An Attack Dog Demonstration

An Attack Dog Demonstration

Yaw Paw Day Camp Director Henry Hahn volunteered to be the bad guy! This photo appeared in the Bergen Record on April 22. Click on the photo to enlarge it.

The caption: Hasbrouck Heights Police Officer Dave Ciliento handling Bosco as he prepares to put the bite on the "bad guy" played with bravura by Cub Scout Day Camp Director Henry Hahn, during a K-9 unit demonstration Thursday that captivated Scouts. [Photo credit: Viorel Florescu]

How the NY Council Pushed for Gay Scout Leaders

How GNYC Pushed for Gay Scout Leaders

"Taking the Lead" was the headline of a recent article that appeared in the Hoboken Reporter, written by Al Sullivan. Click here for the article. The article was about Richard "Ricky" Mason, current president of the Greater New York Councils, and how GNYC "forced the national Boy Scout organization to change its policies." (Mason lives in Hoboken.)

Sullivan relates how BSA National decided to allow gay youth into the program in 2014, but continued to exclude gay leaders until last year. Sullivan said, "In mid-2015, former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates – president of the national Boy Scouts of America Organization – reversed the organization’s prior policy and allowed the hiring of gay leaders for the first time.

Mason said, "The New York Council was far ahead of the nation on this issue... We hired [someone] for our summer camp. He was an openly gay Eagle Scout." Mason added, "We needed a spokesperson. I became that spokesperson. We started a media tour (in April 2015) and when it became public, we pushed the national organization to make the change."

Camperships For Scouts in North Hudson

Camperships For Scouts in North Hudson

Offered by Grove Reformed Church in North Bergen

The Paulsen Trust announced that they are ready to receive applications from families in north Hudson County that can use help in paying for summer camp. Please let Norman Kasser know if you would like a copy of the application form. In the past, Paulsen has been quite generous. Their deadline is May 15, 2016.
    Norman@TwoKassers.com

Who is eligible: Here are the restrictions as they appear on the form: "The camperships are available to children 16 years of age and younger, who reside in one of the following zip code locations: 07030, 07047, 07086, 07087, 07093, 07094, 07307. We will only provide assistance for children attending overnight camp."

• Instructions for Cubs: Please do NOT use the Camp Lewis online registration system, since the final step will ask you to pay the camp fee. Instead contact Linda Vennik at the council office and ask her to register your son for Lewis, explaining that payment will be made later by the Paulsen Fund.
    Linda.Vennik@scouting.org

• Instructions for Scouts: Let your Scoutmaster know that Paulsen will pay the fee. The Scoutmaster will then inform the Council when he submits his roster along with money for the other paying Scouts.

Some time prior to summer camp, you'll receive a letter from Paulsen with the "award" amount; that is, how much of the camp fee they are willing to cover, hopefully 100%. If it's not 100%, you'll have to write a check to the Northern NJ Council for the balance.

At the end of the summer: Paulsen will contact the Camp Director to verify that your son actually attended and will then mail the award directly to the Council.

2016 Klondike Derby Competition Results

2016 Klondike Derby Competition Results

Tenafly Boy Scout Troop 25 was the big winner, taking both 1st and 3rd places overall, plus finishing 3rd in the sled race. Closter Troop 63 was the 2nd place winner overall.

The Webelos winners were Maywood Pack 1199, River Edge Pack 229, and Tenafly Pack 25. River Edge Pack 95 won the sled race.


A full list of standings can be found on the Three Rivers website.
Scouts:
  http://www.nnjbsa.org/openrosters/DocDownload.aspx?id=161744
Webelos:
  http://www.nnjbsa.org/openrosters/DocDownload.aspx?id=135426

Unusual Sale at the Scout Shop (Apr 30)

Get Ready for Camp Event

Saturday April 30 (and April 23 in NYC)

Save 25% on all regular-priced camp gear!
This is unusual - camp gear rarely goes on sale.


Northern NJ Council Scout Shop - April 30
25 Ramapo Valley Rd.
Oakland, NJ 07436

Empire Scout Shop - April 23 and April 30
48 W 37th St.
New York, NY 10018

Sessions for the Catholic Scout Award

Ad Altare Dei and Sword of St. George Awards

Sessions for Scouts wishing to earn these awards will take place in April through November, one session per month, on the first Friday of each month:
  April 1 ⇐ Ask about a make-up session
  May 5
  June 3
  August 5
  September 9
  October 15 ⇐ During the CCOS Retreat weekend
  November 4

Our Lady of Mercy Church, 6:30-8:00 PM
(Lower gathering space) 
2 Fremont Ave.
Park Ridge, NJ  07656
Workbook available at the first session: $6
This course is designed for Scouts age 13-14.
Dress: Class-A uniform with neckerchief

Plus it is mandatory to also attend a Scout Catholic Retreat weekend, such as October 14-16, 2016.

This will be impressive: Presentation of awards will take place on Scout Sunday in the Newark Cathedral Basilica on February 12, 2017.

Facilitators:
Ed Stoker - Scouter142@outlook.com
Michaelene Mason - Idgunlab@aol.com

Renewal Time for Merit Badge Counselors

Renewal Time for Merit Badge Counselors

Starting this year, each merit badge counselor registered with the Northern NJ Council must renew annually.

Hopefully you received an e-mail from Kathy Wassel at the council office asking for either "confirm" or "delete."

If you didn't get that e-mail, please contact Kathy yourself: Kathy.Wassel@scouting.org

In her e-mail, Kathy also repeated the counselor's contact information as found in the NNJC database and offered to make corrections.

In her e-mail, Kathy also repeated the list of merit badges that the counselor is registered to handle. However, she did not offer to make corrections to that list.