Congratulations to the 538 inaugural members of the Cradle of Liberty Fish Club! By now most units should have received their patches, rods and lures. More than 200 Scouts qualified as full members of the 2015 Fish Club and are invited to the annual Fish Fest event at the USS Cradle of Liberty on Saturday, June 20 at Musser Scout Reservation. This all-day extravaganza is free to all full members of the Fish Club who sold at least $750 of popcorn and will feature music, food and of course FISHING! Save the date. Registration will be posted soon on the www.colbsa.org/popcorn site.

Congratulations Council Top-Seller Robbie Spiller!

The council is currently processing checks for 2014 online commissions. If your unit participated in the online sale, please be sure to alert your unit committee chair that payments will be sent in their care this month. Further questions on this process can be directed to Mark Saxon at mark.saxon@scouting.org.

Are you and your Cubs looking forward to another exciting summer of activities? Look no further than the Cradle of Liberty Council camping opportunities. We offer everything from a week of day camp in your local area to a half or full-week resident camp where the boys can sleepover at camp!

Schedule a promotion night and our trained promotion team will come to your meeting with updated information about camp, fliers and plenty of camp excitement. The presentation only takes about 10-15 minutes, and is sure to get your Cubs excited about attending camp! 

Contact John Bickel to schedule your camp promotion! If you loved your experience at camp last summer, we hope you will join us in spreading the good word about camp by helping as a camp promoter! If you want to help spread the word, contact John Bickel.

The annual Friends of Scouting campaign provides Scouters, parents, alumni, businesses, and community members with an opportunity to support the programs and facilities of the Cradle of Liberty Council. 

The true cost of Scouting is much greater than what local dues or event and camping fees cover. Yearly registration fees directly support the National Council of the Boy Scouts of America and help provide program development and research, literature and other resources. Instead of charging a fixed cost to support local council operations, the Friends of Scouting Campaign gives individuals and businesses the option to contribute at a level of their own choosing. 

We're excited for this year's theme, "Lighting the Way." Recognition items and an exciting event are currently being planned around the theme. Unit guides will be available soon at colbsa.org/donate outlining the 2015 plan.

Each unit is asked to schedule a presentation date for this campaign during the months of January, February and March. If your unit hasn't scheduled a presentation yet, please firm-up a date so district volunteers to have enough time to plan for the campaign. Your unit FOS coordinator may schedule a presentation by contacting your district Family FOS chair or your district professional, or may schedule your unit's presentation online by completing a short form.

Thank you for your support!

January 17 Webcasts on the New Cub Scouting Program:

A new Cub Scouting program is launching June 1, 2015, that will be more fun and exciting for boys, and easier to implement for unit leaders. To ensure you are ready to make the transition, a number of webcasts will be hosted on January 17 to outline the coming changes, how to prepare, and when resources will be available.

Cubmaster Webcasts

Saturday, January 17, at 9 AM (Eastern), or

Saturday, January 17, at 4 PM (Eastern)

Den Leader Webcasts

Saturday, January 17, at 10:30 AM (Eastern), or

Saturday, January 17, at 5:30 PM (Eastern)

LDS-Specific Considerations*

Saturday, January 17, at 12 PM (Eastern), or

Saturday, January 17, at 7 PM (Eastern)

*It is recommended that those interested in the LDS session view one of the role-specific sessions first.

Although the content will be geared to the roles listed, anyone with an interest in learning about the new Cub Scouting program is welcome to attend. The sessions will be recorded for later viewing.

It's easy to attend! Just navigate your Internet browser to www.livestream.com/bsanationalcouncil and you are ready to view the webcast! As always, for more information on the new Cub Scouting program, please go to www.scouting.org/programupdates.

Help spread the word about the webcasts to ensure others are ready for the new Cub Scouting program!

There are lots of questions regarding the Venturing program with the release of new program updates effective January 1. Here are a few answers to the most commonly asked queries:

Training

There is now training for Crew advisors and the Crew committee. Training syllabi can be found at www.scouting.org/training/adult. (Venturing Advisor Position Specific and Crew Committee Challenge).

In the new award structure, Venturers are to complete some new training courses. They can be found at www.scouting.org/training/youth. These trainings are:

• Goal Setting/Time Management
• Mentoring
• Project Management (coming soon)

Hold the dates as Cradle of Liberty Council presents its second Merit Badge College on Saturdays April 11 and May 2, 2015 at the Valley Forge Military Academy. A Scout will be able to earn up to four Merit Badges by completing prerequisites in advance of the first session, completing additional requirements between the two sessions, and of course by attending and participating in the two Saturday class events.

Fifty badges are being offered including seven Eagle-required badges, many STEM badges, and other seldom-offered badges. There will be a limit of 500 Scouts so continue to monitor the BSA Today and the council website for further information. The badges being offered and sign-up instructions which will be forthcoming shortly. The cost is $26 per Scout which will include lunch for both days and a patch.

Our Program Partners offer a variety of opportunities and discounts to Scouting families and are continuous supporters of our council.  

colbsa.org/programpartners

Please visit the website to see all the great offers available from our Program Partners!

 Click here for more information >

Service Weekends.... April 17-19, 2015 Spring Service 1 - Musser Scout Reservation, 

                                      to register click here

                                     May 15-17, 2015 - Spring Service 2 -Resica Falls Scout Reservation,                                       to register click here

Online Store... want to purchase special 100th Anniversary Unami Lodge properties, like the this flap and Pre-order items , then click here

Go to www.unamilodge.org for more information about these events and any Lodge information.

Pinewood Derby Workshop

Saturday January 24, 2015

9 AM - 12 PM: workshop w/test track

New Hours

Monday, Thursday and Friday: 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM

Tuesday: 8:30 AM to 7:30 PM

Wednesday: 8:30 AM to 7:00 PM

Saturday: 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM

Sunday: Closed

The Cradle of Liberty Council is looking for the most enthusiastic and friendly Scouts to help us staff our summer camp operations at Musser and Resica Falls! Camp staff gives young people the opportunity to meet new friends, learn skills and teach the future generation of leaders! This is a great opportunity to spend your summer with great people in a fun, outdoor atmosphere! Interviews will start in Mid-January, so be sure to put in your application ASAP!

If you or a Scout you know is interested, go to www.colbsa.org/campstaffapp to fill out an application or email John Bickel for more information.

The Cradle of Liberty Council is exploring the possibility of starting a council Scout band. The band would meet periodically to rehearse in preparation to play at Scouting and community events. The band would be open to all registered Scouts and Scouters age 14 and up. Musicians would need to play at a high school level or better. The band is not intended to replace or reduce a Scout's participation in their home unit.

Additionally, there is a need for adults who play and can help with organizational duties. To express your interest in participating in a council band, please send an email to the band director George Pinchock with your age and instrument(s) played.