Programming
Troop 358 has 3 new Palms
I attended last Monday’s Court of Honor for Troop 358 in Zionsville. The troop award an Eagle Scout medal, various rank advancements, merit badges, and Wood Badge beading for OA Advisor Mark Pishon, ASM Chuck Bricker, and ASM David Guzman.
The most unique part of the ceremony to my eyes was the award of three Eagle Palms. The first was for a bronze palm (the first palm awarded for 5 merit badge and 3 months leadership service after receiving Eagle). The second was for a scout’s silver palm (the third palm awarded for 15 merit badges and 9 months service after Eagle). The last was a second Silver Palm! 
Think about that. A second Silver Palm for one scout. That means that he has served in his troop for 18 months as a leader after his Eagle Board of Review and earned an additional 30 merit badges in addition to the required 21 merit badge for Eagle Scout. Only 1/10th of 1% of Eagles earn a Silver Palm. To earn two Silver Palms is extraordinarily rare. (I cannot find the stats.)
Shown above from left: Matthew Heath, second Silver Palm; Josh Sheppard, first Silver Palm; John Heath, first Bronze Palm. All are White Stag/NYLT trained and have served on staff, too.
Congratulations to each of these three worthy scouts and to Scoutmaster Jim Beck and Troop 358 for providing such a rewarding environment that Eagle Scouts stay actively involved in the troop.
Notes on Camporee
Here are the minutes of last Sunday’s Winter Camporee Meeting from Chair Curtis Shrote:
Note: would troops 586 and 514 please contact me offline.Attendance:Mark Pishon, 358John Wiebke, 358Brian Crow, 343David Salima, 269Carter Keith, DIstrictRick Aker, DIstrictCon Sullivan, DistrictChad Galer, 69Pete Holtz, 56Toby Hlade, 358Mike Faulk, 56Curtis Shrote, 804
My apologies if I did not collect someones attendance.There was a discussion concerning the packet sent Saturday:Notes:Clarification – Friday night cracker barrel is for scoutmaster and SPLs this will be corrected in the final packet.
I will review with Todd, the remaining cooking arrangements to determine if they will be providing coffee during the day on Saturday. Regardless, there will be coffee.
Chad (T69) corrected me – I do now recall him telling me their event which was “Help Me I’m freezing” – I will correct this and send out an update early next week. My apologies on my forgetfulness.Mark will look into an inflatable screen. (Thanks Mark). It was mentioned that a painters drop cloth also might work. I happen to have one so will bring it as backup.The course for the sled race will begin at the dining hall and proceed into the activity field. This will be a timed course with each sled being released at at a timed offset much like Olympic X-country skiing events.
Regards,Curtis Shrote
Merit Badge Counselors Terms Expire
Remember that your Merit Badge Counselors are District Staff, not Troop Staff. That means their positions expire every year when the District’s Recharter Application (yes, District has a recharter application, too) expires on December 31, 2016.
We still have several troops and crews that have not confirmed the renewal of their Merit Badge Counselors. We need those immediately to prevent any loss of authority to sign Blue Cards.
Next week I will report on troops and crews that have completed the MBC rechartering process.
For more information, see prior postings.
Summer Camp Promotion Season
We are entering summer camp promotion season. If your pack or troop is looking for creative ways to drum up excitement, please let District Commissioner Jeff Heck or District Executive Con Sullivan know.
District’s Order of the Arrow Chapter and Firecrafter Ember have scouts who can visit your scouting unit to help tell the story.
District wants to work with your unit to have your unit’s participation be as high as possible.
Scout Ranks Grandfathering Period Expired
Remember on January 1, 2017, all scouts are required to advance on all ranks using the new requirements effective January 1, 2016.
Unfortunately, that means scouts who had not completed their last rank may now have many new requirements to contend with that they did not just a few days earlier.
Please make proper announcements to your troop so that there is no confusion at their next scoutmaster conference or board of review.
Year End Eagle Report for 2016
Congratulations again to the following 49 scouts for having earned their Eagle Rank in 2016.
Think of the number of service hours each of these gentlemen have contributed to their communities by organizing and running their projects.
Immediate Changes to Cub Scout Advancement Announced
From Pack 358’s Delaware Tribe’s Cubmaster Sharla Merrick:
The Boy Scouts of America has announced modifications to Cub Scouting that make the program more flexible for busy parents, den leaders and Cubmasters.The BSA gathered feedback from den leaders who had delivered the new Cub Scouting program for a year. What they learned was that some den leaders had difficulty fitting into their program year all of the adventures required for advancement. This resulted in boys not advancing. After a thoughtful and deliberate review, the BSA has released some modifications to address this concern.What are the modifications? Some adventure requirements that previously were mandatory will become optional, in a move intended to give Cub Scouters more control over their den program.The changes, which take effect today (Nov. 30, 2016), were approved by the National Executive Committee of the Boy Scouts of America.The fine-tuning reflects the BSA’s three-step approach to new programs: Launch. Learn. Modify.Here’s a link to the updates 🙂 http://www.scouting.org/filestore/cubscouts/pdf/CubScout_Advancement_Modifications.pdfYIS,Sharla
Here’s a quick look at what you need to know.
Cub Scouting’s fall 2016 modifications, an overview
- First of all, you won’t need to buy any new materials. The new requirements will be posted in a free addendum available at scouting.org/programupdates. This will supplement the handbooks in current circulation and for sale online and in Scout shops.
- While the overall feedback from den leaders about the new Cub Scout program has been very positive, some den leaders said a number of the new adventures had requirements that were too difficult for dens to complete within the Scouting year.
- The number of new Cub Scouts is up in many areas of the country, but rankadvancement rates have not kept pace, meaning the BSA’s team of volunteers and staff advisers wanted to react quickly to eliminate what might have become a roadblock for some dens.
- A national volunteer task force developed a solution: Make more of the adventure requirements optional, giving dens more flexibility to match their unique needs.
- The modifications are designed to ensure that adventure requirements are achievable by today’s Cub Scout dens within a program year. This means they are achievable by all Cub Scouts, regardless of background or socioeconomic status.
- Most of the modifications involve the number of requirements that must be completed, reducing the mandate to a number achievable within the limited time available to many dens. This is done while retaining the rich program options that allow leaders to build strong programs adapted to their needs.
- The changes increase den-level customization. Units that can handle more content, perhaps because they meet more often or for longer periods, can — and should! — keep the optional requirements part of their program. On the other hand, those that have struggled to finish the requirements will welcome these changes as a way to meet their needs.
- With the modifications, dens should be able to complete one adventure in approximately two den meetings.
- The transition should be seamless, with leaders able to use revised requirements as the den begins any new adventure.
Where to find the new requirements
Simply log on to scouting.org/programupdates. I suggest making it one of your bookmarks.
Where to go first if you have questions
See answers to FAQs about these changes here.
Winter Camporee: 16 Days and Counting to Ice Island
Image Posted on Updated on
From Winter Camporee Chair Curtis Shrote (Chair, Troop 804):
The last camporee meeting will be this coming Sunday, January 8, 2017 at 6:00 pm in St Lukes UMC’s Luke’s Lodge Lounge (Fireplace Room).Prior to Christmas, I visited Camp Redwing to review with the ranger what he needed us to be aware. We will be covering those concerns and other final items. I will be sending preliminary handouts Friday night or early Saturday morning that I would like the committee to review. Please come prepared with your copies and notes.Also, in order to ensure that the cooking team has adequate and fair warning of attendance counts, I am asking all troops to have final registrations in via the link by Close of Business (5PM) Friday, January 13, 2017, so that we can relay that information.Registration Link: https://scoutingevent.com/160-NSWC17
This information plus additional information will be sent later in the week.
Encouraging Parental Involvement through Recognition
Many Cub Scout Packs are getting ready to change leadership in the coming months as Webelos transition to Boy Scouts and their parents follow.
Recognition of outgoing leaders is important to inspire incoming and future leaders to uphold a high standard of service in your unit. If outgoing leaders are recognized, incoming leaders will become more excited to duplicate the feat.
Now is a great time to see if your departing leader has earned the Unit Award of Merit. This is an award offered by the unit, approved by your Unit Commissioner or lacking a Unit Commissioner the District Commissioner, and then the Council Executive and Council Commissioner.
Please review this recognition now so that you can have it available for worthy volunteers at the coming Blue and Gold Banquet for your Pack.
For more information contact your District Commissioner or District Executive.
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.
CAC North Star Unofficial Website 
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