Cub e-bulletin for Sep 2008

This is your monthly e-bulletin to 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) SEPTEMBER ROUNDTABLE: This monthly meeting will be Thursday September 4 at 7:30 p.m. sharp. Roundtable is the "continuing education" vehicle for Scout leaders, and a place to learn new materials, receive mentoring, and get event information for the benefit of your Den and Pack. This month we will preview the October Pack theme in plenty of time for you to prepare and deliver an excellent program – handouts will be provided.

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) YOUR PACK PLANNING MEETING: Hopefully you have already completed your Pack planning by building your annual calendar with Council and District events first, then filling the remaining dates with your own individual events; and named adult volunteers to fill both the front-office and back-office jobs. All that is left is to execute! To see the Council and District calendar, visit: www.goldenarrow.org/calendar.html

3) SCHEDULE YOUR FALL MEMBERSHIP RALLY (SCHOOL NIGHT TO JOIN SCOUTING, SNTJS): Please turn in the date, time, and location of your two Rally events, the Pack contact information for prospective members, and how many flyers you want printed. HISD guarantees your local school’s cooperation on Tuesday September 9 or another date if necessary. For Packs not strongly tied to an HISD school, you are invited to have your event(s) between September 4-18. Email jeff.hutchinson@shac.org if you need any help whatsoever in organizing this. Please turn in any new applications you already have at Roundtable on Thursday September 4. http://www.samhoustonbsa.org/Home/Events1/SchoolNighttoJoinScout/

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 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.

5) POPCORN IS OFF AND RUNNING: The 2008 Trail's End popcorn sale again features a simplified product-pricing plan, with a straight percentage of the gross sales going back to your unit. SHAC will continue to provide new and exciting prizes and performance incentives, giving your unit the opportunity to increase your percentage of profit. If you have not already started your boys, you will want to do this immediately – the early bird gets the worm! The selling season ends before Halloween. Questions: Dale Fitz, email fitzkuah@aol.com Campaign resources can be found at: http://www.samhoustonbsa.org/Home/Events/PopcornSales/

New this year: Each scout who fills out the order form with 25 unique customers gets a marshmallow blaster; and customers can send Boy Scout popcorn to military troops.

6) SUMMER 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.

7) TAX-FREE PURCHASES: The Scout Shops are required to check that each purchaser who claims tax-exempt status has a letter showing this on file. You are exempt from sales tax on your purchases only if you are chartered by an organization that is exempt from sales tax. (Think of it this way: your Pack, Troop, or Crew is "owned" by your Chartering organization. Their tax status = your tax status.)

To download a convenient letter you can give vendors, click here: http://www.window.state.tx.us/taxinfo/taxforms/01-3392.pdf

To read the rules on what constitutes a tax-exempt Chartering Organization in the State of Texas, click here: http://www.window.state.tx.us/taxinfo/sales/faq_exempt.html#exempt

P.S. There is no such thing as a "Tax Exempt number" so don't drive yourself crazy trying to find one!

8) INSURANCE COVERAGE INFORMATION: The contact person for unit insurance, certificates of insurance, proof of insurance is Pearl Suggs. Her direct number is 713-865-9123. The fax number is 713-865-9199, and her email address is pearl.suggs@shac.org. Click here to read the exhaustive and clear info on this subject: http://www.samhoustonbsa.org/Home/AboutSHAC/Resources/VolunteerInsurance/

9) RELIGION AND SCOUTING: The Boy Scouts of America is non-sectarian. P.R.A.Y. is an independent non-profit organization that encourages and supports all youth to learn about their personal religion and strengthen their faith. Their learning incentive programs lead to a medal plus the familiar "knot patch" for the boy's Scout uniform. The P.R.A.Y. e-newsletter will inform you about ways to promote religious emblems and how to use religious emblems as a membership tool to increase BSA membership in faith communities. To sign up click here:

http://www.praypub.org/working/emailrequest.asp?Flag=1

10) 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

11) SILVER BEAVER AWARDEES: Congratulations to our Distirct's newest Silver Beaver recipients, just announced: Scott Coleman, David Grizzle, Kent Johnston, Ben Royce! You can come to the annual recognition ceremony and reception following on October 13 at Chapelwood UMC, click here: http://www.samhoustonbsa.org/Home/Events/AnnualRecognitionDinne/CouncilRecognitionRece/

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

12) SPACE CENTER HOUSTON SPECIAL EVENT: The Space Center is offering a free leader’s workshop on September 13 on space experiments you can re-create on Earth, with first registration priority to leaders from the Bayshore District (not us). But if there is space available, it runs from 9am-noon and includes admission to the Center for the rest of the day. Leaders will go home with the workshop materials and workbook. The workshop is based on STS-118 and the basil seed experiment performed on the International Space Station; it involves a lunar greenhouse and Martian greenhouse module. Please register with Jamie Semple (281-244-2131, campins@spacecenter.org).

13) CUB LEADER POW-WOW IS RENAMED AKELA’S TRAIL: This mega-event, for all Cub leaders and as many parents as possible, will be held November 1. In addition to BSA National training, there is a huge smorgasbord of special-topic classes from which to choose. Click here: http://www.samhoustonbsa.org/Home/Training/AkelasTrail/

14) ONLINE WATER SAFETY TRAINING: Click here to take Safe Swim Defense and Safety Afloat: http://olc.scouting.org/

16) HOW DO I GET MY PERSONAL ID NUMBER? When registering for online training classes, if you put in your leader ID#, the system should automatically record your achievement. This number is found on the annual ID cards you are issued at recharter time. (Hint: The Committee Chair should photocopy the sheet of cards before tearing them apart and distributing them, then you have a back-up paper record.) However your Advancement Chair can look up your Unit's list of personal ID numbers anytime, if your Unit is registered for Internet Advancement.

17) EXCELLENCE IN TRAINING AWARD: In our drive towards 100% trained leaders, SHAC has established a new award your Unit can earn. A ribbon streamer will be awarded once during the calendar year to units achieving the goal of 75% direct contact leaders trained in their registered position. At the 100% level, you will further be awarded a plaque. Cub Scout leaders are considered trained when they have completed Fast Start Training, New Leader Essentials, and the Cub Scout Leader Specific training for their position. Read about it and download an application: http://www.samhoustonbsa.org/Home/Training/ExcellenceinTrainingAw/

followed by live training "New Leader Essentials" and "Cub Leader Specific" lectures. Finally, outdoor skills are taught at BALOO / OWL, and IOLS. See below for the specific opportunities. To read the Grand Unified Explanation of Scout Training, click here: http://www.goldenarrow.org/training/training-overview.html

19) NEW LEADER ESSENTIALS and CUB LEADER SPECIFIC : The next date for this efficient combo training in our District will be Saturday September 20 at location <TBA>. 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 1 p.m. to complete Youth Protection Training. The cost is $16 at the door and includes a copy of the Cub Scout Leader Book (an $8 value). www.goldenarrow.org/training/adult-pack.html Contact Mary Farley, mfarley@hbu.edu

20) BALOO (Basic Adult Leader Outdoor Orientation) and OWL (Outdoor Webelos Leader training): The next date for this training in our District will be <TBA>.Designed for leaders who are in charge of Pack and Webelos overnight activities, this combined course covers the rules, guidelines, skills, and safety considerations for "Pack family camping" and Webelos campouts. Trained adults, who will receive both BALOO and OWL credit, can deliver the outdoor portion of the Cub scouting and Webelos programs. (Local Tour Permits require that a BALOO-certified registered adult leader attend Cub Scout Campouts and overnight activities.) You can read more about it at http://www.goldenarrow.org/training/baloo.html .

21) IOLS (Introduction to Outdoor Leadership Skills): Second-year Webelos leaders are invited to take IOLS, one of the modules leading to full training in the Boy Scout Leader sequence. Learn what you need to successfully transition your boys into Scouting! 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 October 1 at St Paul's Presbyterian, with the weekend campout on October 10-12.

22) 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)

23) OUTDOOR CHANNEL SCOUTING SHOW: A limited six-week run of outdoor skill shows on cable for Scouts started in mid-August but there is still a little time left. See

http://www.outdoorchannel.com/Shows/ScoutingForAdventure.aspx

The following is a press release about the show back in May 08:

24) ENERGY EDUCATION DAY: On September 24 from 1-4 p.m., Shell Oil Company will sponsor a range of hands-on projects in the Weiss Energy Hall at the Houston Museum of Natural Sciences, Hermann Park. Special one-day only events include making slime and lava lamps; learning about energy careers; racing hydrogen cars; creating your own “wind turbine”; and visits from the “Energy Hog” with tips on energy conservation.

Participation is included in Exhibit Hall admission. Prices to the public are $10 for Adults, $7 for children. However, school field trips arranged in advance are only $2.50 each- perhaps you could organize this with a little creativity by calling 713-639-4659.

25) GEOLOGIST WEBELOS ACTIVITY PIN: Activities towards this pin will be offered at the Houston Gem, Jewelry, Mineral, and Fossil Show on the weekend of September 27-28 at the Humble Civic Center, on an advance sign-up basis. The class is free with $4 student admission. Navigate to the flyer from this home page: http://www.hgms.org/

26) CPR/AED TRAINING: A mass CPR/ AED course conducted by the American Red Cross and sponsored by Methodist Hospital is being offered on Saturday, September 27, 2008 from 8 a.m. - 12 p.m. or 1 p.m. - 5 p.m. The location is the Methodist Training Center
8335 Lantern Point Drive Houston, TX 77054. For additional details, go to www.methodisthealth.com/savealife

27) WEBELOS WOODS: Hold the date for this parent-son Webelos-only campout to preview Boy Scouts and help you choose a Troop: October 4-5 at Challenger 7 Park in Webster, near NASA. At this campout, area Troops each put on a 30-minute activity for boys and give handouts for parents on their particulars. You rotate through and get an amazing overview of the variety of Boy Scouting experiences available. Plan now, then fill out the registration forms as soon as posted: http://www.goldenarrow.org/events/webelos-woods-08.html

28) CUB SCOUT FUN DAY: Save the date- Saturday October 11, for fun activities for all your Cubs.

29) NEW SPACE CENTER WOLF CAMP-IN: Space Center Houston has added a new Wolf Camp-in following a similar format to the other Cub Scout camp-ins. On October 17 for $55 per scout and $25 per adult within the approved ratio, you will receive a wonderful educational experience, Wolf badge activities, a light morning breakfast, Giant Screen films, private tram tour to JSC, and a next day visit to tour Space Center Houston on your own. Family members can join in the morning and can purchase $10 discounted tickets the evening of the camp-in. This has not yet been posted on the website; however, you can get information on how the other similar programs are run: http://www.spacecenter.org/ScoutCampIns.html For more information, contact Hannah Lange (281-244-2131, campins@spacecenter.org).

30) DEN CHIEF TRAINING: Do you have Boy Scouts working with your Cub patrols as Den Chiefs? If so, and you would like to have them even better prepared to assist you and keep up enthusiasm and discipline at your events, alert the Scouts to an upcoming training opportunity at Akela’s Trail, first Saturday in November.

31) WIN A BACKPACK: The Osprey Pack Co. is running a monthly contest open to kids ages six to 16. In 250-500 words, contestants are asked to tell about a place they have hiked or backpacked that was especially memorable. Why is it special? Was there a special encounter with an animal? Mother Nature? Was the area threatened? Was it well taken care of? Last but NOT least, contestants should pick one of the Leave No Trace principles and tell how it applied to the adventure. Entrants are also welcome (but not required) to include a photo. For more information and contest rules, please visit the Osprey website at http://www.ospreypacks.com/OspreyLifestyle/KidsEssayContest/

Learn about Leave No Trace: http://www.lnt.org/programs/principles.php

32) 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

34) Thanks to the Webmaster James Cauble, our Golden Arrow District website has a wealth of information: www.goldenarrow.org

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

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