Memorial Day Participation
Our Packs and Troops made a mighty contribution to honor our deceased service members. Various units made their contributions at different times and different cemeteries. Here is a sampling of some of the stories and scenes that I have collected from this year’s efforts.
American Legion Post #3 in Broad Ripple hosted their annual breakfast this past Saturday morning. Representatives from Packs 18, 35, and 830 (and a recent graduate of Pack 179) and Troops 18, 35, 56, and 269 were present to my knowledge. The Post’s organizer of the event, long-time North Star Scouter Rees Morgan, emcee’d the breakfast. The scouts enjoyed a hearty breakfast of scrambled eggs, biscuits and gravy, and other nibbles. Scout parents (uniformed and non-uniformed) squeezed into the back dining room. The Post is looking forward to completing its remodel of the main meeting room, because they had hoped to have 80 scouts and scouters attend. Instead we packed in 101 scouts and scouters! They need the bigger room.
At the conclusion of the breakfast, Mr. Morgan assigned packs and troops to specific cemeteries. This post mostly covers Union Chapel Cemetery near Keystone at the Crossing and part of Crown Hill Cemetery near the Indianapolis Art Museum. The cemetery pictures above are from the Union Chapel group.
Some older scouts attended as part of our Firecrafter Ember’s contribution to the service project.
Traditionally our Zionsville scouts and scouters work in conjunction with the Zionsville American Legion Post. I do not have any details about their service this year. (Stories and pictures are welcome so that I can update this story.)
Troops 56 and 514 and Pack 514 participated in grave dressing in conjunction with other American Legion Posts. Some of the pictures that Troop 514 Scoutmaster Michael Rodriguez provided to me are below.
Troop 343 meets at Bethel United Methodist Church in Pike Township. Their Scoutmaster Ron Wells sent me the following story:
Troop 343, based out of the northwestside of Indianapolis, has once again placed American flags on the graves of veterans buried in the Bethel Cemetery located in the 5200 block of West 52nd St. Scoutmaster Ron Wells had been mulling over taking over the flag detail for some time and finally contacted the cemetery’s caretaker, Sandra Profant last year.
The Profant family has been maintaining the grounds and placing flags at the cemetery for several decades. Needless to say, Sandra was relieved to pass on her detailed maps, a box of flags, and her own self-assembled binder containing research she found on some of the true heroes of our country to the troop! Last November the troop assembled in darkness and less than favorable conditions to place the flags for Veteran’s Day.
Last Monday, the troop performed flawlessly under more inviting weather and lighting conditions and placed over 200 flags. Our troop has always placed a high value on patriotism, wearing the Scout uniform properly, and respecting those brave citizens who served our country.
Thank you to all the scouts, scouters, and scout families who participated this year to make this a wonderful and memorable event.
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
Den Chief Online Training
Following is a message from the National Office regarding online Den Chief training sent on May 24, 2016:
The Den Chief training syllabus is currently under revision . The on-line training is available and should be used. This can be found on the scouting.org/training website. I do not have a date for when the new material will be available.
All Cub Scout leaders and Scoutmasters should become familiar with this material to better understand the important role that Den Chiefs serve in both programs.
Fall Membership: Assignments
When Fall Membership efforts begin, school will be starting back into session and other activities will distract.
Now is the time to make sure your Pack has appointed a person to review the literature that you plan on giving your new prospective families. Information and templates are available at the Council Recruitment webpage. Those documents should include:
- Your annual calendar (updated from any summer long-range planning);
- Your information book or parent guide on pack practices and expectations;
- Your annual cost of cub scouts and how popcorn and fundraising offset the out-of-pocket costs (the goal is that they see the value of fund raising to minimize out-of-pocket costs);
- Your BeAScout.org pin needs to have accurate meeting information and contact information for your leadership.
In your information packs, do not forget that we are introducing Lion Cub/kindergartners into the program this Fall. So everyone will need to update their documents for this addition. Con Sullivan is the council coordinator for Lions, so be sure to address questions to him as you need.
If you know how is responsible for each or all of these documents, you then need to set a deadline for these to be submitted to the pack committee for approval. Ideally the committee would approve these before the end of July. Maybe then the documents need to be submitted to the committee a week or two before the meeting that would meet that July deadline. That way the documents can simply be polished and printed for August recruitment.
Do your homework now: committee chairs, make sure you have these assignments done in May. It will make August just that much easier.
For more information on how to update your BeAScout.org pin, watch this video:
Memorial Day Grave Dressing & Breakfast this Saturday
Each May, the Boy Scouts and the American Legion have joined in placing flags on the final resting place of our nation’s veterans. Post #3 is hosting their annual breakfast for scouts participating in the grave dressing on Saturday, May 28th, at 7:30 AM at Broad Ripple Post 3 on the southeast corner of 64th and College Avenue.
This event is open to scouts whose troops may have a later scheduled time that day to do the grave dressing as a unit.
If there are Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts (especially Firecrafters and Arrowmen), or those from your troops wishing to have breakfast, please sign up here so a headcount is available for the cook staff. RSVPs for breakfast are due Thursday at 7:00 pm.
For individual Cubs and Scouts, dens, patrols, packs, troops, or crews who plan to assist with the grave dressing. We will have an organizational meeting immediately following the breakfast at 8:00 am (attendance at the breakfast is not mandatory). We will have some opportunities to participate throughout the morning, so if you have a scheduling conflict with the organizational meeting, contact District Commissioner Jeff Heck directly by Friday evening to customize plans. Please sign up with an RSVP for the grave dressing regardless of your ability to attend the organizational meeting.
Please note that the breakfast and the grave dressing have two separate sign ups! Please sign up with both, if you plan to do both.
We value this opportunity to join scouts, scouters, and legionnaires together for this meaningful event.
Popcorn 2016 Update #2
From District Popcorn Kernel Tom Petersen:
2016 Popcorn Sale
Below are some highlights of the 2016 Popcorn Sale!
Important Dates:
August 1st- Online Sales Begin
White Chocolatey Pretzels
Chocolatey Caramel Crunch
August 28th- Initial Orders Due
September 17th- Popcorn Sale Begins
September 17th-25th – Blitz Week
October 23rd- Popcorn Sale Ends
November 1st- Final Order and Prize Order Due
December 2nd- Final Payment Due
*A more detailed calendar will be provided at a later date
What’s New in 2016!
Theme:
The 2016 Popcorn sale will have a Space/Star Wars theme. This is something that the Scouts can get excited about and will keep them engaged in the sale. This theme should be used at your Kickoff Party to get the boys excited about the sale.
Two Week Blitz:
There will be a two week blitz from September 17th to September 25th to kick off the sale. A Scout that sells $350 in that two weeks will receive a pop-up lantern. If they sell $450 in those two weeks they will also receive a Foamstrike Switchblade Boomerang. Sales for this blitz DO NOT have to be take order but can be any type of sale. You will have product in hand during the Blitz!
Product line:
The product for the 2016 sale will be very similar to last year. The only new product this year will be Chocolatey Caramel Crunch. Two products will be offered in Tins this year. Both White Chocolatey Pretzels and Chocolatey Caramel Crunch will be offered in tins.
Things to Focus On
Here are things that you should be focusing on now to prepare for the Popcorn Sale:
· Fill out the online commitment form on the council website (http://tinyurl.com/2016PCF)
· Recruit Unit popcorn Kernels if needed
· Complete Unit Individual Sales Plan with District Kernel or District Executive (https://247scouting.com/web/BSA160/attachment/document_14637657300_2938.pdf)
Complete details can be found on the Council popcorn page (http://crossroadsbsa.org/popcorn)
Selling popcorn is a simple and efficient way to fund your Unit’s activities.
If you have questions, please contact me.
Tom Petersen
North Star District Popcorn Kernel
thomas.w.petersen@outlook.com
Scouts at Speed
Who is quick at the track? The favorite question of May.
The answer is the BSA sponsored car!
Last Pre-Camp Swim Test this Sunday
The last Pre-Camp Swim Test is May 22nd at Carmel High School. Information is available here.
Remember your unit is responsible for YPT compliance and record keeping. The council provides the water safety and qualified instructors to approve the swims. That means you need to have sufficient adults present.
These pre-camp swim checks are very important for many boys. Some boys are not strong swimmers. Some boys have never swum in dirty lake water before, even if they are the swim team. I have seen good swimmers and bad swimmers fail the swim test on the first Sunday of camp simply because they don’t like lake water.
By having them qualify for their swimmer rating for the year at a pre-camp swim test, you give them the opportunity to adapt to the lake water as part of their merit badge classes rather than at swim test. Less pressure. Greater likelihood of success.
Most importantly, your arrival at camp on Sunday is far less hectic. You don’t need to rush the boys down to the waterfront then back up to camp to get set up. They can focus on set up then orientation.
If you would like to run your own pre-camp swim test, visit the council summer camp website for more information. You will need to fill out the linked form and meet the Safe Swim Defense rules during your pre-camp swim check. Camp Ransburg encourages you to send your swim records in early with your health records to make sure all is in order.
Summer Camp Learning not Just for Youth
Summer camp is all about making scouting memorable for the youth. This is the culmination of everything we are trying to achieve in scouting of the rest of the year. The living together in a community of peers. The exposure to the elements and adapting. The planning. The frustrations. The joys of success.
But summer camp is not just an opportunity for youth to learn.
Adults can take training. At Ransburg scouters can take many of the position specific classes. When the scouter comes home, the scouter will be “Trained.”
Make sure all of your new parents take as many classes as possible. You should set an expectation that adults are going to learn. This improves your volunteer corps but also sets a good example for the scouts.
When a scout wonders in to camp when he is supposed to be in class, looking for his parent, he will ask for his parent. If he is told that his parent is in class, what is the scout going to say?
Spring Prep for Fall Recruiting
As we wind down on the school year, minds travel to far away places. Well, at least, situations that are far different than the average school day routine for both parents and kids.
Unfortunately, once we leave for summer break, all sorts of planning for Fall go on break, too. Have you ever tried to find a school principle on summer break? They are hard to find if you try during their vacation.
A great way for your Pack to get ahead for the Fall Recruiting season is to talk to the school principle now about Boy Talks and Back to School Nights.
Simply confirming in person that the principle approves Boy Talks and sign up tables is very powerful.
Two more keep steps to avoid Fall problems are to:
- Send a confirmation email today about what you and the principle agree. When back to school time arrives, you simply re-send the confirmation email to inquire if all is still on track.
- Seek permission to distribute our recruitment flyers to the school. Some school districts require at least 30 days notice of any request for distribution. If you start now, the deadline is easier.
If you are in a large school system, coordinate your efforts with the District Membership Committee Chair Sharla Merrick or her committee Jenny Beyers and Mike Yates or you can contact District Executive Con Sullivan for basic information and flyer coordination.
You can see the entire campaign overview here
.
Work now so that Fall issues are easy!
CAC North Star Unofficial Website 
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