October 2015 Newsletter

Scout Law:  Helpful
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Theme:  Cubs in Action
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Roundtable Blog:  elkhorncubs.blogspot.com  You can find the monthly newsletter, pack resource sheet, and extra ideas here!  Make sure to share your ideas in the comments, or send me an email (cachescrappers@gmail.com) and I'll post your idea!
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The LDS Scout Handbook for Church Units in the United States can be found online at https://www.lds.org/bc/content/shared/english/young-men/35814_scout-handbook_eng.pdf?lang=eng. 

This handbook outlines guidelines and policies relating to Scouting programs in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  Bishoprics and Young Men, Primary, and Scouting leaders should be familiar with this information as they administer Scouting programs in the ward.
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Upcoming Events

Basic Training

Old Ephraim District:  Saturday, Oct. 24, 8 am - 12 pm, 940 Three Point Ave, Logan.

Old Juniper District:  Friday, Nov. 20, 6:30 - 10 pm, 451 S 250 E, Smithfield.

Baden-Powell University:  Saturday, Nov. 14, Weber State University.  Cost is $15 early registration, or $20 at the door.  Register at trappertrails.org.  BPU is supplemental training for all adult leaders.

Day Camp:  You can begin registering for 2016 Day Camp on December 1, 2015, at trappertrails.org.

District Award of Merit:  Nomination deadline is Dec. 31st.  You can find the online nomination form at https://www.trappertrails.org/districtawardofmerit.

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Light a Fire!

Light a Fire! is a program produced by the Elkhorn District to promote trained leaders.  The requirements are:

• Attend 6 Roundtables
• Complete Youth Protection training, or be current.
• Complete Leader Specific training for your position.
• Complete Introduction to Outdoor Leadership training.  (Not required for Cub Scout Leaders)
• Complete Weather Hazards training (online).
• Complete This is Scouting training.
• Link your training profile on scouting.org.

When you have completed the above requirements, turn in your scorecard to Blake Clark, the District Executive for Elkhorn District, at the Logan Scout Office.
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Youth Protection Training
Have you completed your Youth Protection training?  Let's get everyone 100% trained!

• Youth Protection training is required for all BSA registered volunteers.
• Youth Protection training must be taken every two years. If a volunteer’s Youth Protection training record is not current at the time of recharter, the volunteer will not be reregistered.

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Training Highlight:  Boy's Life magazine

Boy's Life is a monthly magazine published by the Boy Scouts of America.  The mission of Boys' Life magazine is to entertain and educate America's youth and to open their eyes to the joyous world of reading. This is accomplished through a proven mix of news, nature, sports, history, fiction, science, comics, and Scouting. A special edition is published for Cub Scouts, with age- and program-specific content and feature articles.

Why Scouts (and Parents and Leaders) Like Boys' Life

• Good reading. Boys' Life is an entertaining mix of exciting stories and valuable information. Boys like reading Boys' Life. Parents can always be confident that the content of the magazine is wholesome, entertaining, and educational.
• Faster advancement. Boys' Life follows the Cub Scouting-recommended program themes each month. Boys' Life subscribers achieve rank advancements faster and more often than nonsubscribers.
• Increased family support. Leaders appreciate that Boys' Life goes into the home and stimulates support for Scouting from parents and brothers and sisters. Many family members read all or part of Boys' Life.
• Longer tenure. Scouts who subscribe to Boys' Life stay in Scouting longer than nonsubscribers—on average, two and a half times longer than nonsubscribers.
• "Just part of Scouting." Boys' Life is an essential element, helping leaders and parents foster the development of young people in Scouting. Boys' Life shows the outcomes of the BSA's values-based programs. It brings a positive Scouting image to readers and alumni.

Using Boy's Life in your den and pack

• The magazine can suggest gathering activities such as puzzles and games.
• The regular sections "Dink and Duff," "Scouts in Action," and "Think and Grin" are often excellent sources for skits and stories at pack meetings and campfires.
• Jokes for meeting sparklers.
• Physical games (versus word games).

100% Boy's Life
Packs can earn the 100% Boy's Life ribbon for the pack flag and receive a "100% Boy's Life" Journey to Excellence patch.  (This means one subscription per family, not per scout)  Boys can subscribe directly from the boyslife.org website, or get a special rate by subscribing through the pack.

boyslife.orgThe Boys' Life Web site contains information about the current issue, games to play, projects to download, contests, and more.

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Patch of the Month:  Messengers of Peace

Program Overview

Launched in September 2011, Messengers of Peace is a global initiative designed to inspire millions of young men and women in more than 220 countries and territories to work toward peace. Using state-of-the-art social media, the initiative lets Scouts from around the world share what they’ve done and inspire fellow Scouts to undertake similar efforts in their own communities. The initiative is inspired by the World Scout Committee, administered by the World Scout Bureau, and driven by youth volunteers worldwide.

Defining Peace

In terms of the MOP initiative, peace encompasses three dimensions:

1. The personal dimension: harmony, justice, and equality
2. The community dimension: peace as opposed to hostility or violent conflict
3. Relationships between humankind and its environment: security, social and economic welfare, and relationship with the environment

Any Scout or Scouter who participates in a project that has had a significant impact on the community in any one of the three dimensions above can qualify as a Messenger of Peace.

Submitting Projects

Submitting MOP-related projects is easy for BSA units. All they need to do is check the Messengers of Peace box when entering a service project through the Journey to Excellence website (www.scouting.org/Awards/JourneyToExcellence). Doing so will add the project to the map on the Messengers of Peace website (http://scoutmessengers.com) and will generate a unit certificate.

Recognition Item

Any Scout or Scouter who participates in a qualifying project is eligible to wear a Messengers of Peace ring patch around the World Crest on his or her uniform. A unit representative can purchase these ring patches at a local Scout shop, council service center, or Scoutstuff.org.
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Resource of the Month:  Guide to Advancement 2015

The current edition of the Guide to Advancement is the official source for administering advancement in all Boy Scouts of America programs.  You can find information on significant changes to advancement, FAQs, advancement for special needs scouts, advancement defined, unit advancement responsibilities, internet advancement reporting, and the mechanics of advancement in Cub Scouting (and all other ranks).  You can purchase a copy at the Scout Shop or download it at http://www.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/33088.pdf. 
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Scouting Outing:  Service Projects

The foundation for helping boys become good citizens is to teach them the value of service to others.  Individual, den, and pack service activities all help Cub Scouts grow into caring, responsible citizens.  Service activities may help the natural world, the community, or the chartered organization.

When planning service activities for Cub Scouts, consider that service activities

• Should be genuinely useful
• Should get young people directly involved with the people they're helping
• May be challenging but must be appropriate for the developmental level of the boys
• Should include a clear explanation about what needs to be done
• Require good supervision from caring, well-informed adults
• Should end with a time for reflection so boys can evaluate the positive effect of what they have experienced

Service projects related to conservation will help Cub Scouts and Webelos complete many advancement requirements for adventure loops and pins.  Conservation service projects conducted by the den or pack are also a requirement for the Cub Scout World Conservation Award.

What Adventures require a service project?

• Team Tiger 5 (Tiger)
• Earning Your Stripes 6 (Tiger)
• Good Knights 5 (Tiger)
• Council Fire 4 (Wolf)
• Fellowship and Duty to God 2a (Bear)
• Paws for Action 3b (Bear)
• Webelos Walkabout 7 (Webelos)
• Duty to God in Action 2e (Arrow of Light)
• Aware and Care 7a, g (Webelos/Arrow of Light)
• Project Family 5 (Webelos/Arrow of Light)

Here are suggestions of some service activities appropriate for Cub Scout-age boys:

• Helping the natural world:  pick up litter, plant trees or flowers, recycle, make bird feeders
• Helping the community:  provide a flag ceremony, collect food, make cards, pick up litter, shovel snow or rake leaves, distribute voting reminders, distribute emergency procedure brochures, recycle
• Helping the chartered organization:  conduct a clean up project, plant and care for trees, provide a flag ceremony, help set up or take down for a special event, distribute programs or bulletins at a meeting of the organization

Staying safe

• Conduct projects during daylight hours
• Wear appropriate gear (work gloves, reflective vests, etc.)
• Arrange for adequate adult supervision
• Age-appropriate activities