Digital Duffle Bag

News for Scouting leaders,
parents, and the communities
we serve
April 23, 2009
To supplement, not replace, the Duffle Bag newspaper
In This Issue
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Leader Outdoor Experience

Leader Outdoor Experience is a supplemental training for all Cub Scout leaders. They receive instruction in providing a well-rounded program for youth members both indoors and outdoors. It teaches leaders to take their dens and packs outdoors with confidence in their abilities to provide a meaningful and memorable experience. More...

COUNCIL SERVICE CENTERS
MacArthur Service Center
4568 West Pine Blvd.
St. Louis, Mo. 63108-2179
Phone: (314) 361-0600 or (800) 392-0895
FAX: (314) 361-5165
Hours: Monday through Friday: 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
 
Click on the links below for service center information:

West County Service Center

 
 
Giving
 
Memorials
 
The Greater St. Louis Area Council, Boy Scouts of America, is a United Way agency.
United Way
Greetings! 
 
Scouts can save money by paying summer camp fees by Scouts exiting canoe at Camp GambleFriday, May 1, 2009.
 
Cub Scouts can save $5 on all Cub Adventure Camps. Save $10 on Webelos camp, Boy Scout summer camp and Swift Base. Fees can be paid at all four service centers or postmarked by May 1.
 
Summer is the time for many memorable and meaningful Scouting experiences. Please contact us for any assistance we can provide to help you provide a high-quality Scouting program.
 --Greater St. Louis Area Council,
Boy Scouts of America

Friends Of Scouting Wrapping Up
The Council's annual fundraising campaign concludes next week. Friends of Scouting provides 29 percent of the Council's funding. A six-minute Friends of Scouting video is available that simplifies your unit's presentation and tells the Scouting story. Your presenter can assist you with audio/visual resources to play the DVD. (Click here to watch the video on YouTube.)
2010 JamboreeSix Troops Filling Up
For National Jamboree
 
The pinnacle of the Boy Scouts of America's 100th Anniversary celebration will be the 2010 National Jamboree.  Our Council will have six troops attending the event on July 26-Aug. 4, 2010, in Virginia. It is the opportunity of a lifetime, one you will never forget.
 
Here are the requirements for youth members:
  • A Scout must be first approved by his Scoutmaster or Varsity Scout Coach and the local council jamboree committee.
  • Each Scout must be at least 12 years old or have completed the sixth grade by July 1, 2010.
  • He must be a First Class Scout by July 1, 2010.
  • His 18th birthday must not be before Aug. 3, 2010.
  • Participation in the jamboree requires a pre-jamboree training experience.
  • Each Scout must file a personal health record and medical record form before that training event.
  • The Scout must be active in his troop for at least six months prior to July 1, 2010.
    Read more on the council Jamboree contingent...
Silver Beaver AwardSilver Beavers Awarded
At Dinner On May 28
Twenty-three adult volunteer leaders will be recognized for their outstanding contributions to Scouting and their community during the Council's Annual Meeting and Recognition Dinner. The Silver Beaver Award is the highest honor a Boy Scout council can bestow on an adult volunteer leader. Click here to view the list of this year's recipients...
Please save the date and plan to join us:
Thursday, May 28, 2009; St. Charles Convention Center
Eagle Scout Josh Sundquist will be our special guest. Plus, a special announcement will be made regarding the Council's camping programs.
Combine Cub Scouts, Bugs
For Guaranteed Fun 
09 Adventure Camp LogoWhat does nearly every Cub Scout like?  Creepy, crawly creatures! The theme for Cub Scout Adventure Camps is "Bugs, Slugs and Venus Flytraps!" Two- and three-day Adventure Camps are $45 per Scout. Four- and five-day Adventure Camps are $50 per Scout. Scouts can save $5 if fees are paid before Camper Savings Day, May 1.  Packs are encouraged to register as a group instead of submitting many individual registrations. Read more...
 
Grizzly Adventure Camp is a Council-sponsored adventure camp for Cub Scouts at Cub World at the Beaumont Scout Reservation.  This year's theme is "Historical Happenings." Two sessions will be held, July 6-10 and 13-17.Read more...
 
 
Summer Camp
 
Take A Virtual Tour Of Summer Camp
Click on the button above to begin a virtual tour of all the Council's summer camps. 
 
Summer Camp Downloads
Webelos, Boy Scout and Venture leaders can download manuals from the website at the following links:
The Council offers specialty summer camps for Boy Scouts, Explorers and Venturers. Horse Camp, Ranger Program and River Ranger Program provide members with a special week of programming. Click on the links below to learn more:
Download a 2009 Ranger Program Application (PDF)
Download a 2009 River Ranger Program Application (PDF)
 
Visit the camping section of the website for more information. We're committed to making our summer camp experiences the highlight of your Scout's summer. Contact us if we can be of any assistance. 
 
Wood BadgeAccelerate Adult Leadership
Wood Badge is an advanced training course is for all Scout leaders. Two courses will take place this summer, one in May at Beaumont Scout Reservation and the other in August at Pine Ridge Scout Camp. Download A Course Application (PDF).
 
Bring Out The Best
In Your Boy Scouts
NYLTNational Youth Leadership Training is a one-week course that provides youth leaders with an opportunity to enhance their leadership skills while living by the Scout Oath and Law, in an exciting outdoor environment. Scouts who earn the NYLT shield are prepared to meet the challenges ahead and are better prepared to work with adult leaders. Read more...
Download an NYLT application (PDF)
Leader Tip:
Pass And Touch
Cub Scout GameEquipment: Nature objects such as a leaf, stone, twig, shell, corn, etc.; pencil and paper (optional). Divide players into groups of six to eight. Form a circle with hands in back. The game leader gives a nature object to one player. The player tries to identify the object by touch, but he does not reveal his answer. The object is then passed from hand to hand around the circle, giving each player a chance to identify it. Once the object has passed all the way around the circle, the game leader chooses one player to name the object. If the person is incorrect, the leader chooses another player to guess. After several items have been passed, see who can repeat or write down the most items correctly.
you recycle.
Source: Cub Scout Program Helps, May 2009 (PDF)
New Content!
The full 2008-2009 Cub Scout Programs Helps is available in PDF for download. Click here...
Parent Tip:

Camps Are Antidote For Stress

"Kids need places to go where they can drop their masks and just feel free to be themselves and have some free time to relax, daydream and reflect; where there isn't an agenda or competition; where there is some unstructured time. God forbid that we would let kids and teens have some unstructured time." Read more...
Source: St. Louis Kids Magazine
Quick Clicks
Invitations: Scouts are invited to various indoor and outdoor events. More information from the St. Louis Zoo, Science Center, Powder Valley Nature Center and Wetlands For Kids Day at Busch Wildlife can be found on the Invitations page on the website. Many organizations offer Scouts free or reduced-cost programs.
Opportunities to Serve: Nonprofit and charitable organizations welcome collaboration on service projects with units. View the Opportunities to Serve page on the Council website for more information.