Dear Cubmasters and Pack Committee Chairs:
This is your monthly e-bulletin to all top Cub leaders in the Golden
Arrow District. Please delete or edit items not relevant to your Pack,
then forward to all your volunteers.
*** To add a new recipient, please send me full contact information,
volunteer position, and Pack #. ***
*** Please check that we have your Pack leadership info correctly
listed at http://www.goldenarrow.org/packs.html ***
*** Please pick up the items in your Pack Mailbox each month at
Roundtable ***
********** ROUNDTABLE, DISTRICT, AND COUNCIL MESSAGES **********
1) JUNE ROUNDTABLE: Because this month's regular Roundtable conflicts
with Twilight Camp, we are doing something different! There will be a
table set up on the Friday night of each week of Twilight Camp (Family
Night) with Roundtable information and ideas for the July and August Cub
Scout themes. Please encourage your leaders and parents to stop by that
evening. This applies to all the parents and leaders in your Pack. See
you back at St. John the Divine in AUGUST!
Click here to download monthly handouts:
http://www.scoutingthenet.com/Training/Roundtable/Handouts/
2) BACK-OFFICE JOBS: As you plan your 2008-2009 Scouting program, don't
forget to name three volunteers for the "back-office" fundraising jobs
too: Popcorn in the fall, Friends of Scouting in the winter, and Scout
Fair tickets in the spring. These are good roles for parents who do not
want a full-year commitment but can do a diligent, organized job,
maintain focused enthusiasm, and keep good records during a limited
campaign.
3) FRIENDS OF SCOUTING FAMILY CAMPAIGN: We are done! Once again the
Golden Arrow District led the Council in generosity, increasing our
donations by 24% over last year, and shortening the time to completion
by a full month! We have raised over $215,000, one family at a time.
UPDATED Click here to see your own Pack's statistics as of May 30:
http://www.goldenarrow.org/news/fos-2008-packs.pdf
If your FOS Chair is holding pledges, has leftover thank-you premiums,
or needs more premiums, please immediately send an email to
claudia.hackbarth@shell.com <mailto:claudia.hackbarth@shell.com> We
will help you make arrangements to get it all squared away and take the
rest of the year off!
If you would like to pledge electronically right now, click here:
www.shac.org/familyfos
4) SCHEDULE YOUR FALL MEMBERSHIP RALLY: All Packs need to have their
dates (primary and back-up) coordinated with their schools well in
advance! Please turn in your date, time, location, and Pack Rally Chair
contact information to Jeff Hutchinson or Shannon Harlan by early June,
to have fancy flyers printed for your use at NO CHARGE. A permission
letter to your school Principal signed by Dr. Abe Saavedra is available,
ask Shannon or Jeff to email it to you. HISD guarantees your local
school's cooperation on Tuesday September 9 or another date if
necessary.
5) TOP LEADERSHIP CHANGES: If you become the Committee Chair or
Cubmaster, you MUST turn in a properly filled out and signed NEW adult
leader application to the Scout Office. Until this happens, the old
volunteer remains as the leader of record. No form = no official
change.
6) NEW LOCAL TOUR PERMIT: Please note that a new Local Tour Permit has
been posted to the SHAC web site (under Forms):
<https://www.samhoustonbsa.org/Home/Forms/LocalTourPermit/Local%20Tour%2
0Permit.PDF>
Expiration dates for training are asked for, as appropriate for that
activity: Safe Swim Defense, Safety Afloat, Youth Protection Training,
CPR, Hazardous Weather Training - 2 years
Beginning January 1, 2009, Planning & Preparing for Hazardous Weather
Training must be completed by at least one adult prior to any activity
requiring a tour permit. This training is available online at
MyScouting (<http://www.scouting.org/Applications/MyScoutingFull.aspx>)
and takes 30-45 minutes to complete.
7) CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECKS: All new leaders since April 2003 have had
criminal background checks. If you became a leader before then and have
not changed positions, a records clean-up project will cause you to get
a form letter. The letter will give recipients instructions to visit a
website, to "opt in" to a criminal background check. Recipients who
decline to authorize a background check will lose their BSA membership.
For more information, VIEW THIS LINK.
<http://www.samhoustonbsa.org/Home/AboutBSA/CriminalBackgroundChec/Infor
mation/Information.PDF>
8) NATIONAL SUMMERTIME PACK AWARD: Your Pack can qualify for the
National Summertime Pack Award certificate and streamer by planning and
conducting three Pack activities--one each in June, July, and August.
Dens with an average attendance of at least half their members at the
three summer 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 is worn on the
right pocket flap of the uniform. This is an individual recognition for
boys, not adults. http://www.usscouts.org/baloo/bb9806/bb9806tt.html
9) TEXAS YOUTH CAMP SAFETY ACT: Please note that if you (an adult over
age 18) are attending a Youth Camp in the State of Texas, you must
follow specific procedures to be in compliance with State Law.
http://www.samhoustonbsa.org/Home/Camping/YouthCampCompliancePro/
10) NEW WEBELOS BADGE ACTIVITY SHEETS: Optional Webelos Activity Badge
worksheets are now available online. They can help Scouts organize
notes, listen actively, and document their work. Leaders and parents can
quickly see if a Scout is understanding, and facilitate group
instruction with individual attention.
<http://meritbadge.org/index.php?title=Webelos_Activity_Badge_Worksheets
11) New Boy Scout UNIFORM: Check out the new retro look in 21st century
fabric: <http://www.goldenarrow.org/news/BSA-new-uniform-2008.pdf>
12) PROPANE SAFETY ALERT: Meth cooks are using the propane tanks from
exchanges such as Wal-Mart, Kroger, etc. to fill instead with anhydrous
ammonia. After they are
finished with them, they return them to the store, where they get
recycled for the next customer. Anhydrous ammonia is very corrosive and
weakens the structure of the tank. It can be very dangerous when mixed
with propane and hooked up to our grills, etc.
Inspect the propane tank for any blue or greenish residue around the
valve areas. If it is present, refuse to purchase that one. See this
website:
<http://www.npga.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=529>
********** ADULT TRAINING ********
13) ONLINE WATER SAFETY TRAINING: Click here to take Safe Swim Defense
and Safety Afloat: <http://olc.scouting.org/>
14) ONLINE HAZARDOUS WEATHER TRAINING:
<http://www.scouting.org/Applications/MyScoutingFull.aspx>
15) NEW LEADER ESSENTIALS and CUB LEADER SPECIFIC : The next date for
this efficient combo training in our District will be in Fall 2008. For
questions, see www.goldenarrow.org/training/adult-pack.html
16) WOOD BADGE: Wood Badge is a mentally-intense 6-day leadership
course designed for all adult Scouters. It is hoped that every Cub
Scout, Boy Scout, Varsity Scout, and Venturing leader, as well as
Council and District leaders and professionals, will take it to help you
focus on your responsibilities, identify a goal, help you work toward
that goal -- and give you the personal tools to reach it. For more
information see: http://www.samhoustonbsa.org/Home/Training/WoodBadge/
SR-921 September 26-28 & October 10-12, 2008 (begins Friday at 7:30 AM,
ends Sunday at 5:00 PM)
SR-922 October 9-11 & November 13-15, 2008 (begins Thursday at 7:30 AM,
ends Saturday at 5:00 PM)
************ EVENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES **********
17) FAMILY FISHING DAT AT ANAHUAC: Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge and
the Friends of Anahuac Refuge will once again be hosting Family Fishing
Day on Saturday, June 7th, from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm for lots of hands-on
activities including Fishing 101, Target Casting, Knot Tying, Fish
Identification, Crabology 101 - Crabbing for Kids, Fish Printing, and
MORE! Kids have a chance to win FREE raffle prizes! For more
information, please call the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge at
409-252-4311 ext. 27.
From the Houston/Baytown Area:
Take I-10 East to Exit #812 (Hwy 61, Anahuac). Head South on Hwy 61 for
4 miles to stop sign. Continue straight through stop sign onto Hwy 562.
Continue for 8 miles to a fork in the road. Bear left onto FM 1985 and
continue for 4 miles to the main Refuge Entrance on your right. Turn
right and proceed 3 miles to the Visitor Information Station.
18) SUMMER CAMP AT BOVAY: Parent-child 3-day camps at Camp Bovay are a
very fun and economical get-away for adventure and closeness. These
sessions run between July 24 - August 9, see:
https://www.samhoustonbsa.org/Home/AboutBSA/CubScouting/OutdoorCamping/
19) CAMP STRAKE CUB WORLD: Major renovations have added covered
pavilions with picnic tables, flush toilets and showers, and huge
parking lots. To make Pack camping arrangements, see
<http://www.samhoustonbsa.org/Home/Camping/Camps4/Strake/CubWorld/>
********** TECH CORNER *********
20) ONLINE VIDEOS FOR WEBELOS BADGES: Check out these camping, hiking,
and fire starting video lessons:
Outdoorsman
<http://meritbadge.org/index.php?title=Image:Outdoorsman.pdf>
Readyman first aid lessons
<http://meritbadge.org/index.php?title=Image:Readyman.pdf>.
Artist <http://meritbadge.org/index.php?title=Image:Artist.pdf>,
Craftsman <http://meritbadge.org/index.php?title=Image:Craftsman.pdf>
Aquanaut <http://meritbadge.org/index.php?title=Image:Aquanaut.pdf>
********** IN CLOSING **********
21) You can contact your Golden Arrow District staff by email:
Jeff Hutchinson, District Director jeff.hutchinson@shac.org or
713-756-3337
Shannon Harlan, District Executive shannon.harlan@shac.org or
713-756-3338
The mailing address for the Scout Office is P.O. Box 924528, zip 77292
22) Thanks to the Webmaster James Cauble, our Golden Arrow District
website has a wealth of information: www.goldenarrow.org
Enjoy your summer,
Claudia Hackbarth - Golden Arrow District Cub e-bulletin Editor - SR-446
"The information presented here is not an official document of the Boy
Scouts of America, but is solely my volunteer work and responsibility."