an average of 420 unique visits every day. The 92 podcasts have been listened to 23,772 times. Impressive.
SOON, WE’LL BE entering the season in which “Peace on Earth” will be on the lips of many as we embrace the holidays. I can’t think of a better time of year to encourage everyone in the Boy Scouts of America to take part in World Scouting’s Messengers of Peace initiative.
A Message from the Chief Scout
Executive, Robert J. Mazzuca.
Messengers of Peace is a 10-year effort by the 161 National Scout Organizations of the World Organization of the Scout Movement to involve individual Scouts, as well as the national Scout organizations from all six worldwide regions, in peace-building activities.
As a part of this program, Scouts from all over the world can earn international recognition in the form of “Mini Nobel Prizes” for significant community-service projects. This idea was conceived in the belief that through these acts of community service, Scouts across the world can contribute to world peace.
It’s a marvelous notion, and I can’t say enough about the support of King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia (a great friend of Scouting) and King Carl Gustaf of Sweden (the Honorary Chairman of the World Scout Foundation) for launching this initiative in September. We know that Scouts all over the world already are active in peaceful endeavors. Through Messengers for Peace, the hope is that Scouts will take those existing community programs and expand their impact toward global peace.
No matter whether Scouts are from Saudi Arabia, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Mexico, or Des Moines, Iowa, they all share a common bond. Never before have we intentionally focused the attention of 30-million-plus Scouts around the world on the idea that no matter where they live, they can participate in fostering peace through community service. More information on the application process can be found at messengersofpeace.info.
Messengers of Peace is an inspiring way to gather our young people to bring calm to a world that’s so desperately in need of acts of kindness. My holiday wish for the BSA is that we set the example for others as we take part in this historic moment for world peace.
All over the world, Scouts are running projects that help people. They solve conflicts in school by preventing bullying, lead peer education programs, help the poor and the hungry, create solutions to environmental problems, and run countless other service projects. Messengers of Peace is the initiative that brings all of this work together.
Every Scout who runs a service project is a Messenger of Peace. Together, we create a network of Messengers of Peace all over the world.
All it takes to be a Messenger is to run a project that helps your community. Do you see a problem in your community? Can you do something to solve that problem? If so, you can be a Messenger too. What are you waiting for?
In This Issue
http://www.youtube.com/user/LOSPADRESCOUNCILBSA
Camping Hints
Guide to Advancement 2011
Significant Changes
BSA Awards Central
Video of Month 
