NOW IS THE TIME!

In my last article for our newsletter I talked about The Main Thing, serving more youth with a positive, quality Scouting program.  We have just finished delivering a major part of our quality program, summer camp.  We had over 2,000 youth in our various camps this summer and from all reports the campers had a very positive, high quality and fun experience.

Our challenge now is to reach out in our communities to attract more youth to the Scouting program.  As school begins there will be many sign up events conducted throughout the Council; in schools, churches and other gathering places.  With our recruiting efforts it is very important to remember that bringing youth into our Scouting program is not just a one-time event, it is something that needs to be done on a constant, daily basis.

We are all out everyday interacting with other members of our community at ball games, races, community events, parent meetings, town meetings, etc.  Each of these activities is an ideal time to talk about the great experience your youth or others have had in Scouting, at camp, den and pack meetings and troop, post or crew meetings.  Sharing the fact that you are involved or have a youth involved in Scouting often opens the door for others to ask about the program, who can sign up and the cost.  Many times you can turn up one or more potential Scouts by bringing up the subject of Scouting and being prepared to answer questions that people have about the program.

The Yankee Clipper Council has approximately 8,000 youth in its various Scouting programs.  We have the potential for many more, at least 10,000 to 12,000.  All we need to do is talk about Scouting all of the time and ask people if they or someone they know has a youth who might be interested in one of the greatest adventures a young person can experience.

And what about the rewards to all of you, the volunteers and parents that make the Scouting program work, and our communities?  The rewards are simple; just think of the positive impact Scouting has on the youth in the program and the positive impact Scouts have on their communities.  More youth in the program equals more youth learning and experiencing the values of doing the right thing and doing things right, and it equals a greater positive impact on our communities.

Now is the time to recruit as many youth as we can to expand our ability to deliver The Main Thing.

Thank you for your efforts and all that you do for Scouting!

Michael Jewell

President, Yankee Clipper Council BSA

Updated Annual Health and Medical Record

Rolling Out in September

An updated Annual Health and Medical Record will be available to Scouts everywhere Sept. 3. Its use will be mandated by Jan. 1, 2014.

The 2012 AHMR revision includes several noticeable changes. In an effort to support the BSA's All Markets Strategy, a bilingual format has been developed. As you know, accurate medical information is vital to keeping Scouts safe and healthy at all Scouting events. This new format will make it easier for the council and our volunteers to have a completed AHMR-as required for all participants.

In addition, information regarding the Summit Bechtel Reserve in preparation for the 2013 National Scout Jamboree and the Summit's 2014 program has been included. The early release of the revised AHMR (initially, it was planned for a December 2012 launch) will support the jamboree medical team by enabling all jamboree participants the chance to submit their medical information on the revised record as early as possible.

One other feature is a scanner-friendly Part C, a pre-participation physical that will facilitate electronically capturing key data for faster intake at large events and camps.

As always, careful planning went into the development of the updated version, with input coming from councils, volunteers, and the Health and Safety Team. These revisions do not include any changes to BSA policy and will benefit everyone in Scouting, no matter what adventure is being planned. The revisions will also be reflected in all supporting documents such as the AHMR FAQ Web page.

Once the bilingual AHMR and its supporting materials are launched Sept. 3, any older printed versions should be destroyed. For more information on the updated AHMR, please click here. Additional Information will be available on the Yankee Clipper Council's website, as it becomes available.