News
Friends of Scouting 2018- November 2017-June 2018
Did you know that 20% of the council budget comes from a fundraiser called Friends of Scouting? It costs $175 to send one Scout through our program for one year at an organization level. Our council supports 12 districts across 26 counties, providing scouting to over 34,000 Scouts.
Friends of Scouting is an important direct support campaign that helps fund our council’s camp properties, camp assistance, registration assistance, uniform assistance and more. Pledges can be paid in lump sums, or on a quarterly or monthly basis. Has your unit held a Friends of Scouting presentation to show your support?
What: Friends of Scouting
Where: Presentations scheduled on a unit to unit basis
When: November 2017- June 2018
How to Pledge: At your presentation, by calling Jessica Hofman at 317-813-7123, or emailing Jehofman@crossroadsbsa.org
Congratulations to the following units who have exceeded their Friends of Scouting goals for 2018 and are recognized for their efforts with free rank advancements for the next year!
Pack 18, Troop 18, Troop 56, Troop 514
CORRECTION – Del-Mi MB University to be held THIS weekend
Please pass the word – the Del-Mi Merit Badge University will be held this weekend (March 9 & 10). If you caught an earlier communication showing this to be May 9 & 10, that was supposed to be March not May!
Del-Mi District is hosting its annual Merit Badge University, this weekend, March 9th and 10th at Carmel High School. Over 500 Merit Badge slots are available for Scouts to take Merit Badges ranging from Swimming to Nuclear Science.
What: Del-Mi Merit Badge University
Where: Carmel High School (520 E. Main Street, Carmel) – Door 13
When: Three sessions are available. Some merit badge classes span across 2 sessions.
- Session 1: Friday evening from 6:30 to 10 p.m.
- Session 2: Saturday morning from 8:30 a.m. to Noon.
- Session 3: Saturday afternoon from 1 to 4:30 p.m.
Register & More Info: https://scoutingevent.com/160-DMMBU
Cost: $6 per session, plus $6 for lunch
Questions? Contact Laura Rushinsky at lkr@isbits.com.
Order of the Arrow Updates
Updates as provided by Lowaneu Allanque Chapter of OA Advisor Mark Pishon:
Time to Pay 2018 Dues – The Link is https://scoutingevent.com/160-oadues.
Jaccos Towne Lodge Update – The Lodge has asked chapters develop Brotherhood programs and ceremonies for District Camporees. This will make it very convenient for those going for Brotherhood
OA Unit Elections – All units will be conducting OA Elections before March 15th. Please email election results to Mark Pishon at LOAAdviser@jaccostownelodge.org. The candidate cost to attend an OA Ordeal should not be a reason anymore for not joint Order of the Arrow. Our lodge has established a scholarship committee for candidates to confidentially petition for financial help. Please ask your unit Scoutmaster if there are concerns with candidates that might need assistance.
The lodge has designed a brand new lodge website so check it out at: jaccostownelodge.org.
Please welcome new Arrowmen. New brothers check this link out: http://www.jumpstart.oa-bsa.org/
Jaccos Towne Lodge Spring Fellowship – March 16 to 18, 2018.
Our annual Lodge Spring Fellowship will take place March 16 to 18 at Camp Krietenstein. This is a really fun weekend for all units to attend. You do NOT need to be in OA and your unit will receive service hours. The theme is TV Game Shows. Bring your best “A Game” and card skills. Here is the link for registration: https://scoutingevent.com/160-2018OASpringFellowship
“Coffee Chat” to learn about service in a Unit Commissioner Role – March 10
District Commissioner Stephen Heath is inviting folks interested in learning more about serving the District to a “Coffee Chat” on Saturday March 10, 8am at Starbucks (96th and Meridian).
The role involves meeting with units, sharing ideas, help where needed, and communicating their needs up to the District Committee. Those in the Commissioner role have to have relevant experience in scouting, and a desire to meet with units on a bi-monthly basis.
We also need people to help coordinate and lead elements of the Monthly Roundtables. This may be as simple as ensuring we have a crock pot of food, and/or leading a discussion.
The Unit Commissioner role is open to
- Leaders from all Cub, Boy Scout, and Venture Units;
- Eagle Scouts in the area not (yet) affiliated with a unit;
- Former leaders;
- Really involved parents who never bought the khaki shirt.
The intent of the Coffee Chat is to explain the commissioner role, our organization, answer questions about either the role itself or any questions you or your teams might have regarding serving in the operational side of the district.
Please pass the word!
If this date will not work out please contact Stephen Heath for more information.
Thank you for considering and for passing this information along to your Units.
NS District Pinewood Derby – March 24th
Reminder: The North Star District PINEWOOD DERBY will be taking place on Saturday March 24th at the American Legion Post #3, 6379 N. College Ave., Indianapolis, IN 46220. Registration opens at 9am with racing action getting underway at 9:30am.
All Cubs are welcome, but each pack’s top 4 finishers and each pack’s “Best of Show” are entered in the District Derby automatically and free of charge.
Boy Scout troops that would like to assist Packs in running their Derbies can contact District Pinewood Derby Coordinator Bill Buchalter.
Please see the NS District PWD Flier 2018 flyer attached. Hope to see you there!
Summer Camp Sign Up Season
Summer camp starts in just about 90 days. Is your unit signed up? Do you have a scout who wants to go but can’t go the same week as your pack or troop?
There are promotional materials that you can use with your unit. You can use a YouTube Video (Cub Day Camp or Adventure Camp). You can request a presentation team to come in and help promote summer camp. You can print out Commitment Cards to hand out at a meeting with deposit information included.
You will need a current health form (same form for all levels of scouting), so get those appointments scheduled now before the doctors’ offices get swamped.
Campership financial aid is available for all eligible scouts. Inability to pay is no reason for a scout to miss summer camp. Speak with your unit chair to assist with this process.
Here are some ideas to keep in mind:
Cub Scouts
Camp Belzer Day Camp. Camp Belzer is here in Indianapolis, hidden behind Lawrence Central High School and across Fall Creek and its namesake boulevard from the Scout Center. This makes Camp Belzer a great place for a day camp. For some families it is a hop, skip, and jump away from Washington Township. For others it takes more thought, but is do-able.
It is available from June 11, 2018 to July 21, 2018. You can register your pack here. (Please make sure that you have one parent in charge of this process to avoid confusion or duplication of effort.) You can get more information on the Camp’s website.
This year is Camp Belzer’s Centennial, so you don’t want to miss the celebration! They will kickoffwith a Firecrafter Kick Off with Indiana First Lady Janet Holcomb. They will have a Beler Staff Reunion on June 30, 2018 at 1:00 pm. They will have a July 4th celebration open to the public.
This is highly recommended for Tiger through Bear Cub Scouts (based on the badge they will pursue in September 2018). A Webelos option is available, too.
Camp Kikthawenund’s Adventure Camp. Adventure Camp is an overnight camp held at Camp Kikthawenund in Frankton, Indiana (north of Noblesville by 15 minutes). Adventure Camp supports and utilizes the aims and methods of Scouting as an integral part of the camp program. Adventure Camp will provide an opportunity for Wolf, Bear Webelos, and Arrow of Light Scouts to go camping at the region’s premier Cub Scout Camp. No Tag-a-long program. The eleven different sessions begin on June 10, 2018 and end on July 21, 2018. This is a 3-night/4-day program with overnight camping expected. This is highly recommended for Webelos and Arrow of Light Scouts.
Other District Day Camps. Some of our neighboring districts offer day camps. The one that might have the most potential is Sugar Creek District at Camp Cullom in Frankfort, IN the week of June 25th. If you talk real sweetly to our District Executive Jessica Hofman, she might be able to persuade her former district to allow you to participate. If there is interest in holding our own District Day Camp in the future, contact Jessica about your thoughts.
Boy Scouts
A quick overview is available on the Council website.
Camp Belzer Day Camp. Yes, Belzer has programming for Boy Scouts, too. There is a Baden Powell program that focuses on merit badge classes and Dan Beard program that focuses on completing First Class Rank. This is a great way for individual boy scouts to complete some of their required merit badges for First Class and Eagle done so that they can truly dive into the elective merit badges with their troop at Camp Ransburg or wherever else the troop goes.
Camp Ransburg. Troops can sign up and have the parents pay the camp directly and schedule the merit badge classes online. This is a week-long resident camp with the troop on Lake Monroe. If an individual scout cannot go with his troop or wants to do additional weeks, we can work with that scout to have him participate with another troop. North Star troops have been very cooperative with this “contingent scout” method of camping.
Camp Krietenstein. In Center Point, IN, near Terre Haute, Krietenstein offers a more intimate summer camp setting for scouts. It is similar to Ransburg in allowing troop options and contingent scout options.
National Youth Leadership Training (“NYLT”). Formerly known in our council as “White Stag,” NYLT is a program for youth in a troop to prepare for senior leadership in their home troop. It is “Wood Badge for Youth.” The participants spend a week in the summer (or weekends during the school year’s Spring and Fall Sessions) participating in a temporary troop. They experience each role in the life of a troop. At least two troops in the District require this training to an Senior Patrol Leader or Assistant Senior Patrol Leader: Troop 358 and Troop 56 (beginning this year). Talk to their scoutmasters about the impact of this training on their experience in managing the troop. The brochure is available here.
Camp Staff
For older scouts, you can even work at summer camp. You won’t get rich, but you will have an enriching experience. Apply now!
High Adventure
If your troop is not participating in High Adventure or you cannot make your schedule coincide, an individual scout or small sub-group of scouts can participate in High Adventure through individual programs, Order of the Arrow Programs, or as a “contingent crew member” joining another under-sized contingent from somewhere else in the country. Learn more at the individual high adventure base websites about all the options available. It’s not too late! Yes, camperships are available here, too, although travel costs are usually excluded. (Talk to us to learn how scouts overcome these problems!)
North Star District Swim Test Sponsored by Troop 343, April 2, 2018
From Troop 343’s Brian Crow:
MSD of Pike Township Aquatics Center
5401 West 71st Street, Indianapolis, IN 46268
Time: 7:30 to 8:30 p.m.All North Star units interested in sharing this opportunity with Troop 343 should contact Brian Crow AS SOON AS POSSIBLE at ScouterBrianCrow@gmail.com.
Each unit is responsible for administering their own swim test. There will be two Red Cross certified lifeguards provided by the Aquatic Center to sign your forms once the tests are completed.
Directions: Find your way to the main high school entrance. The Aquatic Center is just to the left of the main entrance. Enter the Aquatic Center through door 11B. After entering, adults and Scouts should enter the pool deck to the left and find their unit’s designated adult organizer. Anyone not taking the test should go through the doors to the right and up the stairs to the spectator stands.
Each unit’s designated adult organizer should arrive no later than 7:15 p.m. and check in with Brian Crow. Adults and Scouts taking the swim test should arrive ready to test with their swimsuits already on. Locker rooms will not be available for our use.
The cost per unit for the use of the Aquatic Center is $30.00. Please bring CASH to cover your unit’s portion of the cost. Brian Crow will collect the monies the night of the test.
If you have any questions, please contact Mr. Crow at ScouterBrianCrow@gmail.com.
Council Program Director Lee Murdoch also reports that Del-Mi will be offering swim tests at Noblesville and Carmel High Schools:
Sunday April 15, 2018
Noblesville High School
18111 Cumberland Road
Noblesville, IN 46060
Entrance door # 7
1:00pm—6:00pm
Contact Adair Vaught at (317) 610-9724
Sunday May 20, 2018
Carmel High School
520 E. Main
Carmel, IN 46032
Entrance door # 21
1:30pm—5:00pm
Contact Reem Okar at reemokar@crossroadsbsa.org or (317) 813-7094
Be advised that the rules of operation for Del-Mi are like the rules Brian Crow described for North Star’s Swim Test.
Typically Pathfinder District runs a swim test at Southport High School but Lee does not have those dates and times yet.
Roundtable This Week
As previously announced, the roundtables topics this Thursday will be:
- Cub Scouts: “Keys to Successful Annual Planning”;
- Scouts: “STEM and Explorer Scouting / Canoeing Trip Ideas”.
The Roundtables will take place this Thursday, March 8, 2018 at 7:00 pm at Luke’s Lodge, the 
outbuilding on the northeast corner of the campus of St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, 100 West 86th St, Indianapolis, IN 46260.
Please forward this information to your Den Leaders, Committee members, and Assistant Scoutmasters. They are an important part of the Roundtables’ target audience.
Remember, attending roundtables is a key requirement to earn the Scouter’s Key for both Cub Scout leaders and Boy Scout leaders.
Reminder: Commissioner Staff Meeting Thursday
As announced previously, District meetings’ times and locations have changed. All Commissioners meet this Thursday, March 8, 2018 at 6:00 pm at Luke’s Lodge, the outbuilding on the campus of St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, 100 W. 86th St., Indianapolis, IN 46260.
Direct any questions to District Commissioner Stephen Heath.
District Committee meets next week, Thursday, March 15, 2018 at 7:00 pm at Zionsville’s Town Hall.
Review your Unit JTE Scorecard
North Star District Commissioner Stephen Heath recommends that all units take some time at their next unit committee AND the Patrol Leader Council (and Venture Crew Officer) meetings to review their 2018 Journey to Excellence Scorecard. We recently discussed the minor changes for 2018. You can download copies of the scorecard for your unit here.
Stephen recommends focusing on the section headers and picking one to be the focus of 
the committee’s attention for the next 30-60 days and state a clear goal the committee wishes to accomplish with that subject. At the end of that period, assess your progress and determine how well you met your goal. Then either renew your commitment to that topic with new efforts, or pick another topic to be the committee’s focus for the next 30-60 days.
Stephen believes that a unit committee, PLC, or Venturing officers that regularly review the JTE Scorecard and makes a conscious effort to improve a section at a time will have remarkable improvement before the end of 2018.
If you know where you need improvement but cannot come up with a plan to move the score forward, this is the perfect time for the committee chair or the chair’s designee to reach out to your Unit Commissioner or District Commissioner Stephen Heath to open discussions on what can be done. That is what the Commissioner Service is intended to do for you!.
CAC North Star Unofficial Website 
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