AREA SIX NEWS
Serving the Ten Councils of Area 6 of the Northeast Region, Boy Scouts of America
December 2012
New Newsletter To Be Published Four Times a Year. Under the leadership of Area President Randy Cline, Area Commissioner Rick Hillenbrand and Area Director Patrick Sterrett, Area 6 has decided to publish an Email newsletter four times a year. These will be issued roughly after the spring Regional Board Meeting in March, the annual BSA meeting in May, at the end of the summer prior to fall Scouting events and after the Regional Board Meeting in November. Copies will be sent to all Area officers and committee members, council Key Three leaders and other interested Scouters who ask to be place on the mailing list.
Regional Board Meets in Greenwich, CT: On November 10-11, 2011, members of the Northeast Region Board met in Greenwich, CT to conduct committee meetings, transact official regional business, receive the latest information from officers and national leaders, and generally recharge their Scouting batteries. Some actions and information noted included:
--Ratified an earlier Executive Committee motion to elect Hab Butler as Executive Vice President of the Northeast Region;
--Approved members ofthe 2011-2012 NE Region Nominating Committee;
--NE Region President Bob Smith projected that the region will likely close the calendar year 2011 with an overall increase in plus in membership;
--Region Membership Chairman Bill Grogg urged all areas and councils toward a final end of the year membership push;
--Reviewed the 2012 JTE Recognition Program requirements, including the new "Voice of the Scout" program;
--Received reports on the 2011 World Scout Jamboree from Jim Wilson and Brian Gray; and marketing from Bob Saddock;
--Received a BSA Technology Update from national staff member Ron Tozzie
--Welcomed Assistant Chief Scout Executive Gary Butler as the featured guest speaker following dinner on the first evening.
Area 6 Leadership Conference in Baltimore was One of the Largest in Recent Memory: On November 5, 2011, 133 Scouters from the ten councils of Area 6 convened for the annual Key Leadership Conference at the Historic Flag House Museum in Baltimore MD. The conference is designed to allow communication and networking among all facets of council operations, as well as offer program, membership, commissioner and finance training, discussions and insights. Led by our Area Key 3, the conference opened with regional Executive Vice President Hab Butler offering some opening remarking and presenting the latest information regarding the Journey to Excellence (JTE) program. Other noteworthy activities included:
--National staff member Stan Willey presented information on the new customer feedback program "Voice of the Scout" which has been designed to help councils gage parental and youth member reaction to the quality of their Scouting experiences.
--Darin Kinn, another national staff member presented advanced marketing information, including sample public service videos for the about the 2012 national recruitment campaigns.
--Dan McCarthy updated attendees on the latest developments at The Summit and the upcoming 2013 National Scout Jamboree.
--A number of breakout sessions were held, including those for: Council Key Three, Commissioners and topics of membership, training, advancement , Venturing, fundraising marketing and outdoor program.
In general, the conference was well received. Evaluations at the end indicated general approval of the topics and format of the meeting. Kudos went to Jim Castanzo, Area Vice President for Marketing who planned the conference and watched over its execution all day. The next Area-level meeting is tentatively scheduled for Saturday, March 7, 2012 in a location to be determined.
Area 6 by the numbers:
· NE Region Area 6 is the largest Area of the Northeast Region: by membership and by geography.Our ten councils served more than130,000 youth membersthrough some4,500unitswith the support of more than53,500 adult volunteers(using 11-30-2011 membership stats).
· Area 6 councils serve more than one of every four registered members in the Northeast Region.These include: Baltimore Area, Chester County, Del-Mar-Va, Hawk Mountain, Mason-Dixon, National Capital Area, New Birth of Freedom, Pennsylvania Dutch, Southern New Jersey and Transatlantic Councils.
· 4.8% of all the registered youth members in the BSA nationwide are registered in one of our Area 6 councils. To put it another way, nearly one of every twenty Cubs, Scouts, Venturers and Explorers in the country is served right here in Area 6.
· By membership, Area 6 is the second largest Area in the United States.
· Two of the top five volunteers giving leadership to the 2013 National Scout Jamboree are a part of Area 6: Dan McCarthy, President of National Capital Area Council, is serving as the Logistics Advisor (Top Volunteer) for the entire Jamboree. Keith Clark, New Birth of Freedom Council, serves as Advisor for Scout and Subcamp Operations. The other key leaders are Russell Smart, Program Advisor; David Disney, Administration Advisor; and Jack Helmbrecht, Registration Advisor.
· Thanks to all the exceptional volunteers and professionals in Area 6 for the great work they are doing for our young people.
Area President’s Minute: "What will your New Year's Resolution for Scouting be in 2012?"- Let's work harder to ensure that next year will be a good one for traditional membership growth in all ten of our councils. What a terrific New Year's Resolution for every district and every council in Area 6 to adopt! Does your council have an active, functioning membership committee? Does that committee have their plan for 2012 in place? How would you assess each district's membership chair and membership committee? When does each of these committees meet? How many people attend committee meetings? On what are they focusing currently? On what do they plan to focus In the coming year?
BSA National President Rex Tillerson (a volunteer Scouter who is currently CEO of ExxonMobil) states emphatically that it is time for volunteers to "take back" ownership of the work of traditional membership growth. The membership task of each council, district and neighborhood across America is too large and too important to delegate to our professional Scouting colleagues alone. Let's team up with them in this effort in 2012 and step up to take leadership roles. We will be more effective and successful when we work together. With increased focus and resources, a renewedcommitmentand a solid plan well-worked, 2012 can be a banner year for traditional membership growth in each of our councils and districts; and that renewed effort would make a terrific New Year's Resolution!
Latest Area Calendar
March 3, 2012 Area 6 Workshops Place TBD
March 8-9, 2012 NE Region Board Tysons Corner, VA
March 23-25, 2012 OA NLS & NLATS Alpine, NJ
March 31, 2012 Area Camp Visitation Training Baltimore, MD
April 20-22, 2012 OA NLS Camp Gorton, Dundee, NY
May 18-20, 2012 OA Section 6A Conclave Broadcreek Scour Reservation
May 30-June 1, 2012 BSA National Meeting Kissimmee, FL
June 8-10, 2012 OA Section 6B Conclave Hawk Mountain Scout Camp
September 22, 2012 Area Outdoor Seminar Camp Tuckahoe
November 2-4, 2012 OA NLS/NLATS TBD
November 3, 2012 Area Key Leadership Conf. TBD
November 16-18, 2012 OA NLATS Germany (TBD)
November 8-9, 2012 NE Region Board Pittsburgh, PA
Jamboree News.
The 2013 National Scout Jamboree at the Bechtel Summit Reserve in West Virginia will offer scouts, scouters, and visitors a once-in-a-lifetime experience. All registration for the jamboree is online and one Council Jamboree Contact (CJC) will screen all council applications. Approved volunteer staff applications will then go to a second step for acceptance and program assignments. All applicants will receive automatic email notices of their status as the process unfolds. At the Bechtel Summit Reserve work is continuing around the clock to make the site ready for the jamboree in 2013. For July of 2012 a special shakedown camporee, in one Jamboree village, is being organized. Each Northeast Region council is entitled to organize one troop and one venture patrol for a scaled down Jamboree experience. Interested councils should contact the regional jamboree contact.
Area Conservation Advocate.
Dr. William Russell, Baltimore Area Council, agreed to serve as the Area Six Conservation Advocate. Dr. Russell is retired from the Department of the Army where he worked in the environment area and holds a PhD in Wildlife/Ecology. As Area Advocate, he will serve on the Northeast Region Task Force and work with Councils in Area Six to develop Conservation plans and provide support to their committees. Please welcome Dr. Russell as a member of our Area Outdoor Adventure Program team. His telephone number is 443-243-3335 and his e-mail address is .
Outdoor Program Seminar.
An Outdoor Program Seminar hosted by Areas 4, 5 & 6 will be held at Camp Tuckahoe, New Birth of Freedom Council, (near Dillsburg, PA) on September 22, 2012. The program will include presentations on the New Camp Standards and Visitation Process, the status on the Summit and preparation for the Jamboree, and an opportunity to attend three of twelve electives being offered. Overnight lodging will be available for those scouters who would like to arrive on Friday evening and breakfast and lunch will be provided on Saturday, September 22, 2012. The seminar is designed for council scouters from Areas 4, 5 and 6 with outdoor program responsibilities. Please plan to attend this important event. For more information, please contact Dan Palenscar at or Glenn Achey at .
Camp Visitation and COPE Training.
Resident Camp and COPE Visitation Training will be held march 31, 2012 at the Baltimore Council Office. Note that COPE visitation training is now a one day only, indoor training class.
Latest Program/Training Information. During 2011, the ten councils in Area 6 held a total of 22 national training courses. These national training courses, and the number of courses held in Area 6 during 2011, include National Youth Leadership Training (11 courses), Wood Badge (9 courses), and Powder Horn (2 courses). Applications for courses in 2012 were due to Area 6 Training Chairman Dave Short by August 31, 2011. Most Area 6 councils have already submitted course applications for 2012. Plans are underway to hold 13 NYLT courses, 7 Wood Badge courses, and one Powder Horn course throughout Area 6 during 2012. If you would like to attend a particular national training course, but your council is not holding one in 2012, you can attend that course in another council. At the Area 6 Key Leadership Forum held in Baltimore on
November 5, Council Training Chairmen in attendance, or their representatives, were given a list of such courses for all of Area 6. Alternatively, contact Dave Short (email: ) if you need information regarding courses in other councils in Area 6."
Latest Advancement Information. The National Advancement Team has released the Guide to Advancement – 2011. This is a complete rewrite of the Advancement Committee Policy and Procedures which it replaces. An electronic copy of this guide is available at www.scouting.org. Also released is the new Eagle Scout Service Project Workbook. Until January 1st Eagle Scout candidates may use this new version or the old version. A fillable PDF is available at www.scouting.org. The National Advancement team has started publishing the Advancement News – an e-newsletter devoted to the latest development in advancement. Anyone not receiving this can contact Darnall Daley or have their council contact the National Advancement Team. If any advancement help is needed, contact Darnall Daley at 610-207-1980 or .
Latest Mission Impact/Program Review Information. Progress Review dates are almost complete. When completed, Progress Review Team assignments will be made and confirmed to councils. Thank You for the good progress we are seeing in Journey To Excellence for Area 6.
Latest Marketing Information. See attached newsletter from Area Vice President for Marketing, Jim Castanzo.
VENTURING NEWS: Save the date! Mark your calendar for April 20-22, 2012 at the National Capital Area Council’s (NCAC) Camp Snyder, Haymarket, VA, to be a part of an event co-hosted by Area 6 Area Venturing Officers Association (AVOA) and the NCAC Council Venturing Officers Association (CVOA) – The Venturing Phenomenon: It Will Blow Your Mind! The event will be Venturer led and delivered with advisor supervision. It is designed to highlight the endless, creative and even crazy possibilities that are Venturing! For all of the details and to become a part of the fun go to http://nerventuring-bsa.org/areas/area-6/area-6-information/
Thank you to all who participated in the Venturing break-out session at the November Area Leadership Conference. There was an enthusiastic turn-out from all of our councils. Venturers in Area 6 account for 29% of all of the Venturers served in the Northeast Region. Kudos, and keep up the good work that you are doing with the Venturing program in your area! Let’s continue to grow!
The Area Venturing Officers Association (AVOA) Officers and Advisors are prepared and eager to come to your council to help start a Council Venturing Officers Association (CVOA), present or assist with Venturing leadership training or come to a Venturing/CVOA Roundtable or an event to network with your Venturers.
It was stellar to meet Venturing representatives from Southern New Jersey, and learn about Venturing activity opportunities there. The Mason-Dixon Council CVOA shared information about an upcoming Lock-In event January 7-8 in Hagerstown, MD that is open to Venturers throughout Area 6. The Baltimore Area Council CVOA announced an April event with details to be firmed up soon; one of the activity options will include visiting the USCGC Taney.
Speaking of Council Venturing Officers Associations, a new tool has just been released – the 2012 Council Standards of Venturing Excellence (CSVE). The checklist featured in the CSVE is an excellent roadmap of goals that will assist to develop a quality CVOA organization; similar to the concept behind Journey to Excellence.
The Venturing Leadership Award has changed. The Venturing Leadership Award is now a youth-only award presented by councils, areas, regions, and the BSA National Council to Venturers who have made exceptional contributions to Venturing and who exemplify the Venturing Code and Venturing Oath. Councils may present two awards per year for up to 50 crews/ships, and one additional per year for each fraction of 25 crews/ships above 50. Adult leaders are no longer eligible for this award as of December 30, 2011, to be presented before June 30, 2012.