Connecticut Scouting e-Bulletin

October 8, 2012 

"Teach Scouts not how to get a living, but how to live."
- Lord Robert Baden-Powell 
 
Read All About It
Training for New Leaders is Critical
Boots & Suits Gala
Fright Night at Deer Lake
DEEP Badge Days
Scout Night at SoundTigers
Good Scout Events
Health & Safety Corner
Unit Charter Fee Changes
Go High Tech With Fall Recruiting
Fleur De Lis (GIF) 
Council Leadership

 

Council President

Doug Machin

Council Commissioner
Scout Executive

 Dustin Shaver


Serving Branford, East Haven, Guiford, Madison, New Haven, North Branford

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Serving Bridgeport, Easton, Fairfield, Monroe, Stratford, Trumbull, Weston, Westport

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Powahay District
Serving Darien, New Canaan, Norwalk, Stamford and Wilton

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Serving Bethel, Brookfield, Danbury, Georgetown, New Fairfield, Newtown, Redding, Ridgefield, Sandy Hook, and Sherman

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Serving Hamden, Meriden, North Haven, Southington and Wallingford

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Serving Bethany, Milford, Orange, West Haven and Woodbridge

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NESA Logo 
Congratulations
to our newest
Eagle Scouts

 

Diego Blandon
Scott DellaTorre
Jonathan Kuehn
James Lazor.
Joseph Lordi
Christopher Marcario
Nicholas Monelli
Christopher Morgan
Leon Peschel
Andrew Peterson
Troy Yarish
 
Carry on the Scouting trail with the National Eagle Scout Association
Useful Links 

Did You Know ... 
Eagle Scouts are more likely to be committed to learning and to set and achieve personal, professional, spiritual and financial goals.  (Source: Baylor University) Learn more
2013 Jambo Promo
Joke of the Week 
Who really likes debates? 
 
De-fish.  
 
Read more at www.BoysLife.org. 

Camp Sikorsky

Camp Sikorsky 2012

 

More than 500 Boy and Girl Scouts, and their leaders, from Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York pitched their tents Friday for a weekend-long campout on the Sikorsky Aircraft grounds in Stratford.

From Oct. 5 - 7, the Scouts learned about aerospace, electricity, emergency preparedness, energy and other Merit Badge subjects. Sikorsky subject matter experts from a cross-section of different company departments shared their knowledge with the Scouts. Many of these Sikorsky employees are former Scouts and continue to volunteer for other scouting activities throughout the year. The Scouts also toured the production facility, including the avionics labs and final assembly lines, getting a bird's-eye view of helicopter manufacturing.

"Some of these Scouts may one day choose careers in aerospace. We are proud to offer them a chance to visit our facility and spend three exciting days getting familiar with the inner workings of Sikorsky Aircraft," said David Adler, President, Sikorsky Aerospace Services. "Scouting teaches valuable skills and encourages these young folks to become involved in their communities and to be responsive to the needs of others. We share these values at Sikorsky and welcome the opportunity to help mentor our young scouts," said Adler, a former assistant scoutmaster and a Connecticut Yankee Council Executive Board member.

 

Throughout the years, Camp Sikorsky has been an inspiration for many young Scouts interested in the aerospace industry. Today, two former Scouts who attended the camp as kids are employed by Sikorsky. 

 

"One of the highlights of the event was the outstanding address by the Eagle Scout who attended the very first Camp Sikorsky and who today enjoys his career as an electrical engineer at Sikorsky. His story resonated with our Scouts and has stretched their minds about their own career potential in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math," said Bill Purcell, President, Greater Valley Chamber of Commerce, and a committee member of Troop 63 of Woodbridge, Conn.

Training for New Leaders is Critical

The Boy Scouts of America places the greatest importance on creating a safe and secure environment for our youth members.  To maintain this environment, the BSA developed numerous procedures, leadership selection policies and educational resources for parents and leaders in each program-Cub Scout, Boy Scout and Venturing.

New leaders are required to take Youth Protection Training within 30 days of registering and before serving as a leader with youth. An online course is available at http://myscouting.org. (You do not have to be a registered member or have an ID number to take the training.)  Click on the E-Learning link to begin the training. 

Visit our New Leader Training page and follow the steps to become prepared to deliver a great program for your Scouts. Please contact your unit leadership, unit commissioner or district executive if you need any assistance or have questions.

A Night To Support Our Camps
We are thrilled to invite you to our upcoming Boots & Suits Gala on Saturday, Nov. 17. If you missed last year's event, you won't want to miss it again this year! Scouters from all our programs, Cub Scouts to Venturing, are invited. Bring your friends too so we can spread the message about the great programs we have at our camps and facilities. We return to the Waterview in Monroe for a fantastic meal, dancing to music by the "Silver Streaks," auctions, fellowship and just plain fun! 

Visit our website at www.cycgala.org for more information and to register. If you have questions, contact [email protected].
 
Fright Night at Deer Lake

Join us for an evening of hayrides, pumpkin decorating, crafts and a tour of the haunted trail at Deer Lake Scout Reservation. You can even visit the haunted barn ... if you have the nerve. Fun, frights and food for all. Come celebrate Halloween in style. This is a great first activity for many Cub Scouts! The event is Saturday, October 20. 

 
DEEP Badge Days - Forester & Naturalist

The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection is offering two Badge days for Webelos at the Kellogg Environmental Center in Derby. Forester Badge is offered on Saturday, October 20 from 9:30 a.m. to noon, and Naturalist Badge is offered on Saturday, Nov. 3, 9:30 a.m. to noon. To register, please call the Kellogg Environmental Center at (203) 734-2513 to check availability. The follow the link below to download a detailed registration form. 

 

Scout Night at the Sound Tigers
Join us as we cheer on the Bridgeport Sound Tigers at our annual Scout Night on Friday, Nov. 23. This is the first time we're offering an overnight option. The package includes VIP Post Game immediately following the Sound Tigers game, free patch for all Scouts in attendance, special post-game autograph session, and a light continental breakfast for those who camp overnight. Follow the link for a detailed registration form.
Good Scout Events Expand Scouting's Reach
The Connecticut Yankee Council operates on an annual $4.2 million budget. A big chunk of this money is raised through Friends of Scouting and the popcorn sale, but a large portion is raised from the business community through our "Good Scout" events. These events honor individuals in the community who are held in high esteem by their peers, and who best represent Scouting's ideals in their daily lives and workplace. Good Scout dinners and luncheons are great networking opportunities and allow us to expand the mission of Scouting beyond our ranks. 

A calendar of upcoming events is available on the Council website. Please contact Director of Development & Marketing Tony Vogl with any questions on these or other fundraising opportunities. 
Sweet 16 of BSA Safety - Applicable Laws, CPR Resource, Discipline
LOGO - Health & Safety

Applicable Laws - BSA safety policies generally run parallel to or go beyond legal mandates, but the supervisor should confirm and ensure compliance with applicable regular. 

 

CPR Resource - Any strenuous activity or remote trek could present a cardiac emergency. Aquatics programs may involve cardiopulmonary emergencies. The BSA strongly recommends that a CPR-trained person (preferably an adult) be part of the leadership for any BSA program. Such a resource should be available for strenuous outdoor activity. 

 

Discipline - No supervisor is effective if he or she cannot control the activity and the individual participants. Youth must respect their leader and follow his or her direction. 

 

For questions on Scouting Safety, please contact John Braddock from the Council's Risk Management committee at [email protected]

Unit Charter Fee Changes
Old BSA Charter
Two big changes are coming in 2013 that will impact every registered Scout unit: 
  1. What is now known as the "unit charter fee" will change its name to the more descriptive "unit liability insurance fee."
  2. The cost of this fee will increase from $20 a year to $40 a year. 
  3. There is no increase in the annual registration fee for individuals. 
Every Scout unit -- packs, troops, crews, ships and posts -- must pay the fee each year, and every penny of this fee goes into the general liability insurance program, providing coverage for claims alleging negligent actions that result in either personal injury or property damage. Click here to learn more about what your unit can do now to prepare. 
Go High Tech in Your Recruiting This Fall
At a conference recently, we learned that the old adage that it takes seven "touches" for someone to react to a message just doesn't cut it any more. In today's fast paced society, it's becoming more and more like 10 "touches" at least. What that means is that the old method of distributing flyers in the school folders and expecting parents to show up for the recruiting night isn't going to cut it any more. 

Following along with our fall "Badge of Honor" recruiting theme, National BSA has developed a series of downloadable posters, web banners, e-mail templates and other tools that you can use in your recruiting efforts. They're available at the click of a mouse

For more recruiting ideas or to share your best practices with others, contact your district membership chairman or your district executive. 
Prepared. For Life. LOGOBOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA
Connecticut Yankee Council

 

60 Wellington Road
Milford, CT 06461

 

P (203) 876-6868

F (203) 876-6884
 

The Connecticut Yankee Council will carry out the mission of the Boy Scouts of America in every community in our Council by providing leadership opportunities for all youth through quality programs, mentoring from trained adult volunteers and ongoing learning and personal development through outdoor experiences.