Welcome to our new Council newsletter. We will be publishing this newsletter on a monthly basis, in an effort to provide you timely and up-to-date information on the "goings on" in the Central Florida Council.

If you have information you'd like to include in this newsletter, please, email our editor.

The first Central Florida International Scouting Jamborette will be held December 21st through December 30, 2011 at Camp La-No-Che, located in Paisley, Florida, USA.

Prior to this Jamborette, Scouts and Adults from overseas contingents are offered home hospitality from 21st December to 26th December in the homes of American Scouts. These Holiday home stays provide a truly unique opportunity for Scouts and Families to share international Holiday traditions and visit local area attractions throughout Central Florida before traveling to the Jamborette on 26th December.

International contingents arrive on or about 21st December, are met at the airport by the local Scout representative, and board buses for travel to a central location where local host Families will meet them and transport them to their homes for a five day stay. The first day, 21st December, will allow Scouts and Families to get acquainted and discuss their schedules. Then on 22-23 December, host Families will transport international contingents to a central meeting point to board buses for day long visits to local area attractions as a group. Contingents will return to host Family homes each evening.

In some cases, host Families may join international contingents for local attraction visits. The 24th and 25th of December present a unique opportunity for cultural exchange as Scouts and Families share Christmas traditions and fellowship in host Family homes. On 26th December, host Families will transport international contingents to a central meeting location where Scouts and Leaders will board transport to Camp La-No-Che for five days of camping and activities.

For more information, please click here.

Cub Holiday Weekend will be held on December 9-11, and December 16-18, 2011 at Camp La-No-Che

The cost for the program will be:
Program fee is $15.00 per person if you register on-line. $17.00 per person if not on-line.

Arrival:
Friday at 4:00pm if camping on Friday night.
Saturday at 7:30am, Day Adventure 8:30am-4:30pm & Holiday Fun 6:00pm-9:00pm.

Departure:
Sunday by 11:00am.

Activities:

• Archery
• BB Guns
• Winter Carnival
• Nature Hike
• Polar Bear Swim
• Crafts
• The North Pole Village
• Holiday Tales
• Holiday Parade

Packs and Dens attending the Cub Holiday Weekend are asked to bring decorations for your campsite and to construct an Holiday Parade Float that can be pulled by a few adults from your group.

Meals:
Bring your own meals to prepare in the campsite.
Purchase your meals from the Camp Trading Post.
Pre-purchase your meals from the Dining Hall when you register.

Winter Camp 2011 is a Boy Scout Resident Camp from December 27th through December 30th to be held at Central Florida Council's Camp La No Che in Paisley Florida. The Camp shall consist of Merit Badge Classes for Boy Scout Troops and Teams, Special Optional Activities, All Camp Activities, and Adult Leader Activities.

You will arrive at Camp on Tuesday Morning with Merit Badge Classes starting right after lunch that same day and then continuing to lunch time on Friday when you will leave Camp that afternoon. You can either attend Camp as a Troop/Team camping together as a group or attend as an individual Scout or Scouts staying in Provisional Campsites.

The Merit Badge Classes available will include classes from the programs including Ecology, Scoutcraft, Climbing/Cycling, Heathcraft, Handicraft, Skills, Shooting Sports and Eagles Merit Badges. There will be Special Activities for both Scouts, Adult Leaders, and All Camp Activities both during the day and evening. You also can get Special Preordered Items.

All meals will be provided at the Camp's W.T. Bland Dining Hall starting with Lunch on Tuesday and ending with Lunch on Friday with the addition of a Special Cracker Barrel after the ending Campfire Program. The Health Lodge will be staffed with a Camp Health Officer for the treatment of minor medical issues, the dispensing of medications, and health form record filing. Each Scout and Adult Leader must provide Camp a BSA Medical Form at Check In. All Standard Camp Rules and Safety Requirements will pertain and as always the BSA Guide to Safe Scouting, the Buddy System, and the Scout Oath and Scout Law will be followed by all Attendees and Staff.

For more information, check out the Winter Camp Leader's Guide.

Join us for the largest training event of the year!

Over 140 classes from which to choose!

Learn new ideas from fantastic instructors and enjoy the fellowship of other adult volunteers and talented youth leaders from all over the state.

And don't worry about eating breakfast before coming to the University of Scouting 2012 - you can grab it there. The Order of the Arrow will be offering a pancake breakfast again this year. For only $3 you can get 2 pancakes and 2 sausage links and we will provide all the fixings. We will also have FREE COFFEE for the first 2 hours of the morning. If you have pre-registered for the University as suggested, take your free time before classes begin to have a satisfying breakfast prepared by Scouting's National Honor Society.

JANUARY 28, 2012
East River High School
654 Columbia School Road
Orlando, FL 32833 (map)

Online course catalog and registration

The Central Florida Council is proud to announce the receipt of Waite Phillips Scholarships for Scouts and Venturers, who, without support, would be unable to participate in a Philmont experience. 

In the early 1960's, Mr. Phillips established an endowment to fund scholarships to help youth participants. These scholarship funds can be awarded to youth members of the Council Philmont contingent, or to youth members of an Individual Unit Crew or Contingent from our Council. 

For more information about these scholarships, please contact the Council Program Office.

After many months in research, planning, and development, Chess is the most recent in a series of new merit badges. The requirements were posted at www.scouting.org on September 7; pamphlets and badges were available in Scout shops and at www.scoutstuff.org on September 10. That same day, a launch event was held in St. Louis, Missouri, during the opening of the World Chess Hall of Fame.

The badge will be featured in mid-November during the National Scholastic K-12 Championship chess tournament in Dallas. Thanks go to the United States Chess Federation, developers of the badge.

New merit badges are considered and introduced through the efforts of the BSA Innovation Team. Welding is planned for release in late 2011, followed by Kayaking sometime after that.

Looking for the latest information on BSA Training Classes being held in the Central Florida Council? The Council Training Calendar is your one-stop shop for all training classes, when they will be held, who is conducting the class, and how to register.

The long-awaited-and much anticipated-new Guide to Advancement is finally finished. Your electronic copy can be accessed via this link.

It is currently on the press and will be delivered for sale at Scout shops in the fall. The guide has been reorganized for easy reference and features a list of the questions most often asked of the national Advancement Team. It is a complete rewrite of the Advancement Committee Policies and Procedures, which it replaces.

Councils may choose to make a transition over the next few months from the former advancement publication to the new Guide to Advancement. After January 1, however, the new guide must be consulted for all advancement procedures.

Because the new guide has been completely rewritten, it is difficult to cite specific differences. However, a number of sections merit close review. These can be found in the guide under section 1.0.2.0, "Significant Changes." Note that the contents pages and index based on the new section numbering system should make it more efficient to find various references on advancement procedures.

WOOD BADGE is the ultimate BSA Leadership Training. It is designed to help Scout leaders in all programs.

Originated by Lord Baden-Powell, Scouters learn leadership skills in a unique way. Through living the Scouting program ... and applying the leadership skills taught at WOOD BADGE, one will develop a knowledge, and understanding of new skills one can use in one's unit, district, and council.

SPRING 2012 course - S4-83-12-1
Friday-Sunday, March 2-4 & March 23-25, 2012, at Leonard & Marjorie Williams Family Scout Reservation, "Camp LaNoChe," in Paisley, Florida. Course Orientation: Sunday, January 22rd, 12:30 - 3:00 PM, at "Camp LaNoChe." (Note: Registration begins at 12:00 PM.)

This two-weekend course begins each Friday morning, at 7:15 AM, and concludes on Sunday afternoon, at approximately 6:00 PM. Attendance is required for both weekends for practical-phase course completion ... and accreditation.

QUALIFICATIONS:
YOU can participate in this exciting leadership training experience when you:
1. are a currently-registered adult Scouter, active in a Cub Scout Pack, Boy Scout Troop, Varsity Team, Venturing Crew, District, or Council.
2. are at least 21 years of age. (Assistant Scoutmasters may be 18 years of age.)
3. have completed New Leader Essentials & Position Specific Training for your position. Note: Outdoor Leader Skills is required for Scoutmasters, and Assistant Scoutmasters. All Basic Leader Training, prior to the year 2000, is an acceptable prerequisite.
4. submit an application, with a non-refundable $50 deposit, to reserve your place on course.
5. submit a completed BSA Medical Form, signed by a physician within the course year.

COST:
Total SPRING course fee is $225, which may be paid in installments, with remainder fee being paid no later than January 22, 2012. This total fee covers all training materials, and food for the duration of the course. In addition to, you will need personal gear, and uniforms.

The Central Florida Council Training Committee is pleased to offer National Youth Leadership Training Conference (NYLT) in the winter of 2012 at Camp La-No-Che. This training is open to Boy Scouts and Venturers.

Course Dates: January 14-16 & February 18-20, 2012
Cost: $195

Qualifications needed:

• At least 13 years old (scouts) - 14 years old (Venturers)
• At least First Class rank (scouts)
• Currently serving in a troop/crew position of responsibility
• Previous long-term camping experience - full knowledge of basic cooking and knots/lashing very helpful
• Be recommended/approved by Scoutmaster or Venturing Crew Leader (adult) and two (2) other adults
• Participant must attend both weekends fully to receive a certificate of completion.

There are only 96 spaces available, so register early to guarantee your place

For more information, download the course flyer.

Typically Pneumonia "season" goes hand in hand with wintertime flu season. Pneumonia refers to an infection of the lungs, which can be caused by viruses, bacteria and parasites.

Most cases of pneumonia in adults are caused by a bacterial infection, while most pediatric cases are caused by viruses, including the flu, RSV and parainfluenza virus (which causes croup).

Often, pneumonia appears after an upper respiratory infection, with symptoms of pneumonia beginning after 2 or 3 days of a cold or sore throat.

Pneumonia can be easily diagnosed with a chest x-ray. While it is a relatively common infection of the lungs, it can be dangerous. It is the leading cause of death from infection. The most common cases of pneumonia (known as "walking pneumonia") can be treated with antibiotics at home, but depending on the severity, a person may need to be hospitalized.

Symptoms of Pneumonia include:

• Fever
• Shortness of Breath
• Shallow & Fast Breathing
• Coughing (which may include mucus)
• Sweating & Chills
• Headache
• Muscle Aches
• Loss of Appetite
• Fatigue 

The symptoms of pneumonia often mimic other illnesses like asthma and bronchitis, so people often wait before seeking medical care. This is a mistake as developed pneumonia can cause severe symptoms and complications. For those at high-risk like those with chronic illnesses such as diabetes or heart disease, smokers, infants and the elderly -- pneumonia can be life threatening.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends a pneumonia vaccine for all people age 65 and older and anyone age 2 - 64 years that is considered high-risk for complications from pneumonia.

(From the Leave No Trace Community Blog)

Bears are opportunistic omnivores who follow their nose to the next meal. This skill has kept them fed, but it has also resulted in "problem bears," or bears that associate humans with food. Once this association has been made, a bear is generally doomed. Most land managers give a bear two chances to reform, after that it is destroyed if it comes into someone's camp looking for a handout.

Bears are not cuddly, harmless pets. They have killed and mauled humans, sometimes without an understandable cause. But often the hype surrounding a bear attack overshadows reality. According to bear expert Steven Herrero, there were fewer than 200 grizzly-related injuries to humans between 1900 and 1980, with only 14 deaths. Black bear attacks are more common, but of the 500 people attacked by black bears between 1960 and 1980, 90 percent of the injuries were considered minor. The number of bears killed in those same time periods is unknown, but hundreds, if not thousands of bears that have lost their lives over the years because they couldn't get along with their human neighbors.

Hang food from tree limbs 12 feet off the ground, 6 feet from the tree's trunk, and 6 feet below the supporting limb, or store it in specially designed bear-resistant canisters or on-site lockers. Canisters are available for rent and sale at sporting goods suppliers and some land management agencies. Hanging food can be tricky, so practice hanging techniques before venturing into the backcountry and allow yourself plenty of time before dark to get set up.