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September 2, 2015
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Thanks for Attending
"The Big Launch"
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Thank you to the 200+ leaders and Scouts who attended "The Big Launch" this past weekend at the Valley Forge Middle School!
Also, thank you to our dedicated council committee volunteers and our Program Partners for putting together a great midway!
If your unit didn't make it, please make sure to pick-up your packet with planning guides and other resources at your district's September Roundtable or make arrangements with your district executive.
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Rocket Into Scouting
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T-Minus 28 Days!
Is your unit ready to Rocket Into Scouting?
For more details about the items below and to receive updates about the campaign, please join the email distribution list to receive the Rocket Into Scouting newsletter. The next edition will be distributed tomorrow afternoon.
Make sure you've watched the training webinars:
RocketScouts.org is live! Please visit the site to make sure your unit's September 30 Sign-Up location information is correct. If changes need to be made, please contact your district membership chair or professional, or send an email to membership@colbsa.org.
Cub Scout Packs: Get your "Launch Kits" at your district's September Roundtable, with what you need for to help make your sign-up night a success! Promotional materials will also be available.
If your unit would like to order additional rockets and engines for existing Scouts, please click here. The orders deadline has been extended to Monday, September 7. This link is for ordering additional rockets for existing Scouts only; do not pre-order rockets for new Scouts. For more details about rocket distribution to units for new and existing Scouts, please click here.
Is your unit's BeAScout.org pin up-to-date? Make sure the information is correct and enable online applications. Your unit leader, committee chair, and chartered organization representative have access through MyScouting to update your unit's PIN (and can grant access to others to do so). Here's a video on the process. Email membership@colbsa.org if you need assistance.
Please visit the Rocket Into Scouting page at colbsa.org/rocket for a host of resources to help your unit plan for the campaign. Check out the timeline, frequently asked questions, and other materials available to help you get ready to launch!
Have you seen Rocket Into Scouting billboard yet?
If you have any questions, please contact your district membership chair, district executive, or email membership@colbsa.org.
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Popcorn Sale
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More than 75 units attended the inaugural council tailgate style training and popcorn pickup Saturday at The Big Launch and the sale is now in full force leading up to the Labor Day Weekend.
Please contact your District Popcorn Team if you need additional popcorn order forms or materials. We have already had several units request additional product following successful neighborhood blitz campaigns.
Please contact Amy Davidson at Amy.Davidson@scouting.org if you are in need of additional product between now and the September 26 Replenishment Delivery. Units will be able to checkout additional product while supplies last during business hours.
Wawa Lottery Results Will Be Posted Friday
75 units entered the annual lottery and we are pleased that the overwhelming majority received one of their top two preferences for the October 3-4 weekend.
A full schedule will be posted to www.colbsa.org on Friday, September 4. At this time we have some additional slots which remain unfilled. If your unit would like to sign up for the remaining dates and locations, please send a request to popcorn@colbsa.org. Remaining locations will be assigned on a first-come first-serve basis and posted to the popcorn home page on a weekly basis until filled. Complete details and instructions for the weekend will be distributed in advance of the Wawa Weekend.
SEPTA Locations Now Available for Show-and-Sell
Thanks to our friends at SEPTA, Scouts will now have the opportunity to arrange Show-and-Sells at selected SEPTA locations beginning this week. A complete list of locations will be posted to www.colbsa.org/popcorn.
SEPTA service will be suspended during the Papal Visit to Philadelphia as the system braces for the travelers who will be attending the World Meeting of Families.
Please contact Amy Davidson at Amy.Davidson@scouting.org to request locations. Units will receive confirmation and an authorization granting permission to sell at the stations of their choice during the following hours:
- Monday - Friday 3pm to 7pm
- Saturday - Sunday 11am to 4pm
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2017 National Jamboree Registration is OPEN
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To view a promotional video click here
Registration is now active for the 2017 National Jamboree which will take place from July 19-28 2017 at The Summit Bechtel Reserve in West Virginia, which is the fourth National BSA High Adventure Base. Cradle of Liberty Council intends to take ten contingent troops and one crew to the Jamboree. The cost for youth is $1,545 which includes transportation, food, equipment, and just about everything you will need. There are three sources of campership money for those in need of assistance, information including applications will be posted soon.
The two step registration process to sign up for the Jamboree is described below:
First, sign up on the National site. This will require a My.Scouting user name and password, go to my.scouting.org to create a password if you do not yet have one. Remember the account needs to be in the name of the person attending the Jamboree, not the parent, and the account has to be linked to the scout's membership id number. Chrome or Firefox may be the best browsers to sign up.
Second, after you have signed up on the National System, submit the Request to Attend form to Cradle of Liberty Council, 1485 Valley Forge Road, Wayne, PA 19087, including your Scoutmaster's approval with an initial payment of $245. You will need the Jamboree Registration Code that you receive from National once you sign up on their site. Further payments of $100 per month can be made by credit card through Doubleknot on the council website.
Scoutmasters and other contingent leaders are currently being selected for the contingent troops and crew. If you are interested, please use this link for more information
For questions please contact John Heiple jambo2017chair@gmail.com or Steve Perrone Sperrone@ppciga.org
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COL National Jamboree Fundraiser
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Th is is the 2017 National Jamboree Fundraiser Patch. All proceeds go for camperships for Cradle of Liberty Scouts that need financial assistance to attend the 2017 National Jamboree. Additionally a donation from the sales will be made to support Breast Cancer Research
To purchase one of these flaps you can visit our eBay store, click here or the Valley Forge Service Center in Wayne PA.
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2015 Philadelphia Encampment
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Scouts and leaders from around the council are welcome to attend!
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Webelos Woods Weekend
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September 26-27
This weekend trip is the perfect activity to kick-off the Fall for current Webelos Scouts (4th and 5th graders).
Attend as a parent/son pair and experience an Introduction to Boy Scout program. Bring your own tent - or rent one from us - food is provided and will be cooked in your patrols. While your Webelos are developing their Boy Scout skills we will be offering concurrent sessions for parents about the Boy Scout program.
Throughout the weekend Scouts will participate as a patrol in different activities: outdoor skills including pioneering, orienteering, and fire building; first aid; nature! Give your Webelos a head-start in the essential Boy Scouting skills and also complete some of their Webelos requirements with this fun event. (A full list of completed requirements will be provided at the end of the event).
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Fall Fest
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Fall Fest Registration is Now Open!
Join us for a fun-filled, family-oriented day of fall related activities at Musser Scout Reservation!
Activities include: Cooking (mountain pies), scarecrow making, apple chuckin', BBs, archery, nature hike, outdoor skills - fire challenge, slingshots, goop, giant games.
End the day with a rocket launch - new Scouts are encouraged to bring their rockets to camp to launch on the parade field.
Check in from 8:15- 8:45, program starts with opening ceremony at 8.50. The day ends at 4.30. Lunch provided.
Register for one or more days below!
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National Youth Leadership Training (NYLT)
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NYLT is an exciting, action packed program designed to provide youth members of the Boy Scouts of America with leadership skills and experience they can use in their home units and in other situations demanding leadership of self and others. NEW this year: opened to Venturing, male and female.
Through activities, presentations, challenging discussions, and audio-visual support, you will be engaged in a unified approach to leadership that will give you the skills and confidence to lead well.
Through a wide range of activities, games, and adventures, participants will work and play together as they put into action the best that Scouting has to offer.
Upcoming Course:
September 25-27 & October 2-4
September 19 is the last day to register!
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Important Update Based On Pennsylvania Act 15:
The new law, as of July 1, 2015, has made several changes to volunteer compliance and clearances. While there have been changes to school based employees and foster parents, the following is related only to BSA volunteer compliance. Below are a few of the items that have changed with the passing of this new law. Please visit www.colbsa.org/palaw for the most up-to-date information.
What has CHANGED?
- August 25, 2015 is now the compliance deadline for new volunteers to secure their clearances and FBI criminal history (if required).
- There is no cost for volunteer clearances (PSP Criminal History and DHS Child Abuse) after July 25, 2015.
- The FBI criminal history clearance (for volunteers who have not been residents of Pennsylvania for the past ten years or residents of other states) is required only once upon establishing residency and when first applying for volunteer service.
- The cost of the FBI criminal history clearance through DHS has been reduced to $25.75 after July 25, 2015.
- Volunteer clearances (PSP Criminal History and DHS Child Abuse) are valid for 60 months.
- Volunteer clearances may be applied for, at no cost to the volunteer, every 57 months.
- Organizations are permitted to accept non-original copies of the required documents from volunteers.
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Unit Commissioners Needed
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Greetings:
My fellow Commissioners and I are seeking a few good men and women to serve with us as Commissioners. This is one of the oldest jobs in BSA, and you just might find fulfillment helping a unit in your district as a member of our Commissioner Corp.
The Commissioner Concept:
The Commissioner is the liaison between the local council and Scouting units. The commissioner's mission is to keep units operating at maximum efficiency, maintain regular contact with unit leaders, coach leaders on where to find assistance, note weaknesses in programs, and suggest remedies. The commissioner is successful when units effectively deliver the ideals of Scouting to their members.
--from BSA's Administration of Commissioner Service
The NEW Unit Commissioner in Cradle of Liberty Council:
- A new Commissioner will be welcomed by the Council Commissioner or the District Commissioner and be commissioned into service.
- You will also be given a "mentor," an experienced Commissioner to help you get going.
- You will take Commissioner Fast Start online and receive a short training course in the use of the online Commissioner Tools.
- You will be assigned to one unit for starters.
- You will visit that unit once a month and get to know the leaders.
- When your unit needs help or assistance, you will be their friend and "go-to" person.
- Welcome to Commissioner Service in Cradle of Liberty Council. And, thanks!
Chuck Bolger chuckbolger@aol.com
Cradle of Liberty Council Commissioner
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Cradle of Liberty Council Venturing 2015 - 2016
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Many Boy/Girl Scouts join Venturing for the fun, high adventure activities, and the opportunity to grow and learn with an older age group. 14 - 21 year olds work in a COED environment to plan and carry out the activities that they choose. Male and female advisors support these efforts, but the youth decide what they want to do and how they will make it happen.
The VOA (Venturing Officers Association) is open to all Venturers. Meetings are held from 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM the first Tuesday of each month at Scout Headquarters in Valley Forge. At these meetings, trip ideas are shared, friends are made, and the VOA Spring Weekend is planned. Venturing Adults are invited to participate in the advisor roundtable meeting across the hall at the same time.
For more information and a list of calendar events, click here
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Sea Scouts Present at Commissioning of Newest Ship in the Navy
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Last year, Sea Scout Ship 484 had the privilege of being present at the arrival and commissioning of the USS Somerset, an Amphibious Transport Dock Ship. The Somerset is a 700-foot ship that can carry 1,200 sailors and land an Osprey helicopter. She is the third of three ships built to memorialize 9/11.
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Sea Scouts Hold Second Annual Rendezvous
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 Cradle of Liberty's Sea Scout Squadron held its second annual Sea Scout Rendezvous at Camp Firestone during the weekend of June 19-21, 2015, immediately prior to the beginning of the summer camp season at Resica Falls Scout Reservation. This is the second year that the Squadron held its annual Rendezvous at Resica Falls. Squadron Commodore Bob Gabage, who also acts as the Skipper of Ship 201, the SSS Slayer, located in Jenkintown, was pleased that the number of Sea Scouts participating in the 2015 Rendezvous was greater than that who participated in the initial Rendezvous held in 2014. The Rendezvous is designed to foster camaraderie amongst the Sea Scouts in the council and provide a council event that is specifically tailored to Sea Scouting. Read the complete article here>
The Cradle of Liberty Sea Scout Squadron consists of the six Sea Scout Ships currently registered in the council and was officially formed in October of 2013. The Squadron's Commodore is Bob Gabage. The Squadron meets the first Monday of every month at the council headquarters in Wayne and the meetings begin at 7:00 p.m.
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Mobile Scout Shop
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Du e to summer vacations the Mobile Scout Shop will return on Saturdays in September. In the meantime, the Valley Forge Scout Shop is offering free shipping to support our units that would have gone to the Mobile Scout Shop.
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Eagle Scout Fundraiser
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The Cradle of Liberty Eagle Alumni Committee has released a new "Once an Eagle Always an Eagle" Council shoulder patch with a striking red, white and blue border. The patches are $10 each plus postage and available by using the attached order form. All proceeds support Eagle Scout Scholarships that are awarded each year at the Eagle Dinner. These patches are a great way to recognize a new Eagle Scout or for adult Eagle Scouts to wear on their uniforms.
Thank you in advance for your support!
To order this patch, click here
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Unami Lodge |
Service Weekends... Fall Fellowship, October 9th - 11th at Resica Falls Scout Reservation, click here to register - At this event we elect our 2016 Lodge Officers and hold the vigil for our 2015 class, so dont miss it.
Trade-O-Ree... Sept 18th & 19th at the Philadelphia National Guard Armory. More details, click here
Go to www.unamilodge.org for more information about these events and any Lodge information.
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Program Partners
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Our Program Partners offer a variety of opportunities and discounts to Scouting families and are continuous supporters of our council.
Please visit the website to see all the great offers available from our Program Partners!
Philadelphia Flyers Scout Nights!
Tuesday, September 22 at 7:00pm - vs. New York Rangers
Tuesday, October 20 - 7:30pm - vs. Dallas Stars
Monster Jam
Scout Night on Friday, October 2 at 7:30pm
Temple Football
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Catholic Committee on Scouting
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Jewish Committee on Scouting
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The Jewish Committee on Scouting of the Cradle of Liberty Council is again proud to be able to sponsor camperships for Jewish Scouts, to help reimburse you for sending your son to Cub/Scout camp this summer.
For more information, please click here
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2016 Valley Forge Pilgrimage & Encampment - Save the Dates
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Pilgrimage
Saturday, February 13, 2016
One-Day Event
For: Cub Scouts, Webelos Scouts, Boy Scouts, Venturers, Parents, Families, Scouters, and Guests
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Encampment
Friday-Sunday,
February 12-14, 2016
Weekend Event
(includes the Pilgrimage)
For: Boy Scouts, Venturers and Scouters only
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2016 Merit Badge College
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Save the dates for the 2016 Merit Badge College. It will be March 19 and April 2, 2016 at Valley Forge Military Academy.
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Thank you for being a part of the Scouting movement and the Cradle of Liberty Council! If you have news or information you'd like to see in upcoming issues of the BSAT, please don't hesitate to e-mail news@colbsa.org.
Sincerely,
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Cradle of Liberty Council
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