Religious emblems program starting next week - spaces available!

St. Stephen’s United Methodist Church in Burke is sponsoring the Religious Awards program (God & Me and God & Family) during the months of March & April. Children in grades 1-5, both girls and boys, will meet for six fun one-hour sessions for singing, crafts, and instruction Thursdays at 5:30 pm. They’ll learn about their relationship with God and how God works within a family. This course is presented from a very generic Christian, Protestant perspective. There’s a web page full of details at http://www.ststephensfairfax.org/latest/religous-emblems-for-scouts-campfire. No church affiliation or Scouting affiliation is necessary (so invite your neighborhood kids, too!) The fee is $25 and includes all materials and the awards (very nice enameled medals plus certificates) as well as a pizza party during the last session. The medals will be presented at St. Stephen’s during Sunday worship in May, 2011. These awards can be worn on Scout (boy & girl) & Campfire uniforms. Adult volunteers are welcome (you’ll be here to drop-off your children anyway) and volunteers are eligible for a special mentoring award as well (a patch and for Boy Scout leaders a “knot”.) Scholarships are available for those with special needs. Supervising the course is the Rev. Roger Baker, trainer for Pack 1131 . If you have concerns about the course content, call him directly at (571)268-2887. If you want to participate, you’ll need to sign-up right away, since spaces are limited. Please register online at http://www.ststephensfairfax.org/latest/religous-emblems-for-scouts-campfire.

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Patriot District Pinewood Derby Registration is Open

Registration for the 2011 Patriot District Pinewood Derby is now open.  Please see the attached flyer for more information. Volunteers Needed We will be needing other volunteers to help on Race Day and especially for set-up (Friday night and Saturday morning), pit crew and clean-up. If you are available to help, please send an e-mail to us at patriotpwd@yahoo.com . We can also use other Committee members to help out in planning and preparation. Questions If you have any questions on the event day activities or rules, please feel free to send e-mails or give me a call. Mike Koehler Patriot District Committee patriotpwd@yahoo.com  703-923-0001

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New

Jack Campbell, Patriot District Vice Chair for Programs, provides the following information affecting submission of tour plans for certain categories of your unit activities.  Please see the attached PowerPoint presentation for details.  In addition, the following FAQs help explain the new policy: Tour Plan FAQ’s Many changes have been made in the filing and processing of Tour Plans (previously called “Tour Permits”) recently. Here are the answers to some Frequently Asked Questions: Q. When do I need to file a Tour Plan? A. When any of the following apply: *Trips of 500 miles or more *Trips outside of council borders not to a council-owned property (Camp Snyder or Goshen SR) *Trips to any national high-adventure base, National Scout Jamboree, National Order of the Arrow Conference, or regionally sponsored event *When conducting the following activities outside of council or district events: o Aquatics activities (swimming, boating, floating, scuba, etc.) o Climbing and rappelling o Orientation flights (process flying plan) o Shooting sports o Any activities involving motorized vehicles as part of the program (snowmobiles, boating, etc.) *At the Council’s request Q. My unit is going to Scout camp. Do we need a Tour Plan? A. If your unit is attending a Scout camp belonging to our council (Goshen, for example) you do not need to file a tour plan. If your unit is attending an out of council camp, you will need to file a tour plan and a letter of proof of insurance will be provided with your approved Tour Plan to present to the camp attending. Q. We are leaving for summer camp in Pennsylvania on Sunday. Can I get my tour plan processed the Friday before we depart when I pick up uniforms at the Scout Shop? A. In order to properly process a tour plan, you must allow three weeks (21 days) lead time on filing the tour plan. We cannot expedite tour plan approvals or letters for proof of insurance for late submissions. Q. Do we always need a Tour Plan? A. Tour plans are not required for travel to/from and participation in a council camp or council/district event such as a training course, camporee, etc. Otherwise, follow the guidelines in the first FAQ above. Q. Why do I need driver information? A. Driver information shows that each driver has the minimum required insurance coverage for the state in which they are licensed. If you have a list of all the drivers in your unit, simply attach a copy and circle those who are driving for each event as needed. Q. What training should I have for my Tour Plan? A. At least one registered member of each group must have Youth Protection Training, updated within the past two calendar years prior to the date of departure, as well as the new Planning and Preparing for Weather Hazards training, also updated within the past two years. Other training may be required depending on the event for which the tour plan is requested (such as Safe Swim Defense, Safety Afloat, Wilderness first Aid, CPR, etc). Q. Do I need to hand deliver my tour plan? Can I email it? A. Tour Plans may be hand-delivered or mailed to the council office at 9190 Rockville Pike, Bethesda MD 20814, or faxed to 301-564-9513. Tour Plans may be sent via email to Sandra Escoto, sandra.escoto@scouting.org. Please reference Tour Plan in the subject line of your email. Q. How do I receive my copy of the approved Tour Plan? A. Your approval will be emailed please include an email address on the Tour Plan OR, to the primary address on the Tour Plan. We can also fax the approved tour plan if you provide a fax number. Q. What is the most common mistake on a Tour Plans? A. Missing signatures. Please be sure to affix the required signatures before submitting your Tour Plan.

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Patriot Press February 2011

To open the February 2011 Patriot Press click here. You will need Adobe Reader or a similar PDF reader to view the Patriot Press. If you have any problems, please email PatriotBSAWebmaster@gmail.com . In this issue of the Patriot Press you will find: Spring Camporee 2011 2011 Patriot District Pinewood Derby 2011 Patriot District Cub Scout Summer Day Camp District Chairman, Executive and Commissioner Notes OA Spring Calendar Patriot District Recognition Awards Patriot District Events Calendar Patriot District Training Roundtable Invitation NCAC Venturing Officer’s Association Wood Badge University Of Scouting Gathering of Eagles Tour Plan Changes Patriot District Annual Calendar Be sure to sign-up for District E-lists so you can stay up to date with all the latest scouting news. Pick as many lists as you like. Sign-up for "Scoutmasters", "Cubmasters", or any other list you may have interest in. Would you like to see the activities of your unit in the spotlight? Share your news with us - please submit articles and pictures to osborne@erols.com or PatriotBSAWebmaster@gmail.com. Click Here to see the calendar of events.

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