Author: Jeffrey Heck
Rechartering Updates
At this point, Council is now past its deadline to report all units to the Area 6 rechartering staff.
We need help in getting the last four (4) units completed immediately. All four units’ chairs will receive emails from me this morning on the outstanding issues. Please check in with your chair if you are concerned about your unit.
Thank you to the following units for completing their rechartering and have had their rechartering application approved by the Council Registrar:
- Packs 35, 64, 171, 179, 358 (Delaware Tribe), and 514; and
- Troops 35, 56, 73, 191, 269, 358, 514, and 804.
Thank you also to the following units for submitting their paperwork. Their applications for rechartering have been approved by the District Commissioner and District Executive, but await final approval from the Council Registrar. There are no known problems with these applications as of this writing:
- Packs 18, 105, 175, 180 (formerly known as P98), Pack 358 (all other tribes, except newest one), 586, 625, and 830;
- Troops 18, 69, 174, 343, 586; and
- Crews 69 and 408.
These lists do not apply to Pack 358-5 or Troop 512 since their charters did not expire on December 31, 2016.
Of the remaining 4 units, all have turned in their Applications for Recharter and substantial dues payments. Most remaining issues are short falls in dues of less than $20, YPT certificates, or missing Adult Applications.
New Roundtable Time
Please note that our District Roundtables will remain on the second Thursday of each month at St Luke’s UMC’s Luke’s Lodge (outbuilding).
The key change is that the meeting will start at 7:00 pm.
All Den Leaders, Cubmasters, Scoutmasters, Assistant Scoutmasters, Venturing Advisors, and Unit Committee Members are invited to participate.
UPDATE: Tonight’s Roundtable will focus on Webelos-to-Scout Transition and building relationships between Troops and Packs.
Important District Committee Meeting tomorrow: Elections
Thursday, January 5, 2017 at 7:00 pm all District Committee Members-at-Large and Chartered Organization Representatives are asked to attend the annual district elections at 7:00 pm. These persons will vote on district officers f0r 2017.
The meeting will be held at Second Presbyterian Church in Room 405, 7700 N Meridian St, Indianapolis, IN 46260.
Chairs, Cubmasters, and Scoutmasters should reach out to their Chartered Organization Representative to make sure that he or she attends this very important meeting.
Firecrafter Update
From a December 30, 2016 email from advisor Greg Hoyes:
Brothers of the North Star EmberGreetings fellow brothers of the Fire. As you all know Mid-Winter Dinner is only 8 days away (ed.: note the date of the email is 12/30/16), and we are looking forward to having an amazing meal and fellowship. The registration numbers are currently lower then what we would like for dinner and we don’t want anyone to miss out. If you are interested in attending, please register as soon as possible. The dinner is going to have wonderful catering by Jugs, as always, the new 2017 event patches and VIP package will be available, and we will be able to hear great stories of Scouting history from our guest speaker Jim Morris.This is going to be an amazing event that no Firecrafter will want to miss, so please reach out through email, phone call, text, Facebook, etc…, and spread the word to all Firecrafter friends and urge them to register for the dinner. All you need to do to register is to go to Firecrafrer.org and the registration button is on the front page of the website.In the Mystic Fire,Greg Hoyes XXXNorth Star Ember Advisor
Immediate Changes to Cub Scout Advancement Announced
From Pack 358’s Delaware Tribe’s Cubmaster Sharla Merrick:
The Boy Scouts of America has announced modifications to Cub Scouting that make the program more flexible for busy parents, den leaders and Cubmasters.The BSA gathered feedback from den leaders who had delivered the new Cub Scouting program for a year. What they learned was that some den leaders had difficulty fitting into their program year all of the adventures required for advancement. This resulted in boys not advancing. After a thoughtful and deliberate review, the BSA has released some modifications to address this concern.What are the modifications? Some adventure requirements that previously were mandatory will become optional, in a move intended to give Cub Scouters more control over their den program.The changes, which take effect today (Nov. 30, 2016), were approved by the National Executive Committee of the Boy Scouts of America.The fine-tuning reflects the BSA’s three-step approach to new programs: Launch. Learn. Modify.Here’s a link to the updates 🙂 http://www.scouting.org/filestore/cubscouts/pdf/CubScout_Advancement_Modifications.pdfYIS,Sharla
Here’s a quick look at what you need to know.
Cub Scouting’s fall 2016 modifications, an overview
- First of all, you won’t need to buy any new materials. The new requirements will be posted in a free addendum available at scouting.org/programupdates. This will supplement the handbooks in current circulation and for sale online and in Scout shops.
- While the overall feedback from den leaders about the new Cub Scout program has been very positive, some den leaders said a number of the new adventures had requirements that were too difficult for dens to complete within the Scouting year.
- The number of new Cub Scouts is up in many areas of the country, but rankadvancement rates have not kept pace, meaning the BSA’s team of volunteers and staff advisers wanted to react quickly to eliminate what might have become a roadblock for some dens.
- A national volunteer task force developed a solution: Make more of the adventure requirements optional, giving dens more flexibility to match their unique needs.
- The modifications are designed to ensure that adventure requirements are achievable by today’s Cub Scout dens within a program year. This means they are achievable by all Cub Scouts, regardless of background or socioeconomic status.
- Most of the modifications involve the number of requirements that must be completed, reducing the mandate to a number achievable within the limited time available to many dens. This is done while retaining the rich program options that allow leaders to build strong programs adapted to their needs.
- The changes increase den-level customization. Units that can handle more content, perhaps because they meet more often or for longer periods, can — and should! — keep the optional requirements part of their program. On the other hand, those that have struggled to finish the requirements will welcome these changes as a way to meet their needs.
- With the modifications, dens should be able to complete one adventure in approximately two den meetings.
- The transition should be seamless, with leaders able to use revised requirements as the den begins any new adventure.
Where to find the new requirements
Simply log on to scouting.org/programupdates. I suggest making it one of your bookmarks.
Where to go first if you have questions
See answers to FAQs about these changes here.
Winter Camporee: 16 Days and Counting to Ice Island
Image Posted on Updated on
From Winter Camporee Chair Curtis Shrote (Chair, Troop 804):
The last camporee meeting will be this coming Sunday, January 8, 2017 at 6:00 pm in St Lukes UMC’s Luke’s Lodge Lounge (Fireplace Room).Prior to Christmas, I visited Camp Redwing to review with the ranger what he needed us to be aware. We will be covering those concerns and other final items. I will be sending preliminary handouts Friday night or early Saturday morning that I would like the committee to review. Please come prepared with your copies and notes.Also, in order to ensure that the cooking team has adequate and fair warning of attendance counts, I am asking all troops to have final registrations in via the link by Close of Business (5PM) Friday, January 13, 2017, so that we can relay that information.Registration Link: https://scoutingevent.com/160-NSWC17
This information plus additional information will be sent later in the week.
Good News for Year End
North Star District’s District Executive Con Sullivan has announced that North Star District has had a net membership growth this year for the first time in many years!
Even better news is that this does not include the new Lion Cub Program! So we are growing even more than his report tells us!
Congratulations to Con, 2016 District Vice-Chair Membership Sharla Merrick and her Membership Committee Member Jenny Beyer for all of their hard work.
Special congratulations to Pack 625’s Chair Angela Hardister and Cubmaster Gerald Hardister for some of the largest unit growth in the district. Thank you Scoutmaster Ivan Holder and Troop Committee Chair Sandra Mitchell-Holder for their hardwork in starting Troop 512 at First Meridan Heights Presbyterian.
All of these special efforts and others not noted here were crucial to that district growth.
We look forward to building on that success in 2017!
Encouraging Parental Involvement through Recognition
Many Cub Scout Packs are getting ready to change leadership in the coming months as Webelos transition to Boy Scouts and their parents follow.
Recognition of outgoing leaders is important to inspire incoming and future leaders to uphold a high standard of service in your unit. If outgoing leaders are recognized, incoming leaders will become more excited to duplicate the feat.
Now is a great time to see if your departing leader has earned the Unit Award of Merit. This is an award offered by the unit, approved by your Unit Commissioner or lacking a Unit Commissioner the District Commissioner, and then the Council Executive and Council Commissioner.
Please review this recognition now so that you can have it available for worthy volunteers at the coming Blue and Gold Banquet for your Pack.
For more information contact your District Commissioner or District Executive.
Interest in Boy Scout Assistance in Webelos to Scout Cross Over Ceremonies?
In the BSA, there is a long tradition of members of the BSA’s national scouting honor 
society, the Order of the Arrow, sending ceremony teams to pack’s Blue and Gold Banquets. These ceremonies are run by teenagers to symbolize the movement of the Webelos from an adult-led program in Cub Scouts to a youth-led program in Boy Scouts.
For an example of these ceremonies can look, see some of these YouTube videos from around the country.
Packs are strongly encouraged to use the Order of the Arrow teams. OA teams’ involvement build excitement for adventures to come for all Cub Scouts, not just those Webelos crossing over. To that end, here is a communication from the incoming OA Chapter Advisor Mark Pishon to all Packs.
Dear Pack Leadership:
My name is Mark Pishon. I’m the new Order of the Arrow Lowaneu Allanque Chapter Adviser (LOA).
I’m reaching out to you to schedule a ceremonies team for each Pack’s Crossover event..
Please reply back the following or let me know you are working on it:
- Do you need a OA Ceremony Team this year? Y N
- The number of boys transitioning:
- Date of Crossover?
- Time of Event:
- Time of ceremony:
- Location of the Crossover event:
- Point of contact name, email, and telephone #:
- Yours in Brotherhood,
Mark Pishon
LOA Chapter Adviser
317.374.2262
For more information about Order of the Arrow, the Jaccos Towne Lodge in Crossroads of America Council and the Lowaneu Allanque Chapter in North Star District, click on each link.
My.scouting Tools in iOS
Did you know that you can access my.scouting.org through an iOS app?
There is a YouTube video to give you a preview.
You can. How good is it? Well, it is BSA tech.
Give it a whirl, and let’s know your thoughts in the comments below.
The functions available vary based on how you are registered with BSA.
CAC North Star Unofficial Website 
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