Dear Advisors and Crew Committee Chairs:

 

This is your monthly e-bulletin to all top Crew leaders in the Golden Arrow District.  Please delete or edit items not relevant to your Crew, then forward to all your volunteers.

***If your current Adviser / Committee Chair are not receiving this email and passing it on to you.  Please send me full contact information and Crew # for the missing person(s).  Thanks! ***

 

*** To add a new recipient, please send me full contact information, volunteer position, and Crew #. ***
*** Please check that we have your Crew leadership info correctly listed on the Golden Arrow web site at http://www.goldenarrow.org/venture-units.html  contact James Cauble with updates***

*** Please forward the EVENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES Section on to your Crew Officers ***

*** This plus the last two months of this e-bulletin can be found on http://www.goldenarrow.org/news.html 

 

********** ROUNDTABLE, DISTRICT, AND COUNCIL MESSAGES **********

1) DECEMBER ROUNDTABLE:  The December Venturing Roundtable will be held on Thursday, 4 December at St John the Devine church, room L-19 starting at 6:45 PM.  The program will include a demonstration of Supermarket Backpacker cooking with samples.  There will also be a presentation for the Venturing Leadership Award to Ericka Lawson (adult) and Christine Grebode (youth).  Please come by and congratulate them.

2) VENTURING LEADERSHIP AWARD: The Venturing Leadership Awards are available for both youth and adults who have demonstrated leadership within their unit or in the wider world of district, council, school, and community.  Nominations are due in by no later than 31 December 2008.  If you have someone who should be recognized for their hard work in Venturing, please help us by preparing a nomination. The form can be obtained from the FORMS section on the SHAC website. Submit the completed form to SHAC, Attention: Thomas Franklin. Send a copy of the completed form also to George Crowl at george.h.crowl@gmail.com, so he can track it as well.

3) GAD VENTURING ROUNDTABLE COMMISIONER: David Coughlen is the new GAD Venturing Roundtable Commissioner.  He can be contacted via email at david.coughlen@hexion.com and at work phone 832-366-2345.


4) NEW ADULT LEADER FORM: Last year BSA worked hard to ensure that all potential new leaders undergo a Criminal Background Check (CBC).  Adult leaders already on seat have been notified if they lack a CBC and were requested to follow up ASAP.  Below is the link to the most current and correct adult application form.  Should you have any paper adult applications that do not look just like this version (28-501F), please destroy them as the local councils are prohibited from accepting them. http://www.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/28-501F.pdf

Remember that applications need to be completely filled out, especially these key items: SSN, DOB, crime questions, references, and applicant signature; the Committee Chair signature; and the Charter Organization Representative signature.

 

When you become the Committee Chair or Advisor, 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. 

 

5) MOVES OR PHONE NUMBER CHANGES: If you, your leaders, or your families move, remember to phone in any address and telephone updates to the Scout Office. If you phone in these changes as you learn about them, you save yourself a chore at rechartering time, and the families continue to get Boy’s Life without interruption. The direct phone of the Council registration desk is 713 756-3328.

 

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%20Permit.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

 

7) RECHARTER ADVICE: The BSA deadline for recharters is the 15th of the month in which the charter expires (e.g. January 15th for January 31 expirations).  While a recharter will not be considered late until the close of the last business day before expiration, delaying until the last minute will not leave time to correct any errors found by Council registration personnel.
The District staff will accept recharters at Roundtable in each month that we have charters expiring, and will help find errors before it is turned in to the Council. For more information contact Farrell Gerbode, fgerbode@swbell.net  (713) 661-2790 or your Unit Commissioner.

8) FRIENDS OF SCOUTING FAMILY CAMPAIGN 2009:  If you haven't already, please send the name and contact information for your 2009 FOS Unit Coordinator, plus your FOS presentation date between Jan. 12 and your feeder school’s Spring Break, now to Jeff Hutchinson jeff.hutchinson@shac.org  

Your 2009 FOS Unit Coordinator’s training is this week:  8 p.m. Dec. 2 in room 210 or (repeat) Dec. 4 in room L-18 at St. John the Divine Parish Life Center, 2450 River Oaks Blvd. at Westheimer.  Materials will be passed out approximately January 11, 2009

9) UNIT SERVICE AWARDS:  Every Unit should recognize its own valuable volunteers, and this program allows you to honor up to one adult for each five registered adult leaders.  Read about it here- submission deadline is January 8 Roundtable: http://www.goldenarrow.org/news/GAD-adult-recognition-pgm.html

10) DISTRICT SERVICE AWARDS: We are also collecting nominees at the District level, for example the volunteers who work to bring you Roundtable, Twilight Camp, Cub Fun Day, Merit Badge Fairs, Webelos Woods, Camporee, Scout Fair, Friends of Scouting, First Aid Meet, Golden Arrow Trails, communications, popcorn, etc. etc. etc..  You can view the list of 2008 District level volunteers at http://www.goldenarrow.org/committee.html ; if you are not sure about names just say so and we will help you identify and honor the correct person.  Download and fill out a nomination form at http://www.goldenarrow.org/news/GAD-district-service-nomination-form.pdf  Submission deadline is January 8 Roundtable.

 

11) DISTRICT AWARD OF MERIT: The Golden Arrow District can give 5-6 of these distinguished service awards each year. Nominations are due by January 8; read about it and download a form at http://www.goldenarrow.org/news/district-merit-nomination-form.pdf   Candidates for this award must be nominated by others (self-nomination disqualifies the candidate).

 12) ANNUAL DISTRICT DINNER:  The awards described above will be presented at the annual District Dinner on Saturday February 21.  We are really upgrading this year – live music and everything!  Watch this space for details and for the form to purchase tickets for yourself and your honorees: http://www.goldenarrow.org/events/dinner.html

 13) WOOD BADGE RECOGNITION DINNER: This annual city-wide event for Wood Badge alumni/alumnae is held around Baden-Powell's birthday – this year the party will be on February 23.   See  http://www.samhoustonbsa.org/Home/Training/WoodBadgeDinner/

**********    ADULT TRAINING   ********  

13) TRAINING OVERVIEW: Our goal is 100% trained leaders.  This consists of a "Fast Start" online training, then online Youth Protection Training followed by live training "Venturing Leader Specific Training”, see below.  Other Districts also offer these trainings; a list of training opportunities around the Council is available on the SHAC website.

 

14) ONLINE HAZARDOUS WEATHER TRAINING: 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.  http://www.scouting.org/Applications/MyScoutingFull.aspx

15)  IOLS (Introduction to Outdoor Leadership Skills): This class consists of an evening orientation followed by a weekend campout. See District website for details - no advance registration is required and cost is usually about $35 including shared food costs. www.goldenarrow.org/training/outdoorskills.html   The next upcoming dates are an orientation on April 15, 2009 at location St. Paul’s Presbyterian, 7200 Bellaire Blvd @ US59 with the weekend campout on April 25-26.  http://goldenarrow.org/training/outdoorskills.html

16) VENTURING LEADER SPECIFIC TRAINING: All adult volunteers who work with Venturing crews need the VENTURING LEADER SPECIFIC TRAINING. The next opportunity for this is in Golden Arrow District on Saturday January 24, 2008 from 9 am to 3 pm < location TBA>. Requested donation for the training is $9 (due at the training), which covers training materials and lunch. For those trainees who have not taken the New Leader Essentials training, an NLE will be offered immediately before the VLST (i.e., at 7:30 am). NLE is required along with VLST for one to be considered a trained Venturing adult.  To complete your registration please arrive at least 15 minutes before the training (7:15 am or 8:45 am) that you will be taking. Please contact Kelia Ballou at kelia@ballou.cx or 713-661-1309 (H) to pre-register or for more information.

Please sign up no later than January 16.

 

17) 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.  Upcoming classes in 2009 include:

             

  • SR-1006 March 5-7 & March 26-28, 2009 (begins Thursday at 7:30 a.m., ends Saturday at 5:00 p.m.)
  • SR-1007 April 3-5 & April 24-26  (begins Friday at 7:30 AM, ends Sunday at 5:00 PM)
    •

 

 For more information and applications go to: http://www.shac.org/Home/Training/WoodBadge/

 

18) POWDER HORN:  Powder Horn will happen over three 2 day weekends; 21/22 March 2009, 4/5 April 2009 and 2/3 May 2009.  The first session will be at El Rancho Cima and we’ll have people there starting Friday afternoon 20 March to let those in to a camp site.  The other two weekends will be at different, closer to home camps.  More information to follow, stay tuned. Bill Berry our course director can be contacted at scoutmaster@SR637.org if you’d like to join before the rush.

 

19) CANOE TRAINING: Prepare for adventure safely by training all your adult volunteers with these classes: http://www.samhoustonbsa.org/Home/Camping/Activities/CanoeProgram/

20) COMMISSIONER'S CONFERENCE: Save the date:  December 6 at the Cockrell Scout Center.  You can train to become a Commissioner, or just select from a variety of helpful how-to classes: Council Resources, Time Management, International Scouting, Religious Awards, Recruiting Techniques, Budgeting, and so forth. Attendance of all commissioners is strongly encouraged; any other Scouters who want to learn more about the Commissioner Service or just have an interest in the topics being presented are welcome to attend.

21) UNIVERSITY OF SCOUTING: This year's University of Scouting will be held on Saturday February 7.  Choose 5 courses from 100+ offered, to fill your schedule; pre-register to receive a discount and have the highest chance of getting all your first-choice selections.  Historically, the classes are really top-quality and people are very happy they took time to attend.  http://www.samhoustonbsa.org/Home/Training/UniversityofScouting6/

************ EVENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES **********   

 

22) VENTURING RENDEVOUS 2009: The Circle 10 Council is hosting a Venturing Rendezvous April 3-5, 2009
at Camp Wisdom, Dallas, Texas.  Activities include: Shooting Sports (Pistols, Black Powder Rifles and Shotguns), Land Navigation/Map and Compass / GPS, Archery, Casting, Canoe tug-of-war, Casual Socializing and games including Ultimate Frisbee, Volleyball, Blind Volleyball, One Eyed Volleyball, Capture the Flag.
http://www.northtrail-data.org/venturing/rendezvous_flyer.html

 

23) O-MEET: The Tenth Annual Scout Orienteering Challenge is going to take place at Bastrop State Park on Saturday, January 17. Over 1,000 competitors aged 9 through adults are expected to attend from Austin, San Antonio, Houston, McAllen and throughout central Texas. For information about the Scout Orienteering Challenge and to request a registration form, contact Steve or Carolyn Nelson at adraggin@swbell.net or 512-303-1812.

 

24) AMERICAN INDIAN WEEKEND: The 7th Annual Colonneh American Indian Weekend will be held December 5-7, 2008 @ Bovay Scout Ranch.  It is open to all Boy Scouts and Leaders, Venturers and Leaders, all OA members + Cubs, Webelos, and Leaders.  Everyone! The $35 Registration fee includes Saturday lunch and dinner, Sunday breakfast, event patch, special patch and event tee-shirt.   A full program of activities includes:

  • Men & Ladies Workshops, beginner to advanced, on Saturday 9:00 am - 5:00pm
  • Dance contesting Saturday evening
  • Dancing, singing, ceremonies, etiquette, outfitting, crafts & Indian Lore Merit Badge (craft fee will be required)
  • Nationally recognized Indian Speakers and craft presenters
  • Craft Show and contest 
  • Large POWWOW 7pm Saturday evening

 If you have any questions contact Pat Collins at: 281.897.8949

 

25)  WILDERNESS ADVANCED FIRST AID: The Wilderness Medicine Institute will offer a 40-hour training class over two weekends on February 13-15 and 20–22, 2009 at Camp Wisdom near Dallas.  This serious class is for adults and Scouts age 16 or older.  For more information, contact Robert Squyres, phone 972-699-0339, fax 972-699-0058, or e-mail rtsquyres@sbcglobal.net    You can access the course web site at http://wmi.nols.edu

26) AGGIE EAGLES: On February 27-28, current junior or senior high school Scouts who have earned Eagle, or still could before their 18th birthday, are invited to College Station.  This is a recruiting event for scouts to see Texas A&M and to become familiar with the Aggie Corps of Cadets. When possible, Scouts will be paired with Cadets who were also scouts. Attendees will be housed in the Corps dorms. It is an official campus visit sponsored by the Office of the Commandant of the Corps.  Read about it and sign up at  http://www.aggiecorps.org/programs/AggieEagles/

27) MAKING CAMP RESERVATIONS: The Sam Houston Area Council has upgraded its web pages describing all the Council-run camps and current schedules (updated weekly).  Start here: http://www.samhoustonbsa.org/Home/Camping/Camps4/AllCampReservations1/

 

********** HIGH ADVENTURE OPPORTUNITIES **********

28) PHILMONT WINTER CAMPING: KANIK is Philmont’s cold weather camping program that takes youth out into the back country and teaches them how to camp comfortably in cold weather environments.  The Kanik program runs from December 28th through March 31st. They currently have space for Martin Luther King and Presidents Day weekends,and a lot of spots available during March (spring break).  Contact David Kopsa at 575-376-2281 ext. 1141 or dkopsa@philmontscoutranch.org for availability and general questions about the Kanik program.

 

********** IN CLOSING **********

29) You can contact your Golden Arrow District staff by email:
Jeff Hutchinson, District Director (jeff.hutchinson@shac.org) or 713-756-3337

Eric Bolton, District Executive eric.bolton@shac.org or 713 756-3338
The mailing address for the Scout Office is P.O. Box 924528, Houston TX  77292     

 

30)  Thanks to our dedicated webmaster James Cauble, our Golden Arrow District website has a wealth of information: www.goldenarrow.org

 

Mike Fitzgibbons - Golden Arrow District Crew e-bulletin Editor – with material supplied from the GAD Troop e-bulletin, Claudia Hackbarth Editor

 

"The information presented here is not an official document of the Boy Scouts of America, but is solely my volunteer work and responsibility."