Old News made New: Boy Scout as Lifesaver
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Did you catch this story last year? WRTV-6 has re-visited last summer’s life saving story.
Del-Mi District’s Tyler Hulka, 11, was re-united with A.J. Barrickman, 3, at the pool where the near-drowning occurred in Cicero. Click the photo to see the whole story.
Good story to start the summer swimming season.
High Adventure Trips in Winter, Too
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Our Team Leader for District Operations Darin Stendl joined our new District Executive Con Sullivan in attending our Roundtable Meeting last Thursday. At the RoundTable, the agenda was focused on High Adventure Trip Planning. As we were reviewing the opportunities provided by National Council, the topic of Minnesota’s cold weather program Okpik came up. I asked if anyone was familiar with Okpik. Darin volunteered that he had attended twice. As a result of his story, I asked him to Read the rest of this entry »
Scouting with the Handbook
“Do you have your handbook?” How many times at meetings have you asked this question?
As a passionate scouter, I enjoy the opportunity to interact with the scouts. As I sit to reflect about how to improve my skills, I often wonder if my passion is getting in the way of truly allowing the boys to play the game of scouting.
The story of the spread of scouting in the early 1900’s keeps coming to mind. There were two parts to the process: boys naturally grouping together in patrols to camp and play the game of scouting versus the adults trying to promote its spread for their own purposes. Each has furthered scouting.
District Training Status
One of the key duties of District is to encourage units to improve their programs in order to make the scouting more inviting to boys. BSA offers training for each position in order that adults can better understand the duties that they have accepted. Training is required for Rechartering.
Council records training records to be able to find out where training needs to be encouraged.
Among our units district wide, our training rate looks like this (if you are registered for more than one position, you can be trained and untrained simultaneously, appearing on this chart for each):
The pattern is clear. Units in Zionsville and northern Pike Township tend to have adult leader ship rates well over 50%. Moving toward the south and east, training rates plummet to the point where some units have no properly trained leaders.
Congratulations to our Commissioners
This Saturday, our district chaplain Jim Brinkley, Assistant District Commissioner Stu Bowes, Unit Commissioner Andy Fulks in Zionsville (who serves double duty as Sugar Creek District’s Assistant District Commissioner, too), Unit Commissioner Mat Gerdenich in Washington Township, Cub Roundtable Commissioner Sharla Merrick, and District Commissioner Jeff Heck attended the annual Commissioners College.
Congratulations to Andy Fulks for earning his Doctrate of Commissioner Science, which requires attending three colleges and writing a these.
Congratulations to Stu Bowes for earning his Masters of Commissioner Science, which requires attending two colleges, and Jeff Heck for his Bachelors for attending his first year.
Cincinnati’s Dan Beard Council announced that they would hold their own Commissioner College the first Saturday in August, and they invited our Commissiners to attend. They will be offering the new Roundtable Commissioner curriculum. For those who could only attend some of the courses, preventing a degree completion, the Dan Beard classes can help complete the degree.
Cub Scout Recruiting Resources Online
The BSA built a new website in the past year called ScoutingWire. Its primary purpose is to serve as a central clearinghouse for news from the BSA.
One example of these resources that are timely to Scouters’ needs is a page on Cub Scout Recruiting. ScoutingWire has a subpage called “Marketing Hub” where this information can be reviewed in more detail. There is one section for Councils and Districts. There is another section for Packs and Dens.
Bryan on Scouting says, “Our overall goal: Let’s not let one boy miss the chance to be a Cub Scout.” This is just a small example of what ScoutingWire has to offer. Take a look!
Jeff Heck
Saturday’s “Ideal Year of Scouting”
Saturday is the annual training for “Ideal Year of Scouting.” Assistant Director of Field Services Darin Stendl reported at Roundtable last night that this is designed as an “open house.” This means that you can show up at the time that is convenient for you. There will be training sessions all morning and vendor booths available. These vendors will be happy to discuss what opportunities they have your youth.
The event takes place at Golden Burke Scout Service Center from 9 AM to 1 PM this Saturday.
This program is ideal for unit leaders, committee members, and the Patrol Leaders’ Council. Every unit should send a representative!
For more information, see the Crossroads of America Council website.
Roundtable: High Adventure Materials
Tonight at Boy Scout Roundtable, District Commissioner Jeff Heck led a discussion of high adventure for boy scouts and venturers. He talked about the opportunities for units to provide high adventure and its benefits to the program.
- Provides marketing panache to incoming families, allowing dreams and visions of great adventures to come.
- Provides solid leadership development opportunities for crew contingent youth leaders.
- For participants of all ages, builds personal and long-lasting connections with nature and their travel companions.
- Fosters self-reliance, flexibility of mind, and perserverance.
BSA Advancement Newsletters
Like most businesses today, BSA has built many online resources and is using social media and email lists to push that information to potential users.
Some users automatically receive these newsletters based on their position. Some users have to opt-in to the newsletter lists.
Merit Badge Counselor’s Compass is one of those. (You can subscribe by emailing merit.badge@scouting.org.) In the current issue of the Compass, they discuss:
- Changes Counselors Need to Know
- Interactive Digital Pamphlets Now on Sale at ScoutStuff.org
- Be Sure to Read The Notes
- Merit Badge Myths: Fact vs. Fiction
- Completing Requirements as Stated Matters
- Beekeeping: A Part of Existing Merit Badges
North Star FOS Phone-a-thon
We are holding a phone-a-thon on Tuesday, June 9th from 6pm-8pm to finish contacting some 300 donors who have not submitted their 2015 FOS donation. The cards represent approximately $29,000 in unworked pledges. Our goal is to try and collect $10,000 more towards our 2015 goal. If we are successful, we will be at our goal!
We are holding the phone-a-thon at the scout office. I know this is short notice, but, I need to hear from you by this Thursday’s roundtable if you can help us out. If you can not attend on the 9th, would you be willing to make calls on your own if we supply the contacts?
Please help us restore North Star’s image as a great district. Remember that money we raise goes to supporting programs for our young scouts.
Steve
District Chair
317 283-4285
steveandhelen80@yahoo.com
CAC North Star Unofficial Website 
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