Merit Badge Counselor Renewal
Remember that Merit Badge Counselors have to be rechartered to the district like any other members of the BSA.
That means that District is still looking for updated Merit Badge Counselor lists.
Just hours remaining before the deadline on November 3, 2015, Mike Yates, our District Merit Badge Counselor Registrar, has heard from only the following troops:
- Troop 18
- Troop 73
- Troop 514
- Troop/Crew 358
- Troop 804/Crew 408
Thank you to those troops for keeping us on schedule. Mike Yates still needs to hear from the remaining Troops and Crews. See the links above for information about what you are being asked to do.
Your Troop and Crew Key 3 were emailed further instructions on October 21st and again on November 2nd about this process.
If your MBC needs to drop or add merit badges, please read this article.
January 1, 2016: New Duty to God Requirements
Brian on Scouting has a timely post on the new Duty-to-God requirements effective January 1, 2016. He does a good job describing the intent of the requirement and method of implementation.
Take a look. Make sure to share this article with each of your Assistant Scoutmasters, Troop/Crew Advancement Coordinator, and your regular Board of Review members.
Planning: Winter Camporee
Since we just completed Fall Camporee, it seems odd to be writing about Winter Camporee. Unfortunately, we have only a handful of weeks until the holiday and year-end crush begin. When all are back from Christmas Break we will only have another couple of weeks.
Camporee Theme: Solicitation of Ideas
At last check, Stu was still seeking themes for the Camporee. Please let us know your thoughts.
Classes at Camporee
The District Commissioner in association with the District Training Committee will be offering several training courses again.
- Scoutmaster Specific Training (we will not offer Introduction to Outdoor Leadership Skills, which is also required for Scoutmasters and Assistant Scoutmasters, because it will be offered at the University of Scouting the week preceding camporee).
- For future patrol leaders and senior patrol leaders, we will be offering Introduction to Leadership Skills for Troops. This is a prerequisite for White Stag/National Youth Leadership Training and is the first part of the youth leadership training continuum.
- Other classes requested by Troops. (Remember Den Chief training is typically offered at the University of Scouting, too.)
Events by Firecrafter and/or Order of the Arrow
Since the Firecrafter event at the Fall Camporee was very well received, both honoraries are looking at expanding their offerings. Members of our Ember and OA Chapter should be in touch with the chapters’ leadership with ideas and their availability to serve in these projects. We would like to have at least one Spark (a troop’s youth representative to the Ember) and one OA Representative from each troop to participate in planning. Ideally these are two separate scouts for position of responsibility purposes.
Planning for representation now will build on recent successes.
Cooking Competitions
Historically, camporees included a Scoutmaster/Assistant Scoutmaster Cooking Competition. We are looking for sponsorship for this event to be renewed. (Hint to Willie Gillies: the North Star Wood Badge Alumni Association.)
District Commissioner Awards
At the past Camporee, the District Commissioner announced awards for patrol system use. When the inspections were done, it was clear that the criteria were confusing and hard to implement. As a result, no announcements of the results were made, since a Scout is Cheerful.
The idea was commended for its ideals by several scouters but never on its implementation. As a result, this award will be offered again but with some revisions.
Why does our Troop need a Spark?
Any scout can look at his Scout Handbook in the Eagle Requirements and see that an Order of the Arrow Representative is a position of responsibility that can help the scout fulfill a requirement.
Since Firecrafter is only a local organization, it does not appear as an option for Eagle’s position of responsibility requirement. So what is a scoutmaster to do? Does Firecrafter have representatives?
A Firecrafter representative from the troop to our district’s Ember is called a “Spark.” A Spark has similar duties to an OA Representative.
As part of the Eagle requirements, a scout can undertake a project defined by his scoutmaster as an alternative to a formal position of responsibility.
A creative scoutmaster can define the role of Spark to be such a project.
When the Ember needs help in planning for Camporee events and campfires, the Spark is the voice of the troop. When the Ember has a monthly meeting or a council event to attend, the Spark should recruit eligible Campers, Woodsmen, and Firecrafter from the troop to participate and attend.
Each troop should report to the Ember who their Spark is on a regular basis in order to facilitate communication and enrich the Ember’s efforts.
Help us build a successful Ember for our District by having the Senior Patrol appoint a Spark and having the Scoutmaster define it as scoutmaster-approved project.
Packs: Cross-over Ceremonies
Since Order of the Arrow, the scout honorary society, provides ceremonial teams as part of its cheerful service to Cub Scout Packs, our District’s chapter needs the Packs’ assistance.
The Chapter is looking for information from the Cub Scout Packs about when their Blue and Gold Banquets or Cross-over Ceremonies will be. The Chapter needs to put these dates on their calendar as soon as possible.
The purpose of providing ceremonial teams is to provide the young Webelos with their first taste of how Boy Scouts differs from Cub Scouts. The Boy Scouts provide the ceremony, not the parents. The Boy Scouts welcome the Webelos into Boy Scouts, not the Scoutmaster. The Webelos are welcomed into the boy-led fraternity of Boy Scouts.
Since many of the ceremonial team performers are in high school, their schedules are already heavily booked. The Chapter needs scheduling information to be able to put together a team to serve your pack. The Chapter also needs to know how many performers it needs to recruit to successfully serve all interested packs.
Using an Order of the Arrow ceremonial team is not required of Cub Scout Packs, but it is strongly recommended.
Please help your OA Chapter better serve you, by sending your Blue and Gold Banquet and/or Cross-over Ceremony dates, times, and locations to District Commissioner Jeff Heck as soon as possible.
To get a feel for what a cross-over ceremony might look like, here is an example from a different chapter of what they did with the idea.
Order of the Arrow: recruiting ceremony teams
At yesterday’s meeting, the chapter began planning for the upcoming year.
Since several of our packs are looking for Blue & Gold Banquet/Cross-over ceremonies from OA, the chapter is seeking Ordeal and Brotherhood members who wish to be part of these ceremony teams. This is a great way for a group of boy scouts to help make a more memorable experience for their Cub Scout kin. Remember, “WWW.”
Participants would be expected to attend the Lodge Winter Gathering January 8-10, 2016 at Camp Kikthawenund as part of their training.
Report: Pack 358 Cub Hayride
Thank you to Pack 358 to opening their annual hayride to the district. I know one or two packs took advantage of the offer with resoundingly glowing compliments to the hosts.
For those packs that missed out, a good time was had by all.
Thank you to Daniel Corum for the photographs.
Baden Powell on the Purpose of the Patrol/Den
The Patrol [or the Den] is the character school for the individual. To the Patrol Leader it gives practice in Responsibility and in the qualities of Leadership. To the Scouts it gives subordination of self to the interests of the whole, the elements of self-denial and self-control involved in the team spirit of co-operation and good comradeship.
Lord Baden-Powell, October 1936.
Hat tip to Clarke Green.
Eagle Report for North Star
North Star averages about 30 new Eagles per year.Starting in January of this year through October, 35 scouts have received their Eagle Rank. We will be doing six more in November and at least five in December.It looks like 2015 will be a banner year for us.Considering all the issues North Star has had trying to be a functioning district, we have great troops with great volunteers that are making Scouting happen.
A Cub Scout is Helpful
Image Posted on Updated on
H
ere is an article submitted by John Salewicz, Ass’t Cubmaster and Bear Den Leader of Pack 105, Den 2 (Thank you!)
During Zionsville Pack 105 Fall Camporee at Spring Mill State Park, our Cub Scouts completed a service project. We worked with the Park’s Property Manager to determine their needs.We decided on a trail rehab project.
They had been very short-handed this year and have not had the time nor the manpower to do the work. During the spring and early summer months they experienced very heavy rains that washed out part of a trail they call “The Stagecoach Trail”.
This trail is a historically significant part of the area. During the settlement era, it was the life-line to the mill. The trail was was the only way in or out of the village. It was used to move goods from the village. The village supplied a growing nation with corn meal and lumber. After the park opened, this trail served as the main entrance to the park until the 1960’s.
This project required us to move a tri-axle of gravel down the trail — bucket brigade style — to fill in the numerous washed out areas. This was quite the accomplishment for these Cub Scouts and Webelos. The trail has a very steep grade
and took a lot of effort! We were able to complete this project in an 1 hour and 45 minutes. Hikers will benefit from this hard work for years to come.WAHOO SERVICE!!!
This is a great example for future story ideas. Keep them coming.
Pack 105 celebrating their successful service project.
CAC North Star Unofficial Website 
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