BSA today, on the Scouting Magazine BLOG announced the release of the final requirements for a new Merit Badge for the sport of GEOCACHING.
The merit badge pamphlet is not yet available, but the Boy Scouts of America wanted to get the official requirements in the hands of Scouts and Scouters as soon as possible. The BSA knows that troops, districts, and councils will be planning spring and summer activities around this newest merit badge.
A copy of the requirements can be downloaded from BSA's site, or they can be viewed online on the US Scouting Service Project at http://usscouts.org/mb/Geocaching.asp. We'll post a worksheet as soon as we can develop one.
Scouts got a chance to preview the planned BSA Indy Car last August.
Credits to marjcr " August 27, 2009 — Scout representatives from southern Sonoma County go to the Indy Car race at Infineon Raceway to learn about plans for a Boy Scout branded car for next season. "
The car is now a reality and you can see both the car and the BSA racing uniforms via the BSA facebook website. Awesome!!
The Heart of America Council has a set of new hiking trails called "Watkin's Mill Trail" with a wonderful patch available.
Watkins Mill's theme and history is based on the highly successful woolen business by a turn of the century, rural family in the central Midwest. The historic buildings feature a rare look at their life and times through a living history experience and tour of the mill including its Original equipment, still intact.
The trails are open year round. Cubs, Webelos, boy scouts, leaders, all are welcome participants. Both trails are a good length for younger scouts, about 4 miles, and one of few this length in the Central region. You can choose either the woodland / equestrian trail or the paved lake trail. Both are scenic and relaxing. We have both family and primitive camping available, but it's not required to earn the patch. W2 dens like it because they can do their overnight requirement and earn a cool patch on the same outing. It's also appealing to troops with younger boy scouts like 1st years, that can't yet manage a full length (20mi) trail hike. But the miles and historical tour count for Camping mb, 50 miler, Historic Trails, Hiking mb etc for all scouts and leaders.
Guides are available on request but mostly we use a self-certifying system. The leader emails us the total number of scouts and leaders that hiked one of the trails and want the patch. They cost $3 each which includes shipping. When we receive the payment, we will mail out the patches.
Trailmaster Doug
More Info:
Length, season: Choice of two historic, scenic and nature trails, 3.75 miles each, open all year. Mill tour and living history available only in season. Reservations suggested.
Off roads: All, both trails. Lake trail is paved; Woodland / equestrian trail is mowed grass; mostly gentle to rolling terrain. Starting point: Watkin's Mill State Park camping areas (2), mix and match with desired trail.
Ending point starting point of chosen trail Points of interest: 19th century woolen mill with original mill equipment, original mill buildings, school, church, workshops. Living history farm experience in summer months. State camp ground with lake, picnic areas, beach (seasonal), fishing and wooded streams. Jesse James' farm GeoCache Overnight camping: Yes. Primitive area (5) groups; Family area (100) sites Campsite facilities: Primitive – firepits, outhouse, no water; Family - toilets, showers, laundry; Firewood for sale.
backpacking camp along the trail: None. Picnic areas along lake trail with tables
Trail camp facilities: None
Requirements for hiking trail: Have proper adult leadership, scout T-shirts encouraged
Groups permitted on trail: Open to the public. We share the paved lake trail with bicycles and other hikers. The woodland trail we share with very occasional equestrian trail ride groups. Both trails open 7AM to sunset. Trail maps available: Yes, in packet or see park website http://www.mostateparks.com/wwmill/map.htm
Trail well marked: Yes, maintained by DNR
Trail marker design: state symbols Guides available if requested: Yes. Guided mill tours available on weekends, reservations requested ($). Visitor center open daily. Mill and visitor center are approx 1.0 mile from woodland trail and .5 mile from lake trail. Most hikers drive to the mill site before or after the hike. Mill tour is not required to receive patch, only adult leader's self-certification of completion of trail hikers. http://www.mostateparks.com/wwmill/map.htm
Someone to meet hikers at starting point if requested: Yes
Available awards: colorful patch by famous designer through trailmaster. Not available at visitor's center. Allow mailing time after receipt of order.
Advance reservation required: None for trail hike. Family camping see http://www.mostateparks.com/wwmill/camp.htm Primitive area camping call 816-580-3387 For more information contact: trailmaster, watkinsmilltrailhike@gmail.com Please indicate how many participants completed one of the trails and how many patches you are ordering. Patch is worn as a temporary patch (BSA) on the right pocket. Other organizations have their own guidelines about trail hike patches.
Joint News Release - Union Pacific and Boy Scouts of America
Union Pacific Railroad Unveils No. 2010 Boy Scouts of America Commemorative Locomotive Special Locomotive Celebrates Scouting’s 100-year History
For Immediate Release:
Houston, Texas, March 31, 2010 -- Union Pacific Railroad today unveiled the UP No. 2010 Boy Scouts of America Locomotive, created as a tribute to the organization’s centennial celebration. The UP No. 2010 honors Scouting’s 100-year impact on the nation and the many Scouting enthusiasts in Union Pacific’s work force and communities.
“Union Pacific and the Boy Scouts of America have played leadership roles in shaping America’s history. With the UP No. 2010, we are proud to celebrate 100 years of Scouting, progress and patriotism,” said Robert W. Turner, Union Pacific senior vice president-Corporate Relations.
“We are deeply honored by the tribute Union Pacific has given to Scouting through the creation of the commemorative locomotive,” said Bob Mazzuca, Chief Scout Executive of the Boy Scouts of America. “We also owe a great deal of gratitude to our UP employee Scouting alumni base, which has spearheaded the movement to create the UP No. 2010. Their efforts mean that for years to come, the locomotive will serve as a reminder of the impact millions of Scouts have had on this country for 100 years.”
A very rare honor, Union Pacific has created only 14 commemorative locomotives in its nearly 150-year history. The Boy Scouts-themed locomotive is decorated with a series of four distinct graphics:
The national Boy Scouts of America logo;
The BSA’s 100th Anniversary logo;
The words “100 Years of Scouting,” and,
Ten emblems representing stages of Scouting and an 11th emblem for the 2010 National Scout Jamboree
The UP No. 2010 locomotive will celebrate the BSA’s centennial as it hauls the freight that supports America across Union Pacific’s 32,000-mile, 7,000-community network. Because it is one of the newest and most fuel-efficient locomotives, the UP No. 2010 likely will carry service-sensitive consists such as automotive and intermodal trains.
About Union Pacific
Union Pacific Corporation owns one of America's leading transportation companies. Its principal operating company, Union Pacific Railroad, links 23 states in the western two-thirds of the country. Union Pacific serves many of the fastest-growing U.S. population centers and provides Americans with a fuel-efficient, environmentally responsible and safe mode of freight transportation. Union Pacific's diversified business mix includes Agricultural Products, Automotive, Chemicals, Energy, Industrial Products and Intermodal. The railroad emphasizes excellent customer service and offers competitive routes from all major West Coast and Gulf Coast ports to eastern gateways. Union Pacific connects with Canada’s rail systems and is the only railroad serving all six major gateways to Mexico, making it North America's premier rail franchise.
About The Boy Scouts of America
The Scouting movement is composed of 2.8 million young people between the ages of 7 and 20 and 1.1 million volunteers in more than 290 local councils throughout the United States and its territories. The Boy Scouts of America is the nation’s foremost youth program of character development and values-based leadership training. For more information on the Boy Scouts of America, please visit www.scouting.org. More information about 100 Years of Scouting can be found at www.scouting.org/100years
Scouting’s Centennial is Out of This World—Literally! Boy Scouts of America’s 100th Anniversary Year of Celebration Patches Head to International Space Station on the Space Shuttle Discovery
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.— (April 5, 2010)—The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) has officially taken its 100th Anniversary Celebration to new heights. Four Year of Celebration patches left the stratosphere today as cargo on the space shuttle Discovery’s STS-131 mission to the International Space Station. A Year of Celebration, A Century of Making a Difference is the BSA’s 100th Anniversary patch-earning program that allows participants to earn recognition for making a difference in their communities.
“This collaboration between the BSA and NASA underscores a long history between Scouting and space programs,” said BSA Chief Scout Executive Bob Mazzuca. “At the earliest opportunities in Scouting, we are exposing young people to space exploration and preparing them for future work in science and technology fields.”
The relationship between Scouting and space stretches to before man’s first steps on the moon. In May 1964, 29 of America’s 30 astronauts visited Philmont Scout Ranch, the BSA’s high-adventure base in Cimarron, New Mexico, for a two-week training trip to learn geological mapping and seismographic studies in preparation for the Apollo programs. Of the 12 astronauts who have walked on the moon, 11 were Boy Scouts. More than half of all U.S. astronauts have been involved in Scouting, including well-known astronauts Neil Armstrong and Jim Lovell, who are Eagle Scouts.
In 2010, the BSA will introduce three new technology-driven merit badges, including Robotics. During STS-131, mission specialist Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger will use the robotic shuttle arm to inspect the space shuttle for any damage that may have occurred during launch or while in space. Other members of the STS-131 crew will use the space station's robotic system, Canadarm2, to move equipment from the shuttle's payload bay to the station.
Though firmly rooted in an unchanged set of core values, the BSA is committed to remaining current and relevant by adapting how it delivers programs and reaches its audiences. The BSA’s three new merit badges—Robotics, Inventing, and Geocaching—are indicative of how it is adjusting to prepare young people to become leaders and participating citizens in an increasingly technological world. Today, Scouts can read the Boy Scout Handbook on an iPhone, use GPS devices in addition to a map and compass, and receive BSA news via social media channels such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.
Any Scout, leader, or Scouting alumnus, can earn five special award ribbons that hang from the Year of Celebration patch. Reflective of a century of Scouting values, the ribbons honor dedication to leadership, character, community service, achievement, and the outdoors.
After the patches return from space, they will be displayed as part of the 100th Anniversary exhibit at the National Scouting Museum in Irving, Texas. Eight major national 100th Anniversary engagement programs have been designed to reintroduce Scouting to the next generation of young leaders and reconnect millions of alumni with the organization. Flying high on the space shuttle isn’t the only high-speed recognition of the BSA’s 100th Anniversary. Earlier this year, the BSA announced its Scout-themed IndyCar collaboration with Dale Coyne Racing. Just last week, Union Pacific unveiled UP No. 2010 Boy Scouts of America, only the 14th commemorative locomotive in the company’s history.
About the Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America is the nation’s foremost youth program of character development and values-based leadership training. The Scouting organization is composed of 2.7 million youth members between the ages of 7 and 20, 1.1 million volunteers, and nearly 300 local councils throughout the United States and its territories. For more information on the Boy Scouts of America, please visit www.scouting.org.
Camp William B. Snyder, located 75 miles outside Fort A.P. Hill, VA, is the perfect location for visiting Scouts and units. Cabins, dining hall, swimming pool, wall tents, and more will be available. We will also have transportation to all major attractions. Click the link below for details
Are you looking for a fun place to stay while you visit Washington D.C.?
The Conference Center at Camp William B. Snyder is the perfect way to enjoy all that Washington D.C. has to offer with-out breaking the bank.
We provide Monday-Friday programs for Packs, Troops, Posts, Crews and Teams we also serve school groups, corporations, and government agencies. Click the link below to see how we can make your stay the best!
National Council has announced the following via E-mail sent to council execs and others -
Cub Scouts 2010 - Materials Availability
Development of materials to support the rollout of Cub Scouts 2010 is well under way, and we are now in a position to confirm that the leader materials and training needed to support the change in delivery method will be completed and in local council service centers between April 30 and May 7, 2010.
The resources affected include the following:
Literature: 2010-2011 Cub Scout Roundtable Guide New Den & Pack Meeting Resource Guide (printed) New Den & Pack Meeting Resource Guide (online*) New Cub Scout Leader Book Revised Webelos Leader Guide Revised
Training: Fast Start Training (online) Revised Position Specific Leader Training with CD (literature) Revised
As discussed previously, there will be a new version of Position Specific Leader Training which will be available online via the E-Learning Center at myscouting.org. This module is scheduled to be available 6/1/2010.
In addition, you will begin to see new covers on many of our other Cub Scout leader publications so that we have a unified look for the brand. New covers will start appearing for the following publications as the Supply Group needs additional inventory. Note, however, that the content remains the same - the new cover does not make the "old" version obsolete.
Cub Scout Leader How-To Book Cub Scout Academics and Sports Program Guide Cub Scout Ceremonies for Dens and Packs BALOO - Basic Adult Leader Outdoor Orientation
And finally, please note that two elective sessions have been added to the agenda of the National Annual Meeting to support Cub Scouts 2010. The electives, titled "Our Future Begins With Cub Scouts" (E-119 and E-319) are scheduled Thursday afternoon, 5/27. Please share this information within your council and encourage your staff and volunteers to take advantage of the opportunity.
The BSA officially released the requirements and information on the four Historic Merit Badges (Carpentry, Pathfinding, Signaling, and Tracking) today, April, 1, 2010. Scouts may work on them now, but must complete them by December 31, 2010, if they wish to use them for rank advancement.
Included in the release are copies of merit badge pamphlets (from 1927, 1928, 1940, and 1942) available for download and additional background information for Scouts working on the badges.
The US Scouting Service Project has provided information on the badges on our website, and included links to the information on BSA's site, too.
A worksheet for Carpentry is already available. We hope to have worksheets for the other badges shortly.
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