| Greetings!
Welcome to the February 2013 issue of our Council newsletter.
If you have an upcoming event, information, or a special scout story you'd like to include in this newsletter, please, email our editor. |
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Record Number of Eagle Scouts
The Eagle Scout is the highest award a Boy Scout can earn. In 2012, the 100th anniversary of the Eagle Scout Award, a record 444 Boy Scouts in Central Florida earned this prestigious award. They will be recognized at the Central Florida Council Recognition Banquet on June 4th at the Buena Vista Palace Resort and Spa. Congratulations to all Boy Scouts who earned the Eagle Scout rank.
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All-Hands Summit
 The Central Florida Council is proud to announce the 2013 All Hands Summit. This gathering is for every adult leader in the Central Florida Council. The All Hands Summit will begin at 8:30am and will include guest speakers such as former Astronaut Anna Fisher. Special videoettes from our Scouting units will be highlighted throughout the program. In addition we will be hosting a town hall question and answer session with the Chief Scout Executive of the Boy Scouts of America, Wayne Brock, and the National Commissioner of the Boy Scouts of America, Tico Perez. We expect the 2013 All Hands Summit to fill up fast so be sure to reserve your seat today. There is no cost to attend and we look forward to seeing you there - Saturday, March 23rd, 8:30 a.m. - Noon.
Please click here to reserve your seat
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Join Scouts from Central Florida at the Orlando Solar Bears Scout Night. Watch the Solar Bears battle on the ice wearing special Boy Scout hockey uniforms
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The 2013 Friends of Scouting Campaign is off and running...
Scouting is "Making Heroes". In the next few months a Scouting representative will visit your Pack, Troop or Crew and give you an opportunity to invest in the future of Scouting here in Central Florida.
Funds raised in our 2013 Friends of Scouting campaign will help pay for unit service, leader training, youth scholarships, recruitment efforts, program development, program support, camping and much more.
Your gift is important.
Please make plans to participate at your next Blue & Gold or Court of Honor.
If you are unable to attend your Blue & Gold or Court of Honor, please help your unit achieve 100% family participation by making a donation using this link: My Pledge to Making Heroes
On behalf of the over 25,000 Scouts here in Central Florida, thank you for being a part of this important campaign!! Thank you for making heroes!!
Sincerely,
Tom Wallace
Proud father of a Scout
Council FOS Chair
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Change - It's Your Choice - It's Your Program
You choose your Scouting Adventure by using your voice - the Voice of the Scout! Yes, you get to say what you like about the Scouting Program and what you think needs improvement. The Boy Scouts of America created the Voice of the Scout Program in the spring of 2012 and have asked for your participation and input through the e-mailed survey both last spring and this past fall. Your responses have made an impact and caused - Change.
The survey results were reviewed by both the Central Florida Council's Volunteer and Professional Leadership Teams. Leadership is listening to your voice, continuing what you like about the Scouting Program and changing what you thought needed to be improved on. Thank you for your help in making the best Scouting Program possible.
Please respond to the 2013 Spring Voice of the Scout Surveythat you will be receiving in Mid-March. We need your Voice!
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Exciting new Additions to the Central Florida Council Professional Staff
 The new Senior District Executive for the Seminole Springs District is Adam Hunter. Adam comes to us from the Circle Ten Council in Dallas, Texas where he served as a District Executive for three years. During his tenure in the Circle Ten Council, Adam demonstrated exceptional leadership in volunteer development and staff leadership as well as product sales management and new youth recruitment. Please join us in welcoming Adam to the Central Florida Council.
 The new District Executive for the Little Econ District is Shawn Marler. Shawn comes to us from serving for the past three years as a 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Army Reserve. Prior to his service in the Reserves, Shawn was a successful District Executive serving for three years in the Gulf Ridge Council in Tampa, FL. While serving as a District Executive and working with his volunteers Shawn had three consecutive years of double digit membership growth and surpassed all fund raising goals.
 The new District Executive for the Challenger District is Matthew Poye. Matt is an Eagle Scout and served on Summer Camp Staff for several years. Matt grew up in Northern Brevard County and graduated from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's Degree in Biology. Matt is excited and ready to work with the volunteers of the Challenger District in making Scouting's Journey to Excellence come alive in Northern Brevard County.
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Central Florida Council New Staff Assignment
 Jerry Brady will assume the role of Middle and High School Senior Learning for Life Executive also focusing on Exploring for the Central Florida Council. Jerry has served on the Executive Staff of the Central Florida Council since 2001 in various capacities including District Executive in Little Econ District and Senior District Executive in Seminole Springs District. |
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Spring into the Spring with events at our Camp!
 Racing into Cub Scouts March 8-10, 2013  Race into Cub Scouting at our camp with great racing activities for your Cub Scout and the entire family. Activities include racing events, bb guns, swimming, great campfire show, nature trails crafts, archery plus a whole bunch more. Please click here to register online for Racing into Cub Scouts Please click here for the information / registration flyer Fun with Son Weekends March 22-24, 2013 April 5-7, 2013  Experience our camp during the Spring of 2013. Cub Scouts and their families will enjoy great activities that include bb guns, archery, craft building, swimming, hiking our nature trails plus much more! Please click here to register online for Fun with Son (March 22-24) Please click here to register online for Fun with Son (April 5-7) Please click here for the information / registration flyer Boy Scout Extravaganza April 19-21, 2013  The Boy Scout Extravaganza is from Friday evening - Sunday afternoon, featuring eight exciting and adventures treks. Boy Scouts may choose their Trek that suits their adventures minds. Experience the great outdoor adventures at our Camp. Each Scout must attend as part of a Troop or with a parent / guardian. Please click here to register online Please click here for the information / registration flyer Tiger Crossing May 10-12, 2013  Bring your entire family to camp to celebrate your Tiger Cub's Graduation! Your graduating Tiger Cub and family will experience activities such as swimming, bb guns, archery, games, crafts, awesome campfire and of course a Graduation Ceremony. Please click here to register online Please click here for the information / registration flyer |
Cub Scout Day Camp 2013
 Cub Scout Day Camp planning has kicked into full force. The Directors, program directors and other key staff are putting together the best program ever. The theme this year is Cub Scout Day Camp discovers the world. Each camp is discovering different things in the world. From the different types of transportation you can take to discover the world, to all the different countries in the world.
WE are looking for volunteers to work at camp and to help plan it as well. If you are interested contact your camp director on the flier or at cflscouting.org on the Day Camp page.
 We have some great new activities planned, some old favorites (BB's and archery). Day Camp is the opportunity for Cub Scouts, to have fun making new friends, learning scout skills, all while earning rank advancement and other Cub Scout awards. Each camp is different and your son can attend any or as many camps as he wants. Most camps will have BB's, Archery, Crafts and Scout Skills after that every camp is different. You son will earn awards in his new rank Wolf, Bear or Webelos. He will earn a Day Camp patch and receive his camp t-shirt. Camp is all week and all day long. For specific times and dates check out the flier or website.
Congratulations to Cub Scout Jonathan B. for the winning patch design. He and a friend are getting an all-expense paid vacation for two for the Cub Scout Day Camp of his choice. So mark your calendars with the dates and get ready for a wonderful Day Camp filled summer.
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| Summer Camp 2013
Experience Scouting as it should be with high adventure, merit badges galore and the one and only Native American program village plus much more!
 Camp La-No-Che's summer camp adventures for Boy Scouts and Venturing youth include the ATV and Personal Water Craft experiences, a Native American village where scouts learn "hands on" about the Native American culture, High Adventure programs which include the Alpine Tower, high & low courses in COPE plus the Climbing tower, great program areas for scouts to earn merit badges in aquatics, ecology, scoutcraft skills, health fields, shooting sports and trailblazers (designed for new scouts).
 Summer camp 2013 at Camp La-No-Che will be the best ever. We already have over 160 Troops who are attending so please put your reservation in today. Please contact Pam Falconer (352-669-8558 or pam@camplanoche.com) at Camp La-No-Che located in the Leonard and Marjorie Williams Family Scout Reservation to put in your Troop's or Crew's reservation.
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Thorns and Roses - Reflection
 Voice of the Scout The Voice of the Scout is your voice making a difference in improving the Scouting Program. The information collected from the survey responses received is reviewed by the Volunteer and Professional Council Leadership and immediately acted upon. Below please find a Scouting Program success and also an item which needs improvement. It is the goal of the Council's Leadership to provide the best Scouting program possible for our Scouts and Adult Leaders. Action will be taken. Success "The events and activities are an awesome part of the Scouting Program." The Central Florida Council, the Districts, and the individual Packs/Troops/Crews provide many opportunities to grow our Scout's Scouting Adventure. Scouting Traditions will always be provided along with what's new and exciting in the world of today. Improvement Needed "Pack, Troop, and/or Crew Meetings are not fun." The Boy Scouts of America presently provides Adult Leader Training and Program Guidance to assist in the development and execution of Unit Level Meetings but sometimes this is not enough to cause success. The District's Training Committees and the District's Unit Commissioner Staffs will be advised of the additional need for guidance. |
Central Florida Council Awards Banquet
The annual Central Florida Council and Eagle Scout Recognition banquet is scheduled for Tuesday, June 4, 2013 at the Buena Vista Palace Hotel near Downtown Disney in Orlando. This is the time of year that we recognize the achievements of our volunteer leaders, the 440 Scouts who earned the rank of Eagle Scout in 2012 and elect Council Officers and Executive Board members for the year ahead. It is also the time that we recognize the 2012-2013 class of Silver Beavers. The District Award of Merit will be presented at District Banquets scheduled prior to the Council Banquet.
The Boy Scouts of America, acting through the National Court of Honor, may award the Silver Beaver Award for distinguished service to youth at the local council level. The award is made for noteworthy service of exceptional character to youth by registered Scouters within the jurisdiction of the council.
 The District Award of Merit is a council award presented by districts in the same manner that the Silver Beaver is a national award presented by councils. The award is available to Scouter who renders service of an outstanding nature at the district level and is made available annually on the basis of 1 award for each 25 traditional units registered in the district.
Nominations for the Silver Beaver Award are due by April 12, 2013. Nomination Forms are available by contacting Shanna Michel at the Wayne Densch Boy Scout Service Center by email at shanna.michel@scouting.org.
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Training
 Looking for the latest information on BSA Training Classes being held in the Central Florida Council? The Council Training Calendar is your one-stop shop for all training classes, when they will be held, who is conducting the class, and how to register. |
Come Together!
 Come Together Right Now Over - Scouting! Yes you might think it's just a lyric from an old Beatles Song but these two simple words are powerful - Come Together. Coming together as a Team of Scouting Volunteers working in unity to provide the best Scouting Program for our Scouts and Adult Leaders will always cause success. Success can start from the power of one but greater success and strength to cause longevity comes from the masses. So let's spread the word to our friends, neighbors, and business partners and grow our force one volunteer at a time. It is up to us to cause success in Scouting. We provide the Scouting Adventure for our Scouts. We provide the advancement in their abilities and knowledge. We provide the opportunity for our Scouts to grow into the leaders of tomorrow. It's up to us the Scouting Family to be the leadership and guidance. This growth of Scouting's power and strength starts as a seed within every Scouting Family, then grows within the Packs/Troops/Crews, blossoms in the Districts, and bears the fruit of success within the Council causing a bountiful harvest - our Scouts. Not one person, one Scouting Unit, or one District can provide the abilities, the power, the strength, or the success that one Team, the Central Florida Council can.
Let's Come Together Now Over - Scouting. |
What's Going Around: Poison Ivy / Poison Oak
With the amazing weather Central Florida has been having this month, it's no wonder people are spending lots of time outdoors. The downside to that is something Centra Care doctors have been seeing more and more lately - Poison Oak and Poison Ivy. Most people are sensitive to the plants' oily sap. If it gets on your skin, it causes a blistering skin rash. The rash can range from mild to severe, depending on how much sap gets on your skin and how sensitive you are to it.
Learn More:
Poison Ivy has three shiny green leaves and a red stem. It typically grows in the form of a vine, often along the water's edge. Poison Oak grows in the form of a shrub and has three leaves, similar to Poison Ivy.
The oils from these plants usually enter the skin rapidly and may remain for a long time on contaminated clothing, pets, tools, shoes and other surfaces. These contaminated items can cause rashes in the future if they are not properly cleaned.
SYMPTOMS
- Extreme itching
- Red, streaky, patchy rash where the plant touched the skin
- Red bumps, which may form large, weeping blisters
One's reaction can vary from mild to severe. In rare cases, the person is admitted to a hospital. The worst symptoms are often seen during days 4 to 7. The rash may last for 1 to 3 weeks.
WHAT TO DO:
- Wash the skin thoroughly with soap and warm water. Because the plant oil enters skin quickly, try to wash it off within 30 minutes.
- Scrub under the fingernails with a brush to prevent the plant oil from spreading to other parts of the body.
- Wash clothing and shoes with soap and hot water. The plant oils can linger on them.
- Immediately bathe animals to remove the oils from their fur.
- Body heat and sweating can aggravate the itching. Stay cool and apply cool compresses to your skin.
- Calamine lotion and hydrocortisone cream can be applied to the skin to reduce itching and blistering.
- Bathing in lukewarm water with an oatmeal bath product, available in drugstores, may soothe itchy skin.
- If creams, lotions, or bathing do not stop the itching, antihistamines may be helpful.
- In severe cases, especially for a rash around the face or genitals, the health care provider may prescribe steroids, taken by mouth or given by injection.
Do NOT touch skin or clothing that still have the resins.
Call 911 or go to an emergency room if:
- Someone is suffering a severe allergic reaction, such as swelling or difficulty breathing, or has had a severe reaction in the past.
Call your doctor or head to Centra Care if:
- Itching is severe and cannot be controlled.
- The rash affects your face, lips, eyes, or genitals.
- The rash shows signs of infection, such as pus, yellow fluid leaking from blisters, odor, or increased tenderness.
The best way to avoid the rash is to learn what the plants look like and stay away from them. As the old saying goes, "leaves of three, leave it be."
(SOURCE: NIH)
Did you know ... Centra Care offers discounted physicals for Scouts and Leaders? Scout physicals are available for $25 and Leader physicals are only $40. Check with your local Centra Care for your next annual physical.
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Golden Eagle Dinners - Save the Date!
The Golden Eagle Dinner is the annual fundraising event that helps make Scouting happen in Central Florida. It brings together the business, civic and political leaders of our community. The event shares the story of Scouting's success, while illustrating Scouting's positive impact on our youth. And there is an event coming your way soon... This event also affords us the opportunity to honor a great community leader! See below for event information in your area. To find out more or how you can be a part of this great event, contact Nancy Freeman. |
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Location
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Honoree
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February 15th
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The Villages
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March 6th
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West Orange County (Luncheon)
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Tim Keating, President
R.C. Stevens Construction
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March 14th
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Lake County
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Dr. Moxely, Lake County Superintendent of Schools
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March 19th
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West Volusia County
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West Volusia Beacon
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March 21st
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Brevard County
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Lynda Weatherman, President/CEO
Economic Development Commission of FL Space Coast
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March 26th
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Southeast Volusia County
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Clay Henderson, Sr. Counsel
Holland & Knight
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March 27th
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Apopka Area (Luncheon)
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Lou Haubner, Realtor
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March TBA
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East Volusia County
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Ryan Lochte, Olympic Swimmer
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March TBA
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Flagler County
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Sam Cline, President
S.E. Cline Construction
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April 4th
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Seminole County
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Larry Tobin, CEO
Fairwinds Credit Union
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April 16th
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Metro Orlando
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Jimmy Hewitt, Co-Founder
Orlando Magic
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April TBA
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Osceola County
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Rotary Clubs of Osceola County
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From the Council President
 Your Council Key Three, Commissioner Bo Terry, Scout Executive Ron Oats, and I just learned that our council has won recognition as a Gold Council for 2012 pursuant to Scouting's Journey to Excellence program, the National Council's recognition program for Scouting's 294 councils. On behalf of the Key 3, I want to congratulate, and thank, all our volunteer leaders and our dedicated corps of professional Scouts for all their hard work and commitment that went into our council achieving this distinction once again. Only half of the council's nationwide achieved Gold status last year. The Central Florida Council has a long, proud tradition of excellence and a reputation as a pipeline to national leadership. Thus, maintaining the council's Gold status, the highest performance ranking given by National to local councils, is an important testament to the quality of our council. It is also a well-deserved recognition by National of the council's 8,300 volunteers who donated their time and talents to Scouting in Central Florida last year. Beyond the honor and recognition, though, achieving Gold council status signifies that Scouting is healthy and thriving in our community. National's Journey to Excellence program determines whether a council is Gold, Silver or Bronze by measuring the health of a council in five key areas: Finance, Membership, Program, Unit Service, and Leadership and Governance. Finance measures the council's fiscal management, fundraising, and endowment. Membership measures growth in the number of youth involved in Scouting, growth in the percentage of eligible youth who participate in Scouting, and how well a council retains youth as they grow up. Program measures advancement in rank, how many Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts are camping, and community service. Unit Service measures the ratios of council professionals and volunteers serving its Packs and Troops and how often a council's units are visited by their district commissioners. Leadership and Governance measures the strength, diversity, and involvement of council, district, and unit leadership, as well as the ratios of trained volunteers at the unit and district level. Each of the five areas measured is critical to the continued growth and health of Scouting in a community. As individuals who believe so strongly in the Scouting movement, we can all be proud that hard work of our volunteer leaders, our professional staff, and our Scouts has been recognized by the National Council. More importantly, we can all be proud of the fact that Scouting is healthy, strong, and thriving in Central Florida. Thank you for your hard work and commitment to Scouting, and God Bless You! Bill Sublette Council President |
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