Friends of Scouting (FOS) Campaign – Feb 15th
Dear Cub Scout Parent,
We hope that you and your family will be able to join us at our Blue & Gold Banquet scheduled for February 15th at 5:30pm at the Coyote Creek MPR. We are very proud of all the boy’s achievements and extremely appreciative of all the parental involvement.
During the banquet, we will be making a brief presentation of the annual Friends of Scouting (FOS) campaign and then asking for your pledges to support our Pack’s FOS effort. The FOS program helps underwrite the cost of Scouting for our district, the Mt. Diablo Silverado Council. We thought it might be beneficial to send out this letter in advance for your information.
Each year, our Scout parents are asked to support some of the hidden costs of Scouting. The Mt. Diablo Silverado Council, which serves almost 17,000 youths, provides numerous benefits to all of our boys and adult volunteers. A few of these benefits include subsidized Cub Day Camp and Cub Family Camps, maintaining facilities such as Camp Herms and Wolfeboro, as well as youth and leadership training.
FOS provides these benefits to our Scouts throughout the bay area. The district’s goal is to raise $120,000 for this year. In the past, parents have contributed gifts ranging from $10 to $1,000. The Scouting organization annually spends about $200 per boy while the registration fee is only $15. The Council hopes that each family will give enough to offset the spending cost for each boy, but if your family cannot contribute to this extent, please know that any amount is welcome. Participation by every family, at any level, is the goal.
If you believe that the Scouting program has had a positive impact on your family, I urge you to join me in this effort to keep the Scout program the dynamic experience for the youth in our area.
Yuji Yamada
Committee Chair
BSA Updated Statement on Membership Policy
From BSA:
For 103 years, the Boy Scouts of America has been a part of the fabric of this nation, providing its youth program of character development and values-based leadership training. In the past two weeks, Scouting has received an outpouring of feedback from the American public. It reinforces how deeply people care about Scouting and how passionate they are about the organization.
After careful consideration and extensive dialogue within the Scouting family, along with comments from those outside the organization, the volunteer officers of the Boy Scouts of America’s National Executive Board concluded that due to the complexity of this issue, the organization needs time for a more deliberate review of its membership policy.
To that end, the National Executive Board directed its committees to further engage representatives of Scouting’s membership and listen to their perspectives and concerns. This will assist the officers’ work on a resolution on membership standards. The approximately 1,400 voting members of the National Council will take action on the resolution at the National Annual Meeting in May 2013.
Blue & Gold Banquet
Hello all,
The Blue & Gold Banquet is just around the corner and we are getting ready to have some fun. We will be celebrating the 103rd birthday of Scouting and having a big send-off for our super-achieving Webelos IIs who will continue their Scouting journey in Boy Scouts troops.
Besides dinner catered by A.G. Ferrari Foods (Mmm yum yum!) there will be entertainment by Python Ron's Reptile Kingdom. Admission is free, again, FREE!!!, to Scouts in good standing and their immediate family. But you MUST reply to this evite!
RSVP by February 11th. Indicate in your reply the number of vegetarian meals you prefer. Otherwise, we assume you would eat anything. 😉
Thank you and see you all at the big party!
Pack 1776 Committee
Are You Tougher Than a Boy Scout?
Are You Tougher Than a Boy Scout?, the National Geographic Channel reality show will start airing at 8 p.m. Eastern (7 p.m. Central) on Monday, March 4. The six-episode series continues every Monday night until the season finale on April 8. Find out more at the new website for the show: toughscout.com.
March Hike – Las Trampas Rocky Ridge Loop Trail
Las Trampas Regional Wilderness is close to home and has great hiking, with excellent views, wildflowers and streams in spring, with bird viewing opportunities as well.
Date: Sunday, March 17, 2012
Time: 8:45 am – 11.45 am
Location: Las Trampas Regional Wilderness, Danville
Meeting Point: Corner of parking lot right by the information displays.
Attire: Class B
Awards: Highlander patch and/or the Las Trampas Rocker patch.
Fees: None
Must read: Hike info and trail map
Contact: Hiking Chair - Sachin Sheth (925.968.9940)
Details
Distance, category, and difficulty:
Easy to Moderate with ~1100 ft of elevation gain. Total distance ~ 4.5 miles.
Hiking time:
~3 hours
Exposure:
Exposed
Trail surfaces:
Fire roads and dirt trails
What to bring:
- Binoculars
- Long pants
- Dress in layers – please wear weather appropriate attire.
- Snacks
- Water
Getting there:
From Highway 680: Take the Crow Canyon Road exit. Drive west on Crow Canyon for about 1 mile, then turn right (north) onto Bollinger Canyon Road. Continue about 4.5 miles to the trailhead at the end of the road.
Cub Cast February 2013
Scout Sunday / Scout Sabbath and Religious Emblems
Happy birthday, BSA! Our birthday is Feb. 8, but did you know there’s a whole week to celebrate Scouting? It starts on Scout Sunday, Feb. 3 and ends on Scout Sabbath, Feb. 9. Download this episode and you’ll hear some great ideas on ways to celebrate. We’ll also be talking about changes to the religious emblems program and the connection between a Scouts faith and the values of Scouting. Joining us this month is Mark Hazelwood, who teaches a course on religious emblems at Philmont Training Center in Cimarron, New Mexico, and has been the CEO of P.R.A.Y. for 26 years. He currently serves on the Program Impact Department's Religious Emblems Task Force.
BSA’s Statement on Membership Policy
Update January 31, 2013: Due to the high volume of calls and e-mails to the Boy Scouts of America National Office, individuals who wish to submit feedback regarding the ongoing membership policy discussion are encouraged to do so by visiting www.scouting.org/ContactUs
From BSA:
Boy Scouts of America
Monday, Jan. 28, 2013
Attributable to: Deron Smith, Director of Public Relations
“For more than 100 years, Scouting’s focus has been on working together to deliver the nation’s foremost youth program of character development and values-based leadership training. Scouting has always been in an ongoing dialogue with the Scouting family to determine what is in the best interest of the organization and the young people we serve.
“Currently, the BSA is discussing potentially removing the national membership restriction regarding sexual orientation. This would mean there would no longer be any national policy regarding sexual orientation, and the chartered organizations that oversee and deliver Scouting would accept membership and select leaders consistent with each organization’s mission, principles, or religious beliefs. BSA members and parents would be able to choose a local unit that best meets the needs of their families.
“The policy change under discussion would allow the religious, civic, or educational organizations that oversee and deliver Scouting to determine how to address this issue. The Boy Scouts would not, under any circumstances, dictate a position to units, members, or parents. Under this proposed policy, the BSA would not require any chartered organization to act in ways inconsistent with that organization’s mission, principles, or religious beliefs.”
Amateur Radio Operator Rating Strip Introduced
The National Radio Scouting Committee is pleased to announce that the BSA Awards and Insignia Committee has approved the Amateur Radio Operator rating strip for wear on youth and adult uniforms. This rating strip recognizes the member’s availability as an amateur radio operator for communication services for events and activities, as well as for emergencies.
All registered youth members and adult leaders who also hold a valid amateur radio license, of any class, issued by the Federal Communications Commission are eligible to wear the rating strip. The Supply order number is 617431.
The rating strip is worn on the right sleeve, in position 3 or 4, under the U.S. flag (position 1), patrol emblem or den emblem (position 2). If a unit award is present in position 3, the rating strip is worn in position 4.
It is hoped that the new strips will help encourage more people to join amateur radio clubs so the useful skill is taken up by a greater number. If clubs see an increase in members then they may have to look at a HAM or a Two Way Radio Review to find the best ones to buy for the club to accommodate the new members.
This rating strip is similar to the Amateur Radio Operator Badge offered as a proficiency badge by Scouts Australia, as well as the recently introduced badge by Scouting Netherlands. It follows in the footsteps of the Scout Radioman personal interest badge for Senior Scouts and Explorer Scouts that was offered by the BSA in the 1940s.
(Read more in Scouting magazine’s Bryan on Scouting blog.)
Pinewood Derby – Tip #3
Dear Pack 1776,
Here is Pinewood Derby Tip #3 and a link to a fun article from the Columbus Dispatch.
Sincerely,
Pack 1776 PWD Committee
Pinewood Derby – Tip #2
Dear Pack 1776,
Here is Pinewood Derby Tip #2.
Sincerely,
The PWD Committee