Events
Ham Radio at Belzer: New Crew and Existing Opportunities
The WD9BSA group is looking for youth ages 14-21 (boys and girls), for a new Scout Venture Crew forming in the Crossroads of America Council, Boy Scouts of America.
It is based at the amateur radio station WD9BSA at Camp Belzer on the Northeast side of Indianapolis, we are looking for youth that are interested in amateur radio, radio technology, emergency communications and preparedness, severe weather spotting and just talking to others around the world on a great amateur radio station. Feel free to contact us for more information at wd9bsa@crossroadsbsa.org
Also, the WD9BSA station is open for all scouts and the public on the second Saturday of each month from 1-7pm (closed July and August). Entrance to the station is located at the northwest corner lower level of the Learning Center. Visitors who have amateur radio licenses may call the station in camp on 147.420 fm simplex or use the 443.000 (+100hz pl) repeater. Upcoming activities may be found on our website. www.wd9bsa.org. Next Open Operations Day is June 11th followed by ARRL Field Day at Camp Belzer June 25-26.
We are also running a weekly net, or on the air gathering, every Monday evening at 7:30 PM on the 443.000MHz repeater, with a 100hz PL tone. All scouts are welcome, boy or girl, licensed or 3rd party traffic, current or former members.
This is not a broadcast radio station. We don’t play music and read the news and weather (although we do sometimes share news and weather information, particularly during Skywarn severe weather nets). As noted above, it’s an amateur (ham) radio station that has applications in emergency preparedness and other areas where Scouts might be interested, as well as just communicating generally with people all over the world.
Amateur Radio is very much a STEM activity and can be integrated as part of the BSA STEM initiative.
Scout night at the Symphony
Scout Night at Marsh Symphony on the Prairie- Friday, June 17, 2016
Scouts and their families are invited to Marsh Symphony on the Prairie for Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue on Friday, June 17, at 8 pm. Scouts (18 years of age and younger) in uniform who bring a 16 oz. package of pasta for Second Helpings will be admitted at no cost. Accompanying adults must purchase a ticket.
Cook out on the Circle
25th Annual Marsh Supermarkets Cookout on the Circle- June 16, 2016
Every Scout deserves the opportunity to attend summer camp. The Annual Marsh Supermarkets Cookout on the Circle raises awareness of Scouting and supports Scouting’s camp scholarship fund which enables hundreds of central Indiana Scouts to receive financial support they need to attend summer camp. For more information, contact Leslie Anderson by email or by phone at (317) 813-7113.
To sponsor the event or to purchase corporate ticket packages prior to the event, complete the Cookout on the Circle sponsorship form and return to Leslie Anderson no later than Friday, June 3, 2016.
The 25th Annual Marsh Supermarkets Cookout on the Circle, co-chaired by Bruce McCaw and Mike Semler, will be Thursday, June 16, 2016, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., on Monument Circle in downtown Indianapolis. Thank you to our major event sponsors Marsh Supermarkets, WISH-TV, WFMS, Dr. Pepper Snapple Group and Weber Grill.
Photos of the 24th Annual Marsh Supermarkets Cookout on the Circle- Thursday, June 18, 2015
Recruitment: Task #1 – Community Event Calendar
Last year in recruitment, we were late in starting to plan due to the administrative state of the district. Now we are starting planning for the August 2016 recruitment campaign. We need your help quickly.
District Vice-Chair for Membership Sharla Merrick and District Executive Con Sullivan are working hard right now to develop a detailed district recruitment plan to support your units‘ recruitment plans.
Part of this planning requires gathering data. Since we are a large group of talented and dedicated scouters with different perspectives, we are hoping to pool information about recruitment opportunities. We think you have the data. Let me illustrate what we are trying to do.
For example, last year, Con Sullivan reached out to his one of his counterparts in Girl Scouts of Central Indiana Tashianna Avery to discuss her recruitment efforts. (Tashianna has worked with Con and me on several projects and has become a valued colleague.) Tashianna shared with Con several of the community events that she was participating in and invited North Star District to come alongside. One of these was the St Luke’s United Methodist Church Backpack Attack. As a result of networking with Tashianna, we gathered a list of over 50 prospective members of North Star District.
While we did not do a good job of converting these prospects last year, we know that we can develop prospect lists easily at community events. In fact the BSA literature on recruitment emphasizes the importance of these types of events for exposure to the community, relationship building, and identifying prospects. It can serve as more than one of the necessary “7 Contacts” to recruit a new scout.
Sharla and Con want to build on this lesson learned. We would like to find as many events in the communities surrounding our units as possible. Then we will prioritize the events with the greatest likelihood of helping us develop prospect lists and community relationships.
Some of these events will naturally staffed by the home unit. For example, Pack 35 and Troop 35 at St Joan of Arc Catholic will naturally want to staff their parish’s French Market in September, if there is a booth there. Even so, we would like to have it on the district list to help develop a district-wide view of recruiting. The hope is we will minimize the number of good opportunities to make scouting connections.
If you have community events, please contact Sharla Merrick or Con Sullivan through your Membership Coordinator or Committee Chair.
Also don’t forget the Cook Out on the Circle on June 16th as a way to contribute to a Council-wide marketing effort. Many of your best prospective volunteers or families work downtown. Your unit’s presence can generate surprising results.
District Pinewood Derby Winners
On Saturday, April 16, 2016, the District held its annual district-wide Pinewood Derby.
Congratulations to the winners!
- Jacob Dennis, formerly of Pack 18, now Troop 18.
- Jackson Herbold, Pack 105.
- Jack Jent, Pack 35.
May 1st Firecrafters to Train Units in Flag Retirement
Spring Camporee Success. The Firecrafters of the North Star Ember would like to extend a warm thank you to all the troops who came out and participated in the Spring Camporee. One of the goals of our organization is to encourage continued participation by our youth in camping, outdoor activities, and Scouting. The activities and fellowship promoted at district camporees is a great opportunity that benefits these goals.
Importance of Scouts in Flag Retirement. At the evening campfire, we were excited to be given the opportunity to perform a flag retirement ceremony. The Boy Scouts is one of the largest organizations that gives communities opportunities to have worn American Flags properly retired. Organizations that also offer this service include the American Legion Post, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and other civic associations. Using flags donated by the Broad Ripple American Legion, one of our service projects for the year will be a flag retirement this Sunday, May 1st.
Invitation to Units and Scouts. We would like to invite Scouting members of the North Star District to attend. We will not just be retiring flags, but also answering any questions you have about proper flag retirement. This may be of great value to upcoming Firecrafter candidates, if they want to include a flag retirement as part of the candidate campfire. One of our goals in carrying out this service project is educating you in this area. We hope to improve your confidence so that in the future, you might consider conducting a retirement as a troop service project or include in your troop ceremonies.
Where: Second Presbyterian Church
7700 N. Meridian Street, Indianapolis, IN 46260
(fire ring in picnic area at north end of the parking lot)
When: Sunday, May 1, 2016
Time: 1:00-2:00 PM
What: North Star Firecrafter Flag Retirement Seminar
The weather for Sunday is not predicted to be as beautiful as the camporee weather. In the event it is raining between 1:00 and 2:00, the meeting will be at the Broad Ripple American Legion Post #3 at 6379 N College Ave, Indianapolis, IN 46220. We will still have a mock retirement and answer questions from an inside location.
Jacob Danek
North Star Ember Chief
Greg Hoyes
North Star Ember Advisor
Service at 500 Festival Mini-Marathon
Greg Jacoby from Troop 174 and Council Committee visited Roundtable last night. He was seeking support from Troops, Packs, and Crews for a re-doubled scouting presence at the 500 Festival Mini-Marathon at the start of May. He wrote with more details.
Dear Scouters:
I have been asked by the council to increase the presences of the Boy Scouts at the 500 Festival, specifically the Mini-Marathon. The Boys Scouts have been involved in the past but many times it has been behind the activity in a supporting role. One way to get the boys out in front is to have them man a water station and so we have been asked to man water station number 17 at the Mini-Marathon on May 7,2016 It is the water station just before the end of the race, and is located on the IUPUI campus so it is very easy to get to and park. I am contacting a number of the Troops and Packs in the North Star District to see if they could announce this opportunity and give the Council some support for the this event.
My Troop 174 will be bring a number of boys and we are opening this up to all family members so the community can see how Scouts is more than just the boys. This is one of the only activities that children accompanied by an adult can volunteer during the 500 festival.
We need 70 people to come help. The water station is open from 6 am to 1pm. People can work all morning, or in 3 hours shifts. If you are interested in getting yourself, your Troop or Pack involved please let me know by email and then sign up on the web site www.500festival.com . Some Troops and Packs are making this a group community volunteer activity and others are lettering their members know about the event on their Troop or Pack web site.
Below are the instructions for the 500 Festival volunteer web site.
Thanks for your help and as always call my cell 828-6230 or email at gjacoby@bdmd.com if you have any questions.
Yours in Scouting
Greg Jacoby
PLEASE SIGN UP ON LINE BY MAY 2, 2016
- Log onto our web site www.500festival.com
- Click on the volunteer tab at the left of the page
- Click on the red box “register here” link
- Welcome to the 500 Festival online registration, please read the important information
- Click the purple ”Volunteer Registration” button on the right side of the page.
- Select “500 Festival Volunteer
- Enter the access code “Boy Scouts” at the top of the page and click unlock
- Scroll down to Boy Scouts of America, Crossroads of America (it may be the last item on the last page)
- Select your volunteer opportunity – Pit Station #17- Boy Scouts
- From there you can complete your volunteer registration
Thanks for helping to promote Scouting.
Questions? If you have any reach out to Volunteer Intern, Fherry Hannah at fhannah@500festival.com or 317-614-6113 or Program Manager, Jennifer Livesay at jlivesay@500festival.com
Overview of ‘500 Festival Parade’ Participation
Bill Hodgson, the long-time district coordinator for the 500 Festival Parade, visited Roundtable last night. The theme of the parade will be “Celebrating the Stories of May” in honor of this year’s 100th running of the Indianapolis 500.
He reported that North Star District will be reprising its role as the chair-setters for the 300 block of North Pennsylvania Street this year.
Unfortunately Bill will not be available for the parade this year. He has asked one of his long-time associates to take the lead in his place. (More on this once the succession plan is confirmed.)
North Star will be setting up 1,030 chairs near the former location of the Indy Star Building, across the street from the federal courthouse and 1 block north of the Union Planter Tower.
Cubs and Scouts should arrive in Class A uniforms. Plenty of on-street parking should be available this early. Bill also recommends parking to the East of the parade route to ease exiting the area, as scourt can get out of there early.
They will be able to see the parade afterward.
Set up will begin around 8:30 am.
Hope to see you there.
District Pinewood Derby this Saturday!
The District Pinewood is this week!
For more information see the District calendar. The top 3 finishers from each pack are free. Others who wish to participate will pay a nominal fee at the door.
Come see the new district pinewood derby track!
District Pinewood Derby: 10 days and counting
The District Pinewood Derby is fast approaching. Click the link for more details. No tickets or RSVPs are required, but RSVPs are always welcome.
The top three winners of each pack’s Pinewood Derby are automatically eligible. No entry fee.
Additional participants are welcome for a small entry fee. There is traditionally a separate race for tag-along siblings’ and parents’ cars.
Troops should remember this is a great way to see our Cubs and look at making recruiting efforts.
CAC North Star Unofficial Website 
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