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) VENTURING ROUNDTABLE:
NO meeting.
Venturing Roundtables for the Golden Arrow District have been discontinued
until a new Venturing Roundtable Commissioner is found, see Item 2.
2)
VENTURING ROUNDTABLE COMMISSIONER OPENING: The
District position for Venturing Roundtable Commissioner is open.
Those interested in applying should contact Jeff Hutchinson (see
below for contact information) or Farrell Gerbode,
farrell@alumni.rice.edu.
3)
RECHARTER ADVICE: The BSA deadline for recharters is the
15th of the month in which the charter expires (e.g. March 15th for March 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 or to request assistance with recharter,
contact Farrell Gerbode fgerbode@swbell.net
(713)
661-2790
or your Unit Commissioner.
If 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.
4)
FRIENDS OF SCOUTING FAMILY CAMPAIGN 2008: We are over half-way to
our financial goal of $200,000 raised in the Golden Arrow District. Hooray
for you! As always, our Unit-level goal is 100% participation with a pledge
card returned by every family, because many hands make light work. After
your kick-off presentation, your Unit Coordinator will be doing clean-up to
work towards that 100%, in any amount that is right for each family. The
Council budget is approximately $135 per traditional Scout, therefore that
is the amount we seek to raise on average across the population. For more
information email claudia.hackbarth@shell.com
5) SCOUT FAIR
TICKET TURN-INS: Remember that the quicker your youth sell and turn in
their Scout Fair ticket proceeds, the more prize stamps they receive! The
next upcoming turn-in opportunities for your Unit Scout Fair Ticket Chair
(not individual families) are at Roundtable March 6, then 7:30 - 8:30
p.m. on March 17 and March 24 at St. Francis de Sales Scout
House, near corner of Waldo and Rowan streets (near 8100 Roos).
It would be appreciated if you can bring a single check for the total
proceeds made out to BSA SHAC, rather than a collection of cash and small
checks....
6) DISTRICT
AWARD OF MERIT 2008: Congratulations to this year's winners of this year's
highest District-level recognition: Virginia Trier T354, Tim Gerbode T740,
Mary Farley T549, Frank Pavlick T505, Jim Hugenard T13. Well done! Click
here to read about this award:
http://www.goldenarrow.org/news/district-merit-2008.html
7) EAGLE
APPLICATION CHANGE: Effective May 1, requirement #5 has changed. After this
date be sure you are using the updated form. Contact for questions:
geno.aguilar@shac.org
********** ADULT TRAINING ********
8) ONLINE
WATER SAFETY TRAINING: Click here to take Safe Swim Defense and Safety
Afloat: http://www.scouting.org/pubs/aquatics/index2.html
9)
NEW
LEADER ESSENTIALS: This first module, which is for all
volunteers in any role, will next be offered on Saturday May 3,
during the first two hours of Cub leader training starting at
8 a.m.
The location is on the campus of
Houston
Baptist
University,
7502 Fondren immediately south of US 59, in Atwood II room 214. Contact
Mary Farley
281-649-3349
or mfarley@hbu.edu Click here: http://www.goldenarrow.org/training/adult-pack.html.
10)
IOLS (Introduction to Outdoor Leadership Skills): IOLS is the
hands-on module leading to full training in the Boy Scout Leader sequence.
Learn what you need to successfully teach your boys their various rank
advancements, and practice the Patrol Method yourself. This class consists
of a weeknight orientation followed by a weekend campout. No advance
registration is required and cost is usually about $35 including food costs.
www.goldenarrow.org/training/outdoorskills.html For questions, email or call
Fritz Maxwell: fritzmaxwell@msn.com and
281-238-4438
(H). The next scheduled class in our District kicks off
on
2 April 2008
at TBD, with the outdoor campout session on April
12-13.
11) VENTURING
LEADER SPECIFIC TRAINING: Adults who wish to be Associate Advisers or
Advisors should sign up for Venturing Leader Specific Training.
Out of district, there is a course on Saturday 5 April 2008
in the George Strake District, contact John Wisinger at jwisinger@gmail.com
and on Saturday 17 May 2008 in the Polaris District, contact
Cindy King at polarisbsa.org. The next opportunity for this in Golden Arrow
is on Saturday 9 August 2008 location to be determined.
. Please contact Kelia Ballou at kelia@Ballou.cx
or
713-661-1309
(H) before 1 August if you plan to attend.
A minimum of 5 people are needed for the course to happen.
Requested
donation for the training is $7 (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. To pre-register or for more information please
contact Kelia Ballou (713-661-1309 or keliascout@ballou.cx).
12) 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 2008 include:
·
SR-920 April 2-6 &
April 25-27,
2007
(begins Friday at
7:30 AM,
ends Sunday at
5:00 PM)
·
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)
For more
information and applications go to:
http://www.shac.org/Home/Training/WoodBadge/
13) POWDER
HORN: The next SHAC Powder Horn is being targeted for
the weekends of 5 thru 7 September and 12 thru
14 September
2008.
The course director is Bill Berry Jr, for more information and an
application form check the SHAC website http://www.samhoustonbsa.org/Home/Training/PowderHorn/
Bill can be contacted at scoutmaster@SR637.org
14) CANOE
TRAINING: Prepare for adventure safely by training all your adult volunteers
with these classes: http://www.samhoustonbsa.org/Home/Camping/Activities/CanoeProgram/
15) VENTURING
VIDEO PRESENTATIONS: You can view two good Venturing Presentations on the
national site (www.scouting.org/). The first is
Venturing Fast Start (http://www.scouting.org/venturing/faststart/index.html)
for adults and the second is the Venturing Crew Officers Orientation
(http://www.scouting.org/venturing/training/coo/index.html).
You might consider showing the second item during a recruiting / open
house session to let new prospects see what Venturing is all about.
16)
NEW
PHILMONT TRAINING REQUIREMENT: Starting in 2008, Philmont will require that
at least one person, preferably two, (either an advisor or a youth
participant) in each crew be currently certified in American Red cross
Wilderness First Aid or the equivalent* and CPR from the American Heart
Association, The American Red Cross or the equivalent. The American Red
Cross Wilderness First Aid is a sixteen hour course designed to help in
situations when help is not readily available. Several hours may be required
for Philmont staff to reach a remote backcountry location after a message is
delivered to the nearest staffed camp. First aid and CPR training will
result in proper and prompt attention being given to injuries and/or
illnesses. You must present current certification cards upon check-in to
verify this requirement.
************
EVENTS
AND
OPPORTUNITIES **********
17)
CAMP
HAMMAN
SUMMER
JOB
OPPORTUNITY:
Camp
Hamman
is looking for staff this summer. Needed: Back Packers,
Canoeing Guides,Rock Climbers. (we will train, you just need to have the
dizzier) Minimum: age 18 Camp
Hamman is by Tarpley, near Bandera
Texas.
Room and board are provided. Dates for Camp: June 1 to
July 26 Salary: Starting $225 per week
If interested
and you want more information, contact Steve Stolzer at
hamman@hctc.net
18) SUMMER
CAMP
STAFF JOBS: The 2008 Sam Houston Area Council Camp Directors are looking for
the best possible staffers to provide instructional, administrative and
service support in our camps for the "Camp
Customers."
Camp
Staff
interviews take place at the
Cockrell
Scout
Center
in February and March. Applications are in "Forms" section of the
council website. Please call Camping Services at
713-756-3303
to set up interview. For additional information about working at summer
camp, you can contact
Camp
Directors:
Shane Burks,
CRC
@713-756-3391; Brett Lee, HB @713-756-3376 and Steve Stolzer, Hamman Scout
Camp @713-756-3323.
**********
HIGH ADVENTURE OPPORTUNITIES **********
19) PHILMONT
FOR ADULTS: Philmont is open to adults only during the
September through November for hikes (Autumn Adventure).
Need 7 to 12 adults. For more information talk to John
Curry and/or go to website: www.scouting.org/philmont/camping/season/autumn.html
20)
INTERNATIONAL SCOUTING OPPORTUNITIES: Germany – Bavarian Jamboree
2008 – August 1-10, 2008 – Take a troop, patrol or crew (coed allowed)
for a Jamboree near Schwangau, Germany (It will be in a valley below the
famous castle of Neuschwanstein - Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland) –
Age limit 11+, 800 German Scouts and Guides from Bavaria and the rest of the
world. Participation Fee — $200.00 (includes meals, program) flight to
Munich,
Germany
>$1,000.00…. Total Cost — $1500.00. www.spuren2008.de
<http://www.spuren2008.de/>
If you would like more information contact Dan Ownby at
713-256-3019
********** 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 new
mailing address for the Scout Office is
P.O. Box 924528, Houston TX
77292
22)
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."