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Cub Scouts

32nd Annual Scouting For Food Drive!

November 4, 2019 by The Scouter Digest Staff

Cub Scout from Pack 250 in Silver Spring, MD distributing #SFF door tag.

NCAC kicked off the 32nd annual Scouting for Food on November 2nd. The Safeway Foundation provided thousands of door tags for Scouts to distribute to homes throughout our Council last Saturday. Our Scouts will be returning this Saturday, November 9th to collect non-perishable food items that will nourish the area’s hungry.

Scouting for Food (#SFF) is one of the largest annual food drives in the DC metropolitan area. Last year Scouts collected one million pounds of food, and this year’s goal is to top that. Capital Area Food Bank and other local food banks will use these items to help with its distribution of 45 million pounds of food – equivalent to 37.5 million meals – to 478,100 people through a network of 500 partner agencies and direct service programs.

SFF is held every fall prior to Thanksgiving. Local food banks rely on it to stock their shelves for the upcoming holiday months, when food demands are the greatest.

Items in highest demand include:

  • Non-perishable food items
  • Canned protein (tuna, salmon, chicken, peanut butter)
  • Soups & stews (beef stew, chili, meat-based soups)
  • 100% fruit juices (all sizes)
  • Grains (pasta, whole grain pasta, rice, brown rice, boxed macaroni & cheese)
  • Cereals (multi grain, low sugar such as cheerios, cornflakes, raisin bran, grape nuts, oatmeal)
  • Canned vegetables
  • Canned fruits
  • Condiments
  • Hygiene products (diapers, toilet paper, tissues, soap, toothpaste

Scouting for Food is co-sponsored by Capital Area Food Bank, the Safeway Foundation, and WUSA9.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Cub Scouts, Family Scouting, scouting, Scouts BSA

BSA Update: Annual Member Fee Increase and FAQ Sheet

October 23, 2019 by The Scouter Digest Staff

Earlier today the Boy Scouts of America’s national board of directors approved an increase to the annual registration fee, effective January 1, 2020.

BSA is facing some significant challenges and is making this change to properly cover their operational costs while continuing to offer the same high quality program. We recognize the timing of this increase may be difficult for our Scouting families, but we are confident we will make it through together. Please review these details and share appropriate information with Scout parents and other leaders in your unit:

Now as we continue the Scouting mission, it is important that we keep pace with an ever-changing world. While costs to the organization have increased every year, the Boy Scouts of America has worked to keep the annual membership fee as low as possible by subsidizing core costs, including liability insurance we must carry to cover all official Scouting activities. Unfortunately, it is no longer possible to subsidize at the level we have in the past, especially as the cost of insurance has increased dramatically. We kept the cost low to make Scouting available to as many young people as possible but keeping the cost artificially low for many years now magnifies the impact of changes.

To ensure BSA has the resources to fulfill the promise of Scouting despite increasing operating costs, the National Executive Board of the Boy Scouts of America has made the difficult but necessary decision to increase the annual membership fee effective January 1, 2020 to:

• $60 for youth members in Cub Scouts, Scouts BSA, Venturing and Sea Scouts,
• $36 for youth members in Exploring,
• $36 for adult members, and
• $60 for unit charter fees.

Every dollar of the national membership fee will go toward the cost of essential services, including liability insurance for those participating in approved Scouting activities, program resources, safety standards, youth protection and personal safety training, and services to councils nationwide to sustain Scouting. The National organization will also continue to develop and improve resources that support our volunteers and youth members such as online registration, Member Care and Scoutbook, which now includes the Den Leader experience to ensure the safe and consistent delivery of Cub Scouting; as well as improvements aimed at simplifying the annual renewal process.”

Now that the updated fee is known, our local board of directors and staff are evaluating plans to assist local units and families. We do not want finances to be a barrier to participation in Scouting, and will do our best to assist families who need it to the fullest extent possible. We are exploring options to offer additional fundraising opportunities that would provide significantly increased commission levels to units, helping them to offset the fee increase, and are working on establishing a scholarship fund to assist Scouts who have need. We will provide specific information on these programs shortly.

Our Council is about to begin our annual rechartering process. We encourage every unit to complete the recharter process on-time; however, if an extension would be helpful to your unit, January will be available as an “extra” month. This will provide some additional time to raise funds necessary to offset the fee increase. Your Unit Commissioner will work with you to ensure the recharter information is accurate and avoid issues that could delay processing once it is submitted.

Thank you for your continued dedication to our Scouts. As Scouting navigates these turbulent times, we stand together to achieve our shared mission: helping young people in our community learn, grow, and thrive.

Yours in Scouting,

John H. Graham
Council President

Craig Poland
Scout Executive

Roy “Rick” Rogers
Council Commissioner

FAQ


Q: Why are the fees increasing now?
A: While costs increase every year, the Boy Scouts of America has worked to keep the annual membership fee as low as possible to make Scouting available to as many young people as possible by subsidizing core costs, including liability insurance we must carry to cover all official Scouting activities. As the organization’s financial situation has shifted over the past several months, it is no longer possible to subsidize at the level we have in the past, especially as the cost of insurance has increased dramatically.

Q: Does this apply to youth members and volunteers?
A: Yes, the new fees apply for youth and adult members. Effective January 1, 2020, the new fees are:
‐ $60 for youth members in Cub Scouts, Scouts BSA, Venturing and Sea Scouts,
‐ $36 for youth members in Exploring, and
‐ $36 for adult members (includes cost of background check and Scouting Magazine)
‐ $60 for unit charter fees


Q: Is Scouting still a good value?
A: Absolutely! While most extracurricular activities are seasonal, Scouting is a year‐round program that remains one of the most valuable investments we can make to support young men and women today so they can become the leaders we will turn to tomorrow. For most of our youth members, the new registration fee amounts to $5 a month, which is an enormous value when you consider that many seasonal extracurricular activities often start at $100 for programs that last a few weeks.


Q: Does the fee increase apply to council‐paid memberships?
A: No. The cost for council‐paid membership, sometimes known as ScoutReach, will continue to be $24 for
each youth member.


Q: What will the money be used for?
A: Every dollar of membership fees will go to cover the cost of essential services, including liability
insurance for members participating in approved Scouting activities, background checks for adult leaders, program development and training resources, continuously updated youth protection and youth safety training, improved IT/digital experiences and services to our councils nationwide.


Q: Is this increase being implemented to cover the cost of the additional background checks?
A: No, the cost of background checks is not the prompting the fee increase.


Q: Why is this being announced now?
A: We recognize the timing of this fee increase creates challenges as units have already begun collecting fees for their 2020 registration renewal process, and we would not make this difficult decision if it were
not absolutely necessary. Unfortunately, the cost of liability insurance we must carry to cover all Scouting activities has increased dramatically over the past several months, and the organization is no longer able to offset the cost of insurance. We are committed to supporting you through this process
and are making necessary adjustments to the online rechartering system to ensure units can carry out the recharter process.


Q: Does this increase cover financial challenges the organization is facing?
A: The increase was prompted because the cost of liability insurance we must carry to cover all Scouting
activities has increased dramatically over the past several months, and the organization is no longer able to offset the cost of insurance. The national membership fee also enables us program development and training resources, continuously updated youth protection and youth safety training, improved IT/digital experiences and services to our councils nationwide.


Q: When will this increase take effect?
A: The new membership fees will take effect starting January 1, 2020 for the 2020‐21 program year.


Q: Is financial assistance available?
A: We are committed to ensuring that all youth can experience the character‐building benefits of Scouting regardless of their financial situation. In addition to the many existing council and unit membership
assistance funds, we have established the donor‐funded Growing Future Leaders Fund to provide financial support to those who need it.


Q: My council recently announced a new fee to cover insurance. Does this change mean that fee is no longer necessary?
A: No, the liability insurance that we need to carry for all Scouting activities at the national level is different from local fees that are collected to address local needs, which can include such as local property and
accident insurance, as well as unique local programming costs.


Q: In addition to the national membership fee, my council is implementing a program fee. Is that allowed?
A: Starting August 1, 2020, councils can choose to charge a local program fee, up to but no more than the national membership fee – up to $60 for youth members in Cub Scouts, Scouts BSA, Venturing and Sea Scouts; up to $36 for youth members in Exploring and up to $36 for adult members. The local program fee can include local insurance costs (i.e., accident, property, etc.), as well as cost to administer unique local programming efforts.


Q: What happens if my council’s program fee is more than the national membership fee?
A: Councils that are currently charging a program fee more than the national membership fee have one year to adjust their fees in order to be in compliance with the new rules.


Q: What measures has the national organization taken to offset the financial challenges?
A: In addition to ongoing efforts to streamline and simplify the organization, the national organization has taken a number of steps in addressing its financial challenges, including the recent elimination of more
than 35 positions at the National Service Center and ongoing consolidation of departments for the most effective utilization of resources in support of Scouting.


Q: Will the national membership fee continue to increase?
A: Although no decision about future increases have been made, the cost of operating our organization and services increases every year. Should it be necessary to increase fees in the future, the National Executive Board of the Boy Scouts of America has agreed to evaluate the needs and make such
decisions, whenever possible, at the National Annual Meeting in May or early in the summer so that they can be announced with as much lead time as possible to allow for councils and units to be able to plan accordingly.

Filed Under: Scouting Programs Tagged With: Cub Scouts, Exploring, National, News, Scouts BSA, Sea Scouts, Venturing

Wood Shop Fun at Cub Scout Expo

October 22, 2019 by David Schneeman

Over 100 Cub Scouts and siblings visited Michael’s Woodshop during the Cub Scout Expo held at Camp William B. Snyder on October 19. While in the wood shop, they had the opportunity to create their very own golf tee tic tac toe boards. Supervised by a group of volunteer Shop Stewards, the Cub Scouts had a great time working their way through a series of work stations including sawing, marking & drilling and sanding.

Everyone enjoyed this hands-on woodworking project and best of all, they got to leave with a fun game that they created themselves!

Michael’s Woodshop is a great place to hold engaging, hands-on activities for Scouts of all ages. Michael’s Woodshop may be reserved for Unit activities, District events, Eagle Scout projects and other Scouting activities. Our volunteer Shop Stewards are available to help plan and organize your activities and can help tailor projects to meet the age range and size of your group. They also provide training and can attend your event to provide guidance and assistance to carry out a safe and enjoyable activity.

Michael’s Woodshop is operated by a group of volunteer Shop Stewards. There is growing demand for the use of this amazing facility and there is a need for additional volunteers. Teaching and guiding Scouts in this creative environment is an incredibly rewarding experience. Both experienced woodworkers and novices, including older Scouts can become part of the team. To learn more about shop capabilities, planning an event, reserving the shop or volunteering, please visit the Camp Snyder website (www.gotosnyder.org) or email us at MichaelsWoodshop.CWBS@gmail.com

Filed Under: At Camp, Leaders Tagged With: #woodshop, Camp Snyder, Cub Scouts

Scouts Participate in 9/11 Patriotic Sing-a-Long

September 11, 2019 by Vanessa Wood

Cub Scout Pack 117 from Dumfries, VA participated in the 9/11 Remembrance and Patriotic Sing-a-Long at Swans Creek Elementary School.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Cub Scouts

STEM-TASTIC SUMMER FOR A LOCAL CUB SCOUT!

September 10, 2019 by Marcus Martin

This summer has been STEM-tastic, for local scout, Marco J. Martin. During the summer of 2018, Marco spent countless hours working on the Boy Scouts of America NOVA and Supernova STEM program and on Friday, June 14, 2019 all of his hard work was recognized when he received the Dr. Luis Alvarez Supernova medal, a plaque, a NOVA patch and a variety of congratulatory letters from his Senator, Congressman and County Executive to mark this momentous occasion. What an awesome way to begin a STEM-tastic Summer.

His next STEM adventure would take place as he participated in his first Cub Scout Summer Day Camp in Hughesville, MD at the Kings Landing National Park. He had an opportunity to present a STEM project to his fellow Scouts and complete the NOVA section: Uncovering the Past with the help of his camp Den Leader, Amanda Zimmerman.


Once Cub Scout Camp came to a close, he continued to explore the world of STEM by attending a STEM Fair at the Community Center in Alexandria, VA which was sponsored by an organization named Fly Minds. At this event, he was the grand prize winner of a STEM door raffle. He won his very own VEX Robot. Later in the summer, he attended 2 of 3 free STEM Day programs by Fly Minds where he was a part of team that built and programmed their own robot. Now that’s cool!!

Just when you thought his STEM-TASTIC Summer couldn’t get any better, a new STEM Scout unit was forming in Alexandria, VA which he became a part of. His Cub Scout Pack 539 was taking a break during the summer and his STEM Scout unit Lab 9941 led by Burt Wagner was just getting off the ground. His new uniform was a lab coat, disposal gloves and rubber goggles. The first three weeks his unit did science experiments that made Slime, a Bouncy Ball and Silly Sand. Each experiment required Marco and his lab mates to read lab instructions, gather the necessary ingredients and mix various items to get different results as the project called for. It was funny watching the kids learn by measuring and modifying the experiments to see if more or less of an item made a difference towards the end result.


Marco’s last STEM adventure for the Summer would involve the DMV NSBE Jr Chapter located at Howard University. He became a new member and membership has privileges. During the school year, he will be a member of the Lego Robotics team. Each weekend, he will have the chance to learn Spanish and work on Advance mathematics. What I thought was the coolest thing that NSBE Jr had to offer was Marco could talk to an Astronaut and get all of his science and space questions answered.

STEM summer days are over and Prince George’s County schools are be back in session. Hopefully, this article will encourage other Scouts to learn more about STEM and to see what activities occur during the school year! Have a STEM-TASTIC day!

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Cub Scouts, STEM, STEM Scouts

Geology Rocks

August 12, 2019 by NCAC STEM

Geology Rocks, and this year it was awesome!

This was the 4th biannual Geology Day at George Mason University and sponsored by Dr. Julia Nord. The day’s events led with going through requirements 1 and 3-8 of the Earth Rocks Cub Scout Adventure, and requirements 2-3 of the Down and Dirty Nova Award.

Cub Scouts were able to learn about paleontology and physical sciences with tactile activities, including exploration of the microscope labs. The kids were most excited about the stream table which demonstrated how soil erosion changes our land forms.

Filed Under: Scouting Programs Tagged With: Cub Scouts, Geology, STEM

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