Lone Star District
Circle Ten Council
Wood Badge 143, August 4-10, 2024
As you may be aware, Circle Ten Council is one of only a few Councils nationally that are allowed to host Wood Badge at Philmont. If you have not been to Wood Badge, I would welcome you to join us as well as we have a great staff and have been planning diligently for close to a year to provide an extraordinary course. We still have some scholarships available as well, taking the price for the course from $700 to $350 if the individual qualifies and submits an application.
Yours in Scouting,
Jay Smith
WB143 Course Director
Roundtable, 7 pm August 1st
Join us for a Summer Camp Recap at the August Roundtable next month! This is a fantastic chance for everyone across Lone Start District to share what their Scouts or Units did over the summer break. Despite the name, it doesn’t have to be just about summer camp - it can include any fun or interesting Scouting activities that happened this summer. Presentations can be informal, with just a few pictures and some voice-over. Please bring your own computer to present.
Popsicles will also be served to keep the summer spirit alive and sweeten the deal, so don’t miss out on this fun and engaging session!
Also, given that recruiting season is upon us, stop by and get the latest information and game plans for making this year a success within Lone Star District and Circle Ten. We need everyone’s support to increase our numbers and grow Scouting!
All Roundtable events will be held at Trinity Presp. Church off Virginia in McKinney.
No OA Chapter Meeting, 7 pm August 1st
As most of the leadership of the Order of the Arrow Wicahpi chapter will be gone to NOAC at that time we will not have a chapter meeting this month. See you next month.
Program Preview from Council
ALOHA ADVANCEMENT ACADEMY
Camp Wisdom Leadership Center
Saturday, August 24, 2024
8:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Participant Type: Adult Leaders in Scouts BSA units
ALOHA ADVANCEMENT ACADEMY is focused on Scouts BSA advancement, and covers all advancement topics, “soup to nuts,” likely to impact a troop. ALL TROOP LEADERS, and parents, too, are welcome to join us for a fun-filled, informative day of relevant training designed to bring the BSA Guide to Advancement to life. Scoutmasters, Committee Chairs, Unit Advancement Chairs, and Eagle Coaches/Advisors are especially recommended to attend. NEW UNITS formed in the last few years who haven’t attended this training before would find the time well spent. Leaders of Crews and Ship who work with SBSA advancement in their unit would also find this class instructional.
Uniform of the day is a HAWAIIAN SHIRT – prizes to the most memorable! Fun, games, and door prizes will make the day as entertaining as it is instructive.
The opening general session will address numerous topics including the top advancement “myth-busters,” a few advancement “musts,” and also focus on the sometimes controversial topics of active participation, fulfillment of position of responsibility, required uniform, and the like. Following a fabulous lunch, two breakout rotations will be offered with specific classes on: Eagle Projects and the Eagle Coach, Boards of Review, The Merit Badge Program, and Effective Troop Advancement (each participant can select two of these four classes – come with a buddy from your unit so you can cover all four!). The day will wrap-up with a Question and Answer period and a bit more fun.
District Calendar - 2024-2025
Friends of Scouting Donation Link
Did you miss your unit's Friends of Scouting presentation? It is not too late to donate anyway. Fill out the card they sent you and send it back. Or fill this one, link, out and turn it in at Roundtable or at the Fairview Scout Office.
Or you can do it online! https://donations.scouting.org/#/national
2024 BSA National Annual Membership Fees
Help us update your Unit Pin Information
Packs, Troops, and Crews help us make sure people can find you on BeAScout.org
Cub Scout Program Changes Coming June 1, 2024
SUMMARY:
1. Goal was to make program SIMPLE, FUN, EASY (think from perspective of busy leaders).
2. All ranks, LION – ARROW OF LIGHT, will be standardized with a consistent number of adventures to achieve rank: 6 “core” and 2 “elective”
3. The distinction between Webelos Program (4th and 5th grade) and the Webelos RANK (4th grade) and Arrow of Light Rank (5th grade) was a source of confusion to many. This will be rectified by having separate handbooks, just like there is for the other ranks.
4. BOBCAT will NO LONGER be a RANK. It becomes the first adventure in EACH grade level rank. The requirements will be different at each rank.
5. All “core” adventures are now standardized into 6 categories across each rank: CHARACTER/LEADERSHIP (this is the BOBCAT at each rank); OUTDOORS, PERSONAL FITNESS, CITIZENSHIP, PERSONAL SAFETY (OR SAFETY/FIRST AID FOR THE 4TH/5TH GRADERS), AND FAMILY/REVERENCE. This will make it easier for leaders planning pack outings or using mixed age dens, to plan meetings across a topic.
6. SUPPLEMENTAL AWARDS (not achievements) were not seeing much use/awareness; many of these are NOW reconfigured into an ELECTIVE which should increase their visibility.
7. Electives have been “repopulated” … lots of them; 16 in total for Lions and AOL; 20 for each of the other ranks. Some popular electives, such as FISHING, show up IN EVERY RANK (presumably with some variation of requirements – bet all include going fishing!). In the slide below, the “lightest” color in each rank at top are electives continuing from the current program. The “mid-tone” colored ones are NEW, including ones that used to be stand alone awards/patches, and the darkest tones at bottom (BB’s/Archery/Slingshot) are ones that must be done in a district/council setting.
8. They published a schedule of when information will be released; handbooks in March/April. More information coming out each month in another CUBCHATLIVE (dates and TOPICS are INDICATED in the chart below: 12/1/23; 1/12/24; 2/2/24; 3/1/24/ 4/5/24; 4/5/24; 5/10/24; 6/7/24)
9. Changes effective 6/1/2024 (i.e., for NEXT Cub Scout year) -- ALL RANKS continue as current for the spring semester.
If you have already watched/listened to the CubChatLive, great. If not, you can use this link: https://youtu.be/0Orm_Gz8hrg -- about 35 minutes, worth listening to.
Also, all the information this is currently in PRINT is available on the Program Updates Page: https://www.scouting.org/program-updates/cub-scout-program-updates-announced/
UPDATES TO THE CUB SCOUT PROGRAM REVEALED
In case you missed the announcement, you can watch the unveiling! Then mark your calendars for more #CubChatLive episodes to provide more details and roll out information. Next episode is December 1.
See our Council Lone Star District Webpage.
Check out what is happening here. https://circleten.org/posts/41017/lone-star-district