Jamboree Communication

We are now at 5 months away from the 2010 National Jamboree and I have not seen anything from National except for unofficial, mixed messages from various Scouting email lists about this event. I can't believe how little information staff is getting. Quite frankly I am shocked to say that I have not heard from my Subcamp chief for Subcamp 7 since november. I was expecting at least 1 update or newsletter from him by know, I know that December is a bad month, so I was not expecting anything then, but January has already come and gone and we are already on February 4. Maybe I have high expectations but hey communication is the key to ensuring the success of any event.

Well lets not ramble on or complain now. I am now sending out a request to the Scouting Community, to share anything you have heard about the Jamboree whether or not it is official, I am looking for anything and everything people know.

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Assistant Den Leader Pack 69
Frontier District, Denver Area Council
NSJ '05 Youth Participant '10 Subcamp 7 Youth Staff
Eagle Scout OA Brotherhood Member
WSJ '07 '11 Philmont AA '08

VIdeo of the Week

Here is the video for the 4th stop of the Adventure Base 100 tour. This stop was in Sacramento California. So here is the video, hope you enjoy it.

Boy Scouts Youtube Day

Lets try and get as many people on youtube as possible for the Birthday of the BSA. In case you did not know the birthday of the BSA falls on February 8. This year in particular is important because we are celebrating 100 years in case you didn't know already.

So lets get as many people on youtube as possible on this Day, this is going to require us to communicate this to a very large audience and very quickly. Maybe we could get a video on the front page of youtube, this will only happen if you tell everyone that you know. So lets spread the word through twitter, myspace, facebook, blogs, emails, text messages, phone calls, scout meetings, and through any other medium you can think of.

Lets not wait until the 8th to spread the word, lets start spreading it know.

This idea was taken from Scoutmaster Steve of A Scoutmaster's Blog and producer of Melrose Scouting Production Podcasts.

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Assistant Den Leader Pack 69
Frontier District, Denver Area Council
NSJ '05 Youth Participant '10 Subcamp 7 Youth Staff
Eagle Scout OA Brotherhood Member
WSJ '07 '11 Philmont AA '08

AB100 Austin Texas

Here it comes, here it comes the 5th stop of the Adventure Base 100 it will be in Austin Texas on January 30 to January 31. Here are some more specifics of this event.

Exact Location: The Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum -- The Story of Texas -- is located at 1800 N. Congress Avenue at the intersection of Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. in downtown Austin, Texas. With close proximity to Interstate Highway 35 and MoPAC Expressway (Loop 1), the Museum is easy to access.

Dates and Times:

January 30 10 am to 4 pm
January 31 1 pm to 4 pm

Special Events on This Day besides the AB100 campus include:

• "Cast Iron Chef" Cooking Competition Saturday 11am-1pm: Which troop is tops when it comes to Dutch Oven cooking? We're giving 25 troops a chance to take home bragging rights as "Cast Iron Chef" champs. Yes, there's a trophy. Don't want to compete? No problem - just enjoy the samples.
• "100 Gallons" Blood Drive Sunday: As a part of our council's celebration of the 100th Anniversary of Scouting, we're partnering with the Blood Center of Central Texas to collect 100 gallons of blood donations. Help us save lives and give blood at the Adventure Base 100 Tour. You can earn a special 100th Anniversary patch for donating!

• Eagle rededication ceremony Sunday 3pm: At your Eagle Court of Honor, you recited the Eagle Scout Promise – a call to hold yourself to a standard higher than even the Scout Law and Oath. During this ceremony, Eagles will renew their commitment to this promise – and get to visit with other Eagles living in our council service area. All Eagles, no matter when or where you earned the rank, are invited to take part.

Further Information:

AB100 website: click here.

BSA Capital Area Council (Event Host Council): click here.

Bob Bullock Texas History Museum Scouts Page: click here.

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Assistant Den Leader Pack 69
Frontier District, Denver Area Council
NSJ '05 Youth Participant '10 Subcamp 7 Youth Staff
Eagle Scout OA Brotherhood Member
WSJ '07 '11 Philmont AA '08

Video of the Week

Here is the video for AB100 promo for the Las Vegas Stop. The pattern lately seems that they are going to be about 1 stop behind on videos, which is fine with me, just thought I would let you guys know. Also this video has the highest quality yet, it is almost to the too perfect level for youtube. Hope you guys enjoy it.




Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Assistant Den Leader Pack 69
Frontier District, Denver Area Council
NSJ '05 Youth Participant '10 Subcamp 7 Youth Staff
Eagle Scout OA Brotherhood Member
WSJ '07 '11 Philmont AA '08

AB100 Sacramento

Ladies and Gentlmen, I am please to announced the location of the 4th of 40 stops around the country of AB100 or Adventure Base 100. The newest tool in the ever expanding tool box of the BSA to recruit and grow our membership ranks throughout 2010. This recruitment campaign is designed to bring our membership numbers back up to a all time high of over 4 million youth. This is a ambitious goal and one that requires everyone to participate in order to make a difference.

Lets get back to the focus now which is the location of the 4th stop of the AB100 2010 tour. This stop is located in Scramento, California and will be held in conjunction with the International Sportmens Exposition which is a series of sport shows that goes around the country and brings out thousands of sports enthusiasts to learn about the newest and greatest equipment, travel packages, and hunting and fishing trips from around the world. The address for the AB100 stop in sacramento is that of:

Cal Expo, State Fairgrounds
1600 Exposition Blvd.
Sacramento, Ca. 95815

The hours of operation will be as follows:

Thursday January 21- 11:00 am to 8:00 pm
Friday January 22- 11:00 am to 8:00 pm
Saturday January 23- 10:00 am to 7:00 pm
Sunday January 24- 10:00 am to 5:00 pm

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Assistant Den Leader Pack 69
Frontier District, Denver Area Council
NSJ '05 Youth Participant '10 Subcamp 7 Youth Staff
Eagle Scout OA Brotherhood Member
WSJ '07 '11 Philmont AA '08

Dale Coyne Racing BSA Parternership

A new partnership has formed between Dale Coyne Racing and the Boy Scouts of America. The Deal is that Dale Coyne Racing will use a Boy Scout themed Race Car in Indy Racing Series. The car this year along will be feature in 17 different races. These races will include 4 out of country races, with the rest of the races being in the United States. The four out of country races include 2 in Canda, 1 in Brazil, and 1 in Japan. This program will continue past the 100th anniversary celebration in 2010. Hopefully this program will last at least 10 years, who knows, it just depends on who is willing to sponsor something like this. This program does not cost the BSA anything and was made possible through a generation donation by the Coyne Foundation.

Local Councils where races are held are encourage to engage in a special program in regards to this partnership.

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Assistant Den Leader Pack 69
Frontier District, Denver Area Council
NSJ '05 Youth Participant '10 Subcamp 7 Youth Staff
Eagle Scout OA Brotherhood Member
WSJ '07 '11 Philmont AA '08

AB100 Las Vegas

Unlike the previous 2 stops of the AB100 tour this stop in Las Vegas Nevada will be held in conjunction with a event called Scout Quest. If you need a complete description of AB100 activities and what is available please click here.

Scout Quest is opportunity for Scouts to Tour Springs Preserve, participate in demonstrations and activities, and if you are a Boy Scout, earn a Merit Badge. To earn a Merit Badge scouts must participate in a session on Friday and Saturday and also complete the prerequisites. More information about the merit badges offered can be found here: click here.

Scout Quest Hours on Friday are from 3:30 pm to 8:30 pm and on saturday from 9:00 am to 6 pm. AB100 hours of operation on friday are 4 pm to 8 pm and on saturday from 9 am to 6 pm. This stop is also unlike other stops because this stop is only for two days which include Friday January 15, 2010 and Saturday January 16, 2010. The address for Springs Preserve is that of 333 S. Valley View Blvd. at US 95. The host council is that of the Las Vegas Area Boy Scout Council.

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Assistant Den Leader Pack 69
Frontier District, Denver Area Council
NSJ '05 Youth Participant '10 Subcamp 7 Youth Staff
Eagle Scout OA Brotherhood Member
WSJ '07 '11 Philmont AA '08

Video of the Week #2

AB100 Video for the Pasadena, California stop. The first stop of the AB 100 nationwide tour which will end on thanksgiving at the Thanksgiving Macy Days Parade.





Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Assistant Den Leader Pack 69
Frontier District, Denver Area Council
NSJ '05 Youth Participant '10 Subcamp 7 Youth Staff
Eagle Scout OA Brotherhood Member
WSJ '07 '11 Philmont AA '08

Video of the Week #1

AB100 aka adventure base 100, the Dome Show, which is to help promote and make people realize what scouting is all about.





Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Assistant Den Leader Pack 69
Frontier District, Denver Area Council
NSJ '05 Youth Participant '10 Subcamp 7 Youth Staff
Eagle Scout OA Brotherhood Member
WSJ '07 '11 Philmont AA '08

Adventure Base 100

For this weekend which Includes January 8 through the 10 Adventure Base 100 will be in San Diego, California. The exact location that of the Westfield Mission Valley Mall in San Diego at the corner of the Macy’s and AMC 20 Theater parking lot.

There is not cost to attend this event and everyone scouts and non-scouts alike can participate. The hours are:

• Friday 10:30am - 6pm
• Saturday 10am - 6pm
• Sunday 11am - 6pm

A press release of this adventure base 100 event can be found at: click here.

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Assistant Den Leader Pack 69
Frontier District, Denver Area Council
NSJ '05 Youth Participant '10 Subcamp 7 Youth Staff
Eagle Scout OA Brotherhood Member
WSJ '07 '11 Philmont AA '08

Tournament of Roses Parade

For the first time in 60 years the National Council of the Boy Scouts of America or more commonly known as corporate BSA for those outside the program, participated in the 2010 Rose Bowl Parade.

The BSA ended up winning the float Award of the National Award. This award is award to a float that has the best depiction of life in America, past, present or future. The theme for this Float was that of "Celebrating the Adventure, Continuing the Journey".

A fully newspaper press story of this historic moment of the BSA can be found here.

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Assistant Den Leader Pack 69
Frontier District, Denver Area Council
NSJ '05 Youth Participant '10 Subcamp 7 Youth Staff
Eagle Scout OA Brotherhood Member
WSJ '07 '11 Philmont AA '08

Adventure Base 100

Here is the description of what this 100th anniversary event is all about:

Experience Scouting like never before with Adventure Base 100! Created specifically for the 100th Anniversary Celebration, Adventure Base 100 is traveling the country to give people an exciting, hands-on view of the history and future of the Boy Scouts of America.

This 10,000 square foot campus features immersive Scouting experiences including a ropes course and zip line, interactive digital exhibits, a multi-sensory IMAX-like dome, and more! It will also house a traveling museum that will showcase real artifacts from the National Scouting Museum in Irving, Tex.

Starting at the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, Calif. in January, and ending at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York in November, this magnificent traveling exhibit will stop at key events and locations in more than 40 cities. Check back for updates on Adventure Base 100 activities in your city!

Scouts and Scouters, want to know how you can be part of the action? Click here to find the BSA council in your area. Help us bring the campus to life as an Adventure Base 100 volunteer!

For this weekend which Includes January 1 through the 3 Adventure Base 100 will be in Pasadena, California. The exact location is that of the Showcase of Floats in the parking median float-viewing area across from Pasadena High School. The sponsoring Council is that of San Gabriel Valley Council.

A press release of this adventure base 100 event can be found at: click here.

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Assistant Den Leader Pack 69
Frontier District, Denver Area Council
NSJ '05 Youth Participant '10 Subcamp 7 Youth Staff
Eagle Scout OA Brotherhood Member
WSJ '07 '11 Philmont AA '08

Welcome to 2010

Scouts, Scouters, Alumni, and other interested parties welcome to the year 2010. If you have not heard the big news, this will be the year that the BSA celebrates their 100th birt hday. The Scout movement which began in the UK actually started 3 years earlier than us in 1907 in case you wanted to know.

Well lets see here, if you haven't already, today is the perfect day to set goals which on this day in particular are more formally known as New Year Resolutions. One of the best ways to set goals is to use the "SMART" model to set your goals. This helps you think practically and realistically, making sure you can actually achieve your goals. Goal setting is very important it allows growth and makes people more oriented to success. I would suggest making a comment to your unit about what goals are, what type of things can be goals, and how to make sure you set goals you follow through with.

Here are my goals for 2010, 2 of them are not scouting related.

1. Improve my fitness level. This may be for a scouting related reason aka the NSJ 2010 but in truth this is a personal goal. Lets take a moment to define what I mean by improve fitness level, first off I need to loose weight, specifically by the Jamboree I want to be less than 175 which I believe is possible since right know I weight approximately 193. Also I need to improve my cardiovascular endurance level.

2. Maintain at least a 3.5 GPA in college for the spring semester. Right now I have a 3.6 something, I forget off the top of my head my exact GPA but that is okay. That means I will have to spend more time studying and focusing on school.

3. Growth my Scout Unit. I am currently working with a cub scout pack that has only 10 people. I need to double this by the end of this year. I also need to recruit 3 more adult leaders that are fully trained.

4. Increase Scout Unit Communications. I need to work on developing a better system for getting a hold of my pack and my den members. This could by through more efficient use of a phone tree, e-mail list, or newsletter.

Those are my goals for 2010 and wish me luck.

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Assistant Den Leader Pack 69
Frontier District, Denver Area Council
NSJ '05 Youth Participant '10 Subcamp 7 Youth Staff
Eagle Scout OA Brotherhood Member
WSJ '07 '11 Philmont AA '08

Scouting Christmas

Each year it gets harder and harder to find something new and exciting to share this time of year. Here is the song that I thought I would share.

Tommy the Cub Scout

Tune: Frosty

Tommy, the Cub Scout
Was a very happy boy.
With a uniform of blue and gold
And a Den that gave him joy.

Tommy, the Cub Scout
Earned his badges one by one.
He did his best and met the test.
A good citizen he's become.

He helps out other people when
He sees they need a lot.
He does his chores around the house
And feeds his dog (named Spot).

Tommy, the Cub Scout
Does his duty willingly.
Someday he'll join a Boy Scout Troop
And a fine man he will be.

--Thanks to Chuck Bramlet, ASM Troop 323, Thunderbird District, Grand Canyon Council, Phoenix, Az. and the Thunderbird District, TRC, Cub Scout Roundtable resource packet, Nov 9, 1989.

Also more songs like this can be found by clicking here.

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Assistant Den Leader Pack 69
Frontier District, Denver Area Council
NSJ '05 Youth Participant '10 Subcamp 7 Youth Staff
Eagle Scout OA Brotherhood Member
WSJ '07 '11 Philmont AA '08

NSJ 2010 and Fitness

This will be my second post on this subject but it is very sensitive to me, especially since for as long as I can remember I have always struggled to keep a healthy weight. This is two fold I have a big bone structure and the fat that I do not always have the best diet. I am a carb and candy lover, which leads to me eating a lot of empty calories. I know carbs are a good thing but for me who overindulges in them it is a problem.

I weight myself tuesday evening and I ended up over the 200 lb mark, this poses a problem because my highest acceptable weight according to the chart the BSA uses for the Jamboree I cannot weight more than 195, I am hoping by this coming monday I will have reached 193 or 194, this will allow me to complete my physical sucessfully and probably get approved by Jamboree medical.

Even beyond this I plan on continuing to increase fitness level and losing weight, so this coming summer in the viriginia heat can be a sucessful and pleasant experience.

I know many scouters and even scouts struggle with their weight but I believe that if we were all truly dedicated to changing our lifestyle then we could loose the weight. This does not work for everyone but for a majority of people this will work. As staff we need to all be examples for the participants in this event. Being a example in regards to fitness is part of the Scout Oath and as leaders in the scouting movement we need to be following this to letter. Perfection is not possible but striving for perfection is.

If you are a unit leader or a youth participant then you should make sure you also maintain a high level of fitness especially since the Jamboree site is a very hot and humid place.

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Assistant Den Leader Pack 69
Frontier District, Denver Area Council
NSJ '05 Youth Participant '10 Subcamp 7 Youth Staff
Eagle Scout OA Brotherhood Member
WSJ '07 '11 Philmont AA '08

Update and Merry Christmas

Dear Loyal Readers and Visitors

I just wanted to take some time to say Merry Christmas. Hope all is well for you and your family. I am spending christmas with my mom, sister, my sister's boyfriend, and his family, so I should have a excellent time.

Thank you all for being loyal readers, I know that I do not always update my blog on a regular basis or blog on a regular basis. I just wanted to let you know why I haven't been able to blog on a regular basis for a while now.

The first reason is because for the last two weeks of school after thanksgiving break I did not have a lot of time because of homework, studying, and exams. Those two weeks are especially stressful for me because I have some test anxiety issues. I ended up with all As and Bs so that was excellent.

Next I have been on vacation and trying to catch up on sleep because the college schedule does not always allow for regular sleep patterns. That is definitely a lame excuse, so I will try to avoid using that one again.

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Assistant Den Leader Pack 69
Frontier District, Denver Area Council
NSJ '05 Youth Participant '10 Subcamp 7 Youth Staff
Eagle Scout OA Brotherhood Member
WSJ '07 '11 Philmont AA '08

NSJ 2010 Online Training

National Council has come out and suggested three trainings that are avialable online for jamboree staff should complete. These courses include:

1. 2010 National Scout Jamboree Staff Orientation

This orientation course was developed to help you understand your role as a staff member, learn what you need to do to prepare for your jamboree experience, and to answer commonly asked questions. With your help, this will be the best, most exciting, fun-filled, safest jamboree ever! We highly recommend you view this orientation prior to attending the jamboree. You will need to log in to your MyScouting account. Within the E-Learning section, you will find it listed under Basic Training.

2. Physical Wellness

Physical Wellness Training was developed to help prepare attendees for the 2010 National Scout Jamboree. It is appropriate for leadership in all program areas and for Boy Scout and Venturing youth. The module focuses on Mind, Body and Spirit. Learning objectives include the ability to define physical wellness; identify ways to improve the wellness of the mind, body, and spirit; describe the role self-responsibility plays in wellness; and answer questions about nutrition. Completion is noted automatically in the BSA training records database if the module is experienced online. Estimated time to complete: 40 minutes.

3. Jamboree Youth Protection Policies

Completion of the BSA’s Youth Protection Training for Volunteer Leaders is required of each jamboree adult member. You are responsible for taking this training in your local council before coming to the jamboree. This training helps prepare you to fulfill the youth protection responsibilities of your jamboree position. It contains information to enable you to identify and report suspected child abuse. It also sets forth in detail the BSA’s Youth Protection policies.

Also I personally think that in addition Adult scouters should take Hazardous Weather Training.

Youth should take the physical wellness training course which is avialable through e-learning or the Online Learning center which is avialable through a myscouting accout.

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Assistant Den Leader Pack 69
Frontier District, Denver Area Council
NSJ '05 Youth Participant '10 Subcamp 7 Youth Staff
Eagle Scout OA Brotherhood Member
WSJ '07 '11 Philmont AA '08

100th Anniversary Kickoff

I missed the podcast last night, because I had a Scout function and dinner come up at the last minute. This is most unfortunate but I want to get the opinion of scouters and youth alike on how they think the audiocast went.

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Assistant Den Leader Pack 69
Frontier District, Denver Area Council
NSJ '05 Youth Participant '10 Subcamp 7 Youth Staff
Eagle Scout OA Brotherhood Member
WSJ '07 '11 Philmont AA '08

Cell phones, technology and Scout

Here is a post I recently made on the 2010 National Jamboree Group. The group was debating the whether or not youth should bring cell phones to the jamboree. I personally believe we should but then again many scouts are against it. I will leave it to you to decide. Please comment and share your side of the story it is very important.

All

As a new adult leader, just became a adult leader this april, I have seen how important it is for adults to allow electronic communications between scouts to occur for several reasons.

One it allows parents to keep update to date in regards to activities and what is going on in their scouting life. For many scouts this will be the longest time they have been away from home. Think about the parents wanting to call their son but not being able to because they had to wait for a phone booth call from the scout. For me personally at the 2005 jamboree, I probably called my mom over the 18 day trip, twice. Lets just say that was not very good for my parents but it all worked out. Lets now look to the world jamboree in the United Kingdom, I called her once but e-mailed her at least three times. This was only possible because a corporate sponsor, sponsored wifi cafe's. Obviously parents want to talk to their boys. Another type campout like philmont does not really require everyone to have cell phones because they barely work anywhere anyway. So, I believe that for back country trips or trips with limited cell phone coverage then the scouts should leave the cell phone bringing to the adults for emergencies and coordinating logistics.

Next, lets talk about in Troop communications. Personally for me I check my e-nail 2 to 3 times a day on a normal day, and if I am expecting something important this will increase. A fair amount of my email is scouting related whether it is just e-mail lists, in unit communications, out of unit communications, council information and events, training, Jamboree related communication or any other scout related communication is included. So obviously for me it is important to stay connected in scouts to keep up to date on the ongoings of this organization. I believe that instead of always relying on phone calls for communication a text message or e-mail may work better. Especially text messages, more and more teens have cell phones and use them habitually. These text messages/emails could be used to keep track of scouts, sending out activity changes, sending out updates, cancellations, or rescheduling, or just keeping people informed. We as the BSA need to recognize the importance of this technology and not fight it because when we do we LOOS MEMBERS. This is not okay, we should not be loosing members just because we can't keep up in regards to technology.

I want some day the BSA to become fully digital, what I mean by this is that instead of just Professionals having access at the council office to scouting reccords, there should be a Scoutnet for Scout volunteers and youth. This should improve efficiency and reduce the amount of errors. Of course there would have to be many levels of access depending on your position or role but this different access levels would allow scouts and leaders to have the most current information about the program and the requirements. This would also allow for efficient distribution of information. It would in the long run reduce costs for councils and reduce the amount of tedious work on professional staff has to do. Also more blogs, more webcasts, more virtual meetings, and more audiocasts, would reduce the gap between the professionals and the non-pprofessionals. These are only a few of the ideas that I have for increasing the digital communications with our units and councils.

Now lets get back to the subject, one argument against youth members having cell phones is that they will be used during the wrong time or inappropriately. The only reason scouts do this, is because we as the adult leadership have not set firm guidelines on when it is appropriate and when it is not appropriate to use our cell phones. In order to solve this problem we as a teaching organization which goods back to the fundamental methods of scouting, in case you forgot maybe this would be a good chance to review, need to teach them this important skill. This skill will teach our scouts skills that they can end up using the rest of their life. We also need to ourselves learn how to use this technology in scouting. A fair amount of leaders in the program, don't know how to use it, so we also need to teach them as well. I think that a new training course about implementing technology or incorporating it into basic leader training is essential if we are to continue to gain instead of losing members.

Technology is not the enemy here, it is people who are misinformed about what technology can do for our units. This will only happen if the leaders are willing too. We are going to have to learn ourselves and then teach our scouts of to use this technology efficiently and appropriate. Or maybe we should just listen to the youth and get back to want Boy Scouts in all about.

Yours in Scouting Service
Mark W
Assistant Den Leader Pack 69
Frontier District, Denver Area Council
NSJ '05 Youth Participant '10 Subcamp 7 Youth Staff
Eagle Scout OA Brotherhood Member
WSJ '07 '11 Philmont AA '08