A Word From Our New District Director (Welcome to Bucktail, Irv!) Hi Everyone – My name is Irv Gable, the new District Director for your Bucktail Council. I am excited to be here for the start to Scouting’s next 100 years and more importantly excited to come to work for you and our Council’s youth.
Winter 2011
I beam down from the rapidly growing town of Mars, PA where I grew up in a large family to parents that own and operate a new residential construction business. I went on to graduate from Edinboro University of PA with degrees in Political Science and Criminal Justice and then to work for the B.S.A. in Pittsburgh, PA. While at the Greater Pittsburgh Council I served as an associate district executive, district executive and district director over three districts throughout the Council’s territory. I look forward to meeting and working with each of you over the coming months to learn everything that I can about this great Council as we strive to achieve the 2011 Journey to Excellence benchmarks. Best wishes for a wonderful holiday season! Irv
Annual Meeting Notice The Bucktail Council will hold its Annual Business Meeting on Monday, January 10, 2011 at 6:30pm at the DuBois Diner upstairs banquet room. Dinner will be served at a cost of $18. If you have suggestions for nominees for Council Officers or Executive Board members, you may write the Nominating Committee, c/o Arleen Multhauf, D ED., Chairman, Council Service Center, 209 First Street, DuBois, PA 15801. Those attending the Annual Business Meeting should notify Tina Lorance so that adequate arrangements can me made. Tina can be reached at
[email protected] or 814-371-5650 ext 206 by January 3, 2011. Bucktail Council, BSA 209 First Street DuBois, PA 15801
Wilds District Set to be Reorganized Upon recommendation from the Council Executive Board the Pennsylvania Wilds District is set to be reorganized back into two separate districts with two completely new identities. The Council unit serving executives will be serving as staff advisors to a strategic plan committee that will meet twice during January 2011 to discuss district boundaries and set an exciting plan in motion to name the new service areas.
Phone: (814) 371-5650 Fax: (814) 371-1399
E-Mail:
If you would like to be involved on the district re-organization committee please call Irv Gable or Carl Hall at the Council service center or e-mail
[email protected] or
[email protected] by January 7, 2011. We will set meeting dates for Jan. based on the schedule of those who volunteer with the expectation that the committee will have a completed report for approval to the Executive Board by January 25, 2011.
[email protected]
Surf us out at www.bucktail.org
2011 World Scout Jamboree in Sweden There are still openings for the 2011 World Scout Jamboree in Sweden from July 27— August 7, 2011. Not only do we have openings for Boy Scouts, but also for Venturers! The original deadline of December 1st has been extended, but we do need to get reservations in quickly! For more information, please visit http://www.scouting.org/world jamboree or check out the YouTube promotional video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5pppmVUo9M
News Popping into a Perfect Program…. This year the Council sold $155,140 in the 2010 popcorn sale through both take order and show and sell opportunities. Over $62,400 stayed within our local units to help improve Scouting programs and $32,000 within the Council. Thank you to all of the units that participated and the volunteers who helped facilitate the sale. Congratulations are in order to our top three selling units: Pack 35 $9,380, Pack 44 $$8,708 and Pack 36 $8,502. Together these three units represented over 18% of the total sale; thank you! Please keep an eye out for more initiatives from Trails End to sell popcorn to help your Scout’s earn their way to summer camp. Our goal for 2011 is $197,000 which is a 10% increase over our 2009 sales. It’s a great time to start talking with your unit committee’s about how to maximize your units participation in the sale. Remember, Trails End is one of the only fundraisers that your Scouts can do and begin saving 6% of their total sale for college. If you have any questions or comments about the 2010 sale or would like to volunteer to be on the 2011 committee please call Irv Gable at the Council service center or email
[email protected].
Beekeeping Additions to Merit Badges Background The Beekeeping merit badge was offered from 1915 until 1995. From 1980 to 1994, the number of youth earning this merit badge ranged from 700 to 1,000 per year. That decline in interest eventually led to its demise in 1995. Future After receiving input from youth members and review by merit badge volunteers and professionals, we have formulated a way to bring greater exposure of beekeeping to youth. The plan includes the following: Emphasis of the importance of bees and their symbiotic relationship with humankind may be added to or enhanced in as many as eight existing merit badges. Merit Badge - Estimated Revision Date Environmental Science - 2011-2012 Pulp and Paper - 2011-2012 Bird Study - 2012-2013 Insect Study - 2012-2013 Forestry - 2013-2014 Plant Science - 2013-2014 Gardening - 2014-2015 Nature - 2014-2015
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The first merit badge to receive the addition will be Environmental Science, which is requried for all Eagle Scouts. Annually, nearly 73,000 youth earn this merit badge. • When fully integrated into the targeted merit badges, more than 100,000 Scouts each year will discover the importance of bees and beekeeping as part of a larger environmental picture. • Beekeeping projects, such as working with a colony or harvesting honey, will be considered for addition to one or more existing merit badges so that highly motivated youth members can use their beekeeping activities to help fulfill merit badge requirements. We believe this plan will increase the awareness of honeybees and their critical impact on our environment, and prepare America's young people to help care for this important natural resource. If you have any further questions, please contact
[email protected].
$600 Club Popcorn sellers of $600 or more are invited to the Penn State DuBois Basketball Clinic on Saturday, January 15th! Invitations will be mailed to each qualifying Scout with the day’s itinerary, which will include a meet and greet with the players and coaches, a tour of the athletic department and chance to see the players in action during their home game! Trophies will be given out to the top three sellers during this event! Those Scouts that sold $1000 or more were treated to an all-nighter at Fun Central in Clearfield where they had unlimited access to lazer tag, mini golf and the soft play area. Each Scout was encouraged to bring a friend along to share in the excitement. ! Congratulations to all of our top sellers, and have fun at the PSU Basketball Clinic!
We Want to Hear From You! The Bucktail Council has created an online survey to help measure the likes and dislikes of the internet rechartering program. We are asking all of the adult leaders that were involved in the recharter process to let the Council know what we did well and what we need to improve upon for 2011. Please visit the following link to take the survey: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/DWNN7Z7 It’s a short 9 question survey that will help us handle the program in the future. Thank you for your time.
Direct TV Sponsorship Direct TV has unfortunately decided to discontinue its sponsorship program to the Boy Scouts of America as of December 31, 2010. They will fulfill any orders prior to that day and local councils will get their funding.
Journey to Excellence program for 2011 “Scouting’s Journey to Excellence” is the BSA’s new council performance recognition program designed to encourage and reward success and measure the performance of our units, districts, and councils. It is replacing the Centennial Quality Awards Program as a means of encouraging excellence in providing a quality program at all levels of the BSA. For more information and details on this new program please visit: http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/Awards/ JourneyToExcellence.aspx
WINTER 2011 BUCK TALES
Upcoming Events CUB SCOUT KLONDIKE Saturday, February 12, 2011 at CMR This will be a fun filled day (non-competitive) in which all of your Cub Scouts (Tigers, Wolfs, Bears and Webelos) can come to Camp Mountain Run and enjoy the wonders of the winter world. Most events are being held outdoors so all participants should prepare for a day in the cold and snow of western PA. The dining hall will be open for packs and dens to come in out of the weather and to enjoy their lunches (bring your own) in front of the roaring fireplaces. The Riverside Trading Post will have hot dogs and other items available to purchase for lunch if you wish. You may also prepurchase a hot meal from the Elk Café. Please bring a plastic sled or snow board to carry supplies for the day as well as use in some of the events. Registration forms will be available in mid-December and accepted by pack only.
Having fun at the Sledding/Snow Tubing station!
42ND ANNUAL POLAR BEAR January 21-23, 2011 at CMR The Bucktail Council is proud to announce that Polar Bear is celebrating its 42nd Anniversary! The event will be held at Camp Mountain Run from January 21-23, 2011. This event will be held regardless of weather conditions, so Testing his skills at the Axe please prepare your troop for Throwing station at last camping under any possible weather conditions. If you would year’s Polar Bear event at Camp Mountain Run. like information on winter camping, as well as the 2011 Polar Bear, please go to www.bucktail.org. BE PREPARED – we encourage you to start planning now. If you feel your troop is not ready to camp in winter weather, we strongly encourage you to attend the Polar Bear event on Saturday, so that your troop can compete in the events. Registration for the event will be $6.50 for Scouts and Scouters if registered by January 14, 2011 or $8 if received after January 14th. Registration forms will be available in mid December.
Family Friends SCOUT SUNDAY SCHEDULED FOR FEB. 6, 2011 Now is the time to order those church bulletins and any other items that you may need to celebrate Scout Sunday in your place of worship! Just contact Tina at the Council Service Center for more information on what is available and to make your order.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR THESE IMPORTANT SPRING
DATES:
Saturday, March 26th—Scouting for Food Wednesday, March 30th—District Recognition Dinner Saturday, April 9th—District Pinewood Derby Sunday, May 1st—Fish Derby
WINTER 2011 BUCK TALES
of Scouting Each year as many of you know our Council conducts an annual giving campaign more commonly known as Friends of Scouting or FOS. This campaign is vital to the mission critical support that the Council provides to your unit and to our great partners in the Community! During 2010 we had 19 units participate and raised over $5,000 for local scouting programs. To those units and individuals that participated; thank you. You truly are visionary for Scouting’s next 100 years. To those units that did not participate last year we are asking you to make that commitment this year. During the month of January the Council Executive Board, District Committee and Friends of Scouting volunteers will be making calls to secure each units participation. Every Scout family deserves the opportunity to invest in Scouting and the future of our Council. So please talk with your unit committee about a date that will maximize this opportunity. Our goal for 2011 will be 100% participation in presentations from every unit and to raise $40,000. It may sound like a monumental task; however $40,000 over almost 2,000 Scouting families is a very attainable goal. If you have any questions or comments about the 2010 FOS campaign or would like to volunteer to be on the 2011 FOS committee please call Irv Gable at the Council service center or email
[email protected]
Camping CAMP MOUNTAIN RUN 2011 Summer Resident Camp We have a lot of staff coming back this year! We look forward to seeing you this summer and you can look forward to seeing old friends and faces you recognize. Our goal to make the visit to Camp Mountain Run a second-to-none experience is in the forefront of each decision we make. The Camping Committee made-up of volunteers from all parts of our council are working hard to make sure that you and your son’s visit to camp will be a lasting one, filled with cherished memories of friends and staff alike. We are committed to making this happen. If you haven’t already made your reservations for summer camp 2011, send in your deposit and reserve your camp-site now. The Pre-camp Leader’s meeting will be held May 7th at Camp Mountain Run in the dining hall. Fees for camp will not be accepted on this date, to receive the early bird special you must make your payment at the council office by May 6th. The early bird fee is $245.00, after May 6th fees go up to $295.00. Camperships! Campership applications can be found on the council web-site. If there is a boy who wants to come to camp, don’t let finances get in the way, fill out a campership!
Cub/Webelos Camp If you haven’t already heard the news, we are combining our Cub and Webelos camp. This will give parents with youth in both programs more flexibility for time off, etc. The program will be flexible as well. Cub Scouts will have a different experience than Webelos. This will be accomplished by putting Cub Scouts in one group or two groups and Webelos in another group. Cub Scouts will stay together with a program designed for them and Webelos will be together and enter each program area with a program designed to fit their abilities. The dates in the calendar are not correct for Webelos and Cub Scouts – the new dates are July 3rd – July 6th and July 7th – July 10th.
High Adventure Camp In order to increase the quality of your experience we have joined forces with two other councils to make the High Adventure Program more meaningful! With that being said, the High Adventure Base will be located at Camp Olmstead on beautiful Kinzu Lake. All activities will be held in one location, therefore, bussing to multiple locations will be eliminated and more time doing the activities you and your son or daughter expected will be provided. This program will be open to both boys and girls ages 14 and up. The date is July 31st with a tentative fee of $300.00. If you plan on going to the High Adventure Camp, sign-up now! There is a cut-off of 50 scouts for this program! Activities will include sailing, scuba diving, a 50 mile hike/canoeing trip, black powder rifle shooting, COPE, etc. So come and join the ADVENTURE and get your payment into the council office to reserve your spot at the Kinzu Adventure! Should you have questions on either of these camps, please contact Carl Hall at 814-496-9960.
WINTER 2011 BUCK TALES
DAY CAMP 2011 July 11—15 St Marys July 18-22 DuBois Area July 25-29 Clearfield More information coming soon!
Campership Applications due March 1st Camperships help low-income Scouts attend Council-sponsored camps. Due to high demand of applications, Scouts from units that do not participate in any Scouting fundraisers will not be eligible for Campership grants. Please download a form on our website at bucktail.org and mail or fax to the service center office before March 1st.
CUB SCOUT OVERNIGHTER AND EXPO
2010 Cub Scout Expo is a fantastic was to introduce new Scouts to the core of the Scouting program. With activities such as Archery, BB Guns, Indian Dancing, Boating and more, the boys had a fantastic time whether this was their first taste of scouting or if they are seasoned veterans.
Training and Awards Internet Rechartering Software Changes
Roundtable
to Improve BSA Ethnicity Data
Roundtables are an important part of the scouting program. The next Roundtable is scheduled for January 17th at Camp Mountain Run; I hope to see you there. Roundtables help your unit with develop new ideas on running your meetings, not only through instruction, but also by learning from others.
The Internet Rechartering software is being changed to better collect data that is important to the Boy Scouts of America and your local council. Internet Rechartering processors will now need to indicate the ethnicity of new youth and adult applicants. However, one of the choices on the list of selections will be “Not Provided,” which can be used when this information is unavailable. Providing your ethnicity is not required to become a member of the Boy Scouts of America. This change to the Internet Rechartering software is to encourage the entry of this information when it is willingly provided by the applicant.
There is no Roundtable in February.
It has become increasingly important for the Boy Scouts of America to collect this data in order to better serve all of our customers. It will help us to process and report more accurate and detailed information about our membership that can be used for strategic and program planning, funding and sponsorship opportunities, and other purposes that can strengthen our service to youth. We’ve taken extra steps to encourage you to provide this information on your current members as well, though it is not required. A “Y” or “N” (yes or no) indicator field for ethnic background has been added to the draft roster printed from Internet Rechartering. For those members who have an “N” listed in the Ethnicity column of the roster, if the ethnic background is available on the unit copy of the member’s original application or if you are provided with the ethnic background, you may select “Update Member” or “Update Leader” to record their ethnic background. “Not Provided” can be selected when this information is unavailable. The Ethnicity column on the roster will list a “Y” for those members whose ethnicity has been recorded, whether it has been recorded as “Not Provided” or as an ethnicity selection. Thank you for all you and your fellow volunteers do to help the BSA record accurate data.
2011 Training Dates • Sat. March 12th 9:30AM, CMR, Cub Scout Leader Position-Specific • Sat. May 14th, 10AM, CMR, BALOO (Basic Adult Leader Outdoor Orientation) • Fri.-Sun. May 13th-15th Boy Scout Leader Complete Training Weekend (CMR)
Venturing Training Venturing Leadership Skills Course (VLSC) is being replaced by a new course entitled Introduction to Leadership Skills for Crews or ILSC. Originally the title was to be Crew Leadership Training (CLT) and during the review of the syllabus, the writers agreed the title Introduction to Leadership Skills for Crews was a more fitting title and described the course more accurately. The purpose of ILSC is to teach crew members with leadership positions what their new job is and how to most effectively reach success in that role. ILSC is intended to help Venturers in leadership positions within their crew understand their responsibilities and equip them with organizational and leadership skills to fulfill those responsibilities. ILSC is the first course in the series of leadership training offered to Venturers and is a replacement for VLSC. Completion of this course is a prerequisite for Venturers to participate in the more advanced leadership courses National Youth Leadership Training (NYLT) and the National Advanced Youth Leadership Experience (NAYLE). It is also required for Kodiak. You may ask, "Why the change...?" The goal is to have a uniform, aligned training platform for all programs so that those Scouters may transition smoothly from one course to the next regardless of what type of unit they belong to. All but the intro is now "program neutral" and each course needs the same basic info as prerequisite. The Volunteer Development Team expects this course to be released to the Scouting community within 30 days. Watch the training page on scouting.org for updates. Training page: www.scouting.org/volunteer/training
WINTER 2011 BUCK TALES
Training and Awards NESA Outstanding Eagle Scout Award
Awards to Promote “Outdoorism”
Award description The NESA Outstanding Eagle Scout Award (NOESA) is a prestigious recognition granted by the local council NESA committee to Eagle Scouts who have demonstrated outstanding achievement at the local, state, or regional level. Unlike the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award—which is a national award—the NOESA recognizes Eagle Scouts whose efforts have made a positive impact closer to home. Eligibility All NOESA recipients must be Eagle Scouts in good standing with the Boy Scouts of America and either be registered with or have their primary residence within the boundaries of the nominating council. No length of time is required to have passed since earning the rank. Examples of possible recipients include:
Local heroes and celebrities at the peak of their notoriety whose achievements outside of Scouting have touched and inspired others; Philanthropists, public servants, educators, or business owners who have made a positive, long-term impact as cornerstones of the community; Individuals who have attained prominence at the state or regional level in their profession or avocation— an avocation being any activity including but not limited to athletics, hobbies, collecting, outdoor adventure, and record-setting activities. Each recipient’s actions and accomplishments should elevate the stature of Eagle Scouts in the public eye, and each recipient shall be held to the standards set forth in the Scout Oath, Scout Law, and national BSA standards for membership.
Two new awards have been developed to promote "outdoorism" for Boy Scouts and Varsity Scouts. The National Outdoor Challenge (No. 430-016) is a unit award that recognizes troops/teams that maintain or increase the amount of outdoor activity when compared to the previous year. The information and application is available here: http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/boyscouts/adults/awar ds.aspx and is due at the end of 2010. With the release of this award, the National Camping Award has been discontinued; however, patches for camping nights will be available until the inventory is depleted. The National Outdoor Achievement Award (No. 430-509) recognizes Boy Scouts/Varsity Scouts that excel in outdoor participation. The award consists of five areas of emphasis (camping, aquatics, hiking, riding and adventure) with rigorous requirements to earn each segment. Scouts looking for an extra challenge can earn the National Medal for Outdoor Achievement. This challenging award requires earning at least three of the National Outdoor Achievement segments, planning and leading a trek, earning Wilderness First Aid and becoming a Leave No Trace Trainer as well as several other requirements. The information and application is available at the following link: http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/boyscouts/youth/awar ds.aspx
Wood Badge
2011 NESA Eagle Scholarship The applications for the 2011 NESA Eagle Scout scholarships are now available at www.nesa.org. The homepage features a blue, clickable banner that leads directly to the forms. Please help us spread the word to Eagle Scouts in the Bucktail Council. These are the only scholarship applications acceptable in 2011. These applications must be printed and mailed to the national office, postmarked no later than midnight on January 31, 2011. If you have any questions, please call the NESA office at 972-580-2032.
WINTER 2011 BUCK TALES
Congratulations to Dave Schwab of Troop 27 on completion of Wood Badge training! Wood Badge is the premier adult training program of the Boy Scouts of America. It teaches contemporary leadership and team development skills in an outdoor setting. Its purpose is to aid Scouters in providing a quality program that will enable Scouts to grow to their greatest potential. A Cluster Course will be available again in September 2011.
Silver Beaver Award Nominations Due The Silver Beaver Award is the council-level distinguished service award of the Boy Scouts of America. Recipients of this award are registered adult leaders who have made an impact on the lives of youth through service given to the council. The award given to those who implement the Scouting program and perform community service through hard work, self sacrifice, dedication, and many years of service. This year the Council will be accepting nominations through January 31, 2011, to download an application please visit: http://www.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/92103.pdf or stop into the Council office to pick up a nomination form today.
2010 National Scout Jamboree Twenty-five years ago, while visiting my older brother at the 1985 National Scout Jamboree, I set a goal for myself to be the Scoutmaster of the Bucktail Council Troop attending the 100th Anniversary Jamboree. This past August, I realized that dream and served as the Scoutmaster for Jamboree Troop 416 of the Bucktail Council. Twenty six Scouts and four adult leaders made the trip to Fort A.P. Hill in Virginia for an experience of a lifetime. The activities that were there are some things that most of the boys will probably never have a chance to ever see or do again. There was a learning curve that the Scouts had to get over. First they had to get over the fact that the Jamboree was huge. This was my third NSJ that I have participated in and I still did not see the entire Jamboree Site. The second was that they also had personal responsibilities to their patrol mates. They had to share their chores and actually had to plan their activities for the day. Finally, there was also no shortage of things to do. The Scouts kept themselves busy during the day by going to the Mahone Area for the OA “Mysterium Compass”, BMX Bike riding, rappelling, SCUBA diving, and fishing just to name a few. There were also other opportunities to view the US Army Adventure Area, visit one of the many exhibitors, and even earn a merit badge.
Bucktail Council’s Jamboree Troop 416 walking to the Arena Show
A patrol flag competition was held while the Scouts were at the Jamboree. The leadership of Troop 416 did not have an easy time selecting a Troop winner. If we could have chosen three of the entries, we would have. However, we could only send 1. The Patch Patrol from the Clearfield Area won the Troop competition. To our surprise, their flag was selected as one of the three sub camp winners. All of the patrols did an outstanding job with their flags. The Jamboree Shows were nothing less than AWESOME! The opening show featured Distinguished Eagle Scout and current Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. His speech was inspiring to the young men in the audience. Also featured was WWE superstar SGT. SLAUGHTER. That was pretty cool. The closing show is something I will never forget. The main speaker for the show was Eagle Scout Mike Rowe. You might recognize him from “Dirty Jobs”. Seeing him come into the arena show in the bucket of a front end loader was neat. He encouraged everyone to not be afraid to try something new and even pushed for adding “DIRTY” to the Scout Law. After Mike Rowe’s speech, the band Switchfoot rocked the arena! The largest fireworks display ever held on a military installation closed things out.
Above—the Jamboree Arena Show
Below—Troop 416’s Gateway
Finally, it came time for the trip back home to PA. It was kind of a somber trip back home. Each person got a chance to reflect on their Jamboree experience whether it be surviving the heat, thinking about that patches they traded or wished they had, or even catching up on lost sleep from the previous nights storm. This trip is one that I will never forget. To the Scouts, Parents, and other adults, thank you for allowing me to serve as Scoutmaster. The next National Scout Jamboree will be held at The Summit, Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve in West Virginia. The National Council of the BSA has not released a tentative date or fees. But they have committed to having the next National Scout Jamboree at the new site. The Bucktail Council will be searching for Scouts and Adult Leaders to attend. Further announcements regarding the 2013 National Scout Jamboree will be made at Council Roundtables, The Bucktales, and the Bucktail Council Website. Submitted by Lou Salser
WINTER 2011 BUCK TALES
Around the Council
Cub Pack 27 visited Lincoln Caverns as part of their Summer Award theme.
Got News? Send it in for the next edition of the Bucktales! Email pictures or articles to
[email protected]
BELOW— Pack 72 enjoying a spin around the lake and then cozying up to the fire during Cub Expo weekend
