Author: sharlamerrick
500 Parade Service Opportunity
from: Eddie Stahl
The 500 Festival Parade is one of the nation’s largest, most respected parades, consistently earning national acclaim alongside the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. More than 300,000 people will line the streets of downtown Indianapolis to experience the larger-than-life floats, giant helium balloons, celebrities and dignitaries, award-winning bands, and all 33 drivers competing in the Indy 500.
Saturday May 25th, 2019 North Star District will be assisting with the set up of chairs along the parade route, marking the chairs by seat number, helping the viewers locate their seat and then taking down the chairs and re-stacking them after the parade. This opportunity will be from 8 a.m. to approximately 2 p.m. Troops wishing to participate with this experience should contact North Star District Volunteer Mike Faulk at mythreesons08@att.net before May 1st to reserve their assignment on the parade route. Included in the email should be the name and contact information for the adults participating and how many Scouts from your troop will be participating.
Each Scout and Leader will be given a patch from the 500 Festival Committee and the Troop will receive a certificate of appreciation from the BSA Parade Committee. The patch will reflect the 500 Parade theme and is designed by the 500 Festival Parade Committe
NSD Council Calendar
Save the dates: plan ahead and use this calendar to help plan your scout year.NSD Calendar 2019
Adult Training Reminders
As we all know – training is an important part of Scouting. Unfortunately, sometimes our training records can be hard to track.
Reminders: 1.) Anyone taking Classes (especially at summer camp) get a certificate and / or card and / or written documentation of the class completion. Theoretically, all adults attending Summer Camp should be registered and thus have an ID # – but as we know, a lot of times the training sheets get lost and or don’t get recorded.
2.) Put your BSA id on any classroom training paperwork. If you cannot find your card your BSA id is located on your YPT certificate and your my.scouting account.
Roundtable May 9 – Adventure is Waiting
Scouting is all about Adventures. Adventures in the outdoors. Adventures in cooking. Adventures with learning new skills. High Adventures. Tiger Adventures. ADVENTURES!
adventure [ ad-ven-cher ] an exciting or very unusual experience
Our Scouts and Adults all want to participate in the fun of adventures. But where do they start? WITH YOU! Please bring your Unit’s BEST ADVENTURE ideas to Roundtable May 9 to share with other units and get new ideas for your own. Bring pictures. Bring stories. Bring adventures that were awesome and some that were true learning through adversary. Bring Cub Adventures and bring High Adventures! Every Pack, Troop, and Crew should send a representative with ideas (even for small adventures for Lion Scouts!) and to discover what other adventures are out there for their scouts to explore!
Please mark your calendar for May 9 Roundtable meetings, 7:00 pm at St. Luke’s Lodge, St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, 100 West 86th St, Indianapolis, IN 46260.
Service Hours for St. Vincent House
St. Vincent House strives to create a home-away-from-home for St. Vincent patient families from around the state of Indiana and beyond. Many of our patients come from long distances for treatment and stay for extended periods of time. One way our scouts can volunteer is.
Magnificent Meal Makers
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Serve Breakfast (8:30 am to 9:30 am) or Dinner (6:30 pm – 7:30 pm) for the families. You will select recipes, bring food supplies, prepare meal for 30 guests
Please visit the St. Vincent House website for more information and to sign up https://give.stvincent.org/volunteerstvhouse
Awesome Spring Camporee
The Spring 2019 Camporee was a huge success! Despite the rain that came and went Saturday afternoon everyone had a great time. The Scouts had a lot of fun and the teamwork being displayed by each Patrol at the competition stations was amazing see! We even got in the Rocket Launch for all of the scouts that brought rockets!
Additionally, this was Troop 219’s first camporee and in the overall competition scoring they placed 5th place! Congratulations Scouts!
All the Troop campsites were incredible for the Campsite Willie Awards, Congratulations to all of the Scouts, Scoutmasters and Adult Leaders for all of your hard work.
Thank you Jim Raines and your Camporee staff for a fantastic camporee!
Merit Badge Counselor List and Procedures
North Star has finished updating it’s Merit Badge Counselor list! Kevin Neese, our Training Vice Chair, has sent all Key 3’s the updated list. Please share with Scouts and families through your Scoutmaster or Advancement Chair as requested but do not put out on websites, etc.
Moving forward. New procedures for Merit Badge Counselors.
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Adding a new Merit Badge Counselor. Fill out BSA Adult application. Attach YPT. Attach Merit Badge selections. Attach MBC training certificate. TURN IN TO KEVIN NEESE. He will then get the required District Signatures and turn in to Council when all paperwork in complete.
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Adding and Deleting Merit Badges for an existing MBC. Send add/delete requests to Kevin Neese. He will process the requests.
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10 Merit Badge “rule” has been discontinued. Any current MBC who would like to add Merit Badges to their redacted list needs to send Add list to Kevin.
A Merit Badge Counselor is: A trained adult, registered by and accountable to the Council and the District; they are an independent guide, instructor and / or coach for the Merit Badge(s) that they counsel. A Counselors duty is to be satisfied that each Scout who comes to you as a counselor meets all the requirements for the merit badge you are counseling them on. You are a coach, a guide, giving them positive reinforcement in the subject matter. You are not to change the requirements or add additional requirements – you are there to help them over the different hurdles of the requirements. Thus, helping the Scout to gain a deeper awareness of the subject matter of the Merit Badge.
As a Merit Badge Counselor, you are the coach, guide, and / or instructor – but you MUST allow the Scout to do the work themselves.
The last and MOST important duty of a Merit Badge Counselor is to follow Youth Protection Requirements.
A Scouts (and their parents / legal guardians) duties to a Merit Badge Counselor:
Number one (1) remember that a Merit Badge Counselor is a VOLUNTEER, they are donating their time, talents, and experience – so a Scout is Courteous. A Merit Badge Counselor may need to say NO to your request to counsel them on a Merit Badge (there are only 24 hours in a day).
Again, remember that a Merit Badge Counselor is a VOLUNTEER. Some Merit Badges have cost associated with them (materials, entrance fees, rentals). Don’t ask the Counselor to donate money and resources so that you can complete the Merit Badge requirements (unless the Counselor offers).
YOU are RESPONISBLE for completing the requirements, for doing the work, for being on time. YOU are responsible for providing the signed Application to the Merit Badge to the Counselor. You are also responsible in helping the Merit Badge Counselor maintain Youth Protection Requirements. If contacting the Merit Badge Counselor by email, make sure to include a parent(s) and / or a leader on all emails. If you are contacting the Merit Badge Counselor by phone, remember that you will need an Adult third party on the call to maintain Youth Protection Requirements. Remember, it is very likely that the Merit Badge Counselor will need you to bring an Adult with you to face-to-face meeting so that Youth Protection Requirements are met.
Voyageur Scholarships
Voyageur Canoe Training Adult Scholarship
What is Voyageur Canoe Training? Why should an adult or youth take the training? The Voyageur Canoe Training program prepares adults to take the Voyageur program back to troop and other youth groups to prepare for and conduct safe canoe outings including High Adventure trips. The focus is teaching how to have FUN SAFELY while canoeing. More information about the Voyageur program can be found here
Don & Diane Claffey have established the Claffey Voyageur Scholarship Fund to provide ongoing support to this program. Scholarships in the amount of $50.00 will be awarded for each Voyageur adult training class starting with the Spring 2019 class. The applicant must be a currently registered adult leader of a unit in the Crossroads of America Council, BSA. To qualify for the scholarship they should have a financial need to attend adult Voyageur training. Additionally, their unit should be planning to conduct both unit training and outings centered on canoeing and/or kayaking within the next two years. The scholarship must be used within twelve months of the date the winner receives notification by the Voyageur Course Director, or the scholarship will be forfeited. Other details are contained in the scholarship application Voyageur Adult Scholarship Form Fillable – 0419
A similar scholarship is planned for the Youth Voyageur Training (announcement pending).
Swim Tests for Summer Camp
from Paul Kovach.
All Scouts and adults involved in troop aquatic activities are required to have their swimming ability defined by the BSA Swim Test. These activities would include aquatics at summer camp (Swimming, Canoeing, Kayaking, Lifesaving, Sailing, etc) and troop canoeing events.
If you or your Scout did not attend the T514 Swim Test on April 1 at Pike Aquatic Center, there are a few other options to complete this test. One can go in advance of the activity to a local pool that has a certified Lifeguard. The requirements are attached so that the Lifeguard could perform the test. Availability and out-of-pocket costs may vary for each. Below are some potential or known opportunities.
Finally, for Ransburg only, a scout or scouter may take the test at Ransburg on the afternoon of troop arrival.
JCC (Jewish Community Center on Hoover Rd.) –https://jccindy.org/community/water-park-pools/
Monon Ctr – https://www.carmelclayparks.com/monon-community-center/
YMCA – Jordan https://indymca.org/jordan/program/aquatics-swim-lessons/
YMCA – Pike https://indymca.org/orthoIndy-foundation/
Zionsviile Aquatics Center – Zionsville High School, 900 Mulberry Street. Cost is $10 per Scout. http://aquatic.zionsvilleeaglerec.com/scout-swim-testing.cfm
Scouts & Scouters should use the attached swim classification form here
Michael Rodriguez Beading Ceremony
Congratulations to Michael Rodriguez! Last night he shared his Wood Badge Beading Ceremony with all of those at Roundtable. Mike told the audience that he wanted to share this experience at Roundtable because he found so much fellowship and help from the other Scouters at Roundtable over the years, just as he found fellowship and help from his Wood Badge Patrol – Go Screaming Eagles! Wood Badge in the United States is the highest level of adult Scout leader training available. It was first presented in England by the founder of Scouting, Baden Powell. Find more information here: http://woodbadge.org/
Join us at the May Roundtable and meet the other Scouters in our District and to share our “Best Adventures” to help encourage all Scouts and Scouters to Dream Big!
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