Camping & Outdoor Programming
Planning: Winter Camporee
Since we just completed Fall Camporee, it seems odd to be writing about Winter Camporee. Unfortunately, we have only a handful of weeks until the holiday and year-end crush begin. When all are back from Christmas Break we will only have another couple of weeks.
Camporee Theme: Solicitation of Ideas
At last check, Stu was still seeking themes for the Camporee. Please let us know your thoughts.
Classes at Camporee
The District Commissioner in association with the District Training Committee will be offering several training courses again.
- Scoutmaster Specific Training (we will not offer Introduction to Outdoor Leadership Skills, which is also required for Scoutmasters and Assistant Scoutmasters, because it will be offered at the University of Scouting the week preceding camporee).
- For future patrol leaders and senior patrol leaders, we will be offering Introduction to Leadership Skills for Troops. This is a prerequisite for White Stag/National Youth Leadership Training and is the first part of the youth leadership training continuum.
- Other classes requested by Troops. (Remember Den Chief training is typically offered at the University of Scouting, too.)
Events by Firecrafter and/or Order of the Arrow
Since the Firecrafter event at the Fall Camporee was very well received, both honoraries are looking at expanding their offerings. Members of our Ember and OA Chapter should be in touch with the chapters’ leadership with ideas and their availability to serve in these projects. We would like to have at least one Spark (a troop’s youth representative to the Ember) and one OA Representative from each troop to participate in planning. Ideally these are two separate scouts for position of responsibility purposes.
Planning for representation now will build on recent successes.
Cooking Competitions
Historically, camporees included a Scoutmaster/Assistant Scoutmaster Cooking Competition. We are looking for sponsorship for this event to be renewed. (Hint to Willie Gillies: the North Star Wood Badge Alumni Association.)
District Commissioner Awards
At the past Camporee, the District Commissioner announced awards for patrol system use. When the inspections were done, it was clear that the criteria were confusing and hard to implement. As a result, no announcements of the results were made, since a Scout is Cheerful.
The idea was commended for its ideals by several scouters but never on its implementation. As a result, this award will be offered again but with some revisions.
Why does our Troop need a Spark?
Any scout can look at his Scout Handbook in the Eagle Requirements and see that an Order of the Arrow Representative is a position of responsibility that can help the scout fulfill a requirement.
Since Firecrafter is only a local organization, it does not appear as an option for Eagle’s position of responsibility requirement. So what is a scoutmaster to do? Does Firecrafter have representatives?
A Firecrafter representative from the troop to our district’s Ember is called a “Spark.” A Spark has similar duties to an OA Representative.
As part of the Eagle requirements, a scout can undertake a project defined by his scoutmaster as an alternative to a formal position of responsibility.
A creative scoutmaster can define the role of Spark to be such a project.
When the Ember needs help in planning for Camporee events and campfires, the Spark is the voice of the troop. When the Ember has a monthly meeting or a council event to attend, the Spark should recruit eligible Campers, Woodsmen, and Firecrafter from the troop to participate and attend.
Each troop should report to the Ember who their Spark is on a regular basis in order to facilitate communication and enrich the Ember’s efforts.
Help us build a successful Ember for our District by having the Senior Patrol appoint a Spark and having the Scoutmaster define it as scoutmaster-approved project.
Packs: Cross-over Ceremonies
Since Order of the Arrow, the scout honorary society, provides ceremonial teams as part of its cheerful service to Cub Scout Packs, our District’s chapter needs the Packs’ assistance.
The Chapter is looking for information from the Cub Scout Packs about when their Blue and Gold Banquets or Cross-over Ceremonies will be. The Chapter needs to put these dates on their calendar as soon as possible.
The purpose of providing ceremonial teams is to provide the young Webelos with their first taste of how Boy Scouts differs from Cub Scouts. The Boy Scouts provide the ceremony, not the parents. The Boy Scouts welcome the Webelos into Boy Scouts, not the Scoutmaster. The Webelos are welcomed into the boy-led fraternity of Boy Scouts.
Since many of the ceremonial team performers are in high school, their schedules are already heavily booked. The Chapter needs scheduling information to be able to put together a team to serve your pack. The Chapter also needs to know how many performers it needs to recruit to successfully serve all interested packs.
Using an Order of the Arrow ceremonial team is not required of Cub Scout Packs, but it is strongly recommended.
Please help your OA Chapter better serve you, by sending your Blue and Gold Banquet and/or Cross-over Ceremony dates, times, and locations to District Commissioner Jeff Heck as soon as possible.
To get a feel for what a cross-over ceremony might look like, here is an example from a different chapter of what they did with the idea.
Order of the Arrow: recruiting ceremony teams
At yesterday’s meeting, the chapter began planning for the upcoming year.
Since several of our packs are looking for Blue & Gold Banquet/Cross-over ceremonies from OA, the chapter is seeking Ordeal and Brotherhood members who wish to be part of these ceremony teams. This is a great way for a group of boy scouts to help make a more memorable experience for their Cub Scout kin. Remember, “WWW.”
Participants would be expected to attend the Lodge Winter Gathering January 8-10, 2016 at Camp Kikthawenund as part of their training.
Ideas for Summer Camp
As October drifts away and November arrives, it seems to early to think about summer activities. Yet, November is often the last push for the year to do much big in scouting until January. Once January hits, more units focus on summer camp and activities.
If you want to do something different, the November PLC is a great time to take a poll of your scouts or November Pack meeting a chance to poll your Cubs about where they would like to go to summer camp.
My home unit used to have a practice of going to some place out of council at least once every four years. One of our District’s bigger troops goes to Canada every other year. Both are great ideas for keeping scouting interesting for all your scouts.
Last year, Scouting Magazine ran a great article about wonderful Scout Reservations around the country. (Ransburg made this list!)
The Summit at Bechtel Scout Reservation is now running both high adventure and older scout summer camp opportunities.
In addition, your future troop youth leadership can attend White Stag, our local version of the National Youth Leadership Training. (Introduction to Leadership Skills for Troops/Crews is a prerequisite, which we may offer at Winter Camporee, if 
sufficient interest exists.) This one-week, Wood-Badge for youth course is well worth for future or past SPLs, patrol leaders, Troop Guides, etc. (Crossroads BSA website has not been updated for 2016 yet.)
Start the discussion in November, so information gathering can be planned and implemented. Then less pressure is on in January 2016 when real planning needs to begin.
Nov. 1st Cub Hayride: Update
Pack 358 has decided to pay for the entire costs of the wagons. That means that all other packs only need to pay $6.00 per car (out-of-county residents) or $5.00 (Marion County residents) and contribute a pitch-in dinner dish per family.
To RSVP, click here.
For more information and a flyer to distribute to your Pack, click here. Pitch in dinner dish requests are by age level, and are printed on the flyer.
Haunted House for all Ages
The Children’s Museum’s Pirate’s Revenge Haunted House is now open! Oct. 10th through Halloween. 
This makes a great scout outing for all ages. The Children’s Museum’s Haunted House has haunts with
- lights-on for Cub Scouts or other persons who scare easily
- Wednesdays–Saturdays 10 a.m.–3 p.m.;
- Wednesdays 3:30–8:30 p.m.;
- Sundays 11 a.m.–5 p.m.;
- Halloween: 10 a.m.–3 p.m.
- lights-out/frightening for Webelos and Tenderfoot scouts, or other persons who dare to be scared
- Thursdays–Saturdays 3:30–8:30 p.m.
- No Frightening Hours on Halloween
- Xtreme Scream, strongly recommended limited to teens and adults
- Oct. 23, 24, & 30: 8:30–11 p.m.
All Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts who visit the Children’s Museum Haunted House can earn a patch for free with their paid admission. Ask for the patch at the Bootique’s cashier (sign about patches hangs over her head).
Other special events that are especially appropriate for Cub Scouts, such as Feast with the Witches, is also available. See the Haunted House webpage for more information.
Look for some of your fellow scouts and District Commissioner staff, haunting at Xtreme Scream!
Service Opportunities
Sometimes our units are looking for service opportunities. Sometimes we seek service where scouts to gain entry for future unit placement. Scouts do well at schools and churches where they offer service to their current or future host chartered organizations.
We are seeking access back into Pike and Washington Townships.
Our District Executive just received this request for service from Pik High School. Please make sure you let your scouts how much they are needed for service and as ambassadors for scouting.
Hello Con,
I am the event coordinator for Pike High School’s 2015 ISSMA Marching Band event being held on October 31st . It was suggested to me that the scouts may be able to help in our efforts to host this annual event. As a former scout, I know how scouts can make time for the community. (Trans Atlantic Council , Troop 1, Heidelberg, Germany) I understand some scouts may be needing community service requirements for Merit badges or other projects .
If this is something that would interest your troop, please let me know as soon as possible, as we are trying to fill as many spots as possible. I do have a “sign Up Genius “ set up that you could visit to see the type of positions available, anything from spectator parking to gate monitors , hospitality, admissions, hand stampers, water table monitor, and stand entrance monitors, We have two shifts available, or a person could volunteer the entire day, start times range from 9:30AM in the morning to 1:45 PM in the afternoon. All positions are over by 6PM.
The sign up genius is set-up for Parents , but we realize the maturity level of scouts and we know we can count on their assistance.
I do appreciate your consideration, and if this is something that can help your scouts, then Pike and the North Star District both win!
http://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0b45aca62ca3fb6-2015
Thank you ,
Doug Reilly
Event Coordinator
2015 ISSMA CLASS B MARCHING BAND COMPETITION
810-6262 (W), 297-7886 (H), 515-9805 (C)
dreilly@arrow.com, indyhog96.dr@att.net
Report from 2015 Fall Camporee
We survived the Zombie Apocalypse!
Thank you to District Camporee Chair Stu Bowes for a warmly received and joyful Camporee. We heard many rave reviews. The weather was delightful (especially given fresh memories of the Spring Camporee’s deluge).
We were warned about the coming Zombie Apocalypse by the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department.
We even had Troop 358 do a solid rendition of Heywood Bank’s Famous “Toast!”
Our Assistant Camporee Chair Rick Akers broke out his stage make up to dress the victims to make the drill even more realistic.
We 18 adults trained in matters ranging from Youth Protection Training, Chartered Org Rep Training, District Committee Training.
Most importantly for training, the District would like to thank Troop 73’s Scoutmaster Vince Hernly and Troop 56’s Committee Chair Sandy McNutt for serving as lead instructors, respectively, for Scoutmaster Specific Training and Troop Committee Challenge. Thank you, too, to Troop 56’s Assistant Scoutmaster Don Bievenour for assisting Vince with the Scoutmaster Specific Training.
We have heard many thanks from scouters for reviving training at Camporee’s. Look for more in the future, including Introduction to Leadership Skills for Troops (and Crews?) targeted at current and future Senior Patrol Leaders.
District Pack Overnight at Track: 4 days and counting . . .
Friday at the Track begins the District Pack Overnight.
Taking your Cubs and Webelos camping is a very important part of retaining Cubs and growing your Pack. If you don’t camp often, your Pack will lose members.
The District Pack Overnight is a great way for new parents or reluctant camping parents to learn outdoor skills.
if your Pack camps on its own, one person must be BALOO-trained. For this Councilsponsored event, this requirement is not necessary, since we will have trained people present.
If you or your Pack cannot camp out, they can still participate in the Saturday Fun Day at the track.
We hope to see you there.
CAC North Star Unofficial Website 
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