The Promise. An informational newsletter provided by the Outdoor Program Support Committee of the Central Region. November 2014

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1 The Promise An informational newsletter provided by the Outdoor Program Support Committee of the Central Region November 2014 Our Vision: To give every young person in Scouting the opportunity to obtain lasting values and a love for the outdoors, and to do so with safety, good facilities, and strong leadership. Our Mission: To provide every council with sufficient tools to build a quality outdoor experience for young people in a safe and friendly environment, and to support the efforts of all councils to deliver the Promise of Scouting. Welcome to The Promise newlsetter. It is the intent of the Central Region Outdoor Program Support Team (CROPS) to provide councils with information and tools to improve local outdoor program and help them to better deliver the Promise of Scouting. Look in this newsletter for news from the National Council, highlights from the Program Task Forces and dates of upcoming events. Feel free to distribute this to any interested scouter and we hope this will be beneficial to your work in the Scouting Movement. Table of Contents Cope and Climbing 2 Outdoor Ethics Update 3 Discovery Outpost 3 Fishing 4 Marketing NCAP Update 7 NOAC 100 th Anniversary 8 What to Expect in 2015: A Centennial Overview 9 Name Change for LNT Task Force 11 BSA Shooting Sports 11 Summary of Five Council Interviews 13 Meet the CROPS Team 15 Chairman s Comments 16 1

2 Cope and Climbing Central Region will host 2 conferences in the spring of The conferences will focus on standards updates, training programs, camp schools, skills instructions and more. The locations of the schools are: Northern Conference: Southern Conference: March at Camp Philippo in Cannon Falls, MN March at Camp Beaumont in St Louis, MO The task force has been writing a new resource manual. Belay On will be a merging of the COPE manual and Topping Out. This book is in the final stages of editing and should be available in the spring of This manual was written as a text that can be used during staff trainings and has been organized to follow the sample syllabi that have already been released. The task force is using scouting.org as a place to share documents. Sample training plans, climb on safely, FAQ, CHECK and Continuing Education forms are all located here. See all the documents at: Revisions have been made to the age appropriate chart in the guide to safe scouting. These revisions allow more climbing options for cub scouts. See the full chart at: Central Region will offer 3 COPE/Climbing specific camp schools in Those schools are: March Camp Philippo in Cannon Falls, MN Offering: Program Manager April 10-12, Camp Mountaineer in Morgantown, WV Offering: Program Manager, COPE Director, Climbing Director, COPE Director Retraining, and Climbing Director Retraining October 8-11 Camp Geiger in St Joseph, MO Offering: Program Manager, COPE Director Retraining, and Climbing Director Retraining Todd Whiteley Regional Chairman, COPE and Climbing 2

3 Outdoor Ethics Update The National Outdoor Ethics Conference will be held Nov. 6-9, 2014 at Camp Alpine in New Jersey. Our keynote/guest speakers include Dr. Jeff Marion and Robert Birkby. 2 full days of sessions will run simultaneously with the Northeast Region Outdoor Program Seminar. So, in one location over one weekend, a few hundred Scouters will learn about Outdoor Ethics, Conservation, Aquatics, COPE/Climbing, Shooting Sports, etc. This is hosted by the Greater New York Council. Toby Green Outdoor Ethics Task Force greentoby58@gmail.com Discovery Outpost Earlier this summer Northwest Suburban Council opened Discovery Outpost at the Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg IL. It is specifically designed to introduce visitors to Scouting. With more than 23 million mall visitors a year, the outpost serves up Scouting to lots of new eyes, and events like the virtual-reality experience continue the council s mission of recruiting new families to the movement. Since the facility s opening, Discovery Outpost has collected more than 650 names and contact information for potential new Scouts. 3

4 Central Region Fishing Report Connie Elliot, Shooting Sports Chairperson, and Bill Pepito, Fishing Chairman for the Central Region, conducted their respective courses for the Fall Conference at the Philmont Training Center September 14-19, They will again be presenting their courses at the fall conference in Keith Christopher, Department Manager, Outdoors Programs/Properties Department, will be serving as our advisor from the Outdoor Programs Committee. Keith visited the Philmont Training Center and learned how to catch FISH! Fish On! Staff and graduates for the Set Your Hook for a Year Round Fishing Program. Graduation was held at Fish Camp in Philmont. Discovery Outpost, Schaumburg, IL Members of the Central Region Fishing Team from Area 7 helped conduct a Fishing Training Session at the Discovery Outpost, August 20, at the Woodfield Mall. Discovery Outpost was designed to aid in attracting and recruiting new Scouts. The team included Fred Hodge, Bill Pepito, Steve Klubertanz and Robert Cayet. Instructions included Fly-tying, Fish Knots and Back yard Bass Casting. 4

5 Ojibwa Outdoor Youth Day, New Berlin, WI Bill Pepito and Lee Kammerer spent a day in July helping over a 175 youth learn how to cast using the Back Yard Bass. This was the favorite event of the day for the youth in the Ojibwa Archery Club. Other activities included Turkey Calling, Bow Making, Shooting Sports, Archery and Crafts. What s New from The National Fishing Committee Catch Me If You Can - The BSA National Fishing Task Force is producing a new fishing program guide for scout units. Ponds and Fish Habitat Management Helps - The National Fishing Task Force, in conjunction with the US Fish and Game, is gathering information about best practice to aid councils in improving their council lakes and ponds for fishing. SF Ranch, the Greater St. Louis Area Council Shoreline Improvement Project Michael Brand, Area 3 Fishing Advocate and CAI, has been leading efforts for shoreline improvement and enhancing the fishing habitat for future use at the SF Ranch near Farmington, MO. The fifty plus Scouts and leaders cleared 600 yards of shoreline. Project debris was used to create brush piles for wildlife habitat. Approximately sixty cinder blocks and mortar will be moved to SF Ranch on October 26 to make Spider Block Fish Habitat. It is estimated that 130 Scouts will help in the making of this habitat for the Fish and Wildlife Management Merit Badge. If you have any fishing success stories please share them with us. Fish On! Bill Pepito, Fishing Chairman 5

6 Marketing 101 Millennials Part 2 In the July issue of The Promise we looked at some of the characteristics of the Millennial Generation. There are various definitions of exactly who is part of this group. At the recent Central Region Board Meeting, the National marketing group defined the Millennial Generation as those born between 1977 and 1995, or those between 18 and 36 years old. This group is the next generation of Scouting families. Here is some of what was shared: 7 Key Insights on Millennials One - - They are the most racially diverse generation. Two - - The lack of a values gap between Millennial parents and their children in very unique. Three - - Their fluency and comfort with technology distinguishes them from previous generations. Four - - In general they are less trusting than previous generations - - only 19% feel most people can be trusted vs. 40% of Boomers. Five - - They are more burdened by financial hardships than previous generations, but they are optimistic about the future. Six - - They have fewer attachments to traditional political institutions than past generations. 50% describe themselves as political independents and 29% are not affiliated with any religion. Seven - - Singlehood sets them apart from other generations; only 26% are married at age vs. 48% of Boomers at the same age. In a survey of 1600 parents in the summer of 2013 the BSA learned: 1. Parents want fresh and relevant experiences for their kids. 2. Parents expect youth organizations to do what is right and positively impact the community. 3. More than half the parents agree, The BSA offers life changing experience you can t get anywhere else. 4. BSA momentum is still declining and parents cite such reasons as not for families like mine. 5. Almost half of all parents say they have never been asked to join Scouting. Visit for more resources to help with your council s marketing efforts. Dan Gille 6

7 Here is an example of what you will find here: Core Messages from Build an Adventure Today s parents are busy o They re constantly pressured by the challenge to balance work and home. Even as they re working harder than ever, it s important to them to spend quality time with their children. Youth today are spending less time outside and more time in front of screens o Parents are increasingly concerned that screen time is robbing their kids of realworld experiences. Scouting provides those experiences. Scouting makes the most of the little time parents have to affect their children o For parents, every minute with their kids matters so they want to make the best decisions on how their children s time is spent outside of school. o Making Scouting part of children s lives gives them the chance to participate in a wide variety of fun adventures that parents are unlikely to provide on their own for their children on a routine basis. NCAP Update During round two of the National Camp Accreditation Program application process, twenty-three councils were scheduled to apply in the Central Region. Due to valid reasons, one council was moved to the third round (2015) and three councils were moved to the fourth round (2016). Nineteen councils received their authorizations in October. As with the goals of this program, continuous improvement of the NCAP process is the goal of the National NCAP Committee. Each year forms are improved and the process is upgraded in order to make the process more user-friendly and easier to complete. Councils who are scheduled to complete their applications in the spring of 2015 (round three), should be sure to include pictures of their facilities with their Camp Facilities Evaluation Tool (CFET). During the early spring, councils scheduled to apply will receive the application forms in an to their Council Executive. During the same time period the regional authorization writer who has been assigned to work with each council, will make contact with the council to begin a dialogue regarding application completion. At any time council representatives may feel free to contact Dr. Denis Ward, Regional Authorization Chairman at (317) or at drdenisward@gmail.com. 7

8 National Order of the Arrow 100 th Anniversary Conference In early August of 2015 over 10,000 members of the Order of the Arrow will gather on the campus of Michigan State University in East Lansing, MI, to celebrate the 100 th anniversary of the founding of the OA. The Order of the Arrow was founded by Dr. E. Urner Goodman and Carroll A. Edson in 1915 at the Treasure Island Camp of the Philadelphia Council, Boy Scouts of America. It became an official program experiment in 1922, and was approved as part of the Scouting program in In 1948 the OA, recognized as the BSA's national brotherhood of honor campers, became an official part of the Boy Scouts of America. In 1998, the Order of the Arrow became recognized as Scouting's National Honor Society when it expanded its reach beyond camping to include broader service to Scouting and the community. Information about registration and fees can be found here: ArrowTour ArrowTour is different than any program the OA has ever hosted. Section chiefs in each region are responsible for planning and executing a roving exhibit that will move around the region during the summer of 2015 and visit as many Scouts as possible. Each region s tour will include a consistent program that has been planned by section chiefs at the National Planning Meeting. Stops during ArrowTour will incorporate help from local lodges and councils and will be tailored to meet their needs. At the end of the summer, the four tour vans will convene at Michigan State University for the 2015 National Order of the Arrow Conference. More information can be found here: 8

9 What To Expect In 2015: A Centennial Overview By Eric Summerlin National Communications 100 th Anniversary Writer Several updates have been circulated by the Order of the Arrow to keep members informed of what our organization is doing to celebrate its 100th anniversary in With so many articles, e-news blasts and social media posts going out in a short window of time, here is a review of what you can expect to see in the next year and beyond. On July 16th the OA launched the Arrowman Service Award [ (ASA). Similar to past anniversaries, members who complete this award s requirements will earn a commemorative patch to wear on their OA sash. The requirements include elements of Scouting service, personal growth and participation in centennial events. Arrowmen have until December 31st of next year to complete the ASA requirements. In the summer of 2015, each region will be sending an ArrowTour [ delegation to council camps and Scouting events around the nation. Arrowmen will bring our national centennial experience to Scouts and communities throughout the country, providing them with opportunities to reflect and connect with the Order s past century of service, and to look forward to the next. At the end of the summer, all four ArrowTour teams will meet at the National Order of the Arrow Conference. 500 boarding passes [ bsa.org/onboard] have been distributed around the country to promote this element of the anniversary celebration. If you find someone with a boarding pass, you can use its QR code to learn more about the effort and to be entered into drawings for special prizes before passing it along to another Arrowman. Registration for the 2015 National Order of the Arrow Conference [ is now open! Each council may send as many Arrowmen as they approve in its lodge s NOAC contingent. A non-refundable deposit of $100 per participant will be billed to the council after completing an online contingent reservation. Arrowmen are also encouraged to consider serving on Conference staff. Similarly, the 2015 NOAC promotional patch [ was recently released. In celebration of the OA s 100th anniversary, the Boy Scouts of America has authorized Arrowmen to wear this promotional patch in place of a national jamboree patch - just above the right chest pocket. 9

10 Contingent members will receive the patch from the lodge staff adviser; staff members will receive one in the mail. You can contact your lodge chief and lodge adviser for information specific to your lodge s NOAC contingent. The culmination of our Order s centennial is The Year of Service. OA led and BSA powered, lodges throughout the country will collaborate with local councils to deliver one of the largest community service projects in the history of the United States. The BSA has recently approved a service concept with a three-year commitment, which will commence in the fall of The OA will be at the forefront of The Year of Service and will continue to support ongoing council efforts as part of the BSA s "gift to America. More specific details are forthcoming, and lodges should expect receipt of The Year of Service toolkits this fall. Other centennial programs and resources include: Vigil Cards [ 100 th anniversary cards for Vigil Honor members are available for current Vigil members and those who receive the Vigil Honor in The cost is $10. Legacy Project 2015 [ 2015]: A conclave training has been developed which contains details about centennial awards, programs and challenges. Lodge History Books [ 2015]: These yearly milestones will prepare Arrowmen for the 100 th anniversary through commemorative events they can begin working on now. Centennial Anniversary Branding Guidelines [ Tools have been developed to help lodges find resources for lodge history book projects. Each submitted history book will be added to an archive for Arrowmen to view at NOAC and in the future. Centennial Anniversary Branding Guidelines: A resource has been created to guide the utilization of the centennial logo, theme and totem. Ray Capp recently answered questions regarding use of the centennial totem. Centennial Challenge [ Challenges have been established to help lodges bring as many of their members to the 2015 NOAC as possible. 100 th Anniversary Directory[ The OA has partnered with Publishing Concepts to put together the Centennial Anniversary Arrowman Directory. Centennial Cache: The 100 th anniversary commemoration committee is working on a comprehensive set of resources for chapters, lodges and sections to utilize as they formulate and promote their 100th anniversary plans. Look for it this fall. 10

11 Centurion Award: Modeled after the BSA s Leadership Hall of Fame, lodges will have the opportunity to recognize exemplars of servant leadership from past to present. The selection period will run from October 2014 to February Details will be provided as the selection period nears. Name Change for LNT Task Force The BSA has a strong partnership with the Leave No Trace organization and we believe that the LNT program is a fantastic program. In 2009 we made a decision to change the name of the national task force from the Leave No Trace Task Force to the Outdoor Ethics Task Force. This was done for numerous reasons, which include: 1. The term leave no trace is a copyright protected term. 2. The BSA has had the Outdoor Code since This code is one of the basics of the BSA. 3. The Leave No Trace program is not the only program that we talk about. 4. We have a partnership with Tread Lightly! and we use parts of their program in the training for the ATV programs and other vehicle training. The bottom line is that we did not change anything except the name of the task force. The programs have not changed. We are trying to take the best of all worlds to make certain that we show and teach our members that we have to take care of the world we live in. Brian Gray BSA Shooting Sports Connie Elliott New Revisions and Updates! The 30 Minute Safety Briefings for Rifle and Shotgun have been revised as of September Please ensure that your ranges have the current safety briefings by downloading them from The BSA National Shooting Sports Manual is in the final stages of being revised. Look for the updated manual on the scouting.org web site in the near future. In the meantime, please 11

12 download the manual, as well as the manual revisions, which will provide you with the changes in a separate document. Grants The NRA announced that from 2014 to date, they have awarded 2,732 grants for over $14.7 million. The due dates are specified by each state and can be found at web site. Local Friends of the NRA also have grants available for youth. The NSSF awards grants to Councils that will at least match the funds awarded to them, and the National Wildlife Turkey Foundation awards grants to BSA Councils across the country. These are only a few of the options available to help you with your ranges and shooting sports needs. Fall Recruitment and Indoor Shooting Ranges As you continue your recruitment of Scouts of all ages, do you take into consideration utilizing a year-round shooting sports program? Do you offer the Cub Scouts a chance to shoot BB guns and Archery at a District or Council level throughout the year? For those of us who may not have the best of weather during the inclement months, have you thought about offering indoor shooting sports? These events can be fun and exciting with temporary ranges being set up in camp dining halls and other locations that are large enough to house a safe, indoor range. Consideration should be given to the size of the space, and other activities taking place in the same building while the shooting event is being held. It is also important that all doors and entryways located in the downrange area be blocked so that no one can enter through them, in addition to warning signs giving directions to alternate entrances. Note that theses entrances should not be blocked in a way that would prevent them from being opened in an emergency situation, such as a fire. The entry to the range should be limited to one access point so that it can be monitored easily. The materials used for the backstop and sides must be able to stop the projectile being fired and prevent ricochet without damaging walls or other areas. These can be easily constructed by hanging heavy grade tarps or canvas behind BB gun or pellet traps, and down the sides of the temporary range. For more information on indoor shooting ranges for BB guns and air rifle, you can refer to the NRA Home Air Gun Program at Let s not forget about indoor archery ranges! These, too, can be quite fun and easily set up and taken down as needed. Cooler temperatures and inclement weather doesn t mean we have to stop providing exciting shooting opportunities for Scouts of all ages. USA Archery USA Archery working with the Archery Trade Association has developed a very easy to use program entitled Explore Archery. This program is for youth of all ages and shooting abilities, and provides numerous ready made activities to excite archers. You must be at least 12

13 a Level 1 Archery Instructor (which all NSC Section Directors are) to order the materials. More information can be obtained from Training In order to provide successful year-round shooting programs, your shooting sports committee needs trained, qualified supervision. If you are in need of training for your volunteers, there are NRA Training Counselors that are willing to offer NRA Instructor Training and NRA Range Safety Officer Training for the cost of the materials. All they are asking is that your Council provide a camp range and a training room for the course for free, as well as housing and food for a small cost to the participants. In return, they will volunteer their time to train volunteers to run your programs. If you are not already working with an NRA Training Counselor, you can contact Connie Elliott, Central Region Shooting Sports Representative, at cjelliott323@gmail.com and she will provide you with the name of your Area Shooting Sports Advocate who can help you locate someone in your area. University of Scouting University of Scouting offers many classes to help volunteers with program ideas and training for all levels of Scouting. Does your Council offer a class in year-round shooting sports? If not, there is an easy-to-follow PowerPoint presentation that can be used to help inform volunteers that are interested in helping with your shooting sports program. Contact Connie Elliott at cjelliott323@gmail.com for this PowerPoint. Philmont During Fall Conference week at Philmont Training Center, Councils from across the four Regions had representatives attend the exciting Shooting Sports Conference course. All of the BSA shooting sports updates and revisions were discussed in detail as well as ideas for exciting year-round programs that can aid in Council recruitment and retention of Scouts of all ages. If your Council did not have a representative (volunteer or professional) attend the conference in 2014, why not send someone in the Fall of 2015? The Fall Conference week schedule is now available at the Philmont web site. Summary of Five Council Interviews Attracting and Retaining Scouts, Growing Cub Scouting 2014 The Central Region Program Impact Committee has completed five Council interviews focused on their approaches to growing Scouting, particularly Cub Scouting. These Councils have demonstrated growth in the number of packs and youth. One Council has seven months of successive growth. 13

14 The five Councils are: Glacier s Edge Council (Madison, Wisconsin) W. D. Boyce Council (Peoria, Illinois) Muskingum Valley Council (Zanesville, Ohio) Mid-America Council (Omaha, Nebraska) Heart of America (Kansas City, Missouri) The major findings are: 1. Expect A Win-Win Attitude. Growth begins with a win-win attitude by volunteers and professionals. Growing Scouting is everyone s responsibility. 2. Ask Scouts and Parents to Join Scouting. At every opportunity, Cub Scout age students and their parents are asked to join Scouting. Every first grade boy has eye-to-eye and is ASKED to join Scouting. Recruiting is a year-round effort, not just one night in the fall. 3. Involve Scouts and parents in activities within 30 days. This includes Day Camps, Pine Wood Derbies, Field Days, Mom and Me, Dad and Me, and family camping events. 4. Identify Den Leaders in the spring, train them over the summer, and start with a great Den Meeting. Unit leader succession plans are established. Quality leaders are chosen for Den Leader and Cubmaster. 5. Emphasize face-to-face Den Leader training by the District and use the Council s best trainers. Minimize on-line training. 6. Conduct School Night for Scouting for every school. Focus on gaining principal s approval for school access with parents of Scouts who are involved in the school. Emphasize how Scouting benefits the school (Eagle Scout projects, service projects, volunteer teams). Develop and implement a customized plan for school access for every school and these plans differ by school. Turn around any attitude that school access is not possible. Appoint a senior Council volunteer as School Access Director. If access is limited, then conduct School Night for Scouting near the school. 7. All Packs, Troops, and Crews have a written plan for the year announced in the spring. Incentives are developed to encourage written plans. Each unit has a calendar of events to effectively communicate to new members and current families. Extensive communication plans are implemented. 8. The Number One priority over the next three years is Cub Scouting. 9. Growth comes from implementing the fundamentals of Scouting that have proven effective over the years. There is no single silver bullet to growing Scouting. A shortterm focus does not work. Success comes from a long-term consistent and disciplined approach. 14

15 10. Increase the professionals who serve the units, particularly the Den and Pack. Change the schedule of professionals to work noon to 8:00 or 8:30 p.m. to better serve their units. 11. Link the work of unit serving professionals with Unit Commissioners. 12. Choose Unit Commissioners with recent Cub Scout experience. Focus on the first three months of a Den s meetings and activities. Assign a New Unit Commissioner for 36 months to a new unit. Meet the CROPS Team! Chairman: Jim Kern Regional Support: Jeff Stout Marketing/Newsletter: Dan Gille Camp Marketing: John Fenimore National Camping Schools: Jim Forrest Camping Task Force: Dan Gille Fishing Task Force: Bill Pepito Shooting Sports Task Force: Connie Elliott Outdoor Ethics Task Force: Toby Green COPE and Climbing Task Force: Todd Whitely Aquatics Task Force: Steve Terrell Conservation Task Force: Pat Bowen Member at Large: Bob Kapperman National Outdoor Programs: Brian Gray jimkern.bsa@gmail.com jefferyc.stout@scouting.org dcgille@gmail.com johnrfenimore@gmail.com jcforrest@comcast.net dcgille@gmail.com billpepito@gmail.com cjelliott323@gmail.com greentoby58@gmail.com toddswhiteley@gmail.com terrells@indy.rr.com pdbowen1@comcast.net kappermanb@roadrunner.com brian.gray@scouting.org 15

16 CHAIRMAN S COMMENTS Jim Kern (jimkern.bsa@gmail.com) Fellow Scouters: Things are looking up! Nationally, we have added 8000 more Cub Scouts over the previous level at this time last year! All of your efforts and diligence are paying off! Keep up the good work locally and in your respective Scouting roles! Something to keep in the back of your mind is the 2015 National Outdoor Conference scheduled for October at Philmont Scout Ranch. This is a great opportunity for your council leadership to meet firsthand with national BSA Outdoor Adventure leadership along with leading outdoor industry representatives. Watch for more information in the spring. I urge you to check out the newest listings and information on Many updates and new templates are available under the various topics to support and enhance the delivery of good outdoor programs to your council youth. Look for a new Council Outdoor Program Committee Guide soon. It will be posted on the National Council website. The Conservation/Environmental Task Force will be adding a newly revised Council Conservation Committee guidebook as well. Many templates have been added to their web listings to assist councils in land management, obtaining outside support and meeting many of the Conservation based standards for resident camps under the NCAP Assessment Program. Take some time to check them out. Thank you all for a great 2014 and we are looking forward to serving you even more in Best Regards, Jim Kern Editor: Dan Gille dcgille@gmail.com Special Thanks to Karen Gille for proofreading and layout Next Publication Date: March