Florida Sea Base after Hurricane Irma

Scout Florida Sea Base after Hurricane Irma

It survived in good enough shape to serve as the command center for out-of-state firefighters.

You can read the story in a NY Times article by Alan Blinder: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/17/us/irma-fema-rescue-florida-keys.html

The article starts with, "Boy Scouts usually fill the bunk beds here. They show up in the Keys for programs built around what this region is rightly famous for: salty air, sunny skies and pristine turquoise waters. But late on Monday night, the firefighters invaded the closed Scout camp."

Getting Serious about Youth Protection

Getting Serious about Youth Protection Training

BSA National and Northern NJ Council recently issued guidelines -- actually warnings -- about the importance of Youth Protection Training.

What changed is that new adults may now register with the Scouts directly using a new online system. The guidelines want to be sure that those new adults all get Youth Protection certification.

Click here to see the actual text. The most important takeaways are:

• When a new adult registers with your troop or pack, you must verify that he received Youth Protection Training by getting a copy of his certificate. His Adult Application Form MUST be accompanied by a YPT certificate. Otherwise he won't be added to your roster.

• When your unit recharters in January, the database record of every adult on your roster MUST have current Youth Protection certification. Otherwise he will be dropped from your roster. (Not mentioned in the guidelines is the major problem caused when a "key-3" adult is not current: Scoutmaster/Cubmaster, Chartered Org Rep, Committee Chair.)

• When a unit recharters in January, it's common to attach an extra Adult Application Form or two to the rechartering papers. As above, each new adult form MUST be accompanied by a Youth Protection certificate.

• Any time an adult will spend 72 hours or more on an outing; for example, 3 or more days at Scout summer camp, that adult MUST have current Youth Protection certification. This rule also applies to the parent of a Scout. (The guidelines recommend but don't insist on YPT training for the adults who will spend less than 72 hours.)

Confusion for Den Leaders

This is a followup to an earlier posting labeled "Really Good News for Den Leaders!" Click here to see that posting.

This was good: In January 2017, BSA National decided to simplify lots of Cub badge requirements.
Not so good: In September 2017, handbooks being sold in the Scout shops were not revised. They still talk about the older, harder requirement sets.

The band-aid solution: Each copy of each handbook needs a separate insert called an "addendum."

If you did not receive an "addendum" when you bought your handbook, you can download and print a copy for insertion:

Click here for the Tiger Addendum.
Click here for the Wolf Addendum.
Click here for the Bear Addendum.
Click here for the Webelos+Arrow of Light Addendum.

Registration Fees - Save this Chart

Effective December 1, 2017

Click here for a chart showing how much to charge a new Scout or Cub (or adult) recruit when he signs up.

The fee for a full 12 months is $42 (plus an optional $12 for Boys' Life = $54). The chart shows how to pro-rate the fee, so you should charge less for a Scout who signs up in the middle of the year.

Example: Most Three Rivers District units recharter in January, which means that your fiscal year starts in February and ends in January. Thus anyone you recruit in January or February pays the full amount. A March recruit pays for 11 months, April pays for 10, etc. When you recruit in September, charge for 5 months: Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan.

Note how the chart is titled "Registration and Insurance." That's because of the high insurance rates in New Jersey. Other Scout councils in other states likely charge just $33 (= $2.75 per month), but NNJC had to impose a $9 surcharge to cover our high premiums.

List of Events in September 2017

Three Rivers Events During September 2017

Sep 5 - TRD Unit Commissioners Meeting
  http://www.nnjbsa.org/registration/calendardetail.aspx?ActivityKey=2202388&OrgKey=944
Sep 7 - TRD District Committee Meeting
  http://www.nnjbsa.org/registration/calendardetail.aspx?ActivityKey=2185063&OrgKey=944
Sep 12 - TRD Roundtable
  http://www.nnjbsa.org/registration/calendardetail.aspx?ActivityKey=2185052&OrgKey=944
Sep 19 - TRD Assistant District Commissioner Meeting
  https://nnjbsa.doubleknot.com/registration/calendardetail.aspx?ActivityKey=2202477&OrgKey=944

Training Sessions During September 2017

Sep 15-17 - NNJC Outdoor Skills Weekend
  http://www.nnjbsa.org/registration/calendardetail.aspx?ActivityKey=2167879&OrgKey=2104
Sep 16 - Cub Leader-Specific Training
  http://www.nnjbsa.org/registration/calendardetail.aspx?ActivityKey=2161188&OrgKey=2104

Other Council-Approved Events in September 2017

Sep 22-24 - OA Induction Weekend #3 at Yaw Paw
  http://www.nnjbsa.org/registration/calendardetail.aspx?ActivityKey=2082897&OrgKey=1921

Death of Three Scouts in Texas

Death of Three Scouts in Texas

Their sailboat ran into an overhead power line. Two died immediately, one later. 

"Two Texas Boy Scouts, aged 16 and 18, were killed and another was hospitalized after their sailboat collided with an overhead power line, likely sending a jolt of electricity through the boat, Texas officials said on Sunday." Click here to see the NY Times article of August 6 by Jon Herskovit. The third Scout was taken to a hospital in Shreveport, LA, but died later.

The Scouts were camped on private land near Lake O' The Pines in East Texas and took a catamaran onto the lake. They were just off shore when their boat struck the power line, so help arrived almost immediately. Rob Walker, general manager of Upshur Rural Electric Cooperative, said in a statement that the company is working to determine what happened.There was a candlelight vigil on Sunday night.

2017 Popcorn Sale: Dates

2017 Popcorn Sale: Dates

Aug 1 or Aug 10: Required popcorn training: Register
Aug 12: Show-n-Sell #1 orders due
Aug 24-26: Show-n-Sell #1 pickup
Sep  9: Show-n-Sell #2 orders due
Sep 21-23: Show-n-Sell #2 pickup
Oct 28: Show-n-Sell returns due
Oct 28: Take-order orders due
Nov 9-11: Take-order pickup
Nov 11: Prize orders due
Dec  2: Absolute last date for prize orders
Dec 17: $1,000 sellers invited to view Star Wars VIII
Jan 6: Top 100 sellers party.
Link for popcorn orders and prize orders: scouting.trails-end.com

Two Ways to Sell Popcorn

Show-n-Sell:
•    Estimate what you think you can sell this way.
•    Place an order online, either or both Aug 12 and/or Sep 9.
•    Pick up that order (without paying for it) on Aug 24-26 and/or Sep 21-23.
•    Spend the next month selling at a table you've set up, door-to-door, or at parents' workplaces.
•    Turn in money and leftover product on Oct 28.

Take Order:
•    Sale starts on Aug 10
•    Scouts go door-to-door with an order form and ask people to support the Boy Scouts by buying popcorn. They pay for it on the spot but get no popcorn yet. The Scout takes the money and writes pertinent information on his order form.
•    On Oct 28 the unit popcorn coordinator uses the online system to enter all the orders.
•    On Nov 9 or 10 or 11 you drive to a warehouse and pick up all the popcorn that was ordered and then distribute it to the customers.