Membership
Webelos Cross Over
Check out this cool episode.
Webelos are beginning to cross over into your troop and while getting boys into your troop is one thing, it’s important to know how to keep them in the troop and coming back week after week. Charles “Doc” Goodwin is the Scoutmaster of Troop 236 in Kettering, Ohio, and for more than 30 years his troop consistently has had more than 100 Scouts! So what’s his secret?
Catapults and New Recruitment Program
The new membership recruitment program for Fall 2017 is already starting to roll out from Council’s office.
Simply put the theme is going to be “Catapult into Scouting.” Each new recruit will receive a miniature catapult, pre-cut by the Indiana Woodworkers Association.
The IWA through its representative and Pathfinder District’s new District Commissioner Stan Jewula will provide the Council with 10,000 catapults. These will be hand cut in Central Indiana.
Each boy will receive a bag with all the necessary parts. The new Cub Scout will then assemble his own catapult. He may decorate it as he sees fit.
Then there will be an activity for each pack or district to have an event using the catapults.
The Council is also rolling out plans to try to have scouting units re-introduced to public school districts. Much more information about these plans will be rolled out at the semi-annual operations meeting in April 2017.
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.
Mental Health Benefits of Scouting
A new study shows scouting gives mental health benefits along into adulthood. It also gives the ability to adapt to socioeconomic situations throughout life.
The study does not explain why the benefits exist. There are extrapolations based on prior research including increased mental resiliency, adaptability to stress, exposure to the outdoors providing stress relief, and communal activities.
Earlier studies going back a decade had also shown the lack of problems in the criminal system was another benefit.
Thoughts on Uniforms for Recruiting
As I have noted earlier, our recruitment numbers for Tiger Cubs are down for Washington and Pike Townships.
Thinking about ways to increase our free-marketing opportunities, I realized how few times in the modern era that scouts are seen in uniform outside of scout meetings.
In my review of the history of scouting in Central Indiana to track the history of my home troop (which was founded in 1915), I learned a lot about scouting practices in the early 20th century.
What caught my attention is how often the scouts were out at public events in uniform. Some at neighborhood events. Some at scouting events open to the public. Some of these are antiquated ideas, but I find old things a great means of sparking the imagination and brain storming.
In the pre-WWI era, a common neighborhood practice was the “Yard Party.” A family or group would hold a party in the yard of a member’s home or the local church. They would publish an announcement in the local paper and invite the neighborhood. It seems the only idea was to entertain and socialize. No fundraising. No other complications.
For scout troops, this was a way to be seen as actively participating in the local neighborhood. Houses were in walking distance of each other in the city, and neighbors would see the neighborhood boys working together for the good of the community.
Now we look at the activities we do. How many times are your scouts in public without their “Class A uniforms” on? Would non-scouts know that you are doing scouting from a distance? How many times do you do activities away from your usual secret-hideaway meeting location?
These are all opportunities lost to market ourselves at no cost.
We need to be finding ways to put on our uniforms and be seen near our neighborhoods – near our meeting locations. That will start conversations and introduce us again to our neighbors.
More Tiger Cub Recruitment Chances
This year’s Tiger Cub class is way down in Pike and Washington Townships. (We are steady so far in Zionsville.)
Our new Field Services Director Nate Young has been encouraging the professional staff to recommend “Water Pod Parties.”
This idea consists of having enrolled Tiger Cubs inviting their best friends, who have not joined Cub Scouts yet, to a water rocket launch. The launch would be held as part of a Gathering Time event at the next Tiger Cub Den meeting. The friends would be asked to come for the rocket launch, then stay for the Tiger Cub Den meeting as guests.
The idea is to get the boys engaged in Cub Scouting before making the formal “Ask” to join. Kick the tires before buying.
If you are interested, please contact Con Sullivan, our District Executive, for more information.
NOTE: This can work for other dens, too, such as Lions, but our primary focus is on Tigers right now.
Online Applications and Invites
With the new BSA online recruiting system, newly interested families have a way to apply online to join not just Scouts but your specific unit.
We have a problem right now. Several units have had a bunch of people express interest in joining units. The problem is that no adult in some units have taken ownership of the online responsibilities.
We have families that have applied to scouts and not received timely response back.
Please make sure that your pack, troop, or crew has discussed the online application system at your unit committee meeting and clearly delegated the person responsible for managing the process. Ideally it is a member of the unit Key 3 (i.e., Chartered Organization Representative, chair, or Cubmaster/Scoutmaster/Advisor).
Every day BSA sends reports about languishing applications are sent to the District Commissioner and his staff, the District Executive, and several others. We are hoping to have no North Star units on those emails.
Our DE makes his TV debut for us!
Our District Executive Con Sullivan was just on Channel 8 news promoting our Launch into Scouting program.
Watch the video. He is a natural!
3-2-1…. launch! Adventure awaits you when you become a local cub scout! Just ask Con Sullivan and Emily Elliott with Boy Scouts of America. They tell us boys aged 6-10 years old can begin the…
Source: Boy Scouts of Central Indiana prepare to launch programs for local youth
Back to School Night plan
District Executive Con Sullivan, on behalf of District Membership Chair Sharla Merrick, issued the final Back to School Night plan yesterday. The big push is this Thursday night!
If you would like to see a copy of the plan, click here.
We have already had two back to school nights. Sign ups are noticeably higher.
Unit Commissioner Tom Sugar has run a Boy Talk at College Park Elementary. He reports that more than 140 boys expressed interest in Cub Scouts. And there is no Pack there!
If this trend continues, we could have a great year.
It is only possible to make the best impact with all packs, troops, and crews helping. Make sure your unit contributes to this potential for overwhelming success.
Contact Con Sullivan if you can help. We have minimum staffing in most locations at this point, but now we need staffing to show that we support the new families.
Recruitment volunteers needed
Thank you very much to everyone who has volunteered to take a school for the August 25th night or a Boy Talk next week. We really appreciate the help.We still have 2 boy talks that are in need of an adult next week
1. Tuesday, August 23 – 11am –
Snacks Crossing Elementary School, 5455 W 56th St, Indianapolis, IN 46254
2. Wednesday, August 24 – 11am –
Eastbrook Elementary School, 7625 New Augusta Rd, Indianapolis, IN 46268
We have 1 school on August 25th that needs coverage next week
1. August 25 – 6:15pm –
Deer Run Elementary School, 5401 N High School Rd, Indianapolis, IN 46254, USA
These schools do not have a pack which is why they are not covered. If you are available for any of those times (the boy talks are the most important) please let me know! Also, share with other adults in your unit you know that might be able to help.
Thank you!!
CAC North Star Unofficial Website 
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