2014 Camp Cards

2014 CAMP CARD CAMPAIGN

READY …SET….GO

Leaders and Volunteers,

The 2014 Camp Card Campaign is getting ready.  This is the first of several communications to alert you.  The Kroger dates will run the weekends from March 13-15 thru the April 12^th weekend.  The following weekend is Easter this year.  Our sales campaign is March 8^th through April 27^th with money and card turn in set for May 2^nd.  Those dates are pretty fixed.  The distribution of cards and return of cards will be coordinated through the districts and will be on varying dates.

The Kroger sites will be registered through a website again.  It will open January 6^th for reserving sites and dates.  We did not fill all the available slots last year.

We are working on dates for 'best  practice' round-robin discussions so those coaching units (we have Popcorn Kernels and now-Camp Card Coaches) can share ideas.

A sample of what will be on the cards:

North—Kroger, Dick's Sporting Goods, Texas Rangers, Bass Pro, Medieval Times & NEW…. NASCAR racing at Texas Motor Speedway!

Southern--- Wal Mart and Papa John's !!

I'll send a word about finances later to outline the whole…Popcorn, Camp Cards, Friends of Scouting issues related to how much comes in, where it's spent, what is the council's share of all this, and what future plans are.  Till then, keep charging ahead.

Michael S. Wright  |  Director of Development

Boy Scouts of America Longhorn Council

850 Cannon Drive  |  P.O. Box 54190

Hurst, Texas  76054-3191

P 817-231-8507  |  F 817-231-8600

miwright@bsamail.org

Follow us! 

Kathy McLean

Finance Secretary

Longhorn Council, BSA

817-231-8561

November eNewsletter

Important Links Council Website Volunteer Training Programs National Website Scout Shops               Volume 1 Issue 5 November 12, 2013 NOVEMBER eNEWSLETTER As we reflect upon this season of Thanksgiving, many of us are reminded of things that are most important to us - things like family, faith and service to others.  We are all moved to reconsider our priorities in this season of Thanksgiving and sharing. Scouting's legacy to the world is evident in year after year of our country's last 100 years.  Read about the significance of the "The Eagle has landed." LHC Scouting membership appears unaffected by policy change.  Early results indicate that the high profile membership change earlier this year by BSA National is having little impact on membership in many parts of the council.  Read the story! LHC Eagle Scout competes in area and state marching band competitions. What should your unit be doing this winter?  Some of the best activities for your Den or Patrol, Pack Troop or Crew, or for your family, are located at Longhorn Council camps and facilities.  Find out here! Be sure to Recharter on time!  Annual rechartering of your Pack, Troop or Crew is coming up in the next few months.  Be sure to take advantage of Online Rechartering. Know someone who should be in Scouts? Forward this e-news and ask them to contact us for information: Call the Longhorn Council office at 817-231-8500 (Hurst) or 254-772-8932 (Waco), or go to www.longhorncouncil.org. Spread the Word and forward this to others who may be interested. MORE NEWS Doctor Robert Gates, former Secretary of Defense and former CIA Director, has been elected to the National Executive Board as President-Elect...          Read More Historic ranch operated by two members of the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame will be managed by nearby Philmont Scout Ranch...          Read More     Home | Programs | About Us | Contact Us | Privacy Policy | Donate Now                           Longhorn Council BSA http://www.longhorncouncil.org

Mailing Address:
BSA - Longhorn Council
850 Cannon Dr
PO Box 54190
Hurst, TX 76054
US

Contact Name: Larry Crouch
Telephone Number: (817) 231-8500

Distribution of this communication is directed to members of the Longhorn Council.

Mountain Man Rendezvous at Sid

Did you know about the Mountain man event??

http://lhcmountainman.org/index.php

Booyah! Free-trappers, Mountain men, Flat-landers and Greenhorns!

Welcome to the Mountain Man Rendezvous!!! The MMR will be held January 2-4, 2014 just off Lake Bridgeport at Sid Richardson Scout Ranch - Buchanan Springs campground. The Rendezvous is a High Adventure activity for Varsity Teams & Venturing Crews or Boy Scouts fourteen years of age and older. The Rendezvous has only three simple rules:
1. Look good!
2. Don't get killed.
3. If ya git killed, look good doin' it.



Seriously, the Mountain Man Rendezvous (MMR) is not a Camporee where scouts just show up, with no work or preparation required beforehand.
So, if you're going to the MMR, you will need to prepare for it NOW.

• That means getting regalia ready now and not the day before the MMR.
• That means making knives, sheaths and possibles bags.
• It means making a capote now so you don't freeze your skinny fanny.
• Also, it means working on the Golden Passport now so your team can qualify for early entrance and access to all Outposts. All Golden Passport Teams will be automatically scheduled time slots at the Black Powder muzzle loader outpost as well as at Rock-climbing & Rappelling. Everyone else will take their chances.

The MMR is the full-deal for strengthening youth and their leaders. After the MMR, you will look back and say "Wow, that was incredible. How did you do that?!" And the youth will say "This is the best scouting event I've ever attended. I want to do it again." Everyone is energized by the Rendezvous and you and your youth will become better leaders of Scouts and Venturers. But ya gotta follow the plan.

Golden Passport

The Golden Passport requires service done in advance of the MMR as a Team, specifically for the Rendezvous. That means you can't piggy-back on an Eagle-Scout service-project or a ward or stake service project. It's purposely done for the MMR. Now before you greenhorns and flat-landers start to belly-ache and moan, the MMR and especially the Golden Passport will do more to build unity and strengthen your team than anything else you will ever do in scouting or in the YM. Bar none. Yes, even Mr. Scouting Skeptic will be blown away. So trust us and just do it, now. Git your Golden Passport project registered now.
Start Getting Ready NOW and Earn Your Golden Passport FOR EARLY ACCESS TO EVENT OUTPOSTS.  Golden Passport Project Approval Deadline is DECEMBER 1,  2013.
TEAM Captains & CREW Presidents: find a project, submit the form and send it to the Booshway as soon as possible so you can qualify.

Awards and Recognition

The MMR is all about lots of Awards, Prizes and Recognition for youth. Really, they see a ton of criticism in their daily lives. The MMR is all about recognizing the good that each young man does. So, we have a multi-layered system for recognizing individual scouts and teams in multiple settings and situations, not just on how a scout or a team performs at an outpost. This is another key reason why scouts love the MMR.

Outposts

Outpost events at the MMR include: Rock Climbing, Rappelling, Archery, Flint Knapping, Arrow Making, Double Ball, Flint N Steel, Bow N Drill, Char Cloth,2-Man Buck Sawing, Caber-Tossing, Stick Pull'N, Stump Pulling, River Crossing, Knots, Travios Pull, LTO-OTL Puzzle, Trust Fall, Spider Webb, True North, Wildcat Eye,As a Crow Fly's, Cannon, Bullet Casting, Black Powder Shoot'n, Knife Throwing, 'Hawk Throwin', Black Smith'n, Service Project, Buck Skinner Model Camp, Trading Blanket, Campfire shows, Awesome Collectors medallion, Native American Dancing, Vespers Trail,and for Bragging Rights, The Colter Run! More activities are in development but even with all the outposts there is no way a varsity team or crew will be able to get to all of them. They as a team decide which they will do and which they will skip. This is also a deliberate component of the MMR. It teaches young men to make hard decisions and to choose. But they do that together, as a team.

To Be Early is to be On Time, To be on Time is To Be late, To be Late is Unacceptable

One little tidbit your team will want to remember: We start every event on time. If an event starts and a team shows up 30-seconds late or we've barely started, too darn bad. No, we're not psycho. The MMR is all about teaching life-lessons. Team captains are instructed and reviewed in this key principle at MMR check-in: "To be early is to be on time, to be on time is to be late, to be late is unacceptable!" Varsity scouts and Venturers should expect to manage themselves, their time, and to put their scout skills & teamwork to the test. We're not kidding, either. Be Prepared so the bears don't get ya!

Registration Details

Consult the Rendezvous Registration page as soon as possible. Please save yourselves money and help us to get plenty 'o supplies in advance. Register by November 1, 2013 for $35.00 per person. After November 1st, the late registration fee will be $45.00 per person.


Fees do not include food so you'll have to plan for that. The sooner we know you're coming the more staff we can assign to outposts and the more materials we can have so you don't have to wait in line.
Questions or for more information contact:
Booshway, Fletcher >>>--------> (Tom Cole)
booshway@woodbadge.org (817) 269-1989


Segundo, Big Bear (Daren Perkins)
segundo@woodbadge.org (972) 724-5724



Tercero, Joker (Clyde Gromley)
tercero@woodbadge.org (214) 926-5846


Cuarto, Mother Arrow (Heidi Patton)
cuarto@woodbadge.org


Quinto, Fort Albert (Craig Allen)
quinto@woodbadge.org


Cocinero, Standing Bear (Mike Goodrich)
cocinero@woodbadge.org

NRA - Range Safety office course

For those of you that will need the second trained person to open the range we still have openings for the RSO Class at Worth Ranch. Saturday November 16,2013.

Application attached.

Dennis

Scout Roundtable Coming Soon

Wow! The District has had a flood of Eagle Boards-of-Review recently. Some really remarkable young men have achieved their goal and reached the Eagle rank.  While there may not be any short-cuts on the trail to Eagle, at the next Scout Roundtable you may receive a road-map (or should I say 'the coordinates'?)!

At the November 12th Scout Roundtable [7:30PM, Pantego Christian Academy] recognized Advancement Expert – Mikel Shelton – will speak to us about what's happening in the world of Scout advancement. There are changes ahead for our district. And there are new merit badges to earn. And more!

You are encouraged to attend and bring your unit's advancement chair-person so the Scouts in your unit will continue up the advancement ladder! Come with your questions.

Also the District Comment Box will be set up to accept your questions, comments, and complaints. Additionally we may have some out-of-district guests to make a special presentation. AND we will squeeze in a little time for announcements. Persons making announcements are encouraged to prepare a handout with the details of what you are conveying to the group. Handouts save time and get the message out!

Remember to use the XT District blog – it can be a real asset. [Go to http://crosstimbersdistrict.blogspot.com and sign up in the top right-hand corner. Painless and free].

See you November 12^th!

Kenneth Majka, CIA, CRCM

Vice President, Compliance

Colonial Savings, F.A.

817-877-9006

fax 817-390-2204

News from the Scout Executive

 

Longhorn Council, BSA

Dear Scouting Leader:

         Reference:  Scouting Projects

Allow me to report on the status of several projects, future plans, and needs that impact our Scouting units and families.  This year draws to a close with some very good results. A few high profile projects are (the entire list is much too long for this letter):

·      Renovation of more than 70 latrines at SR2 and Worth Ranch.

·      Acquired 15 adjoining acres and storage building at Camp Tahuaya. (This clears space for future program and building plans at CT.)

·      A new shower house has been built at Worth Ranch.  This facility is a prototype for all camp sites as the money becomes available.

·      All boats have been over hauled and retrofitted.

·      Basswood Scout Activity center is 95% complete and is open for your business.

·      We have begun issuing a e-newsletter to all Friends of Scouting donors and families.

Planned for 2014 are:

·      A complete redesign of a new and fully functioning Website with capabilities to register and pay for activities on line.

·      The e-newsletter will increase publication to bi-monthly beginning in January.

·      A ski slope will open at Worth Ranch.

·      Latrine renovations at Camp Tahuaya will be completed.

A great deal of our focus in 2013 has been on improving our camping and activity facilities.  While this has been very visible to all of those attending one of the camp properties, as a Council and Board, we have also been intently focused on Membership.

As a national movement we all must focus on the need to invite, recruit, and retain cub scouts, boy scouts, and venturers.  That is after all, why we exist as an organization.  I know you feel strongly about that too.

Future significant development of all properties is being planned and a full capital campaign will be carried out to bring these projects to life.  On-going maintenance and small project development will continue as resources are available from Friends of Scouting, Popcorn, and Camp Card sales. Our largest source of funds is the Friends of Scouting (FOS) campaign.  Forty percent of this campaign comes from the families currently benefitting. For 2014 we are working with volunteers in all districts to change our FOS presentations (all new), the time cycle (earlier in the year), and the incentives for participating.

The 2014 FOS campaign has a very special incentive for units which will further help your unit save funds and adjust to the registration increase. Your unit can receive all of its cloth advancement free with the completion of 3 criteria.  You can get more of this information from your District Family Friends of Scouting Chair or the District Executive.  Participating in this incentive is completely optional.  We still want and need every unit to participate in the Friends of Scouting Campaign.

One of the very first steps toward participating is setting an Agreement (between your unit and the District Family FOS Chair or District Executive) on a Campaign Goal for your unit.  We need to set the Council budget for 2014 to know the funds required for the unit incentives. Please complete your negotiations by December 13^th if your unit wishes to participate in this FOS Unit Incentive. 

While this is not mandatory, the FOS Incentive could be very beneficial to your unit.  Whether or not you participate, we still Need your unit to schedule a FOS presentation date.  A good FOS campaign directly impacts the ability of the Council to continue with camp projects, purchase liability insurance, and to provide other needed services.

To restate that request:  The deadline for declaring the Unit's interest in receiving Free Advancements for (until September 30^, 2014) is December 13^th.  I encourage you to schedule your Family FOS presentation as early as possible; set an aggressive goal to encourage and engage all families (75% of all families are NOT participating in FOS) and to get trained in your role within this Campaign.

2014 will be a Great Year! I have every confidence Scouting will grow with your leadership.

Sincerely yours,

John Coyle

Scout Executive

Kathy McLean

Finance Secretary

Longhorn Council, BSA

817-231-8561

Classroom Facilitated Youth Protection Training Course

Website     Visitor Information     Exhibitions     Programs     Support the Museum     Contact Attention leaders and camp staff! Do you need to take the Classroom Facilitated Youth Protection Training? We have good news! The National Scouting Museum is hosting the course for you. Who Camp staff members, volunteer or paid, and adults attending a licensed resident camp or day camp  What Classroom Facilitated Youth Protection Training, as required by the Texas Department of State Health Services for all camp staff, volunteer and paid, and any adult attending a licensed resident camp or day camp When Saturday, November 16, 2013 10-11:30 a.m. Where National Scouting Museum 1329 W. Walnut Hill Ln. Irving, Texas 75038 Why Required by the Texas Department of State Health Services The cost is FREE, but registration is required.    Call (972) 580-2476 to register.

CUB SCOUTS - JOIN THE FUN!

Cub Scouts - Join the Fun!

Visiting Webelos Parents Welcome for Q/A: What You Need to Know

Boy Scout Troop 380 Open House

Monday 11/4/2013 [7-9pm]

Cub Scouts will receive skill instructions at each activity.

Plus each visiting Cub Scout will receive handmade paracord bracelet!

Fire Building -

Phoenix/Panther Patrol to teach

Triangle Lash Pole Walk -

Raptor Patrol demonstrate & teach lashings

Make/Cook "Fancy" Dessert Donut Holes in Dutch Ovens

glaze - frosting - sprinkles - chocolate - etc

Python Patrol to teach

Learn CPR/First Aid Skills -

Hurricane Patrol & Lighting Patrol to teach

Plus a Cub Scout can win prize for longest Trebuchet throw!

Viper Patrol - (also remember need trebuchet "sling" and balls?)

T-380 Scout Hut - Northwest Christian Church

1001 N. Davis at Wright St.

2-blocks south of Randol Mill Rd. - 1-mile south of Lamar HS

NWCC eastside parking lot; look for two T-380 trailers

(Note part of parking lot will be roped off)

Mr. J - (Charles Jeffreys)

a.k.a. - Troop 380 Scoutmaster

www.troop380.com

817-313-2001

B.S.A. Troop 380 meets 7:30pm Monday

Scout Hut - Northwest Christian Church

1001 N. Davis - Arlington TX 76012

Training young people to be leaders today,

while having outdoor experiences to last a lifetime!

WR Campmaster Program

Some of you may have received this message earlier.  I am trying to get the word out to everyone so please disregard if you received this message earlier.  If you would please pass the word to others who may not be on this list.  I am sending this message to my NRA class also, some of you may want to take this training. 

Attached is the Campmaster Training Application in pdf format.  The date has now been set so please make plans to attend if you are interested and pass the word to others who may not have received this message.  As you will see on the application, we will meet at Worth Ranch Roeser Hall at 8:00 am on Saturday November 23 and will complete the training around 5:00 pm.  There will be no fee, we will provide you with lunch.

As of now we have several Council Chairs who will talk with us about their program areas and what you should know in your role as a Campmaster.  For example Shooting Sports.  It will be a full day so plan to arrive on or before 8:00 am.  My phone number is 817-994-1063, if you have a question give me a call. 

I look forward to seeing you on Saturday, November 23^rd.  Tom Lucas