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| Friends of Scouting | |
Help us support our Mount Diablo Silverado Council
Donate Now!
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 | | Learn More about Religious Emblems that Aim to Promote Reverence | Click Here!
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 | | Help Wanted | Volunteers are needed to help with a variety of office work, including preparing mailings and filing paperwork.
Please contact you are available to help on an as needed basis during normal business hours (8:30am-5:00pm).
Please note, some of the filing projects require bending and lifting as well as getting a little dirty.
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| Supercharge your Pop Corn Sales!!! | |
The online selling options will work like rocket fuel for you and your unit. Utilize the online selling information below:
Online Selling Information
How does online selling work? Each Scout needs to self-register to sell online. Here are a few steps on how your Scouts can get started: 1. Go to sell.trails-end.com and click on Create An Account in the upper right-hand corner. 2. Create a new account with your unit information. If you are under the age of 13, you will need parental approval to activate your account. 3. Once your account is created, you can send emails to friends and family members. They can click on your Scout-specific link (within the email you send from your Scout account) and make a purchase on your behalf. Trail's End will directly deliver the product to your customers. 4. Track your online sales once you are logged into your Scout account on sell.trails-end.com. 5. All online sales from August 1 through your council's sale end date count toward your Scout Rewards. Your sale end date can be found on the Order Report page. |
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As we pause to reflect during this time of the year, our thoughts turn gratefully to those who have made our programs possible. Thank YOU for your gifts of time and resources to the thousands of youth in our area. We could not do what we do without the help of our friends.
All of us at the Mt. Diablo Silverado Council would like to wish you and your families a happy and healthy new year!
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Words of Wisdom
2013 Silver Beaver Recipients
I am pleased to announce that our Silver Beaver Selection committee chose the following Scouters to receive the Silver Beaver award at theCouncil Annual Recognition Dinner, Saturday, March 15, 2014: Michael Bolin, Fairfield; Ray Chan, San Ramon; Norman Gee, Walnut Creek; Ed Isely, Moraga; John McBeth, Lafayette; Irwin Horowitz, Kensington; Wendy LaBerge, Napa; Carol Wilson, San Ramon; Patti Young, Orinda
Thank you to our 2013 Silver Beaver Selections Committee, Dexter Sanders, Brian Morton, Chris Friedmann, Ken Berling, Randy Summers, Mike Dubrall, Tom Santos and Mike Solario for their time and efforts in selecting this year's Silver Beavers.
Please join us in recognizing these Scouters at our Annual Recognition Dinner, Saturday, March 15, 2014, 6:30pm at Boundary Oaks Golf Course, Walnut Creek.
The Silver Beaver is the highest award a Boy Scout council can bestow upon a volunteer. The nominees are considered in three main areas: record of service in the Boy Scouts of America; the nominee's standing in the community, citing activities in which the individual is most active in business, professional, civic, religious, educational, fraternal, veteran, rural, and other fields exclusive of Scouting and record of noteworthy service of exceptional character to youth within the territory under the jurisdiction of the council.
Annually in the last quarter of the year, the Mt. Diablo Silverado Council convenes a committee of past Silver Beaver recipients from all districts, to choose the next Silver Beaver class. The number of Silver Beavers awarded annually is based on the number of units in the council that year. The Silver Beaver awards are presented at the Council Annual Recognition dinner in the following spring.
Thank you,
John C. Fenoglio
Scout Executive/ CEO
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Scout Spotlight
Highlighting our Staff and Volunteers
Seventy One Years as a Boy Scout
When you are as old as dirt and at the same time a Boy Scout...what does it make you? Venerable would be our first choice as a definition. Second would of course be "Dedicated to a good and just cause," and third,: "A True Giver."
 Jack Borde is indeed such a person. He joined Cub Pack 13 inMartinez in April 1942 and graduated into Boy Scout Troop #3 three years later. Five years later, in 1950, he became an Eagle Scout and served that summer on staff at Camp Wolfboro in the Sierras. He continued his registration through his four years in the Air Force and during his subsequent studies leading to a degree from Southern Illinois University, where he volunteered as an Assistant Scoutmaster. The last 33 years of his work life were at the University of California Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, retiring as head of the Optical and Meteorology Departments. He still wears the BSA uniform today as a Commissioner and Merit Badge Counselor for the Muir District (he counsels astronomy MB), BSA, serving Concord, Clayton and Martinez. Along the way he has served as Scoutmaster and Order of the Arrow Honor Society leader and received virtually every award possible as an involved Scout leader, including the prestigious Silver Beaver Award. His patch collection is among the 2 or 3 best in the Nation, and the Troops for which he has been a 27-year Commissioner are consistently top award winners. In addition to his volunteer work with Scouting, Jack has also served as President and Board Member of both the Mt Diablo and the East Bay Astronomical Societies, and was in 2006 given the prestigious Joe Disch Award "for his incredible efforts and endless patience in the building of a permanent observatory on top of Mt Diablo." In 2008 the California State Parks also recognized him for " Exemplary Service to California State Parks" for his work in leading the funding and construction of the observatory with its California Golden Poppy Award. Interestingly, he attributes this part of his life to his work in earning the Astronomy Merit badge when he was working on his Eagle requirements. Jack's Eagle Challenge contained a charge to give back to Scouting. Apparently, he took it seriously. Please join us in Honoring and Commending this GREAT SCOUTER, JACK BORDE who is an inspiration for all of us.
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Go Over the Edge for Scouting in 2014
The Mt. Diablo Silverado Council is busy planning the most adventurous event of the year! YOU can rappel down Contra Costa County's highest building this June! Sign up to be an "Edger" and raise funds from family and friends to go Over the Edge. Gather a group of friends and challenge each other or recruit a corporate team to go Over the Edge. Encourage your co-workers to raise enough money to Toss Your Boss Over the Edge. It is going to be a very fun day!
We have partnered with Over The Edge USA to send participants rappelling down One Concord Center as an exciting fundraiser. OTE has worked with many non-profits to make Edging simple, safe and fun. The OTE event is similar to other sponsorship events but with an exciting outcome that supports Scouting with a touch of high adventure and personal growth.
Join MDSC as a partner for OTE and help us plan this exciting new event. We especially need people to help with the festival and recruitment. If this sounds like something you'd like to help with, please contact Suzanne Martin for more information.
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The gift of the great outdoors for Cub Scout families in 2014
Warmer weather is just a short time away, and it will be a good opportunity to experience the Bay Area natural sites as a family. Robert Baden-Powell, the founder of Scouting, insisted that "three-quarters of Scouting is outing" in using the woods as the classroom for his character-building youth program.
The Mt. Diablo Silverado Council has a number of overnight camping opportunities for Cub Scouts hosted at our three camp properties-Camp Herms in the El Cerrito hills overlooking San Francisco Bay, Camp Lindblad in the coastal redwood forest above Santa Cruz, and Camp Wolfeboro in the Sierra Nevada gold rush country.
Family Camp is a relaxed outing at Camp Lindblad where the a little bit of advancement is available along with a lot of fun activities for the whole family. BB gun shooting, archery, wood crafts, nature hikes, and learning how to use and carry a knife safely are part of the round-robin activity stations. Everyone has a chance to participate in songs, skits, and s'mores at the campwide campfire. Memorial Day Weekend, May 23-26 has an Olympic games theme for Monday morning. Our two available fall weekends --October 10-12 and October 17-19 have a Halloween theme that will give kids a chance to try out their costumes (and a chance to make modifications before the big night). Details will be posted at: http://bsa-mdsc.org/events/cub-scouts/cub-scout-family-camp . Resident Camp at Camp Herms is by den and will feature the new BSA STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) NOVA program, http://www.scouting.org/stem/Awards/CubScout.aspx. Cub Scouts will camp overnight by dens, and minimal leadership is required. Completing belt loops in Mathematics, Science, BB gun, Archery, as well as NOVA awards are on tap. A field trip to the Lawrence Hall of Science is planned for the week of July 21-26, and a special Tiger overnight is available July 25-26 for new Cub Scouts who joined during spring recruiting as graduating kindergarteners. A special set of sessions for Webelos will also be available either June 23-25 or June 26-28. For those Webelos who camp the whole week, a field trip to the Exploratorium is planned. The NOVA awards, Engineer, and Scientist activity badges along with BB gun shooting and archery are the featured program elements. Ongoing information appears at: http://www.bsa-mdsc.org/events/cub-scouts/cub-scout-resident-camp. Once again, only Den Leaders are required for supervision. Boys do not need to be paired up with parents/guardians.
Webelos Weekend at Wolfeboro gives a Webelos Scout and parent a chance to see what it's like to attend a Boy Scout summer camp. Program areas like nature, Scout skills, swimming, air rifle, archery, and handicraft will all be open. The friendly staff at Camp Wolfeboro will ensure that you have a good time in this picturesque granite valley that has been carved by the Stanislaus River. It's just like the Yosemite Valley, without the crowds! This is a great escape from the city for a weekend-your choice of either July 4-6 or July 25-27. More information is on the council website: http://www.bsa-mdsc.org/events/cub-scouts/webelos-weekend. Webeloree is a one-night weekend event at Camp Herms for parent and Webelos Scout. The emphases are work on activity badges and preparing for bridging into a Boy Scout troop. This popular outing fills up quickly, so keep checking the information page for updates: http://www.bsa-mdsc.org/events/cub-scouts/webeloree.
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Calling All Shooters
Are you a hunter or enjoy other shooting sports? Have you always been interested in trying to shoot but never had the opportunity? Well, join us at the Second Annual Sporting Clays event on Saturday, March 1 at Quail Point Hunt Club in Zamora. This fun event is for shooters of all abilities and will help raise funds to support Scouting in the Mt. Diablo Silverado Council.
First-time shooters are encouraged to participate; shotguns and instruction will be provided free of charge. So gather a group of four friends to field a team of shooters. Corporate teams are welcome, father/son teams are encouraged and Individual shooters are invited and will be added to a team. The highest scoring teams and the top individual shooters will receive awards but everybody will receive a commemorative item, fond memories and the knowledge that MDSC is stronger because of their participation in this benefit shoot. Contact Suzanne Martin if you would like more information.
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Camp Card Update
Hello Scouters,
We need your help to find vendors!!
We are attempting to determine our vendors for the 2014 Camp Cards. We are asking all districts to get vendors for next year's 2014 Camp Card. If your district has enough approved vendors we will do a District Card. Please make sure you get all vendor agreement forms back to me by Friday, January 17th. Here is the link to the form http://www.bsa-mdsc.org/sites/default/files/2014%20Vendor%20Agreement%20Form.pdf
Please let your vendors know that this is not guaranteed until Council approval. Please let me know if you have any questions.
So far we have the following vendors:
Dickey's Barbecue(Concord, PH, Pleasanton, & Livermore)
Grocery Outlet(PH)
Denny's Restaurant(Fairfield)
Roundtable Pizza(PH, Concord, Martinez, & WC)
Scandia Family Fun Center(Fairfield)
Rocco's Ristorante Pizzeria(WC)
Arby's(Fairfield)
La Tapatia(Concord & Martinez)
Tsolmon's Tailor Shop(Fairfield)
Encina Bikes(WC & Clayton)
Thank you,
Tim Welty | District Director
Mt. Diablo Silverado Council
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Unit Highlight
Webelos scouts from Pack 645 rocked out on stage at Red House in Walnut Creek on Sunday, December 15th, to earn their Showmanship achievement. Their 90 minute Den meeting began with Red House owner, and Pack 645 dad, Raja Singh sharing some music basics with the Scouts. Each Webelos then got a chance to try out each of the instruments in a band, including guitar, drums, keyboard and bass.
Red House instructor Ben Zeiger taught the boys a simplified version of the hit song Radioactive by Imagine Dragons, with each Scout taking a turn on each instrument - and singing! As their rendition improved, they planned out their performance - complete with a grand entrance through the fog and lights. The show was a huge success, with charismatic lead singers and a rock steady score from the band. "Awesome Meeting!!" exclaimed Den Leader Pat Ketcham.
The program delivered to the Webelos is based on Red House's Explore Rock & Roll curriculum, which is offered through weekly courses, summer camps and in birthday parties or field trips. More information is available at www.redhouselive.com/kids. Scout groups interested in the program should contact Red House at 925.938.6900 or info@redhouselive.com. |
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National Office Registration News!
On July 19, 2013, the National Council temporarily waived the $1 registration transfer fee for adults and youth in traditional units through December 31, 2013. Effective January 1, 2014, all registration transfer fees will be eliminated. This means that adults and youth in traditional units, in Exploring, and our non-unit registrants, will no longer have to pay a transfer fee. BSA systems and forms will be revised to match this change in policy effective January 1, 2014. For additional information please contact Membership Resources at 1-800-888-470
Good News for all! What this means is there is no fee to transfer from one Pack to another Pack or any other type of unit or district transfer.
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Scouting Superheroes
Don't Judge a Hero by the size of his/her cape!
How do those amazing scout leaders gain superhuman strength? They join the scouting fun! And, they also get trained!
The best place for one-stop ship training is at L.E.A.D. (Leadership, Education and Discovery). At Scout L.E.A.D., you can find all the courses you need in all the programs: Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Varsity, and Venturing. Bask in the warmth of friendliness and camaraderie of like-minded Scout leaders. This is Scout L.E.A.D and it's a blast!
Catch up with old friends and meet new friends. Expanding your network of scouters will enable you to leap tall scouting problems in a single bound.
WHEN: SATURDAY, JANUARY 25, 2014
WHERE: DIABLO VALLEY COLLEGE, PLEASANT HILL
WHO: All adults: Uniformed Leaders, Committee Members, Interested Parents, District & Council volunteers.
COST: $45 Online Registration by Wednesday, January 15, 2014 ($65 @ Door)
$10 Youth (Introduction to Leadership Skills for Crews & Trainer's EDGE)
IMPORTANT INFORMATION YOU NEED BEFORE YOU BEGIN YOUR REGISTRATION:
- Please download and review the Schedule of Courses and Course Descriptions
- Before you begin the registration, select a course for each session. NOTE: Some courses are multi-session classes. For these classes, DO NOT select classes in overlapping sessions.
- Begin the Online Registration. If you have mistakenly selected a course, you can either select the correct course or select the "Clear Course Selection" button at the beginning of each Session listing.
- Once you have selected all your courses, you will be presented with a REGISTRATION SUMMARY and PAYMENT page. Please verify that you have not selected any overlapping courses. If you have selected overlapping courses, close all Internet browser windows which should reset the registration.
Invest in the future - YOUR future success as a Scout leader, and the continuing interest and engagement of your Scouts depends on trained adults.
Every Scout deserves a trained leader (aka Superhero).
QUESTIONS OR WANT TO GET INVOLVED?
CONTACT PAUL SHIMOTAKE (ScoutOathLaw@gmail.com)
or ADRIANNE KORDELOS (adriannek40@yahoo.com)
2014 LEAD Schedule.pdf 2014 LEAD Course Catalog.pdf
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Are your boys interested is something different? The Aquatics Committee of the Mount Diablo
Silverado Council is offering a course leading to the Small Boat Sailing merit badge. This badge is not offered at any of the summer camps operated by our council.
This is a totally new program in our council. The on the water training will take place at the Berkeley Marina. Here are the dates and other information.
Saturday and Sunday February 1 and 2
Saturday and Sunday February 8 and 9
Saturday February 1from 9:00 to 3:00 -- Indoor session at Council office
Sunday February 2 from 9:30 to 2:30 -- on the water at Cal Sailing in Berkeley Marina
Saturday February 8 from 9:00 to 3:00 -- Indoor session at Council office
Sunday February 9 from 9:30 to 2:30 -- on the water at Cal Sailing in Berkeley Marina
Cost is $75 per scout
Limit of 16 scouts
Scouts must be First Class and at least 13 years old
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Volunteer Empowerment - Fostering Strong Units
MyScouting Tools
By now, many of you have heard about the new MyScouting Tools. For those who haven't, here's a brief summary:
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MyScouting Tools was developed and designed back in November 2012 to empower volunteers by providing easy-to-use, intuitive tools they can use to manage virtually all aspects of the programs and unit information. It was designed to make their job less time consuming by simplifying the administrative tasks of Scouting. For the first time, unit and district Key 3 were able to directly update BSA membership records in the field. Registered adults were also able to update their own profile information as well as view their training, access calendars, announcements, and print their membership cards.
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In August 2013, MyScouting Tools version 2.0 (6th release) was launched providing more intuitive functionality and improved navigation. It's fast and dynamic to fit on any mobile screen allowing volunteers to update information anytime, and anywhere they have an Internet connection. This helps free the council staff to focus on other council goals and opportunities, like membership growth.
Current Tools Available
Below are tools available to Key 3 organization administrators (click on link to download instructions):
For questions regarding MyScouting Tools, please email us at MySTsupport@scouting.org
Thank you,
John C. Fenoglio
Scout Executive/ CEO
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Engage Your Unit Membership Chair with Ideas and Tools
Units that have membership growth and retention have three key components: a strong, vibrant Scouting program; engaged volunteers; and someone on the unit committee who is responsible for membership. The unit membership chair is the unit committee member who will focus on membership growth and retention of the unit. This new position is similar to the district or council membership chair that is responsible for growth in the district or the council.
Membership volunteers are the backbone of our efforts to recruit more youth into the BSA. To impact the lives of youth in each unit, volunteers must be more engaged. Easy to say, but how do they do it?
There are new online resources for the unit membership chair and council membership/relationship chair designed to assist those with this new responsibility in areas that include community projects, membership analyses, marketing, Webelos-to-Scout transition plans, and much more. Other resources to assist your council with membership can also be found at www.scouting.org/membership
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Warriors vs. Boston Celtics
Friday, January 10, 2014
7:30pm | Oracle Arena
Calling all Scouts! Join the Golden State Warriors in celebrating Scout Night on Friday, January 10th at 7:30 pm as they take on the Boston Celtics! All scouts will receive a commemorative Warriors Scout Patch and are invited to shoot a post-game free throw on the Warriors Court! Groups of 15+ are eligible for additional savings.
For questions, or to purchase your Scout Night tickets, please contact Nick Smith at (510) 986-2247 or via email at nsmith@warriors.com. |
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Conservation Corner
New!! Tread Lightly! Trainer course will be taught on March 22, 8 am to 5 pm, at the council service center at 800 Ellinwood Drive in Pleasant Hill. The new outdoor ethics awards include not only Leave No Trace but also outdoor ethics and Tread Lightly! Master Educator, Bill Nay of Redwood Empire and Piedmont Councils will be leading this course which is new for Mt Diablo Silverado Council. If you would like to become a Tread Lightly Trainer, this is your opportunity. Details and on line registration coming soon.
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RECHARTERING IS HERE BUT ...
If you have applications for new YOUTH, please submit them now. Youth who are already active in your unit should be officially registered so they are covered by insurance and may receive any advancements they earn. Please do not hold them to be submitted with your recharter. An advantage for you is that they will appear on your roster when you download Council data during internet recharter and you won't have to enter all of their information.
The Internet Rechartering window is now open. You may logon to Internet Rechartering available through your MyScouting account under Unit Tools. The required access code is printed on labels on the front of your packet envelope. Every unit has a different access code. Remember that unit numbers are four digits. For example, if your unit is Pack 9, you would use the drop-down menu to select "Pack" and enter 0009 for the number.
Every adult must have a current (within two years) Youth Protection Certificate. Certificates should accompany applications for new adults. There is a section on the internet recharter report that lists adults who either haven't taken the course at all or whose certificate has expired. This course is required for registration.
If something happens and you need to change processors mid-stream or you need to start all over again, we can re-set your unit. Please contact your District Executive.
Once finished with the online portion, you will submit these paper documents in the manner your District instructs:
1. Charter Renewal Application printed from the "Congratulations" screen signed by the Institution Head and the Unit Leader
2. All signed applications for new adults and youth and Youth Protection certificates for adults
3. Signed Annual Charter Agreement
4. Check for the appropriate amount
If you have any questions, please contact your District Executive.
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- Week at a Glance
Upcoming Schedule of Events
1/4,1/11 - Herms District BALOO Training
1/4 - Silverado District Christmas Tree Pickup
1/10-1/11 - HAT Core
1/23 - FOS Training
1/28-1/30 - Professional Staff Training Conference
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Special Deals at the Scout Shop
Season's Greetings from the staff of the Pleasant Hill Scout Shop!!!
December 21 - Saturday - 2pm closing for annual physical inventory
December 24 - Tuesday - Closed for Christmas Eve
December 25 - Wednesday - Closed for Christmas Day
December 28 - Saturday - PineWood Derby Workshop & Track: 10am - 4pm
December 31 - Tuesday - 5pm closing for New Year's Eve
January 1 - Wednesday - Closed for New Year's Day
January 18 - Saturday - PineWood Derby Workshop & Track: 10am - 4pm
January 25 - Saturday - Scout Shop Trading Post @ LEAD program, Diablo Valley College, Pleasant Hill
Many Holiday Commemorative pieces are now in stock, and there is always the Scout Shop Gift Card for convenient and valued holiday gift-giving.
Check out all that the Pleasant Hill Scout Shop has to offer at www.scoutstuff.org!
See you at the Shop!
Store Address:
800 Ellinwood Way
Pleasant Hill, CA 94523
Phone: (925) 674-8500
HOLIDAY HOURS
December 21st - 10am - 2pm
December 24th & 25th - CLOSED
December 31st - 9am - 5pm
January 1st - CLOSED
Mon-Tues: 9:00am - 6:00pm
Wednesday: 9:00am - 7:00pm
Thurs-Fri: 9:00am-6:00pm
Saturday: 10:00am - 5:00pm
Click on the Link Below to Check out New Items!
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Thank you very much for taking the time to catch up with our weekly newsletter. Sincerely,
Mt. Diablo Silverado Council, Boy Scouts of America |
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