Cub Fun Day Leader Help Needed

Unit Leaders,

If you are free this Saturday, Council is asking for volunteers to help with the Cub Fun Day at Camp Snyder. If you can help, please email spelter@boyscouts-ncac.org or pjohnson@boyscouts-ncac.org

Chip

 

Cub Fun Day 2009

 When:                Saturday, September 26 10 AM-2 PM

Where:               Camp Snyder, Haymarket Virginia

What:                 A day of games, activities, archery, BBs and more! New Cub Scouts (Cub Scouts who have joined between May 1 and September 25) will be able to launch their very own rocket for free.*  Families will also get a sneak peek at the fun and adventure waiting for them next summer.

Who:                   Cub Scouts, their families, and their friends

How much:      FREE!!!! Lunch and rockets for returning Cub Scouts will be available for purchase. There will also be a "Trading Post" with toys, games, scout gear, patches etc. for sale.

Why:                   We know boys join Cub Scouts to have fun. Studies show that the sooner new Cub Scouts get a good outdoor program, the more likely he and his family are to stay involved. We also know that September is a hectic time for packs and leaders may not have time to plan a quality outdoor event. We hope that all packs take advantage of this opportunity to get their boys outdoors and enjoying what Scouting is all about!

Registration: Although this event is free, Registration is required. All that is necessary is a contact person and the number of youth and adults attending.

Questions? spelter@boyscouts-ncac.org or 301-214-9119

 

http://www.boyscouts-ncac.org/registration/calendardetail.asp?orgkey=370&ActivityKey=644765

Patriot District Scouting for Food 2009

Scouting for Food

Scouting for Food (SFF) is an annual occasion for a Scout to give service to others and to be aware of those around us who are in need. The National Capital Area Food Bank and many other food pantries and charitable kitchens make wise use of American's generous gifts to SFF. Through each Unit's work, and with high public interest and participation, SFF has grown to become one of the largest food drives in the Northern VA/DC/Maryland area. Here are the significant dates for SFF in the Patriot District:

Thursday, October 8th, 7:30 p.m — October Patriot District Roundtable Meeting: Bag Pick-up and Zone Assignment will be made. We will also conduct some informal training. All Units should have a Scouting for Food Coordinator attend the October Roundtable meeting.

Saturday, November 7: Bag Distribution: Distribute bags to homes in your zone. Flyers, Inserts will also be available to place inside your bags.

Saturday, November 14: Food Collection: Collect food in your zone and deliver to district collection point at Burke Centre Safeway. Other food banks or charitable kitchens are also permissible, but keep track of your bag numbers or weight.

Tuesday, November 17: Final Reports Due: Unit's finalize SFF data (participation; quantity of food; etc) and submit to the SFF District Coordinator

Feel free to contact Cynthia Yellen with any questions: phone (703) 425-6468 or (703) 731-3839 (cell); email cnymsw@cox.net.

Cyntia Yellen, Scouting For Food Coordinator

 

Scouting For Food and Good Turn for America

The Scouting for Food event is a great chance for every unit to submit at least one service project for the year to Good Turn for America. So as you're completing reporting on your Scouting for Food collection, don't forget to submit the result to the national GTFA database as well. Reporting your service projects makes your members eligible for the GTFA patch, and it also helps Scouting by documenting the service we've done in support of our community. 

We will hand out bags at roundtable on October  8th and each leader is urged to come and collect their rations of bags for their units for delivery in their designated areas. 

Scouting for food delivery of bags will begin November 7 and pick up of food will begin November 14 and food will be brought to the Safeway at Burke Center.

WE will begin collecting as early as 9 AM Saturday November 14^th with the help of the OA and scout helpers. Those wishing to earn community or service hours please check in with the OA.

 

Patriot District Newsletter

 

To open the September 2009 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: Patriot District Fall Camporee Preview Rocket Derby Wrap-up Recharter Fee Increase Summer Camp Planning Patriot Chapter Fall Ordeal Next Webelos to Scout Transition Session Fall 2009 Cub Leader Training Scouting Salutes the Military Adult Leader Scouting Awards IOLS Registration Open Health and Safety Note District Chairman, Commissioner, and Executive Minute Calendar of Patriot District Events And much more!!! 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.

August 2009 Patriot Press

To open the August 2009 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: Patriot District Day Camp Recap Goshen Scout Reservation and the National Jamboree OA Chapter News 2010 National Scout Jamboree Emergency Preparedness Award RecycleBank and Donations Merit Badge Dean Corner Life to Eagle Seminar Health and Safety Note District Chairman, Commissioner, and Executive Minute Calendar of Patriot District Events And much more!!! 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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Introduction to Outdoor Leader Skill (IOLS) Registration Open

Unit Leaders, Registration for the Fall Introduction to Outdoor Leader Skill (IOLS) has opened. Please go to the event page at http://www.doubleknot.com/Registration/CalendarDetail.asp?ActivityKey=639833&OrgKey=371 to register. If you need more information, please contact Mr. Scruggs at pscruggs@ix.netcom.com   YIS Chip   Introduction to Outdoor Leader Skill (IOLS) - Patriot What:     Introduction to Outdoor Leader Skill (IOLS) When:    Friday October 16th at 6:00 pm to Sunday October 18th at 10:00am Where:  Patriot District Camporee at Bealeton, VA Cost:     $25.00 payable at the Tuesday October 14th meeting. DONOT SEND IN PAYMENT Bring:    Camping equipment (detail will be provided) What to Expect: A handful of Topic Lessons and lots of group discussion Email:   pscruggs@ix.netcom.com               See Fall Camporee page for more details on the weekend's activities.

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65th Anniversary Commemoration Operation Dragoon 5 August 09 Arlington National Cemetery

Unit Leaders, Sorry for the late notice, but see the below message and attachment for information on this special ceremony. Chip   There will be a ceremony on 5 August 2009 at the Memorial Amphitheater in Arlington National Cemetery at 0900 to honor the veterans of Operation Dragoon, the allied invasion of Southern France.  We will have 30 veterans of the landing present, primarily from the 3rd Infantry Division and the 1st Airborne Task Force.   The attached invitation provides further details and background as to why we are organizing the ceremony.  We hope you can come and help honor these great American and allied soldiers, and we would ask you to please pass the invitation on your circle of friends whom you think would be interested in a historic event.   Thank you very much!   Sincerely,   Monika Stoy President, Outpost Europe, Society of the 3rd Infantry Division

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BSA's Innovation Council

Getting past labels and stereotypes, past the rhetoric and politics--even past some of the bad poetry of some Scouting leaders--is difficult in our movement.

I recently had the opportunity to meet with an official from the National Office's "Innovation Council." Rani Monson, Innovation Director at the National Office, was on a country-wide tour and wanted to hear what we thought about Scouting: how it needs to change and how it needs to stay the same.

It was a frank back and forth with Ms. Monson, our Scout Exec, Al Lambert, and three other district serving execs like me. She was at least as critical as we were of the Boy Scouts: we're not dynamic enough, not cool enough, not nimble enough, not inclusive enough.

It is her council that has put together an "innovation engine" for the BSA: http://ideas.scouting.org/

Ms. Monson was totally new to Scouting when she took her current job with the BSA, which has its advantages and disadvantages, as you might imagine. The major advantage is that she is a thoughtful advocate of our program, but also knows what an outsider might perceive about the BSA. And there are a lot of terrible perceptions of our movement.

Her ideas for our movement were complex, but from what I could tell, here are some results that she'd like to see:

• The uniform abolished, or a different uniform produced by the fashionable athleticwear maker UnderArmor.
• Better sharing of best practices among councils
• More digital resources and a more dynamic Cub Scout program

It was a disheartening meeting for me. Here was an outsider, put in an important position in the national office, giving credence to the worst stereotypes about our movement. On the other hand, she can't ignore the perceptions. If she did it would be business as usual in the National BSA and business as usual isn't working, if you read our 30-year membership numbers.

What did I take from it? As our Scout Exec said, we've been having the same discussion for 30 years--since he was a district exec in the south side of Chicago--and it has always been a question of how we maintain our identity and preserve the things that work, while making the BSA a movement that appeals to new populations. That's less of an answer than a question, I think.

A friend of mine who went to Philmont training with me approached the BSA's National High Adventure Director and said brazenly: "I want your job. What do I need to do?"

The guy smiled wryly said, "You have to have a hard head and thick skin." Surprising to us both. As we continue in this profession it rings more true than ever. I know that boys love to play in the woods, shoot weapons, play with fires. I know they like to swim and sail in lakes and go horseback riding.

No matter what anyone says about this movement, we're the best organization to give boys these opportunities.