Check out the new Inventing Merit Badge.

Inventing involves finding technological solutions to real-world problems. Inventors understand the importance of inventing to society because they creatively think of ways to improve the lives of others. Explore the world of inventing through this new merit badge, and discover your inner inventiveness.

June 7, 2010

Recently, the Boy Scouts of America announced important changes to its Youth Protection policies. The purpose of these changes is to increase awareness of this societal problem and to create even greater barriers to abuse than already exist today in Scouting.

Effective June 1, 2010:

Youth Protection training is required for all BSA registered volunteers, regardless of their position.
New leaders are required to take Youth Protection training before submitting an application for registration. The certificate of completion for this training must be submitted at the time the application is made and before volunteer service with youth begins.
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.
To find out more about the Youth Protection policies of the Boy Scouts of America and how to help Scouting keep your family safe, see the Parent's Guide in any of the Cub Scouting or Boy Scouting handbooks, or go to http://www.scouting.org/Training/YouthProtection.aspx.

Questions and Answers

The following are answers to some of the questions we have received about these important changes. To read more, visit www.scouting.org/youthprotection.

Update:Official Requirements are now available from the National web site: http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/BoyScouts/AdvancementandAwards/historical_mb_program.aspx

Along with the Year of Celebration marking Scouting’s 100th anniversary comes a real collector’s item: The centennial edition of The Boy Scout Handbook, which carries several rank requirement changes that go into effect Jan. 1, 2010:

Tenderfoot

A Scout must teach another person how to tie a square knot using the EDGE model (explain, demonstrate, guide, and enable). He also must be able to discuss four specific examples of how he lived the points of the Scout Law in his daily life.

Second Class


Do your boys know their way around a campsite? How are they in a canoe, on a horse, or climbing a mountain? If their outdoor skills have been heightened through the Scouting program, they'll soon have a new award to show for it: the National Outdoor Award badges.

The program, conceived by the volunteer-led National Camping Task Force of the BSA, includes a series of five badges designed to recognize a Boy Scout or Varsity Scout who has demonstrated knowledge and experience in performing high-level outdoor activities.

The five categories are:

Any Scout who recruits a friends into Scouting between October 5-December 4 will be entered into a Council-wide drawing for the following great prizes:

1. GPX 2GB Digital Media Player
2. Small Wonder High Definition Digital Camcorder
3. Audiovox 8" Portable DVD Player

Three lucky Scouts in our Council will win one of these items!

Write a one-page report titled “The Best Book I Read This Year” and enter it in the Boys’ Life 2009 “Say Yes to Reading!” contest.

The book can be fiction or nonfiction. But the report has to be in your own words — 500 words tops. Enter in one of these three age categories:

Each year, every Scout unit recharters with the National BSA.  Registered Scouts' rank advancement can be recorded and leaders' backgrounds checked. Unregistered people fall through the cracks. A proper and timely reregistration process validates our membership, an important process.

The Cherokee Area Council is developing a color guard to present colors at events in our area. If you are a Scout or know a Scout that would be interested in participating in this activity, please contact Blaine Tornow.

October 28, 2009

Dear Friend: