The Sam Houston Area Council is looking for staff members to assist the council in a new initiative for new unit development. These employees, called "Onboarding Specialists," will guide new Scouting units (Cub Scouting, Boy Scouting, and Venturing) through the steps of new unit organization. Through this process, they will assist new chartering organizations in the identification of adult volunteers for new Scouting, assist the new adult volunteers with program planning, budgeting and scheduling, guide the new adult volunteers through district and BSA resources to be trained, and guide the new adult leaders through the start-up of the new unit's programming to ensure the program is launched and the new unit is chartered.

Candidates must have knowledge of the Scouting programs with an understanding of unit organization. Interested applicants should send their resumé to our Director of Membership Development, Dustin Dupuis, at dustin.dupuis@scouting.org.

Make sure your unit's information is correct on BeAScout.org. We suggest you list your feeder school(s) and/or church in the description. If your unit doesn't have a website, refer them to the district website [preferably the unit's page (e.g., www.raven.shac.org/units].

All national and council marketing assets refer parents to BeAScout.org, so it's very important that this information is updated. Detailed instructions can be found here.

We are proudly enjoying our 2nd year of Scouting fun at Tellepsen Scout Camp! We have been so excited to see the thousands of Scouts that have enjoyed the climbing tower, shooting sports, hiking, canoeing, and camping at our newest camp over the last year.

Now that we have enjoyed and experienced all that Tellepsen Scout Camp has to offer, it is time to design a special patch for all of our Scouts to enjoy! We are having a patch design contest for a Tellepsen Scout Camp patch! Send us your ideas or drawings and our patch selection committee will select a winning design that will be announced at the end of the 2016 summer season. Send your ideas to michelle.phillips@scouting.org by August 1, 2016.

The 2016 Popcorn Sale is almost here! Your scouts have the opportunity pay their own way through the 2016-2017 scouting year and earn great prizes by selling delicious gourmet popcorn. We are very excited to announce our brand new partnership with CAMP MASTERS Popcorn. This new partnership means that your scouts get to sell great popcorn packaged in the tins that many popcorn customers have missed over the last few years, while you can expect an ordering interface that is simple to use and customer service that is responsive to any needs you may have.

Another exciting change for the 2016 sale is training conducted by Michael Beck, a professional sales coach and creator of a program that has helped many units stop worrying about raising funds year-round and concentrate more on the FUN of Scouting. He has helped units across the country increase their sales revenue dramatically (an average of 14 percent). Skills learned apply to all types of fundraisers, including non-council sales. Every unit should send at least one representative and are mandatory for those units participating in show and sell.

These trainings are available:

*July 21, 2016 at 7:00 pm at Cockrell Scout Center (2225 N Loop W, Houston, 77008)

*July 23, 2016 at 10:00 am at Cockrell Scout Center (2225 N Loop W, Houston, 77008)

*July 23, 2016 at 2:00 pm at Foundry United Methodist Church (8350 Jones Road, Houston 77065)

To register for popcorn sales please click here. 

The completed application is submitted to the Cockrell Scout Center for processing - ideally at the end of August. Individual awards may be purchased when the application is turned in.

Qualifying packs receive a colorful streamer for their pack flag. Dens with an average attendance of at least half their members at the three summer pack events will be eligible for a colorful den participation ribbon. Boys who participate in all three pack events are eligible to receive the National Summertime Pack Award pin, which they can wear on the right pocket flap of their uniform. A Cub Scout who actively participates in his pack's summer activities and earns the Summertime Pack Award each year earns a different pin that matches the neckerchief slide of his program level.

This award can be an incentive for greater attendance at your summer pack activities. Spread the news and get your pack committee planning or fine-tuning their plans for an active outdoor summer filled with fun!

Cockrell Scout Center

2225 North Loop West, Houston, TX

8:30 a.m.- 3:30 p.m.

$5.00

Trainer's EDGE is BSA's trainer development course designed to help Scouters put into practice the EDGE training model and gain self-confidence through hands-on training experiences. Trainer's EDGE brings to life the EDGE model taught in Troop Leadership Training, Scoutmaster and Assistant Scoutmaster Specific Training, National Youth Leadership Training, and Wood Badge.

Do you train Leaders? Parents? Scouts? Are you someone who has thought about training but you don't know where to begin? Or maybe you have years of experience in training but want to add some pizzazz to it? The Trainer's EDGE is for anyone interested in different training methods. It will equip you with ideas, techniques, and materials for improving presentations by enabling you to select approaches that will communicate your messages most successfully, and with PIZZAZZ!!

This conference is for any Scouter, Boy Scout, or Venturer who will be delivering training in Scouting. To register, please click here.