October 2012
Vol 5, Issue 8

The Dispatch
Monthly News
for Marin Council Leaders
and Friends

Greetings!

 

It's officially Fall! The days are cooling down, but many aspects of Scouting are heating up.

 

For example, October is filled with Cub Scout camping, training, the Order of the Arrow Ordeal, and more. Every day, new Scouts are coming into our store to buy uniforms thanks the recruiting efforts of so many units. Popcorn is about to start selling like crazy.

 

In November, we'll have Scouting for Food--our large-scale service project to not only Marin but the entire Bay Area.

 

Read through the newsletter to keep up to date on everything. Make sure the other adults in your units are receiving this newsletter. If not, use the Forward button on the right to send it to them. Also, they can subscribe using the "Join Our Mailing List" button or subscribe using the link at the top of our web site.

 

Have a great October! 

In This Issue
Membership and Rechartering
Training Opportunities
Roundtable Location Change
Popcorn Central
Cub Scout Camping
Adults Earning Eagle Scout Rank
Journey to Excellence
Tradin' Post
Help Needed
Join Our Mailing List!

Quick Links
Membership and Rechartering
 
New Members

This is the time of year when many, many youth are joining Scouting, particularly in Cub Scouts. We have seen numerous youth with their parents coming in to buy their first uniform. It's exciting!

Just a reminder to get these new Scouts (and leaders) registered as soon as possible. That way, when they attend outings with you or if they come to one of the upcoming Cub Scout camps, they will already be registered and covered by our insurance. Plus, they will begin to receive their Boys' Life magazines. So please, do not hold onto those registration forms, but turn them into the office with all the appropriate signatures as soon as possible.

Experience shows that the units that are most effective in recruiting Scouts are those that create multiple opportunities for boys to join. If you have just one joining night meeting, you'll probably miss quite a few that are interested. We highly recommend that you invite prospective Scouts not only to your regular meetings but also to fun events such as a hike, game day, BBQ, or similar. Remember, people join Scouts to go outdoors. Be sure to let them know how often you do that.

Rechartering Time

Every year, the BSA renews its agreements with all the charter organizations that have packs, troops, and crews. Along with that, yearly memberships are renewed and rosters are cleaned up.

Coming up next Wednesday, October 3, just before the regular roundtable meetings, there will be a rechartering orientation for all membership people that will be processing your unit charters and rosters. The session will start at 6:45 and end by 7:30.

In that meeting, you will receive instructions, your new ID codes, and a current roster. Every year, we have people who opt not to come to this meeting, and they have at times they have difficulty with the process. If you are new to processing the membership, then make it mandatory to be there. If you have done it before, there are not major changes, so you can pick it up at that meeting or from our office.

Everyone should get their packets sooner than later. Use October to gather information so that you can begin processing it in November when the membership portal opens. Again, every year we have people that wait until the last minute to start, and they cannot finish on time. Please start early, and allow yourselves enough time to complete it without the pressure of being late.

If you have question, email Tim Wells.
Lots of Opportunities to be Trained
 

 

 

Please grab your family, personal, and unit calendars to make time for these dates:

 

October 3: 

Merit Badge Counselor Training: Any registered adult can be a merit badge counselor. This 45-minute workshop runs from 6:45 to 7:30 p.m. at the LDS Church, Novato (address below). 

 

Rechartering Orientation: 6:45. Have your membership people come to this. 

 

Monthly Marin Council Roundtable: 7:30 p.m. This month only: LDS Church in Novato, 787 Kendon Lane, Novato, CA 94947. 

 

October 26-28: Marin Council's first Mega Training Weekend at Camp Tamarancho. Sessions include Cub Scout Leader Specific Training (for all Cub Scout adult leader positions) Scoutmaster and Assistant Scoutmaster Leader Specific Training, and Introduction to Outdoor Leadership Skills. We want every adult volunteer "Trained" and engaged.

 

October 17, for Boy Scouts (youth): Den Chief Training (Masonic Lodge, Larkspur)

 

November 3, Basic Adult Leader Outdoor Orientation (BALOO). Needed for tour plans and to take your pack camping.  

 

November 7, November Roundtable: Location is back at the LDS Church, 220 N. San Pedro Road, San Rafael at 7:30 p.m. Starting at 6:45 p.m. will be the Scouting for Food orientation. Be sure to have someone there. 

 

Details are on our web site.
Roundtable Location Change for October



For October only, the roundtable meetings will be held at the LDS Church in Novato, 787 Kendon Lane, Novato. The meetings start at 7:30 p.m.

Prior to the roundtables at 6:45 will be (1) Merit Badge Counselor Training, and (2) Rechartering Orientation.
Popcorn Central
Click this image for all things popcorn!

Cub Camping Opportunities

dirt roll logo

With all the new Cub Scouts joining, here is an excellent opportunity to get them into the outdoors right away. Mark your calendars and sign up now for these October Cub Scout camping programs:

 

  • Cub Scout Adventure Weekend at Camp Tamarancho: This camp has been rescheduled for the weekend of October 12-14, with room for 56 Scouts ONLY, so register today by clicking this link.        
  • Mark your calendars for Tiger Cub Expedition at Camp Tamarancho (October 13-14). Open to new Tiger Cub Scouts ONLY--an intro to Cub Scouting that focuses on the FUNdamentals. Registration forms will are on our web site.   

 

YOU make the pack Go: We need roles filled for Adventure Weekend and more, so anyone interested in supporting the upcoming Cub Camping programs can contact Cub Camping Committee Chairman David Pearce.  

Adults Earning the Eagle Scout Rank

What? How can an adult earn his Eagle Scout rank? Well, except in special circumstances they cannot. Yet in many cases it seems that it is the adults who are doing much of the work that should be completed by the Scout. As parents, we want to see our kids be successful, and most Scouting families will encourage their sons to earn Scouting's highest rank.

 

However, sometimes in our zealousness to be helpful, we can go too far. It should be the Scout who is making phone calls to people regarding project planning. Scouts should be contacting merit badge counselors and their Eagle advisors. Scouts should be planning their own project. That is not to say adults cannot help, but they should help because the Scout asks them to do something or assigns them a task.

 

Some parents argue that if they did not push their son, he never would have earned his Eagle rank. This may be true in some cases. But then the question is raised, who actually earned the rank? Taking initiative, planning, leading, and doing the work is what helps build the heart of an Eagle Scout. A wise Scouter once said, "The quickest way to keep a Scout from earning his Eagle rank is for his parents to push him."

 

Let the adults in the troop help guide and prod the Scout. Offer encouragement and suggestions, but don't step in and do it for him. A Scout who does it on his own will feel that he truly earned his rank, and he will soar like an Eagle for the rest of his life.

 

Journey to Excellence for 2012
 

Now is an excellent time to review your unit's Journey to Excellence progress! If the unit needs mor  e members, more advancement, more leaders trained, you still have time to accomplish those goals!

 

For membership, make sure those registration forms are turned in. For advancement, make sure someone in your unit is logging in and reporting your advancement. For training, take advantage of all the training that is available in October!

 

How about logging in your unit's service projects? Has your unit entered all those service projects online (from the JTE web page)? Lastly, have you looked into encouraging your Scouts to do the ScoutStrong program (for fitness)? You can find information about that program on scouting.org. Just do a search for ScoutStrong.

 

In a pinch, don't hesitate contacting your commissioner! If you don't have a commissioner or don't know if you have one, email Brad Stevens, council commissioner to request a visit.

What's Tradin' at the Tradin' Post
 
Most packs are heavy into joining activities right now. Our council store has posted all the items needed for Cub Scout uniforms. You can download and print these or send the links to new families. In any case, it will help them to pick out the proper uniform for their new Scout.

In addition, don't forget to tell people what the pack might provide for them and what they need to buy. For example, some packs provide neckerchiefs or numerals; other packs might provide books or epaulet loops.

You can find these forms and more items offered by the Tradin' Post by clicking this link.

Lost and Found

If you have items your Scouts lost at one of our camps this summer, there is a chance they are at our council office. Give us a call (415-454-1081), and we can let you know if we have the items or not.
Can You Help?
 

Other Council Needs 

 

Camp Marin Sierra summer camp started a mountain biking program in 2010. Although it is ideal for Scouts to bring their own bikes to camp, often this is impractical because of the distance and space available for them to transport them. Therefore, we are seeking donations of good used bikes for this program. Our preference is hardtails that are 26" rims, sizes from 13-17 (small to medium-large). Please, no kids bikes. If you have or know of a bike, email Tim Wells or call 415-454-2983. Thank you ahead of time for your help!

If you have a vehicle that you want to dispose of that is in good condition, our council could use some updated cars and trucks. If it's running and in decent condition, call or email our council office to find out if we can use it.

If the vehicle is older, not running, or needs quite a bit of work, consider donating it by clicking this link. We will receive part of the money gained from the sale of the vehicle. 

Click below to read a message from national BSA regarding Youth Protection:

Marin Council, Boy Scouts of America