We are on the move----LITERALLY.  

We will be moving our current Scout Shop and Service Center to a new temporary location until our National Scout Shop and Service Center are open.

Starting September 9th you will be able to receive all the same services at our temporary Scout Shop and Service Center located at 1665 Plymouth Road, Ann Arbor Michigan 48105.

The week of August 29th - September 8th we will be closed for business in order to finish packing, move, and set up our new location. Starting September 9th we will be open for everyone with regular business hours in effect.  

We apologize for the short notice and we are working hard to insure very little interruption in our service to you.

Click here to read the full article of what's in the future for the Ann Arbor Scout Shop and Service Center.

Popcorn kick-offs were last week and a great success!  

Units had a great time learning about popcorn, how popcorn can become their one and only fundraiser and everything they needed to know to get started.  

You still have a few days to get organized, but don't hesitate...

Show and Sell and Show and Deliver orders are due online by 10:00 pm September 16th!

If you would like more information on how to get your Unit started selling, or if you have questions about popcorn, please contact your District Popcorn Kernel.  All contact information for popcorn sales, as well as answers to many popcorn questions can be found by clicking here

The Eagle Scout expectations are to extend a helping hand as service to his community, just as others helped him in his climb to the Eagle.   Following is a call to all Eagles...

Flap your feathers..seeking Eagle Scouts who have registered for, or plan to attend the upcoming 2013 Southern Shores Field Service Council's Fall Camporee at Fort Custer Training Center and would like to volunteer an hour or two at the Southern Shores Field Service Council Eagle Scout Alumni Association information table.

If interested in volunteering for either of these worthwhile projects please contact LCDR Michael Files at 619.245.8651 / michael_files@yahoo.com or
Valerie Herr at 734.971.7100 /vaherr@bsamail.org.

Units can find out more about what the subscription includes as well as purchase the program at this link: 

http://learning.learningforlife.org/digital-programs/abc-pricing/

or call 1-855-806-9992 

Planning your Pack's Pinewood Derby?  If so, you may want to know what the Field Service Council has up its sleeve for this academic year.

 

Four regional Pinewood Derby races will be run in April where you will be competing against Cubs the same rank as you.  Think of these as your District Pinewood Derby race...but with a little bit bigger audience.  
 

In May, at Scout-O-Rama, will host our Field Service Council Pine Wood Derby Finals and Best of Show competition.  

 

Rules will be released in November with the exact dates for the Regional races to be announced in January.

STEM-Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics is part of an initiative BSA has taken on to encourage the natural curiosity of youth members and their sense of wonder about these fields through existing programs. To support this initiative, the BSA developed the Nova Awards program so that youth members have fun and receive recognition for their efforts.

Our country is falling behind in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. We must work together to cultivate the next generation of critical thinkers and innovators.

What Are the Nova Awards?

The Boy Scouts of America developed the Nova Awards program to excite and expand a sense of wonder in our Scouts. Read about the Nova Awards program by clicking here.

The Supernova awards are offered for those who enjoy a super challenge.

Click here to read a Scouting Magazine about the Super Nova Awards and some of the frequently asked questions.

Are you ready to pass along your passion for science, technology, engineering and/or mathematics? A Nova counselor can be any registered adult age 21 or older. Supernova mentors must be 21 or older and be subject matter experts in a STEM field. This is a non-unit position and requires no fee.  Click here to read how you can become volunteer support for our STEM initiative. or contact Jean Henderson at jeahende@lflmail.org

We need your help!  We are compiling a list of all past District Award of Merit recipients and we need all Scouters who have earned (or) know of someone who has earned the District Award of Merit.

A new Scoutreach program has been established to serve incarcerated mothers and their sons at the Huron's Valley Women's Correctional Facility in Washtenaw County. This program, called Scouting Behind Bars, serves 13 mothers and 18 boys who are ages 6 to 17. 

Read more about this Southern Shores FSC program by clicking here

Have a Youth Protection question you're not comfortable asking some stranger at the council or national level? Ever feel like Youth Protection is "too national" and doesn't directly apply to your unit?'

The BSA's National Youth Protection committee. hears you!  Check out the new Youth Protection Champions program, debuting later this year. Starting with the unit-level Champion and going all the way down to the volunteer who chairs the national YP committee, the program is designed to keep Youth Protection on everyone's mind by embedding key barriers to abuse into every aspect of the program and every unit in Scouting.

Pictured are Evan Semrau, Eagle Scout Troop 161 and Wayne Brock, Chief Scout Executive of the Boy Scouts of America.

In a surprise ceremony at the National Jamboree, Evan Semrau Eagle Scout from Mattawan Troop 161 was presented with Scouting's top rank of Eagle Scout by members of BSA's national-level leadership. 

Congratulations to Evan for not only earning the BSA's top rank of Eagle Scout but also for the great job he did in following through and meeting  a goal he set 3 years ago, which was to become the first boy to be presented his Eagle at the Boy Scout's brand new high-adventure camp the Summit Bechtel Reserve.

Read the entire press release  by clicking here.

On Friday, August 23 Scouts from Troop 623 in St. Joseph and leaders from Wabano District partnered with the Salvation Army on the "Stuff-A-Bus" campaign sponsored by the Wal-Mart store in Benton Harbor.  This program encourages patrons to buy and donate school supplies for needy children in Berrien and Van Buren Counties.  The Wal-Mart in Benton Harbor has been a generous financial contributor to Wabano District's Friends of Scouting campaign for several years and is a strong supporter of Scouting in our community.

Are you remembering to enter your Unit's Service Hours?  It's a simple process...just visit 

https://servicehours.scouting.org/UI/Security/Login.aspx

to report information about a service project in which your unit/group participated, 

You're opinion matters!
Through a survey we conducted last month, we asked the Scouting public how you like to hear about upcoming activities.  

The Southern Shores Activity Team Facebook page is up over 100 likes.  Be part of all the latest activity and event information by...

Giving it a "like".

Cascades District

Nottawa Trails

Join Nottawa Trails as they gather for their next Roundtable September 12, 7:00pm at the LDS church on Old US 27 north of I-94.  Cub Scout and Boy Scout leaders will be introduced and guided through the internet rechartering responsibilities of the Units.  

Questions about Roundtable?  E-mail Nate Ekola at nathan.ekola@scouting.org