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) MAY ROUNDTABLE: This is it, Progam Preview! If you only go to one Roundtable a year, let this be the one. The 2008-2009 calendar is ready for your pick-up, along with handouts and flyers for a number of upcoming activities, along with informational displays on various Scouting topics. The point is that with these materials, you can subsequently plan your own Pack calendar to take advantage of the opportunities provided for you, without accidentally double-booking one of your events on top of a "freebie". Twice the fun, half the work! Every Cubmaster, Committee Chair, and any adults involved in planning should be there to pick up flyers, hear the presentations, ask questions, and get a calendar. Roundtable is Thursday May 1 at 7:30 p.m. sharp.
Click here to download handouts: http://www.scoutingthenet.com/Training/Roundtable/Handouts/
The Golden Arrow District Roundtable is held in the basement level of the St. John the Divine Parish Life Center, 2450 River Oaks Blvd. at Westheimer. There is a meeting every month EXCEPT JULY. All leaders are warmly invited. Your Pack mailbox is available in the foyer and contains hard copies of important information. Every Pack should be represented. What is Roundtable, and why should you attend? Click here: http://www.goldenarrow.org/training/roundtable-cub.html
2) SUMMERTIME PLANNING: Once you have your District calendar in hand to schedule and staff the fun youth activities, 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, keep up enthusiasm, and keep good records during a focused campaign.
3) JEWISH SCOUT AWARDS CEREMONY: The Houston Jewish Scouting Committee invites the community to honor youth and leaders in Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts, and Boy Scouts who have earned Jewish Scout awards during the past year. The event will also include a presentation on Scouting in Israel, and will be followed by a reception. This annual event will be held Sunday June 1 from 2- 4 pm at Congregation Beth Israel, in the Shlenker School Multi-Purpose Room. Contact HJSC Chair, Lisa Stone (lestone26@hotmail.com) for more information.
4) FRIENDS OF SCOUTING FAMILY CAMPAIGN: UPDATED Click here to see your own Pack's statistics as of April 25: http://www.goldenarrow.org/news/fos-2008-packs.pdf The Council holds its FOS "victory celebration" in the third week of May, so it is time to wrap it up. If your FOS Chair is holding pledges, please turn them in at Roundtable to get them logged in and credited. If you would like to pledge electronically right now, click here: www.shac.org/familyfos
Congratulations to the Packs that have ALREADY exceeded last year's totals: Packs 99, 130, 197, 202, 266, 354, 455, 505, 730, 806, 1226, 1567. As always, our goal is a response from every family. For more information email claudia.hackbarth@shell.com
5) RECRUITING: Have you considered an informational flyer to all the Kindergarten boy-parents now before school is out, telling them about Tiger Cubs? This can be a very helpful way to "prime the pump" so that you get a better crop in the fall. Just like some sea creatures, a Pack must keep swimming forward (recruiting) or else it will not survive. A small effort now might make a measurable difference later.
6) SCHEDULE YOUR FALL 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.
7) 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.
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.html9) 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) SILVER BEAVER NOMINATIONS: The prestigious Silver Beaver Award nomination deadline is May 31st. It is presented for outstanding service to youth within the Council or for outstanding longtime service to youth by a registered Scouter residing within that Council. A typical tenure for Silver Beaver candidates is ~ ten years or longer. Download a nomination form here: http://samhoustonbsa.org/Home/Events/AnnualRecognitionDinne/
********** ADULT TRAINING ********
11) ONLINE WATER SAFETY TRAINING: Click here to take Safe Swim Defense and Safety Afloat: http://olc.scouting.org/
12) NEW LEADER ESSENTIALS and CUB LEADER SPECIFIC : The next date for this efficient combo training in our District will be Saturday May 3 on the campus of Houston Baptist University at 7502 Fondren immediately south of US 59, in Atwood II room 214. Brand new leaders should come at 8 a.m. for "New Leader Essentials". At about 10:00 a.m., the course will continue on to Cub-specific and position-specific training. So, if you are a returning trained leader but NEW to your position (for example, new Cubmaster, new Webelos leader, etc.) you should plan to attend from 10:00-noon. If you are a brand new leader, you should plan to attend from 8 a.m. through noon, and then noon to 12:30 p.m. to complete Youth Protection Training. The registration cost includes a copy of the Cub Scout Leader Book. For questions, contact Mary Farley 281-649-3349 or mfarley@hbu.edu Also: pre-register using the form at this link to save $5 off the fee: www.goldenarrow.org/training/adult-pack.html
13) 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 **********
14) PINEWOOD EVENT: If your family will be in Utah in mid-August, you might like to check out an event that bills itself as "The Pinewood Cup", the largest Pinewood event in the world. Apparently you can also mail your car to them and they will race it for you. Note: The organizers are not affiliated with Boy Scouts of America. www.pinewoodcup.com
15) BELLAIRE SWIMMING POOL: The City of Bellaire has just opened their new Aquatics Center, which includes a pool with so many attractions it looks like a mini-Schlitterbahn. Could this be a good site for one of your three, monthly summer Pack activities? See their website: http://www.ci.bellaire.tx.us/index.asp?NID=466
16) 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/
17) 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/
Activities Around Houston
Cub Activities - Houston
www.shac.org/Home/AboutBSA/CubScouting/Activities1/
American Indian Weekend
American Red Cross
www.shac.org/Home/Camping/Training1/RedCross/
Basic Aid Training (BAT); Webelos Readyman
Armand Bayou
www.abnc.org/education/scouting.php
Cub/Webelos classes, Eagle Projects, badge classes, unit camping, canoeing, fishing
Bechtel Engineering Day
www.bechtelengineeringday.org/
Merit Badge Fair in Feb for sci & engineering badges
Bovay Fishing Day
www.shac.org/Home/Camping/Camps4/Bovay/
Texas Parks & Wildlife Junior Angler Program
Brazos Bend State Park
www.bbspvo.org
ECO-DOINS
Conservation programs held at Camp Strake
Fort Bend Museum
www.fortbendmuseum.org/education/scout/
Texas Badge for Cub Scouts
Gem & Mineral Show
www.hgms.org/client_show/Show_Scout_Badges2.pdf
Belt loop, Webelos badge, Merit Badge
Houston Arboretum
www.houstonarboretum.org/
Free Sunday afternoons nature programs
Houston Zoo
www.houstonzoo.org/Community_Groups/Index.aqf
Webelos Naturalist badge; Cub Scout classes; overnights
McNair Adventure Camp
www.shac.org/Home/Camping/Camps4/Bovay/
Weekend cub camping; summer camps
Museum of Hlth & Medical Sci
www.mhms.org
Webelos Fitness & Readyman activity badge, Merit Badges
Museum of Natural Science
www.hmns.org/education/scouts.asp
Cub Scout, Webelos, Merit Badge classes
Ocean Star Museum
www.oceanstaroec.com/education/bscouts.htm
Belt loops, Webelos badges, Merit Badges
Space Center Houston
www.spacecenter.org/scoutcampin.html
Cub, Webelos, Boy Scout overnighters
********** TECH CORNER *********
18) BOYS LIFE WEB SITE: Boys’ Life magazine's flagship Web site, www.boyslife.org is full of Scouting info and advancement help, gear buyer’s guides, how-to projects and games for youth. Cub Corner is a special area dedicated to Cub Scouts. Other site features:
• Pedro’s daily blog will keep users up to date with the latest news that affects a youth’s life.
• Tell a joke and let the BL online community rate it.
• Reader photo galleries make BL’s readers the stars of the show.
********** IN CLOSING **********
19) POSITIVE PRESS: More often than not, when the BSA is in the press, it's negative. The only way to combat that is with positive stories that showcase what Scouting is really about ... making a difference in the lives of kids. You can help. Take lots of pictures at your events. Your members will get a thrill seeing their name or picture in the newspaper and your unit can earn the "Scouting in the News" award by submitting one article per month or twelve per year to a newspaper, church bulletin, or community newsletter. The more we let others know about Scouting, the greater the community support! Bring your articles to Roundtable or turn them in Jeff Hutchinson or Shannon Harlan at the Council office. Also see www.shac.org/home/districtsites/PRinNewsAward
20) 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
21) Thanks to the Webmaster James Cauble, our Golden Arrow District website has a wealth of information: www.goldenarrow.org
A vulture boards an airplane, carrying two dead raccoons. The flight attendant looks at him and says, "I'm sorry, sir, only one carrion allowed per passenger."
Looking forward to summer vacation,
Claudia Hackbarth - Golden Arrow District Cub e-bulletin Editor - SR-446
"The information presented here is not an official communication of the Boy Scouts of America, but is solely my volunteer work and responsibility."