January 2012
Heron News Flash
Sammamish Trails
The Chair’s Minute
With the New Year comes a reflection on the old year and excitement for what is before us. What a fantastic year Sammamish Trails District had in 2011. This district is a wonderful place to be a volunteer. The reason is the quality volunteers who are willing to learn how to be exceptional Scout Leaders. I thank every one of you. You are making a difference in the lives of the youth you serve.
Thanks to all of you who have been willing to take the necessary training. We see the difference it is making and appreciate your efforts.
Thanks to all the leaders who have gone beyond the required and taken Wood Badge Training. I am sure it has benefited your job and your unit. If you have not taken the opportunity to be Wood Badge Trained, do it in 2012. You will be glad you did.
To all of the volunteers in our district I have only one thing to say;
THANK YOU, the Sammamish Trails District is better because YOU MAKE THE DIFFERENCE!
Wally Kempe
District Chair
January Roundtable
(2nd Thursday of the month)
Cub Scouts: Resourcefulness is the monthly theme.
Scouts: Summer Camps. Presenters are: Mark Modawell, Dale Rae
Scheduled for February:
Flag Ceremonies/Troop Websites
Silver Beaver Awards
On behalf of the Sammamish Trails District, we recognize and congratulate the FOUR Silver Beaver Award Recipients from our District (The Council is awarding 19). I hope all who know and or who have worked with any of these fine scouters will extend your congratulations for a job well done, and accomplished over many years of service to their Units, District, or Council. The Silver Beavers will be presented at the Council Adult Volunteer Recognition Night, March 28. For more information about the Recognition Night go to:
www.seattlebsa.org/RecognitionNight
The recipients are:
Cassie Heaton
Johanna Palmer
Dale Rae
Marcelo Guerra Hahn
This is a national award presented by the council. Nominations are made through the District Silver Beaver Committee. A nominee’s Scouting service may be district, council, or “just” at the unit level, but it must be significant. It is the highest recognition that a Council can give and may only be awarded once to any individual. For more information on Sammamish Trails District Awards go to the District web site link:
http://seattlebsa.org/Sammamish-Trails-District/Awards/
Klondike Challenge!
February 3-5
When the first Klondike-bound gold miners hit the pass at Chilkoot, the Canadian Mounties stopped them, and would not let them enter the Yukon until they passed certain conditions. This included proper equipment, sufficient supplies and proper attitude. We will re-create those conditions for those units willing to test their mettle and take the Klondike Challenge!
I am Dale Rae, your Klondike Director for 2012. Preparations are well under way for this year's Klondike. We have some new challenges and added elements that you won't want to miss out on! There are several notable logistical items to remind you of:
Location: Ensign Ranch (same as last year’s)
Date: February 3-5. A little earlier this year so as not to conflict with President’s Day weekend. Hopefully this will also translate into SNOW!
Website: Klondike has its own web site for information, http://klondike.sammamishtrails.org. It is ready for you to gather the information you need and to begin the registration process -- check it out! This year, registration and payment is online at the Chief Seattle Council web site. Go to the Council event registration page and look for the Sammamish Trail District Klondike Challenge event!
WEBELOS: You are invited too! If you like, contact one of the troops in your area and ask them to sponsor you. You can come up for the day on Saturday and be prepared to have a blast!
**Advanced warning on Klondike sled capabilities**
In years past the snow levels have varied at Ensign Ranch. It is recommended that the sleds be equipped with removable wheels. A judgment by the Klondike Director will be made at the Klondike site as to the use of the wheels during the events and for the Iditarod Race.
Dale Rae
.
Venturing Winter Challenge
February 3-5
Registration for Venturing Winter Challenge (VWC) is now open (http://www.seattlebsa.org/Venturing)! Remember that VWC is February 3rd-5th at Ensign Ranch and costs $35 plus $25 if you want to participate in snowmobiling. Also note that snowmobiling has a separate registration link from the normal registration (both links should be on the Venturing page). Prepare yourself for a multitude of other fun activities, such as a biathlon, search and rescue, lots of shooting, and snow tubing! This is only a taste of what this exciting event has to offer. Be sure to pray for a snowy weekend!
Internet Advancement
-The Basics!
February Roundtable
??Trying to find those Scout awards on the council website? Need to correct a date? Come learn how at Roundtable. We would love to see your troop bring your ADVANCEMENT Chair! We will be talking about the entire process of recording advancements-and using the web to do it!! Please send someone from your Troop to begin learning!
Questions? Call:
Lisa Tracy
District Advancement Chair
425-208-9797 (cell) 425-881-0712
Special Fundraising Opportunity
We have a special opportunity for units and scouts to raise additional funds for their unit or individual scouts. Due to a mistake in ordering, we have extra popcorn that we are offering to units to sell at a one-time, record-breaking 60% commission. Therefore, if you sell $100 worth of popcorn you will get $60 for your unit. This popcorn can be sold door-to-door or at individual sites. Please contact Ross Comer ASAP at if you are interested in learning more.
Popcorn Sales Success!
We had 25 units sell almost $200,000 worth of popcorn this year bringing in $75,000 in commissions to the units for unit activities, scout camps, equipment, etc. Thanks to all units who participated and helped make this year’s sale successful. To learn more about popcorn sales for next year, contact Ross Comer at .
Scouting for Food
Flyers will be available for pickup at the February and March Roundtables. Flyer distribution is scheduled for March 17 and pickup for March 24. We’d like each unit to assign a Scouting for Food Coordinator by January 27. Unit coordinators contact: Theresa Lacey.
Merit Badge Clinics
General Instructions for Clinics
Open to ALL Scouts of any troop. Bring blue cards and wear uniforms.
Kirkland
2nd Thursday* of each month 7-8:30 PM
Rose Hill LDS Building
(Roundtable location)
7720 126th Ave NE
Kirkland, WA 98033
Sheldon Frei
425-216-3676
Jan. 12: First Aid
Feb. 9: Family Life
March 8: Computers
Redmond
2nd Saturday* of each month 9-11 AM
7115 224th Ave NE
Redmond, WA 98052
Foyer Phone: 425-868-2956
Enter North door at end of building.
Scott Porter
425-202-7508
January 14: Communications
February 11: Citizenship in the Community
March 10: Personal Management
*Check District Calendar for monthly exceptions
Bellevue
Contact ,
Report JTE Service Hours
Remember to submit your service hours online at the National BSA JTE Service Hours Website
For more details and other helpful information, visit the council's GTFA page. Follow instructions on how to create a new account to be able to log your unit's service hours for the year (make it easy and do this every time you complete a service project).
*Cub Scout Packs and Venture Crews should participate in a minimum of 2 service projects in a year (for Bronze)
*Boy Scout Troops and Varsity Teams should participate in a minimum of 4 service projects in a year.
Please be sure to include all the Community Service your unit is involved in. That should include the often overlooked Eagle Projects of boys in your troop.Service given while on a hike or camp out, as well as scouting for food and other organized service your unit participates in.
Can You Match?
Just a quick reminder- if you gave a gift during the Friends of Scouting fundraiser, your employer may match that gift and increase your donation’s impact. You have to initiate the match, so check with your HR office to find out how. There will be a form to fill out or a website to use to report your gift, then the employer checks with us to confirm the gift, and sends a check. It’s that easy, but you have to get the ball rolling! Meeting our fundraising goal (we are at 56%) depends on those matching gifts. Some units have over $1000 they could raise to help the BSA, not out of their own pockets, with just a couple of minutes work.
And, as always, if you work for Microsoft or Boeing, you can also have your volunteer hours matched. Microsoft hours specifically make up a huge part of our budget each year, especially in Sammamish Trails. Please report them now, and frequently throughout the year. Your unit will receive a 10% credit for any hours you report that can be used for a variety of Scouting fees.
Thank you!
Miranda Otjen
Field Director, Chief Seattle Council
(206)902-2322
Commissioner Meeting
January 12
Commissioner Meetings are held every 2ndd Thursday @ 6:30 PM at :
Rose Hill LDS Chapel
7720 126th Ave NE
Kirkland, WA 98033
All Unit Commissioners and ADCs are needed to attend to help all our units have successful programs.
Bob Palmer
District Commissioner
Order of the Arrow
NEW MEETING DATE: Our Chapter Meetings now take place on the third Thursday of each month from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. at the Rose Hill LDS Church (7720 - 126th Ave. N.E., Kirkland, WA 98033). All Arrowmen, especially Troop/Team OA Representatives, should be attending our monthly Chapter Meetings!
CHAPTER JACKET: Want to join the best dressed Arrowmen in the Lodge? Purchase an Official Chapter micro fleece full zipper Jacket with two zippered side pockets and embroidered Chapter Logo for only $35.00. Contact Tim Fugman () for more information or to purchase a Jacket!
CHAPTER TRADING POST: We will have a Chapter Trading Post open before each Round Table. See us for all of your Order of the Arrow needs. District Activity Patches are also available; the proceeds going to fund Chapter activities.
Thunderbird Scout Nights!
Save the Date for Seattle Thunderbirds Scout Nights! Sunday, February 26th.
Coin Collecting Merit Badge
There is an opportunity for scouts to work on/complete their coin collecting merit badges.
On Saturday (10:00-5:00pm) and Sunday (10:00-4:00pm) January 21st and 22nd, the Boeing employee coin club is having their annual coin show at the Kent Commons, 525 4th Ave North Kent WA, and has set aside two tables for a Young Numismatists (YN’s) display and info. The gentleman working the table/display received his Eagle Scout award in 1982. He has offered his time this weekend during the show to assist scouts in working on their coin collecting badge.
To complete the badge at the show, the scout will need to bring in 5 state quarters (requirement #7) and a penny collection from year of birth to 2011 (option “d” of requirement #9). A penny search will be available at the show to help with the penny collection but there may not be enough coins of each year for every scout to complete the set at the show.
Each scout wearing their uniform will receive an Eisenhower dollar coin at the YN table. There will be a table set aside to work on the badge, a display case that will be helpful in answering some of the requirements, a video display on the minting and printing of coins and currency, as well as someone to answer questions and signoff on complete requirements.
For further questions, you may contact: Anthony Kalt
Training
Training Questions:
1..Who is required to be Trained?
· All direct contact leaders must be trained in 2012 for recharter. For further information contact George or Kris Taylor, Wally Kempe, or Dan Gelis.
2..What happens if we have a new leader?
· The best answer is: get that new Leader Trained!
· What Training is required for each Position? An updated checklist for most positions is on the council training page, www.SeattleBSA.org/training.
3.Do I need Fast Start Training?
· Fast Start is no longer considered a requirement to be trained. It is still a great starting place for new leaders and a great review for returning experienced leaders
4..We haven't answered your question?
· Email us at .
Training Information
Baloo Training
There is an upcoming BALOO training on February 4 run by Alpine District. The registration link is below:
https://seattlebsa.org/Alpine-District/BALOO-Training-Saturday-February-4th-2012
Youth Protection can be taken any time online at http://www.myscouting.org.
Youth Protection - Venturing can be taken any time online at http://www.myscouting.org.
Cub Scout Leader Position-Specific (for any role, including Cubmaster) can be taken any time online at http://www.myscouting.org, but BSA recommends you take training in a classroom setting when possible so here is an opportunity with a real live instructor to answer questions:
Troop Committee Challenge can be scheduled with Mark Verdeck,
Introduction to Outdoor Leader Skills can be taken
· Check other our District and other District Calendars at seattlebsa.org for training opportunities
This is Scouting can be taken any time online at http://www.myscouting.org (Note: If you have taken New Leader Essentials, this requirement is satisfied.)
Other training opportunities:
· Look on the Chief Seattle Council calendar at http://www.seattlebsa.org/component/option,com_jevents/Itemid,195/task,month.calendar/view,month/. You can use the search function (magnifying glass) and type in training.
Try Mt Baker Council at http://www.mtbakerbsa.org/training/basicleader.html