Friends of Scouting is the Colonial Virginia Council's annual giving campaign and is the largest and most important source of funding. Your support enables Scouting's programs and outdoor adventures to prepare young people for a lifetime of character and leadership.
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Scout Strong Challenge
The Scout Strong Challenge is a virtual race, featuring a distance of your choice, in which scouts, volunteers, families, and friends complete during a specified time period. Upon completion of the distance and verification you will be issued a limited edition Boy Scouts of America medal, rewarding you for your efforts. This challenge is for everyone associated with the Boy Scouts of America, including Scouts, Venturers, Parents, Volunteers, Council Staff, Board Members, Friends of Scouting, and BSA Alumni. You do NOT have to be a registered youth or volunteer to complete the challenge: it is open to everyone. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE!!!!
Information in our newsletter is organized geographically.
Although events across the Council are open to all units, most units participate in events close to home. Each local territory has a specific service area and a name. Find your District below:
- Chesapeake Bay: Mathews, Gloucester, and York Counties and the City of Poquoson
- Colonial Trail: Surry and Isle of Wight Counties and the City of Suffolk
- First Colony: James City County and the City of Williamsburg.
- Heritage: The City of Hampton
- James River: The City of Newport News
- Siouan Rivers: Sussex, Southampton, Greenville and Brunswick Counties as well as the Cities of Franklin and Emporia
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Send us your news! Email amanda.wroten@scouting.org so we can feature the great things your units, Scouts and Scouters are doing!
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A Message from the Religious Emblems Coordinator
My name is David Willis and I am the Colonial Trail District Religious Emblems Coordinator (REC). My job is to ensure all Units are aware of the opportunities within the District for Scouts and Scouters to earn the Religious Emblem (RE) of their faith, recruit Unit RECs, and to enable others to promote classes of their own.
My vision is for all Scouts to truly understand what "Duty to God" means in order to fulfill the Scouting Values and "prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes". "Duty to God" is the basis for Scouting's Mission Statement and is the foundation upon which Scouting was built. All Scouts and Scouters need to understand that there are boys with different faiths and beliefs. However, instead of focusing on the differences we can unite in our similarities since we share the same Scouting Values. For when we focus on our similarities and work together, we can all win in the game of life.
Over the course of the year I will be working to educate everyone at District Roundtable on the ways Scouts and Scouters can earn the RE of their faith, through displays, presentations, and handouts. In the meantime, if you want more information or if you would like me to make a presentation to your unit or charter organization about the various Faith Based Initiatives available, please email me at d.j.willis533@gmail.com. Perhaps you currently have scheduled your own classes that others might be able to attend? Please let me know that, too, so that I can get that information out to everyone!
I am currently working on organizing a God & Country (non-denominational) program to assist those of various protestant faiths in earning the RE of their faith in time for the next Scout Sunday (February 8, 2015). The classes are set to begin at 4 pm on Sunday, November 9th at Beech Grove UMC in Driver and are open to Scouts and Scouters in the BSA and GSUSA; non-scouting siblings are also welcome! Deadline to register is Wednesday, November 5th. Other RE programs are also available for Roman Catholics, Muslims, Mormons, and many others. I would also be willing to help you or your charter organization promote your own class. I look forward to working with you and assisting you in the future!
Horton Wreath Society
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Albert G. Horton Jr. Memorial Veterans Cemetery located at 5310 Milners Road in Suffolk, Virginia. Interested Scouts can help distribute over 6,000 wreaths on December 13, 2014, at 9:30 a.m., where there will be a formal ceremony, taps, and bagpipes. The public is cordially invited to participate and honor our veterans.
Click here to view the flyer.
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Send us your news! Email amanda.wroten@scouting.org so we can feature the great things your units, Scouts and Scouters are doing! |
Aberdeen Elementary School Service Opportunity Aberdeen Elementary School is looking for individuals to volunteer and provide beautification service at the school. Interested Scouts or units can contact Deborah Roundtree at 757-593-8967 or email droundtreejones@hampton.k12.va.us.
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Dozin' with the Dinosaurs & Resting with the Reptiles
Boy and Cub Scout Overnight Adventure
Date: November 21-22
Time: 6:30 p.m.
When the sun sets and the lights go down at The Mariners' Museum, you'll be in for an adventure during our Scout Overnight program. Scouts can enjoy an evening filled with exciting flash-light tours of Savage Ancient Seas: Dinosaurs of the Deep, games, make-and-take crafts and a "lights-out" movie. During the evening, we'll make dinosaur eggs, shark tooth necklaces, play cretaceous games and much more. Snacks and breakfast are included with the cost of the evening, along with free admission to the Museum the next day.Click here to view the flyer. CHKD Volunteer Opportunity High school aged scouts who are members of your troop who are available to volunteer for Breakfast with Santa, on Saturday, Nov 15th at The Founder's Inn 5641 Indian River Road, Virginia Beach would be greatly appreciated! First shift 9:30am to 11:30am, second shift 11:30am to 1:30pm, volunteers who can work the entire event are also welcomed! J There are a number of large items available for sale in our Silent Auction. As a courtesy to our patrons we are asking for support from the boys scouts! We estimate our need to be 4 scouts for the first shift and 6 scouts for the second shift. If possible we ask that the scouts wear their dress uniforms. For detailed information and to sign up, call 757.214.1222 or email Mary Ellen Triplett at cmest3@live.com. 12th Annual Cub Scout Archery Day
Date: December 13, 2014 Time: 7:30 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. Location: Wilcox Bait and Tackle Indoor Archery Range at 9516 Jefferson Ave, NN Cost: $7.00 per Scout Registration begins on October 20th. Click here to view the flyer.
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Send us your news! Email amanda.wroten@scouting.org so we can feature the great things your units, Scouts and Scouters are doing!
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We Need Your Help!
Do you or someone in your unit have masonry skills? If so, please contact Amanda Wroten at 757-595-3356, ext. 209, or email amanda.wroten@scouting.org to discuss a special project.
Fall Festival

Date: October 25-26
Cost: $10.00 per Youth/$5.00 per Adult
Climbing Instructor Training

Date: November 21-23
Location: Bayport Scout Reservation
Cost: $40.00
Click here to view the registration form.
Order of the Arrow Banquet
Date: December 6th
Time: 6:00 p.m.
Location: Yorkminster Presbyterian Church
6218 George Washington Memorial Highway, Yorktown, VA 23693
Cost: $22.00 per Arrowman/$17.00 per guest
Click here to register online.
Merit Badge University (MBU)
November 15, 2014 and January 17, 2015
Tabb High School
Cost: $8
Bring your own bag lunch and drink.

MBU is a two-day event open to all Boy Scouts, Venturers, and Sea Scouts working on merit badges for rank advancement. This is an opportunity for scouts to earn up to two merit badges; one in the morning and another in the afternoon. Be sure to check your calendar since attendance at both sessions (November 15 and January 17) is required to earn the badges.
Scouts should print merit badge worksheets (available online at meritbadge.com) and bring current merit badge pamphlets.
Register at the scout service center from September 4 to October 24. Registration ends when 500 scouts register. Read the instructions carefully and be sure to complete any listed pre-requisites. Please use the registration form, which can be filled out before printing. Be sure to get all the signatures before submitting your registration.
Click here to view the registration form.
US Submarine Veterans Inc recognition application for Eagle Scouts and Quartermaster Award.
The Hampton Roads Base of USSVI makes available to all Eagle Scouts and Quartermaster Award recipients a recognition certificate, and if desired, will try to have one or more submarine veterans attend the ceremony. Applications are requested 3 weeks in advance of the ceremony
Punkin' Chunkin
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Council-wide Youth Protection Training Initiative
Recently at the August meeting, the Colonial Virginia Council Executive Committee approved a resolution to improve the percentage of registered leaders that are current in Youth Protection Training.
National Boy Scouts of America policy states that Youth Protection training is required for all BSA registered volunteers. In addition, national policy states that Youth Protection training must be taken every two years. If a volunteer does not meet the BSA's Youth Protection training requirement at the time of recharter, the volunteer will not be reregistered.
Registered volunteers include ALL adult volunteers in Scouting with the exception of Tiger Cub Adult Partners and Unit Executive Officer (Institutional Head). For full information on Youth Protection in the Boy Scouts of America, please click here.
In the resolution approved by the Council Executive Committee, registered volunteers will be required to take Youth Protection Training EVERY CALENDAR YEAR.
Effective October 1, 2014, at the time an adult submits an application to be a registered adult volunteer, they are required to include a copy of their Youth Protection Training Certificate that has the current year as the year the training was taken. For example, if an application is submitted in October 2014, the training certificate must indicate that the training was completed in 2014. This applies to all NEW, TRANSFER & MULTIPLE adult leader applications submitted.
Effective this upcoming unit rechartering cycle in December 2014, for every registered adult volunteer included on the unit recharter paperwork, there must be included in the submission, a training certificate for every registered volunteer that covers the entire calendar year of 2015. All training certificates must have either 2014 or 2015 as the training completion date.
College of Commissioners Science

Date: November 1, 2014
Location: Bruton High School
Cost: $35.00 - includes Lunch
Contact: Randy Jennings - 757-752-4859 or rjennings2002@aol.com
Click here to view the registration form.
NYLT
Training of the youth leaders in a troop is important in helping the individual Scout and the troop grow. The boy Scouts of America have developed a training experience that has proven very valuable in the training of youth leaders; it is called National Youth Leader Training.
The purpose of NYLT is to assist you in training your youth leaders. The NYLT Troop works as an ideal troop using the patrol method and rotating leadership responsibility. NYLT is not designed to teach basic Scout skills, which participants should already have, it strives to develope in a scout the leadership techniques to "keep the patrol together and get the job done right". Please help us make this training more effective by recommending scouts who are prepared and in need of this special leadership training.
This year we will hold NYLT at Bayport Scout Reservation over two weekends: March 6-8 and March 20-22. The total cost is $180. Details are available on the flyer and registration form.
Youth interested in serving on NYLT staff for the March 2015 course will need to participate in staff interviews, held on Saturday, October 18th from 8:30 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. at the Council Office. Interviews will be held as youth arrive so there may be some waiting. This is a fantastic leadership opportunity! For questions please email Dennis Camp at bczoo@cox.net.
Click here to view the NYLT flyer.
Click here to view the NYLT application.
Click here to view the NYLT staff application.
Venture Leader Specific Training/Crew Committee Challenge
Date: November 15th or December 13th
Time: See Flyer
Cost: Free
Click here to see the flyer.
Pack Committee Challenge
Date: November 15th
Time: 8:30 a.m. until 12:00 p.m.
Location: Hidenwood Presbyterian Church
Cost: Free
Click here to view the flyer.
Den Chief Training
Date: October 18th
Time: 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Location: Magnolia United Methodist Church in Suffolk Cost: $5.00 Click here to view the flyer.
University of Scouting
Date: January 10th
Time: 9:00 a.m.
Cost: Varies - See Form
Location: Bruton High School
Click here to view the registration packet.
Cub Scout Leader Specific Training
This is a required course for all Adults registered as Cub Scout Leaders in CVC.
In addition, Pack Trainers must take Pack Committee Training offered in this course and The Fundamentals of Training to be considered "trained."
http://www.scouting.org/Training/TrainingUpdates.aspx
Date: October 25, 2014
Time: 8:15 am to 5:00 pm
Cost: $10 if registered by October 16th
Location: Peninsula Community Chapel; 4209 Big Bethel Rd, Yorktown
Contact: Steve Helmerson at shelmerson@aol.com or (757) 867-7927 Click here to view the registration form.The Trainer's EDGE For both youth and adult trainers - Leadership training is a major part of Scouting, and this training session will teach trainers how to conduct an effective training session. All CVC trainers should have the Fundamentals of Training or Trainer's E.D.G.E. Date: November 8th, 2014 Time: 7:45 am to 5:00 pm Cost: $15 if registered by October 30th Location: Peninsula Community Chapel; 4209 Big Bethel Rd, Yorktown Contact: Karen Sutley, karensutley@cox.net or (757) 209-7989
Training Awards
Your youth work hard to earn advancements and awards AND so do your adult leaders. Be sure they are recognized appropriately. Please remember to use the Progress Record Forms with the 2012 requirements for the Adult Leader Training Awards. The old forms will no longer be accepted.
CPR and Basic First Aid
This course covers adult and child/infant CPR with AED, how to respond in an emergency, and render basic first aid. This meets and exceeds the requirements for Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts Level 1 Provider.
Click here to view dates, times, and locations.
Contact: Al Materia, 757-869-7627 or al@emta.net.
Wilderness First Aid Course
Date: October 25th to 26th
Time: 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
Cost: $85
Click here to register online.
Contact: Al Materia, 757-869-7627 or al@emta.net.
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Advancement and Registration
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Every unit should be encouraging their scouts and leaders to earn the religious emblem of their faith. Not only can they wear the medal earned, but they can wear a knot as well. When submitting an advancement report include both the religious knot with the full date earned and the specific award name as well. e.g. God and County, God and Life, Light of Christ, Parvuli Dei - just to name a few. Both awards can be entered in the scouts'/leaders' records.
It is GREAT when your scouts and leaders earn the 50-Miler Award! A Scout is Physically Strong. When you submit the application 50-Miler Award Application please include an advancement report with the scouts' and leaders' names attached to it with the full date earned, so we know and can record who earned it. Hopefully National will update this form soon: but for now, an advancement report listing the awardees is needed. Please turn in ALL pages of your Internet Advancement Report. When the report is reviewed at council, it must have the totals awards reported/summary page that is printed at the end of the report. Otherwise, it is questionable that we received all the pages of the report.
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Leave No Trace Trainer Course
Date: December 13-14th
Time: 9:00 a.m. Location: Suffolk, VA Cost: $55.00 Scouts and Scouters 14+
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Monday through Friday: 10:30 am to 7:20 pm
Saturday: Closed
Sunday: Closed
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Next Newsletter Deadline: October 21st
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