Guide to Safe Scouting Updates

Download the PDF:  http://www.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/34416.pdf  changes noted on the 6th page of the download prior to the TOC.

or peruse the html version which as a couple of landing page tweaks to complete the transition left.

http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/HealthandSafety/GSS/toc.aspx

If you are online then suggest you review YP section for updated barriers to abuse, the Medical and FA section, Age Appropriate Guidelines and the Insurance section for changes......

Merit Badge Coucilor Certifications

We are having to return many merit badge counselor applications for the following merit badges because they do not contain the proper paperwork.  Please read through the instructions below:

 

In addition to the adult application and the merit badge counselor application, the following documentation/forms have to be submitted for the specific merit badges listed below.

Special Qualifications are required to instructors for certain merit badges and require additional documentation.  These badges are explained in Chapter 7 of the Guide to Advancement.  For these badges, the prospective Merit Badge Counselor must provide a copy of current certification OR a letter specifying that instruction and activities for the merit badge will be conducted by a currently certified instructor as described below:

Open Pool Days at the Heard

Open Pool Days
Scouts wanting to work on Aquatics requirements may attend (Swim Checks, 2nd and 1st Class requirements, Swimming or Lifesaving requirements, Cub Scout Aquatics Advancement, etc.)

Days:
       August 8, 2015 - To register: click here
       September 12, 2015 - To register: click here

 

CUBSCOUTS.ORG JUST GOT EVEN BETTER

Visited CubScouts.org lately? The site you love just got an overhaul we think you’ll love (and updates are ongoing). Bookmark this comprehensive resource now, and read on as we cover the highlights of what the new CubScouts.org has to offer and what you can look forward to in coming weeks.

CubScouts.org is a one-stop spot to access everything you need for successful Cub Scouting, from shopping for Scout gear, to finding a Pack in your city, to downloading resources to boost your recruitment efforts.No matter what you need, this site is the place to start. The recent updates aim to make your role as a volunteer rewarding, effective, and easier. Here’s what you can access:

BSA amends adult leadership standards; here’s what the change means for your Scout unit

Today, the Boy Scouts of America’s National Executive Board ratified a resolution that removes the national restriction on openly gay adult leaders and employees. The change is effective immediately.

Of those present and voting, 79 percent voted in favor of the resolution.

Today’s decision allows openly gay adult leaders to serve in Scouting while preserving the right of religious chartered organizations to continue to select adult leaders in line with their religion’s beliefs on sexual orientation.

In other words, the longstanding ability of chartered organizations to select their adult leaders remains in place.

Scouting families — both current and future — can select units chartered to organizations that match their beliefs and that best meet the needs of their families.

read the rest

A guide to square knots, and how to wear them

You’ve been awarded a square knot. Congratulations! Now what?

If you’ve been honored with one of the 34 BSA square knots currently available (see the full list below), waste no time in sewing that badge of honor to your uniform. Though they don’t tell the whole story of a Scouter’s impact, these tiny rectangles provide great evidence of a volunteer’s efforts.

But before you dust off the sewing machine, read these tips:

READ THE REST

Update to Catholic Religious Emblem Reference Manual

The Religious Emblem Reference Manual has been revised and bought up to date with all of the new changes to the Ad Altare Dei Program. These changes include the new updated Ad Altare Dei program and the new guidelines allowing our young ladies in Venturing to earn the Emblem. It is now posted on our NCCS website> Check it out at:
http://www.nccs-bsa.org/pdf/NCCS_RERM_June_2015.pdf

It is a very valuable aid to all Emblem and training chairs as well as Emblem Counselor/Facilitators

Where did Internet Advancement Go?

The BSA is consolidating tools into my.scouting.org and they have moved Internet Advancement’s link.  You can now get to Internet Advancement either by:

1)  Logging onto my.scouting.org and pulling down the menu in the upper left and clicking on Legacy Tools

or

2)  Go to Grandcanyonbsa.org/advancement and clicking on Internet Advancement on the left

For more information see:
http://scoutingwire.org/whats-the-difference-between-myscouting-org-and-my-scouting-org/

Ask the Expert: Do you need to travel in uniform to be covered by BSA insurance?

Scouting units, volunteer Scouters and chartered organizations are covered by the BSA's Comprehensive General Liability Insurance.

This insurance provides primary coverage for registered volunteers and excess coverage for nonregistered volunteers for claims arising out of an official Scouting activity. That includes allegations of negligent actions by third parties that result in personal injury or property damage claims.

While your automobile insurance is primary, the BSA's Comprehensive General Liability Insurance provides secondary or excess insurance.

Speaking of driving, it's pop quiz time! Which of the following registered Scouting volunteers is covered by BSA insurance as he or she drives his unit to camp?

• A: A Boy Scout leader, in full field uniform (unofficially known as "Class A"), driving Scouts to Philmont.
• B: A Cub Scout leader, in T-shirt and Scout shorts ("Class B"), driving Scouts to day camp.
• C: A Venturing leader, in T-shirt and jeans, driving Venturers to a weekend backpacking trip.
• D: All of the above.

Find the answer Read more of this post at Scouting Magazine.

How to create a pack handbook

In just a few months, families across America will walk into join-Scouting nights, wide-eyed at the prospect of participating in Cub Scouting. But those wide eyes might glaze over as the Scoutspeak begins. “We just start tossing out ‘den,’  ‘pack,’  ‘Akela’ and all these terms, and they’re looking at us like we’re speaking a foreign language — which we are,” says Cubmaster Perry Lipker of Pack 148 in Hilliard, Ohio. 

Click Here for more

What Does Duty to God Mean?

Boy Scouts of America’s Declaration of Religious Principle states:

The Boy Scouts of America maintains that no member can grow into the best kind of citizen without recognizing an obligation to God. In the first part of the Scout Oath or Promise the member declares, “On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law.” The recognition of God as the ruling and leading power in the universe and the grateful acknowledgment of His favors and blessings are necessary to the best type of citizenship and are wholesome precepts in the education of the growing members. No matter what the religious faith of the members may be, this fundamental need of good citizenship should be kept before them. The Boy Scouts of America, therefore, recognizes the religious element in the training of the member, but it is absolutely nonsectarian in its attitude toward that religious training. Its policy is that the home and the organization or group with which the member is connected shall give definite attention to religious life.

See the CHARTER AND BYLAWS - Boy Scouts of America for more information

Eliminating Confusion - myscouting.org vs. my.scouting.org

From the gang at myscouting


my.Scouting.org is transitioning to become one easy-to-use spot for volunteer resources. while you may be heading to Myscouting.org regularly right now, expect the site’s tools to be migrated to my.Scouting.org in the near future.


We heard you! In an attempt to reduce some of the confusion regarding where to go to access certain tools, significant changes will be made to both the myscouting.org and my.Scouting Tools sites over the next coming weeks.

Starting Thursday, July 16, the following program links will be removed from myscouting.org’s column list and become accessible in my.Scouting Tools under Legacy Web Tools in the Home menu list:

• • Internet Advancement
• • National Safety Council Defensive Driving Course
• • Service Hours Reporting

Additionally, we’re doing some general housekeeping by removing outdated links and resources. More changes are coming, so check back often as we work to make my.Scouting Tools the one place to go for all your needs!

NEW! Merit Badge Process for Scouts Parents and Unit Leaders

A new guide is available!
Click Here for guide: Merit Badge Process for Scouts Parents and Unit Leaders

It explains the merit badge process from the vantage point of unit leaders, parents and Scouts

It is available on this webpage: http://grandcanyonbsa.org/mbc

TROOP LEADER GUIDEBOOK

The new Troop Leader Guidebook vol 1 (which replaces the Scoutmaster Handbook) is now available at Scoutstuff.org.  It will be available in the Scout Shops in a couple of weeks.

Volume 1
Recommended for both first-time and experienced Scout leaders, this handbook provides a thorough overview of the responsibilities and rewards of leading a troop. Topics include troop meetings, uniforms and insignia, community service, awards and recognition programs, and much more.  
The appendix in itself is a valuable collection of resources and is available to download here

Volume 2 should be out later this year

ON-LINE MERIT BADGE CLASSES

We have recently received inquiries about on-line merit badge classes that replace face to face counselor interactions with a Scout with on-line video conferencing and the completion and email exchange of written material in the form of workbooks and the like (often these webinar classes charge a fee.)  We asked the National Advancement Team for guidance on answering these questions and the following reflects that guidance:

Scholarships for Scouts

Many organizations offer scholarships to members of the Boy Scouts of America. The list below contains links to more information about each scholarship.


More info click here

Looking for Good Eagle Project Ideas?

Look at the best:

2015 GLENN A. AND MELINDA W. ADAMS NATIONAL EAGLE SCOUT SERVICE PROJECT OF THE YEAR AWARD

In 2009, the National Eagle Scout Association established the Glenn A. and Melinda W. Adams National Eagle Scout Service Project of the Year Award to recognize valuable service of an exceptional nature by a Scout to a religious institution, a school, community, or other entity. The award recognizes the Scout for his Eagle Scout leadership service project, which is part of the requirements for earning the Eagle Scout Award. Each year, local councils select a council-level winner, and from that pool, each region selects a region-level winner. A national winner is then selected from the four regional finalists.

NESA recognizes the following Scouts as recipients of the 2015 Adams Eagle Scout Service Project of the Year Award: