Reflecting on the Aftermath of the Little Sioux Scout Ranch Tragedy
A letter from the desk of Robert J. Mazzuca, Chief Scout Executive:
Unit Leaders: Help us ensure your kids are registered!
Before summer activities start, let’s work together to ensure all boys in Scouting are properly registered and nobody “slipped through the cracks” during recent recruiting.
Please send a copy of your unit’s roster (your unit’s internal phone/email list) to your District Executive. We will make sure all the boys who are participating in Scouting are registered, and will notify you and help you get all the boys registered.
Thank you for your help in making sure all the boys are getting the full benefit of Scouting.
For additional information, contact Margaret K. Naylor, Field Director, at (714) 546-8558 x150.
Put Your Skills to the Test Against the Best at the Venturing Shoot Out
See if you have what it takes to out shoot all others and win your name
on the Gun Belt on Saturday, June 21, from 10 am to 4 pm at the Lytle Creek Firing Line, located off the the Sierra Avenue exit at I-15.
A wide variety of firearms will be available including shooting rifles; .22 cal.,.30 cal. M1903, m1, pistols 9mm,.45 caliberl, and shotguns.
Price to attend is $45 and includes lunch. You will need to bring your own chairs, EZ Ups, hat, sunscreen and water.
No one will be allowed to shoot without filling out the medical release permission slip and Lytel Creek slips.
Download Permission Slip & Flyer
Troup 675 Lends a Hand at Relay for Life
Background Check Now Required for ALL BSA Volunteers
To ensure youth protection, our organization has conducted criminal background checks on all new volunteers since April 2003. Because some volunteers have been continually registered in the program before April 2003, some have not had a criminal background check.
Volunteers who have not had a background check should have already received a letter from our Chief Scout Executive, Bob Mazzuca, recognizing them as valued volunteers and explaining the need for criminal background checks and our continued youth protection efforts. The letter explains the need for consent to conduct a criminal background check and direct volunteers to a Web site.
The Web site address is www.bsacbc.org, and the site will be active from June 1 until August 1, 2008. On the site, volunteers will be asked to review an authorization statement, agree to consent to a background check, and provide information, such as your Social Security number, which is necessary to conduct the CBC, and verify and submit the information.
Outdoor Education Center Progress Update
Construction Progress
The camp toilet, the archery and BB gun ranges, one Ranch Camp bunkhouse, two activity pavilions and the administration building are being prepared for foundation pouring! It is very exciting to see the facility take shape. If you would like to take a tour of the facility, please contact Christine Kirk at ChristineK@outdooreducationcenter.org
Trail Building Progress
On June 7, 37 Scouts from Troop 1210, 90 Scouts from Troops B1 – 1870, B3 – 1873, P1 – 783, P2 – 781, P3 – 782 and YL – 786 of the Portola District, and two Scouts from Troop 241 helped to build about .3 miles of trail. The new section of trail was over particularly steep and treacherous terrain, and many switchbacks had to be installed.
Center Phenology
Phenology is the study of seasonal biological phenomena. Plants flowering, birds migrating, caterpillars pupating and toads hibernating are all examples of local phenological occurrences. Lately, the buzzing of cicadas is a particularly obvious bit of phenology. What is this buzzing all about?
As with most animals that make noise in the spring, it’s about finding mates. If you are lucky, you may see one of these fat little Homopterans buzzing away as he sits atop a shrub in open areas all over Orange County, looking for a mother for his children. Once they metamorphose into adults, cicadas do not even stop to eat. During their larval stage, when they are buried in the ground, they eat the sap from plant roots. Some cicadas’ larval stage lasts 17 years! While they may seem like big, scary bugs, they do not ever bite, and they provide an important food source for many species of birds, lizards and mammals.
Calling All SISTERS Between 8-11 Years Old!
Hey girls, ever think your brother gets to do all the fun stuff?
Well, not at the Newport Sea Base!
If you can swim and you’re between 8 and 11 years old, YOU can row, canoe, kayak, swim, dig for buried treasure, and more during a week at Junior Aquatics Camp at the Newport Sea Base this summer. Sign up NOW and get ready to have a fantastic week at Junior Aquatics Camp! Oh, and you can bring your brother along too – he’ll have a blast and you can share the fun and memories.
Junior Aquatics Camp participants receive a camp T-shirt, patch and certificate.
Contact Diana Knapstein, Newport Sea Base Office Manager, at (949) 642-5031 for more information.
Summer's a Great Time to Earn Merit Badges
Have to miss summer camp with your Troop?
Don’t let that be a reason your buddies get ahead of you in MERIT BADGES. Come to the Newport Sea Base and earn up to FIVE merit badges on one week!
The following merit badge classes are still available (as of 6/20/2008)
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Canoeing – AM
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Canoeing – PM
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Citizenship in Nation
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Citizenship in World
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Emergency Preparedness – AM
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Emergency Preparedness – PM
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Environmental Science – AM
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Environmental Science – PM
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First Aid – AM
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First Aid – PM
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Fishing – PM
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Motor Boating – AM
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Motor Boating – PM
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Oceanography
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Public Speaking
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Radio
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Rowing
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Weather
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Check out our website www.newportseabase.org for more information including the camp schedule and application form.
Oso Lake 2nd Annual Fishing Derby Postponed
Hey Fishing Enthusiasts! We had over 200 Scouts and parents signed up for the June 21 Fishing Derby at Oso Lake. That’s AWESOME! But due to a scheduling conflict and exceeding camp capacities we had to reschedule the Fishing Derby for later this summer.
The new date is Saturday, August 9, from 8:15am to 4pm. The Scouts and parents who were signed up for the event will be given a priority registration status for the August event. However, we would ask that all those interested please sign up as early as possible, because we do expect this event to fill up quickly. We will be providing a free lunch and an Outdoor Activity Patch for all those fishermen who had to be rescheduled. For those new fishermen to the August date, you can buy a lunch for an additional $5 when registering (patches available at the camp for $1).
Please contact Toni Klemm in the Camping Dept. (714) 546-4990 ext 136 if you have any questions.
Special Note: Please be aware that we are also hosting a “Fishing Merit Badge” weekend July 18-20 and Oct. 24-26 for Boy Scouts (only). Space is also limited for this event so sign up as early as possible…and get that early bird rate.
Holiday Family Camps at Oso Lake and Scheope
Family Camp is a GREAT opportunity for the entire family to just have a blast together in the great outdoors, as well as a wonderful way to meet other families in our Pack (or Troop)”
Labor Day weekend is the next perfect opportunity to enjoy a fantastic Family Camp adventure with your Scouts, siblings, aunts/uncles, grandparents and, well, the whole family! Mark your calendars for August 29-September 1 at either Schoepe Scout Reservation at Lost Valley or Oso Lake Boy Scout Camp (limited to the first 300). Labor Day weekend is the last hurrah before the beginning of the school year…can you think of a better way to wrap up your summer?
At Scheope you and your family will have access to all of the awesome program areas for two full days, including archery, basketball, volleyball, dodgeball competition (on the new Wiatava Lodge Sports Court), shooting, horse back riding, hiking, handi-crafts, nature and swimming pools. There’s a 3K and 5K fun run planned and a family movie night in Beckman Dining hall, with all the popcorn you can eat!
Oso Lake will also offer lots of fun with a thematic approach to Family Camp, such as the Pirate theme during Memorial Weekend. Bounce houses, multiple aquatics activities on the Lake-Row Boats, Canoes, Kayaks and Fishing, Archery, BB Guns, Tomahawks, sling shots and a great campfire program. Don’t miss out on either of these amazing, fun outdoor camping experiences for the whole family!
Either way you go, it’s far more cost effective than virtually any other family weekend vacation and it’s safe, fun, healthy and relaxing! See you at Camp!
Outdoor Education Center Open House
Scouters in the Ahwahnee, Canyons, El Capitan, Los Amigos, Orange Frontier and Pacifica districts are invited to join Marc Aarons, Scouter Community Campaign Chair, and Les Baron, Orange County Council Scout Executive, at a very special OPEN HOUSE for our new Outdoor Education Center on Saturday, July 19 from 10 AM until 2 PM.
Marc and Les will be burning hot dogs for lunch – and it will be a great opportunity to see out one-of-a-kind outdoor educational and recreational facility. Please RSVP by contacting Jan Borja at janB@ocbsa.org or (714) 546-4990 EXT. 113 by Wednesday, July 16.
Located in the heart of Orange County in the city of Orange, the Outdoor Education Center is a one-of-a-kind educational and recreational center that will benefit our Scouting family for generations to come!!!
Scouters in El Camino Real, Sancho Del Mar and Saddleback please don’t despair! Your Outdoor Education Center Open House is scheduled for Saturday, September 13! We will keep you posted, but put that date in your calendars now!!
OCC Outdoor Activity Badge
Hey Scouts, did you know there’s a new patch in circulation? Cubs, Scouts and Venture Scouts can now earn a really cool patch for enjoying virtually any outdoor program or activity. It’s the Orange County Council’s Outdoor Activity Badge…and it’s SO EASY TO EARN! This new camping and outdoor activity promotion patch is part of a new program that was launched back in March.
All as Scout needs to do is do something outdoors!
That’s it, and he can earn the patch…and a corresponding event segment (or rocker). There are well over 50 outdoor activity segments to be earned. Each of our camp properties have specific color coded and icon related segments for all of the program events during the year. From Scout-0-Ram to sailing at the Sea Base, from Fishing at Oso to Family Camp at Schoepe…and very soon the new Outdoor Education Center will be offering segment opportunities as well! Scouts can strive to collect all of the rockers and have a blast doing it!
You can pick up your activity badges and segments at any of our camp facilities or at any of our Scout Shops. And don’t forget to pick up an OCC Activity Badge information flier at Roundtable or at the Scout office so you can start tracking progress with your Scout!
Learn About New Interfaith Venturing Crew
The greater Huntington Beach Interfaith Council has chartered a new interfaith coed Venturing Crew, and is inviting high school students and youth group leaders to learn about opportunities that this might open up for them.
The coed Venturing Crew emphasizes the Religious and Community Life Award, which represents
1) Tending your own faith
2) Respecting the beliefs of others
3) Understanding other cultures
4) Serving your community
5) Transforming our society
Those interested in are welcome to attend ongoing informal small group Interfaith Dialogue this summer.
For more information call Don Garrick, Venturing Crew Organizer, at 714-848-0860, Diana Sloane, Trust Award Counselor, at 714-403-9314, or Lane Calvert, Director of High School Youth Programs, at 714-546-8558.
New Online Learning Center a "One Stop Shop" for BSA Volunteers
During May 2006, the BSA developed a new Online Learning Center http://olc.scouting.org a “one-stop shop” for all BSA volunteers and the general public to take online courses related to BSA programs and policies.
The OLC currently contains just a few courses (Cub Scout, Boy Scout, and Venturing Fast Start and Youth Protection Guidelines Training), but more will be added over time.
The OLC, via the Internet, will become the portal to all courses and training materials we offer our adult volunteers. In addition to providing convenient, round-the-clock access to information that will help them fulfill their roles in Scouting, this new OLC more reliably tracks users’ completion of online courses, automatically updating records in the member database. Local council executives have access to course completion records via their MyBSA accounts. Over time, these records can become a powerful management tool for local council professionals and commissioners.
In the future, additional courses and learning resources will be added to the OLC. As new materials become available, additional announcements will be made via the council Webmasters’ page at www.scouting.org/webmasters to keep you informed in advance and to enable you to accommodate these changes when necessary.
Contact Derrick Clark, Director of Support Services, at (714) 546-8558 x180 for more information.
Download: Why Tour Permit
Local Tour Permit Update
Attached for immediate use and distribution is the updated Local Tour Permit Application, No. 34426..
The tour permit updates include:
• A single matrix to help units plan for qualified supervision for specified activities such as swimming, boating, and shooting sports, and includes expiration of required training.
• Revised certification requiring more of tour leaders than just having a copy of the Guide to Safe Scouting in their possession.
• Space for both phone and e-mail contact information for leaders.
Questions or comments can be directed to Derrick Clark, Director of Support Services, at (714) 546-8558 ext. 180.
Download: Tour Permit Application
Outdoor Education Center Releases Camping Dates
With the help of 90 Scouts from Troops B1 – 1870, B3 – 1873, P1 – 783, P2 – 781, P3 – 782 and YL – 786 of the Portola District, 37 Scouts from Troop 1210, and two Scouts from troop 241, we have begun to establish the tent camping area at the Outdoor Education Center. The camp sites and camp toilet should be complete by mid-July.
Several dates have already been planned for packs and troops to camp out at the OEC. The dates are:
| July 18-20 |
July 25-27 |
Sept 12-14 |
Sept 19-21 |
Oct. 10-12 |
Please contact Christine Kirk, Outdoor Education Center Director, if you are interested in taking part at ChristineK@outdooreducationcenter.org
BSA Celebrates 100 Years of Youth Leadership and Development
In the year 2010, the Boys Scouts of America will celebrate 100 years of providing the finest youth leadership and development program in this great country. And we need you! Committees are being formed that include working on a float for the Rose Bowl Parade, conducting a Council-wide camporee, nationally coordinated events and local ideas that we can all take part in.
We need your help to be a part of the planning for all this great stuff. The next meeting for the 100th Anniversary Celebration steering committee is Wednesday, August 20, at 6:30 pm in the William Lyon Home Center for Scouting and we are inviting anyone who would like to become a part of the year long celebration. Bring your ideas and enthusiasm and let’s make 2010 the best year ever of Scouting.
Call Les Baron with any questions, 714-546-4990.
Jeremy Yamaguchi Elected Section Chief of W4B Section
Jeremy Yamaguchi, the 2008 Wiatava OA Lodge Chief, has just been elected as Section Chief of the W4B Section in Southern California. Jeremy is regarded as a stellar leader and pacesetter from the Wiatava Lodge who aspires to great heights in the Order of the Arrow. He hands over the reigns of the Lodge to fellow OA Executive Board member, Tanner Boles.
The Section is comprised of three Lodges south of the LA Basin…California Inland Empire Council--Cahuilla Lodge, the San Diego Imperial Council—Tawahe Lodge and the Orange County Council—Wiatava Lodge. The OA Section exists to support the health and development of the local Lodges, which is largely done through the organization and implementation of the Annual Section Conclave. The Conclave is an action-packed event of inter-Lodge competition and fellowship. It fosters Order of the Arrow ideals and purposes by offering a “can’t miss” event for all Arrowmen, which gives our OA members exposure to other local Lodges. This, of course, generates idea exchange, an awareness of OA outside the context of our own Council boundaries and allows our local Arrowmen to meet cross-county Arrowmen.
Congratulations to Jeremy Yamaguchi and to Tanner Boles, two of Orange County Council’s finest!
Free Family Arts Day at the OC Museum of Art
Create cool projects inspired by the summer heat at the Orange County Museum of Art in Newport Beach, Sunday, July 13 from 12 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Take a FREE family guided tour of the exhibition Art Since the 60’s: California Experiments. Or stay for the live entertainment and Short for Shorties films curated by Newport Beach Film Festival!
For more information, contact 949-759-1122 or www.ocma.net. The Orange County Museum of Art is located at 850 San Clemente Dr. Newport Beach, CA 92660
Save the date! Back To School Cool! Sunday, September 14, 12 p.m. – 4 p.m
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