Training
Advice for SPLs
Many scoutmasters do not enjoy the start of a new Senior Patrol Leader’s term of office. The new youth leader has a lot to learn. The scoutmaster has to spend time teaching him the ropes, which may feel annoying, since the last SPL had gotten it all figured out. He had not required so much of the scoutmaster’s time as the new guy does.
Sometimes it is is useful to find an ally in getting the new SPL.
Clarke Greene recently posted a podcast about advice to a new SPL.
Take a look at the support materials and additional resources he points out.
YPT Report
As of this morning, we have 50 volunteers whose YPT status is expired. We have a total of 183 volunteers who are expired or will be expired in the next 90 days.
We need this number to be dropping. All of these volunteers need to be renewed in the next 30 days.
Another 23 on the District Staff (including committee members, commissioners, and merit badge counselors) expire before March 1, 2017.
Anyone who has not completed their YPT before October 1, 2016 is at risk of having their membership dropped at rechartering.
Make sure that your unit is aware of its YPT status.
Cub Scout Leader Training Next Week
Next week, Tuesday through Friday, North Star District will be running training for new Cub Scout Leaders. Den Leader training will be offered each night. Cubmaster/Assistant Cubmaster Position Specific and Pack Trainer will be offered most nights. See the Council calendar for more details.
Most will be at the Scout Service Center. Wednesday night will be at Second Presbyterian Church (room number to be announced).
All are open to scouters across the Council.
Wood Badgers in the District (Willie Gillies) are especially asked to volunteer as faculty. Contact Jeff Heck or Steve James for more information. Volunteers can sign up here!
Update from Camporee Committee
Last Sunday the Camporee Committee met. Past Chair and Interim Chair Brian Crow presided. These are the documents that Brian sent out after the meeting:
- Willie Award Judging Criteria (note: decorating the campsite will not be part of the competition, but is optional for the troop)
- Gladiator Challenge Camporee (the source document from another council on which we are building our ideas).
Further notes from the meeting are forthcoming from Brian.
The patch is not done yet, but Brian gave a preview of Willie dressed as a Roman soldier. I was impressed.
The cost will be $10.00 per participant. For every 10 scouts, 1 adult will be free. Webelos who attend can get a patch for $5.00.
Troops are encouraged to register as soon as possible with estimated headcount. No payments are required online, but will be accepted. Payments are not due until arrival at the camporee with final headcount. (Registration will be online through the council’s website. As of this writing, the camporee is not yet posted on the district calendar.)
Events will be scored in the traditional manner of ranking each patrol from best score to least score and tallying the overall results. The top 10 finishers in each event will be announced to encourage participation and better information on competitiveness of the patrols. Medals will be awarded to the top 3 patrols (one medal given to the patrol medal for attachment to the patrol’s flag.)
The committee will meet again on Sunday, September 18, 2016.
All troops are asked to submit their event ideas to Brian Crow. In the case of duplication of ideas, the troop with the earliest date stamp on their email will have priority in using the idea. The troops can choose to score their event however they see fit, so long as the patrols are ranked by best to worst. Troops may award points for patrol building traits, such as patrol cheers and patrols flags that are not directly related to the event, if the troop so chooses.
Each patrol will be assigned a number. This will facilitate scoring and management of problems such as ever-changing patrol names. Winners will be announced by patrol names (as finally reported to Rick Aker).
Adult training for Introduction to Outdoor Leadership, BALOO, and OWL will be offered during the camporee. Members of the Willie Gillies (i.e., Wood Badge recipient in North Star District) are asked to volunteer to teach an hour-long segment of the course. Contact Jeff Heck to volunteer. (Del-Mi District Training Chair Ted Taylor has graciously offered to open their October 1st Scoutmaster Specific Training to North Star District.)
Youth Protection Training will be offered after the Scoutmaster/SPL meeting on Friday Night.
Why be a Scout Leader?
I have written many times about the value of scouting to the youth.
Bobwhite Blather has a great article about the value of scouting to the adult leaders. It is worth your attention.
YPT Status: 175 expiring or expired in next 90 days
As rechartering approaches, we enter the season when many scouters have their YPT status expire. As we all know, no scouter can be renewed for membership unless their YPT status is current through March 1, 2017.
We have 31 expired scouters.
We have 144 scouters who will expire their YPT status in the next 90 days.
We have 50 of those in the next 30 days.
Please log in to your my.scouting.org account today and review your training status under “My Dashboard.”
Review your unit’s training status under the “Training Manager.” Access is limited to Unit Key 3 and training authorized personnel. (Please note persons authorized for access in 2015 will need to be renewed by the Unit Key 3 through the “Organization Security Manager” in 2016.)
Upcoming Cub Leader Trainings
Part of Journey to Excellence emphasizes that Cub leaders are trained. North Star District requires that all leaders with greater than 90-days tenure be trained in their position by November 30, 2016 in order to be renewed in that position. In order to serve that requirement, the District making sure that training is widely available and publicized to facilitate leaders meeting this requirement.
To qualify for Bronze level of training (the 20th to 50th percentile of units), one person, whether Cubmaster, Den Leader, or Pack Trainer, needs to be trained in position specific training.
To qualify for Silver level of training (the 51st to 80th percentile of units nationwide), all scouters leading youth, whether Cubmaster or Den Leader, needs to be trained.
To qualify for Gold level of training (the 81st to 100th percentile of units nationwide), all scouters leading youth and 2/3rds of the committee members need to be trained for their positions.
While BSA’s e-training makes getting the de minimis training easier, the best training in scouting is face-to-face. The trainer may not be as articulate as the paid actors on the BSA’s website, live trainers are able to adapt the message for local needs and to reflect more information about local scouting. They are able to answer specific questions or direct to local council or district resources.
Because North Star District strongly prefers face-to-face training, the District is offering the most important Cub Scout training repeatedly the week of Labor Day. Each night from Tuesday, September 6, 2016 through Friday, September 9, 2016 a combination of these course are being offered. Currently these trainings are scheduled to be held at St Luke’s United Methodist Church, 100 West 86th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46260 (Meridian St and 86th St).
We are asking each pack committee chair to emphasize the importance for all pack leaders to have their respective training done by September 9th.
If this creates scheduling conflicts for the leader, other districts are offering these trainings in the following 45 days. Del-Mi (Carmel/Fishers’ District) will be offering these trainings on October 1, 2016. Other trainings at the various scout service centers in the Council are being offered throughout September and October. A link to the council calendar is here.
If your unit has more than 3 adults who can participate in a class, district will send a trainer to your unit to provide the training. You just need to give us 14 days notice, beginning after August 26, 2016. 
Voyageur: new format for fall
Voyageur Canoe Training is unique in the BSA. Our council has been teaching how to lead canoe trips of all types for over 40 years. Our safety record is impeccable.
Traditionally the course has been taught over two intense weekends. This has created many scheduling problems.
This fall Voyageur will be offered in a 3-day, one-weekend format for the first time.
Come be a part of this compact and efficient Voyageur offering so that you are ready to lead your scouts next fall. Make your reservation and payment here.
Voyageur flyer for more information.
YPT Status: need immediate attention
As October 1st approaches, the District Commissioner’s staff is ever more concerned about training, especially Youth Protection Training.
As previously published, your YPT should be renewed each year between March 1st and October 1st. This eliminates many problems at recharter time. Please help by logging into your my.scouting.org account and double checking your YPT expiration date.
As of this writing, the District has 29 scouters who are now expired on their YPT. A total of 168 scouters are or will be expired before November 10, 2016. There are probably another 50 or s0 (unverified) who expire before March 1, 2017. All of these 218 or so people can cause their units to be unable to renew, if the person expired is a required office to recharter such as committee chair, or maybe dropped from membership in order to allow their units to recharter.
Three units have 3 or more scouters whose YPT is expired at this moment. Several units will have more than 25% of their scouters YPT expire before November 10, 2016.
Please begin an aggressive campaign in your unit to bring these numbers down now.
Cub Scout Position-Specific Training
North Star District in cooperation with Del-Mi District will be holding in-person Cub leader position-specific training from September 6 through September 9, 2016. Tentatively the trainings will take place at Carmel’s Monon Center off of 111th Street between Westfield Rd/Rangeline Rd and College Avenue.
Positions that will be trained include Pack Trainer, Den Leader specific
, and Cubmaster Specific training. Each session will begin with Youth Protection Training.
While National and local councils have shifted focus to using e-training for these sessions, many veteran scouters have said that their first training in scouting done in-person did more to have them feel part of a larger community and network. They felt more welcome and less isolated when they began their work in Cub Scouts.
We are offering this training in order to enhance the quality of the experience for our newest Cub Scout leaders. They will come face-to-face with other new leaders and meet veteran scouters who can serve as future resources.
If you would be interested in serving on the faculty, please contact Jeff Heck or Con Sullivan.
If your pack does not have a Pack Trainer, please make a special effort to send a representative. This will help us move the District to its goal of 100% trained scouters.
Specific dates and times are to be determined.
CAC North Star Unofficial Website 
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