The Dispatch
Monthly News
for Marin Council Leaders
and Friends

As a parent and leader, there are many resources available to you to help you stay informed in order to make sure your Scout has the best program possible. Some of these are:

• Your unit leaders
• Marin Council web site 
• Monthly roundtable meetings
• This Dispatch newsletter
• Special email notices
• Our office staff

Unit and council events will begin to increase as we move into February. Soon, winter will be ending, and Scouts will again be going outside to do many of the great programs offered here in Marin.

In this newsletter, you will find much information about those activities and events. Make sure to use the button on the right to forward to others in your unit. If you would like them added to our email list, forward their contact info to us or have them sign up using the link at the top of our web site.

If something is not listed here, be sure to check our web site and the calendar on that web site. The calendar on the web site is updated as soon as we receive the information.  

The Cub Scout Camping Committee has kicked off 2013 with planning and preparation for an outstanding year of programs. As with most Scouting programs, Cub Camping is volunteer run, and we'd love as many participants as possible helping craft these lifetime memories for our Scouts and parents. The committee meets regularly at 7 p.m. every second Tuesday of the month. Our next meeting is Tuesday, February 12. We hope to see YOU there!

All meetings are to be held at the Marin Council headquarters unless otherwise noted. For those that cannot attend in person, the conference bridge call-in details are provided below.

• Conference Dial-in Number: (213) 493-0800
• Participant Access Code: 319930#

We are also looking for volunteers to fill Camp and Program Director roles for most of our camps. The committee has developed new sets of tools for the 2013 year, so please do not hesitate to volunteer today!

For additional information on ways to get involved, please send an email or call Committee Chair David Pearce at 415-203-6052.

Cub Scout Day Camp Patch Design Contest

Cub Scout Camping Committee is holding a patch design contest for 2013. The Day Camp theme this year is "Into the West." Contest deadline is April 5, 2013. Click here to download entry form.

Most of you have seen Scouters wearing one, two, or more square knot patches on their uniforms above the left pocket. These reflect Scout awards earned as youth (Eagle, Arrow of Light, Religious Award) or as an adult (Award of Merit, Silver Beaver). Others reflect tenure, training, or performance at various levels in Scouting. It's that last category that this article will strive to demystify. These are awards that most active Scouters should readily qualify for during their time in Scouting! The training awards and keys are designed to recognize unit Scouters for tenure, training, and performance in their leadership roles. Progress record forms with the 2012 requirements for these awards can be found on the national site at www.scouting.org. The various forms can be found on the national BSA site, and a link will be provided to a directory of awards on the succeeding paragraphs.

Oh Look, this Course has Changed!!

Marin Council will now offer an NRA Certified Instructor Rifle Course

Due to popular demand, the Basic Rifle Course originally advertised last month has been elevated to Certified Instructor-Rifle. The Marin Council Shooting Sports Committee is extremely excited to offer this course as a Certified Instructor. This is your chance to become a most valuable shooting sports asset to your unit and Marin Council Shooting Sports. The price is extremely reasonable and you will not find a better price.

Read more . . .   

Every year, the Marin Council runs a lottery at the June roundtable for the coveted winter camping reservations at our beautiful Camp Marin Sierra. If your unit wishes to participate in this lottery for a chance to get a winter date at Marin Sierra you must have a representative at the June roundtable meeting.

During last year's June roundtable, the attendees established the rules which the council will follow to rank which units get an earlier draw and therefore an earlier choice of available dates.

This is how it works; All units will first be ranked by their 2012 Journey to Excellence (JTE) scores within each of the award levels: gold, silver, and bronze. If there are any equal scores among the group, these will then be ranked by their roundtable attendance. In other words the unit with the higher roundtable attendance will have the first pick within these tied JTE scores. This method of sorting will determine the order of selection for determining winter camp reservation options.

Once you have selected your camping date, your unit needs to confirm and pay for this reservation by the end of the day on June 30, 2013, or the reservation will lapse and be offered to the first unit on the waiting list.

Looking for an adventurous camping experience? Look no further than Marin Council's very own private wilderness campsite called Slanes Flat. It is located in the Mendocino National Forest west of Corning, CA and just outside the Yolla Bolly Wilderness. This is a magnificent opportunity to have some fun and to practice, learn, and review a whole range of wilderness camping, hiking and backpacking skills. For information, directions, and access permission, please contact Tim Wells at the Marin Council.

Redwood Empire Council is holding Outdoor Webelos Leader (OWL) training and Basic Adult Leader Outdoor Orientation (BALOO) the weekend of March 1-2 in Sonoma. The form is on the Redwood web site, and Peggy Bimbi is the contact (707) 321-7705. 

As you are aware, the Boy Scouts of America is discussing potentially removing the national membership restriction regarding sexual orientation. This would mean there would no longer be any national policy regarding sexual orientation, and the chartered organizations that oversee and deliver Scouting locally would accept membership and select leaders consistent with each organization's mission, principles, or religious beliefs. BSA members and parents would be able to choose a local unit that best meets the needs of their families. The policy change under discussion would allow the religious, civic, or educational organizations that oversee and deliver Scouting to determine how to address this issue. The Boy Scouts would not, under any circumstances, dictate a position to units, members, or parents. Under this proposed policy, the BSA would not require any chartered organization to act in ways inconsistent with that organization's mission, principles, or religious beliefs.

This issue will be voted on next week (February 4-6) by the Boy Scouts of America National Executive Board. Since this issue has generated a great deal of discussion nationwide, the Boy Scouts of America has made available an avenue for individuals to communicate their feelings on this matter: Click here. While any change in policy will be decided by the National Executive Board volunteers, I do encourage you to share your opinion.

Following the outcome of the decision by the National Executive Board, Marin Council volunteers and staff will provide additional information for volunteers, parents, and chartering organizations. Do feel free to contact me directly with any questions or concerns you might have by sending an email.

I would like to add that while this is a very emotional debate which has generated much passion across the country, Marin Scouters have continually demonstrated civility and respect in their approach. You are an example to the youth we serve of the values of courteous, kind, and friendly which are so important in the Scout Law.

Yours in Scouting,