We recognize you have entrusted to Scouting the development and safety of your child. We are honored by your faith in this organization and want you to know these are top priorities.
In this period of heightened awareness about youth safety, we want to share with you Scouting’s many important programs, policies, and procedures that help protect our members.
We are committed to consistently strengthening and enhancing our Youth Protection measures, and in recent decades have expanded our programs significantly as more information and new techniques and technologies have become available to us. Recently, experts in youth safety and the media have acknowledged the strength of our Youth Protection programs in place today:
“The Boy Scouts of America is one group advocates say has gone farthest to institute such measures to safeguard kids.” (MSNBC, November 2011)
“The Scouts’ current prevention policies are considered state of the art and several independent child-protection experts told The Associated Press that the Scouts–though buffeted in the past by many abuse-related lawsuits–are now considered a leader in combating sexual abuse. ‘The Boy Scouts have the most advanced policies and training,’ said Victor Vieth, a former prosecutor who heads the National Child Protection Training Center in Minnesota.” (Associated Press, January 2012)
While we continuously evaluate and strengthen our Youth Protection programs, we recognize that abuse can happen anywhere, even in Scouting. We believe constant vigilance is the best protection. In Scouting, we tell everyone involved with our programs that “Youth protection begins with you.”(tm) That means that each of us has a role to play in keeping kids safe.
We want to ensure that you are aware of our Youth Protection programs, policies, and procedures, so you know what to expect of our organization. Our safeguards include the following:
All volunteers must complete a rigorous application and screening process before joining Scouting. As part of this requirement, applicants must provide references and submit to a national criminal background check. We also verify that our organization has not received any prior allegations of misconduct on the volunteer’s part by checking names in our Ineligible Volunteer Files. Our goal is to ensure that all adult volunteers represent the values and character outlined in the Scout Oath and Scout Law and are good leaders for your child.
All volunteers are required to complete Youth Protection training and must renew the training every two years. This training is accessible to the general public online at www.Scouting.org, under the Youth Protection tab. Please review the training, as it provides important information about detecting and preventing abuse, no matter where it may occur.
Scouting’s two-deep leadership policy requires at least two adults to be present for all Scouting activities. No youth should ever be alone with a Scout leader for any reason.
Every Boy Scout and Cub Scout handbook includes a pamphlet to help parents teach their children how to recognize, resist, and report abuse. If you haven’t done so already, please immediately review and discuss this information with your child. A copy of the pamphlet and other youth-oriented literature is available under the Youth Protection tab on our website.
All Scouting activities are open to parents, and we encourage families to enjoy Scouting together.
Anyone suspected of inappropriate behavior will be immediately and permanently banned from Scouting. If you ever have any concerns about your child’s safety, please contact the BSA immediately at 805-967-0105.
These measures are by no means the full extent of our efforts, but given the media attention youth-serving organizations including Scouting have recently received, we wanted to share some of the most important aspects of our program. Additional information and resources can be accessed by visiting http://www.scouting.org/Training/YouthProtection.aspx
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to Scout Executive, Rebecca Fields. Thanks for all you do to support Scouting and help us keep kids safe.
Below you will find a list of the next 35 upcoming Council -wide events for Los Padres Council. To register and/or pay for any of these events, click on the line and it will take you directly to the registration page. For events beyond the last date, click on the link to the calendar
Thank you for taking the time to read our Los Padres Council News.
If you have a newsworthy article that you would like to see published or topic you would like covered in Los Padres Council News, please send all of your information, including contact name and e-mail address to postmaster@lospadresbsa.org
The October edition will be published on Friday, September 28, 2012. Submission Deadline is: Monday, September 24.
Welcome to Youth Protection!
The Boy Scouts of America places the greatest importance on creating the most secure environment possible for our youth members. To maintain such an environment, the BSA developed numerous procedural and leadership selection policies and provides parents and leaders with resources for the Cub Scout, Boy Scout, and Venturing programs.
Mandatory Report of Child Abuse
All persons involved in Scouting shall report to local authorities any good-faith suspicion or belief that any child is or has been physically or sexually abused, physically or emotionally neglected, exposed to any form of violence or threat, exposed to any form of sexual exploitation, including the possession, manufacture, or distribution of child pornography, online solicitation, enticement, or showing of obscene material. You may not abdicate this reporting responsibility to any other person.
Steps to Reporting Child Abuse
Ensure the child is in a safe environment.
In cases of child abuse or medical emergencies, call 911 immediately. In addition, if the suspected abuse is in the Scout's home or family, you are required to contact the local child abuse hotline.
Notify the Scout executive or his/her designee.
Reporting Violations of BSA Youth Protection Policies
If you think any of the BSA's Youth Protection policies have been violated, including those described within Scouting's Barriers to Abuse, you must notify your local council Scout executive or his/her designee so appropriate action can be taken for the safety of our Scouts.
World Scouting has been greatly saddened to learn of the passing away of Neil Armstrong, considered to be one of the United States' most famous Eagle Scouts. Mr. Armstrong will always be remembered for his role as Crew Commander of the successful Apollo 11 moon landing mission of 1969 and the first man to stand on the surface of the moon.
Amongst the treasured items that Neil Armstrong carried with him to the moon and back was a World Scout Badge. The citation, printed on NASA letterhead paper and personally signed, reads, "I certify that this World Scout Badge was carried to the moon on man's first lunar landing, Apollo XI, July 20, 1969."
Paying tribute to one of his heroes, Luc Panissod, Secretary General, said, "I pass this unique memento on my way into my office each day. It reminds me how real achievement is very often the result of a truly great team effort. As one might expect of an Eagle Scout, Neil Armstrong was always modest about his personal leadership role on that famous mission and the first to acknowledge the scores of people who contributed in so many ways to making it happen. He will always be an inspiration to ourselves and future generations of Scouts worldwide."
A council wide Task Force focused on how to Keep Cub Scout Packs Strong is being Formed
Recruiting Cub Scout age youth into Scouting has always been relatively easy. However, recruiting adult leadership has not been as successful. As a result, there are a great number of Cub Scout packs with little more than the required adult leadership necessary to charter the unit. Often times, there is one main leader within the pack that does the majority of the work. When that leader leaves the pack, the pack tends to suffer and sometimes to fold.
A council task force is being organized to address this and other issues that keep Cub Scout packs from being the best that they can be. If you are interested in serving on this task force and sharing your best practices, please contact Justin Jepsen at 805-967-0105 or by e-mail at jjepsen@bsamail.org
Your District Nominating Committee is looking for adult leaders willing to serve on District Committees and District Commissioner staffs.
Do you have what it takes to step up to the next level of Scouting leadership? Are you ready to take the skill that you learned as a leader within your Scouting unit and help other units be successful? Then, serving on the District Committee or Commissioner Staff is just what you’ve been looking for.
During September through November, each district is searching high and wide for quality adult leaders to fill vacant positions within their teams. And, they need you to take the attached talent survey to see where you may best serve the youth within your district.
If you are interested in being considered for a leadership poistion within the District Committee or Commissioner Staff, please complete the attached survey. Then submit the completed survey to your District Executive or District Chair by September 30.
There are many simple activities that districts or units can run to encourage new families to join Scouting, to increase involvement, and to spread the word that Scouting is in the area. This folder contains recruitment activity sheets and links to online resources to help districts and units with these events.
Bike Rodeo
Bike Rodeo is a one-afternoon event for Cub Scouts to conduct and invite first- through fifth-graders to have fun. This event will give you an opportunity to meet your neighbors and make new friends.
Chess Tournament
This is an afternoon or evening event for families involved with Scouting or looking to get involved. The youth can be taught the fundamentals of chess and hold competitions against fellow Scouts and family members. Participants can bring their own chess boards.
Craft Fair
Craft Fair is a one-day recruiting event for districts and packs to conduct and invite their communities or neighborhoods. First-through fifth-graders are invited to attend this family activity and make craft projects such as pinewood derby cars, a rain gutter regatta, and bread boxes. This event will create an opportunity to meet neighbors and make friends.
Critter Race
Critter Race is a one-afternoon event for a Cub Scout pack to conduct and invite first- through fifth-graders from neighborhoods and nearby communities. This can be a family outing with fellowship and a big critter race. Bring your own critters and show how fast they go on the track. This event will create an opportunity to meet neighbors and make new friends.
The BSA has published a colorful, 112-page Guide to Awards and Insignia, which is now available in Scout shops. It replaces the 2009-10 Insignia Guide, which is now obsolete. The new guide, No. 614937 , includes official policy related to insignia and uniforms, as well as guidelines for Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Varsity Scouts, Venturers, Sea Scouts, and adult leaders.
This new Guide to Awards and Insignia presents detailed information to enable BSA® members to wear the correct and complete uniform on all suitable occasions. Additionally, it offers chapters on training awards, Scouting honors and special recognitions, universal and non-unit insignia, religious emblems, and flags. It also includes a quick reference guide to knots and a special chapter on awards guidelines for district and council committees. The price is $5.99.
At the Kiwanis International Convention held in June, the BSA was named one of the organization’s “Preferred” charities, joining Boys and Girls Clubs of America, Children’s Miracle Network hospitals, March of Dimes, and UNICEF.
During September, the fall Voice of the Scout survey will hit your e-mail in box. Please take a few minutes to fill out the survey. Your answers will help improve the quality of the Scouting program your Scouts receive.
Only the accurate and timely collection of member e-mails can allow the Voice of the Scout program to work effectively. If your e-mail address has changed recently please notify Dorothy Sands at dsands@bsamail.org.
Trail's End wants to ensure that you sell safely and learn important life skills like goal-setting, public speaking, teamwork and much more. The five best ways to sell, safety tips, selling script, and the Scout ID cards below will give you everything you need to sell like a pro.
Five Best Ways to Sell
1. Take Order
This is the most traditional way to sell; going door-to-door with the take order form, which you receive from your leader or council. Your customer chooses the product(s) he or she wishes to buy and writes the order on your form. You will collect the money when you deliver the product to your customers a few weeks later. Advantages: Provides a personal connection with your customers. Higher dollars per customer than storefront sales.
2. Show and Deliver
This method is similar to Take Order, except you carry Trail's End products with you to show to your customers as you visit them. The customer is able to select the products he or she wishes to buy from your product selection. You then hand over the product and collect the money right then and there. Advantage: No return trip required for product delivery and money collection.
3. Selling Online
This is the best way to sell to your friends and family who live out of town. You can send e-mails to your customers asking them to purchase Trail's End products online. Your customers click on the link in your e-mail and can begin shopping right away. They order products online and pay with a credit card, and Trail's End ships the products directly to your customers. Advantages: No product delivery or money collection. Ability to sell popcorn year-round and reach your friends and family who live far away.
4. Selling at Work
Your mom and/or dad take an order form to their work place. Their co-workers write their order on the order form. Your mom and/or dad deliver product and collect the money a few weeks later. Advantages: Expands your customer base, and offices often need snacks and gifts.
5. Show and Sell
Your den, pack, or troop gets permission to sell in front of a retail store or in the local mall. You set up a display with products for people to purchase as they walk by. Have plenty of products on display for people to buy. Advantages: Gives you access to a large number of potential customers and promotes the Boy Scouts of America in the community.
Selling Tips
ALWAYS wear your uniform
ALWAYS smile and introduce yourself
ALWAYS tell your customers why you are selling popcorn
KNOW the different kinds of popcorn you are selling
ALWAYS say "Thank You"
ALWAYS make a copy of your order form
ALWAYS have a clean order form with a pen
BE SURE to get customer e-mail addresses to send them a "Thank You" e-mail after the sale, reminding them they can re-order online.
Safety Tips
NEVER enter anyone's home
NEVER sell after dark unless you are with an adult
DON'T carry large amounts of cash with you
ALWAYS walk on the sidewalk and driveway
ALWAYS sell with another scout or with an adult
Scout Selling Scripts
Download and print a Scout Script to take with you during face-to-face sales. Scout ID Cards
Download and print these cards to hand out to your customers. They are a great way to let your customers know they can order Trail's End products from you online, year-round! (PDF Download)
For over 100 years Boy Scouts have planned and completed many noteworthy service projects for our nation and local communities. Community service is a big part of our Boy Scout heritage.
Few youth organizations encompass the breadth, volume, and diversity of physical activity common to Scouting, and none enjoy a better safety record. The key to maintaining and improving this exemplary record is the conscientious and trained adult leader who is attentive to safety concerns.
Recently a new BSA document was released that further expands on our tradition of safety in Scouting. The Service Project Planning Guide focuses on key safety topics for planning service projects at all levels of Scouting, not just Eagle Scout service projects.
Service Project Planning Guideline Topics include:
The guidelines must not be construed to be additional requirements for an Eagle Scout service project, but they do represent elements that should appear on the Eagle Scout candidate’s final project plan from the Eagle Scout Service Project Workbook, No. 512-927. The next revision of the Eagle Scout Service Project Workbook will incorporate these guidelines.
Age Guidelines for Tool Use and Work at Elevations or Excavations
Safety of our Scouts is never more critical than when tools are used. The use of tools, by any youth or adult, requires proper training in the use of those tools before a project starts and continuous, qualified adult supervision and discipline during the project. Manufacturers’ literature and age and skill restrictions shall supersede the recommendations on the chart below. If there is a conflict, leaders shall follow the most restrictive guidelines. The table in the guidelines is not comprehensive; if in doubt, adults should be recruited for all tool use or job functions that might be dangerous.
These guidelines are all extensions of the Sweet Sixteen of BSA Safety.
If there are any accidents or injuries, complete a BSA Incident Information Report, No. 680-016. Submit it to the council service center as soon as possible. Immediately notify the council service center or Scout executive of any serious incidents requiring emergency or medical response. If there was a near miss, complete a BSA Near Miss Incident Information Report, No. 680-017, and submit it to the council service center.
Honor Your Veteran Scouters
Would you like to help honor and recognize the long time Scouting volunteers in your unit?
With the Veteran Scouter recognition they can receive a small token of Scouting appreciation as “Veteran Scouters” which they can wear on civilian clothes.
The Veteran Scouter recognition is for adults. However, tenure earned as a youth may be included in the total number of years registered.
After five years of registered service in the Boy Scouts of America, an adult may, upon application, receive the designation of “Veteran.” An individual must currently be a paid registered member of the Boy Scouts of America in order to receive an award.
An adult designated veteran shall pay the regular registration fee if desiring to continue to retain active connection with the movement.
Knowing the human resources available in your unit is very helpful information for unit leaders. Scouting has recently updated a survey form used to collect such human resource information. This survey allows adults to share their skills and interests with unit leaders so the best possible program can be developed for the youth we serve.
The BSA volunteer training team and committee believe that the best way for a leader in Scouting to be trained is via an instructor-led course. We have always known that more learning occurs when there is feedback and interaction.
Good trainers know that they should view training from an overall perspective and not limit their vision to the particular course they are conducting. They know that few leaders can accumulate all the information and ideas possible in a couple hours of training. Leaders should get what they came for, but should have the awareness that there is more to learn and where they can find what they are looking for when necessary.
Leaders and instructors alike should have a clear understanding that leader training is a process that continues as long as an individual is actively involved in the program.
The five levels of the BSA training continuum that make up this “graded approach” are: Joining, Orientation, Basic, Supplemental, and Advanced. Each is designed for a specific purpose, with the first required of all leaders to register, the next two being more “role based” training, and the last two being advanced skills and leadership focused.
In the new Guide to Leader Training we outlined a five-level adult training continuum:
Our Five-Level Adult Training Continuum
Joining – training all leaders must take to be a member of the BSA (Youth Protection)
Orientation – training that can help a leader get started before Specifics is available, but is not required (Fast Start)
Basic – the training necessary to be considered “trained” for your role (Specifics, or Specifics plus IOLS for Scoutmasters)
Supplemental – training that can help you conduct an activity or learn more about your Scouting role (lots of things!)
"Tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today."
— African Proverb
Web Site of the Month
Congressional Award
The Congressional Award is the United States Congress' award for young Americans. It is non-partisan, voluntary, and non-competitive. The program is open to all 14- to 23-year-olds. Participants earn Bronze, Silver and Gold Congressional Award Certificates and Bronze, Silver and Gold Congressional Award Medals.
Each level involves setting goals in four program areas:
Volunteer Public Service
Personal Development
Physical Fitness
Expedition/Exploration
Earning the Award is a fun and interesting way to get more involved in something you already enjoy or something you'd like to try for the first time. You move at your own pace - on your own or with your friends. This is not an award for past accomplishments. Instead, you are honored for achieving your own challenging goals.
Regardless of your situation, you can earn the Congressional Award. The Congressional Award has no minimum grade point average requirements. It accommodates young people with special needs or disabilities who are willing to take the challenge.
The Buzz - August 27, 2012, "New Merit Badges Now Available"
John Clark, High Adventure Department manager, introduces the two newest merit badges to hit the Scouting scene. The Kayaking merit badge prepares a Scout for paddling on still water, while the Search and Rescue merit badge encourages Scouts to Be Prepared when enjoying adventure outdoors.
We recognize you have entrusted to Scouting the development and safety of your child. We are honored by your faith in this organization and want you to know these are top priorities.
In This Issue
Los Padres Council
BSA 100 Years
Boys' Life Magazine
Scouting Magazine
Philmont Scout Ranch
Summit Bechtel Reserve
Northern Tier
Florida Sea Base
Order of the Arrow
Stay Connected
World Scouting has been greatly saddened to learn of the passing away of Neil Armstrong, considered to be one of the United States' most famous Eagle Scouts. Mr. Armstrong will always be remembered for his role as Crew Commander of the successful Apollo 11 moon landing mission of 1969 and the first man to stand on the surface of the moon.
Recruiting Cub Scout age youth into Scouting has always been relatively easy. However, recruiting adult leadership has not been as successful. As a result, there are a great number of Cub Scout packs with little more than the required adult leadership necessary to charter the unit. Often times, there is one main leader within the pack that does the majority of the work. When that leader leaves the pack, the pack tends to suffer and sometimes to fold.
Your District Nominating Committee is looking for adult leaders willing to serve on District Committees and District Commissioner staffs.
There are many simple activities that districts or units can run to encourage new families to join Scouting, to increase involvement, and to spread the word that Scouting is in the area. This folder contains recruitment activity sheets and links to online resources to help districts and units with these events.
At the Kiwanis International Convention held in June, the BSA was named one of the organization’s “Preferred” charities, joining Boys and Girls Clubs of America, Children’s Miracle Network hospitals, March of Dimes, and UNICEF. 
Voice of the Scout
1. Take Order
2. Show and Deliver
3. Selling Online
4. Selling at Work
5. Show and Sell
Would you like to help honor and recognize the long time Scouting volunteers in your unit? 
