News
Den Chief Online Training
Following is a message from the National Office regarding online Den Chief training sent on May 24, 2016:
The Den Chief training syllabus is currently under revision . The on-line training is available and should be used. This can be found on the scouting.org/training website. I do not have a date for when the new material will be available.
All Cub Scout leaders and Scoutmasters should become familiar with this material to better understand the important role that Den Chiefs serve in both programs.
Memorial Day Grave Dressing & Breakfast this Saturday
Each May, the Boy Scouts and the American Legion have joined in placing flags on the final resting place of our nation’s veterans. Post #3 is hosting their annual breakfast for scouts participating in the grave dressing on Saturday, May 28th, at 7:30 AM at Broad Ripple Post 3 on the southeast corner of 64th and College Avenue.
This event is open to scouts whose troops may have a later scheduled time that day to do the grave dressing as a unit.
If there are Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts (especially Firecrafters and Arrowmen), or those from your troops wishing to have breakfast, please sign up here so a headcount is available for the cook staff. RSVPs for breakfast are due Thursday at 7:00 pm.
For individual Cubs and Scouts, dens, patrols, packs, troops, or crews who plan to assist with the grave dressing. We will have an organizational meeting immediately following the breakfast at 8:00 am (attendance at the breakfast is not mandatory). We will have some opportunities to participate throughout the morning, so if you have a scheduling conflict with the organizational meeting, contact District Commissioner Jeff Heck directly by Friday evening to customize plans. Please sign up with an RSVP for the grave dressing regardless of your ability to attend the organizational meeting.
Please note that the breakfast and the grave dressing have two separate sign ups! Please sign up with both, if you plan to do both.
We value this opportunity to join scouts, scouters, and legionnaires together for this meaningful event.
Scouts at Speed
Who is quick at the track? The favorite question of May.
The answer is the BSA sponsored car!
Last Pre-Camp Swim Test this Sunday
The last Pre-Camp Swim Test is May 22nd at Carmel High School. Information is available here.
Remember your unit is responsible for YPT compliance and record keeping. The council provides the water safety and qualified instructors to approve the swims. That means you need to have sufficient adults present.
These pre-camp swim checks are very important for many boys. Some boys are not strong swimmers. Some boys have never swum in dirty lake water before, even if they are the swim team. I have seen good swimmers and bad swimmers fail the swim test on the first Sunday of camp simply because they don’t like lake water.
By having them qualify for their swimmer rating for the year at a pre-camp swim test, you give them the opportunity to adapt to the lake water as part of their merit badge classes rather than at swim test. Less pressure. Greater likelihood of success.
Most importantly, your arrival at camp on Sunday is far less hectic. You don’t need to rush the boys down to the waterfront then back up to camp to get set up. They can focus on set up then orientation.
If you would like to run your own pre-camp swim test, visit the council summer camp website for more information. You will need to fill out the linked form and meet the Safe Swim Defense rules during your pre-camp swim check. Camp Ransburg encourages you to send your swim records in early with your health records to make sure all is in order.
Spring Prep for Fall Recruiting
As we wind down on the school year, minds travel to far away places. Well, at least, situations that are far different than the average school day routine for both parents and kids.
Unfortunately, once we leave for summer break, all sorts of planning for Fall go on break, too. Have you ever tried to find a school principle on summer break? They are hard to find if you try during their vacation.
A great way for your Pack to get ahead for the Fall Recruiting season is to talk to the school principle now about Boy Talks and Back to School Nights.
Simply confirming in person that the principle approves Boy Talks and sign up tables is very powerful.
Two more keep steps to avoid Fall problems are to:
- Send a confirmation email today about what you and the principle agree. When back to school time arrives, you simply re-send the confirmation email to inquire if all is still on track.
- Seek permission to distribute our recruitment flyers to the school. Some school districts require at least 30 days notice of any request for distribution. If you start now, the deadline is easier.
If you are in a large school system, coordinate your efforts with the District Membership Committee Chair Sharla Merrick or her committee Jenny Beyers and Mike Yates or you can contact District Executive Con Sullivan for basic information and flyer coordination.
You can see the entire campaign overview here
.
Work now so that Fall issues are easy!
Congratulations to our new OA Members
I just got home from our OA induction ceremony. We had a great spring 2016 class.
They will all have stories to tell and mysteries to uphold.
Remember candidates who missed this weekend can other chapter ordeals next week or the Lodge ordeal later this fall.
May Eagle Scout Report
Congratulations to our May 2016 Eagles. As always these Eagles need to await ratification of the board of review’s actions before they hold their Eagle Courts of Honor. Even so, their dates-in-rank will be retroactively effective to last night when the ratification occurs.
|
First Name |
Last Name |
Troop # |
| Thomas | Catalano |
174 |
| Ross | McBride |
269 |
| Joshua | Pishon |
358 |
| Andrew | Williams |
174 |
ScoutmasterCG: Top 10 Ways to Frustrate Youth Leaders
It is time again for our monthly weekly homage to Clarke Green at ScoutmasterCG.
Clarke, a thirty-year veteran as a scoutmaster, points out 10 ways to frustrate your youth leaders. While Clarke’s articles always have their sweet spot for the boy scout program and higher, I contend that many of these lessons need to be learned by our Cub Scout Leaders, too. Even more so, we often commit the same errors at home with our own children.
I would be fascinated to hear from readers in the comment section below or on Facebook about their thoughts on this article. (Remember to comment, you must have a Word Press or affiliated user name. Comments are moderate for spam, germaneness, and compliance with the Scout Oath and Law.)
So do any of you have personal stories where you violated one of these 10 pointers? What did you learn from the experience? How do you handle similar situations now?
While you are looking at Clarke’s site, make sure to check out his latest book So Far So Good (print or audio). It is the story of a new Scoutmaster learning the ropes as he works with the scouts. While it focuses on boy scouts, Cub Scout leaders can learn, too. They can learn how to teach without being classroom teachers. They can learn more about the goals the Cubs will be attempting to achieve in Boy Scouts, so that the Pack is better preparation for things to come. The Cub Leader can learn how better to explain scouting to new parents, increasing parental involvement and scout retention through better understanding.
Just don’t frustrate your youth unnecessarily!
REMINDER: Roundtable at strange location
This Thursday’s Roundtable will be at the Scout Service Center 7125 Fall Creek Blvd, N Dr, Indianapolis, IN. We will start at 7:00 pm with the Council’s Ideal Year in Scouting presentation.
When Council complete its agenda, Con is arranging a break-out room for us (no word on the room number yet). We will discuss district-specific issues and topics during the break out session.
All packs, troops, and crews should have a representative present. This presentation is important for all scouters to be able to improve the unit’s annual planning process. However, the topic is absolutely crucial to newer unit leaders, committee chairs, and Chartered Organization Representatives. If you have never participated in this recently inaugurated annual event, participation is a must. If you have participated, it is a wonderful method of bringing more recently initiated unit scouters up to speed on how to do annual planning.
We look forward to seeing all units present.
REMINDER: Committee and Commissioner Meetings Thurs 5/5
Just a quick reminder that the District Commissioners meet at 6:00 pm Thursday, May 5th at Second Presbyterian Church, Room 407.
Immediately afterward, the District Committee meets in the same building at 7:00 pm, Room 401.
See you there!
CAC North Star Unofficial Website 
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