Honor Unit / Gold Card Requirements

The Occoneechee Honor Unit designation, and the accompanying Gold Card, is earned by completing the following requirements during a calendar year, beginning January 1 and ending December 31. Benefits are for one year and are applied to the immediately following calendar year. To earn the Gold Card for additional years, the unit must meet the criteria and turn in another application for each year. The unit leader should check the boxes on the application form (available below) and, with the Unit Committee Chair, sign and date the bottom of the form, then submit the form to the Council office by February 15, 2010.

Benefits - Units that earn Honor Unit status will:
Be recognized at the Council Recognition Banquet and in Scout Sign;
Receive a special Occoneechee Council Honor Unit banner for their flag;
Receive at no cost all rank advancement patches earned by its members and applied for by the unit during the calendar year the card is active (does not include merit badges; does include Eagle);
Have general use camping fees for Camp Durant waived for the calendar year in which the card is active.
Future benefits as designated by the Council.

The following three items are required for all units:
1) Recharter on time;
2) Have at least two (2) registered adults, including the unit leader, be fully trained for their position;
3) Have at least three (3) registered adults, including the unit leader, hold current Youth Protection training certification.

Complete both sections A and B:
Section A: Complete any 2 of the following during the year of the application:
1) Have a Friends of Scouting presentation by a Council representative during the current calendar year;
2) Take part in the Council popcorn sales;
3) Earn Quality Unit status.
Section B: Complete any 3 of the following during the year of the application:
1) If a Scout Troop, attend summer camp at Camp Durant, or if a Cub Pack, attend the Day Camp in your District or attend the Cub/Adult overnighter or WEBELOS resident camp at Camp Durant, or if Venture Crew, attend Venture Vortex;
2) Attend either a Council or District Camporee or Cub-o-ree;
3) Have at least one adult volunteer serve as a Campmaster for at least one weekend at the Occoneechee Scout Reservation;
4) Take part in a Good Turn for America service project;
5) Have at least one adult serve for at least 6 months on a District or Council committee;
6) Send at least one adult attend either Wood Badge, Powderhorn, National Camp School or take a course at Philmont Training Center;
7) Have at least 2 adults either attend the Occoneechee Council University of Scouting or become Climbing/Cope certified in the Council;
8) Have at least one adult serve on staff at Cub Day Camp, the University of Scouting, Wood Badge, National Youth Leadership Training (NYLT), Kodiak, Powderhorn or at Philmont;
9) Have at least one youth serve on Staff at Camp Durant or on staff at Wood Badge, NYLT, or Kodiak;
10) Send at least one youth to NYLT, National Advanced Youth Leadership Experience, or Kodiak

Complete the attached form and return to the Council Office No later than February 15, 2010. Multiple cards will be issued and must be presented at the Scout Store and Office to receive the benefits.

Scout Day at Old Salem Museums & Gardens
"Weaving the Threads of the Past"
March 20, 2010
9:30 am to 4:30 pm

Old Salem is located south of downtown Winston-Salem, North Carolina at 900 Old Salem Road.

Wool, cotton and flax, the fibers of 18th and 19th century life in Salem
Please join us to learn about the planting, processing and production of fibers for clothing, paper and much more. Use what you learn to earn badges!

Many hands-on activities and demonstrations throughout the historic district such as:

Learn how to dye fibers using natural materials
Carding and spinning wool
Discover how flax was was grown and processed to make linen
What kind of clothing would you have worn 200 years ago?
Learn to weave on a tape loom
Make a piece of handmade paper
And much more.....

Reservations can be made from February 1 through March 10, 2010. Please call Sales Reservations at 1-800-441-5305. Discounted Scout ticket prices of $8.00 per child and $10.00 per adult are available with advance reservations and prepayment. Reservations/Prepayment must be made by March 10, 2010 to receive the discounted rate.
Sorry, no refunds.

If space is available tickets may be purchased the day of the event at full admission price. Tickets sold on event day only at the Old Salem Visitor Center. Reservations will be on a first come basis. Please phone in early as our spaces for this event fill quickly.
The Old Salem patch can be earned while visiting and is available for purchase at our Visitor Center. Patch requirements are available at www.tarheeltriad.org - Old Salem Council Patch

The second annual NC State School of Chemistry / College of Natural Resources Merit Badge College is scheduled for Saturday, April 10, 2010. The number of badges being offered is expected to increase to 14, and each badge will be taught by a faculty member or graduate student who is a true subject matter expert.
See attachment for details.

The District Pinewood Derby is coming up! As was announced last year, this event will be held on the last Saturday in February from now on. This year, on Saturday, February 27, at the Crabtree Valley Mall we will have registration from 8:30am -10:00am for the speed winners. Non speed categories can register on Friday evening from 7pm - 9pm. The race will begin at 10:15 on Saturday.

Please review the District rules that are included with this email. The registration documents are also included. Remember to mail in your fees early to take advantage of the lower rates. Even if you haven't had your race, you can still send in the fees and email the winners later.

Each pack can send up to 9 scouts: 1st place Tiger for speed, originality, craftsmanship, 1st place Wolf/Bear speed, originality, craftsmanship and 1st place WEBELOS speed, originality, craftsmanship. Each scout may compete in only one category- speed, originality, or craftsmanship. If the winner for a category cannot make the district derby, the second place winner may be sent. (Then the third place, and so on.)

We have made provisions for packs that have less than 9 scouts to participate. There are rates to send up to 3 scouts and up to 6 scouts. Please make sure that your pack knows if they are participating in the race. We had an instance where scouts showed up to race but the pack was not registered.

Pack 33 has volunteered to host this year. Each participating pack is expected to provide a volunteer to serve on the derby committee. Duties include (but are not limited to)- set up on Friday night, registration, check in, cleanup.

I look forward to having the best race with the most participants yet! Let me know if you have any questions.

Yours In Scouting,

Alicia Embrey
Falls District Program Chair

The Occonneechee Council will lead a bus trip to Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia to visit the Jamboree on Friday July 30, 2010. This once in a lifetime experience will depart from Raleigh at approximately 5:00 am and return the same day at approximately 11:00 pm. Visitors will have between 10 am and 4 pm to observe (visitors are not allowed to participate in Action Center and/or program activities) and visit the expected 65,000 Scout and Scouters who comprise the 100th Anniversary’s largest and best display of Boy Scouting in the United States.

Who can attend? Registered Occoneechee Council youth, adults and their family members, family and friends of the Occoneechee Jamboree Contingent members and Scouting alumni. Youth 5 to 17 must be accompanied by an adult. Children under 5 not permitted.

Cost $50 per person. Includes round trip transportation fees, an ID lanyard, a custom designed Day Trip Souvenir item and dinner on the way home.

Sign up by completing the attached form and mail or deliver it to the Scout office. Registration and full payment must be completed by April 23, 2010.

Important Considerations: This event will involve considerable amounts of walking across varied terrain. Participants should be prepared to walk 8 to 10 miles over the course of the day. All participants will be expected to complete and carry health information and a medical release from on their person.

Due to the numbers of attendees and the size of the event it is unlikely you will be able to meet up with Scouts or Scouters who are attending for the week.

Dear Scouting Friends,
Please join me in congratulating Harold Liberty as one of the 2009 Occoneechee Council Silver Beaver Recipients. The Council Recognition Banquet will be Saturday, March 6th in the Grand Lodge at Camp Durant. (See attached flyer for details.)

Harold has dedicated over 38 years of service to the Scouting program. He has devoted his life to encourage, support, and inspire Scouts and their families. Harold often works behind the scenes without expecting any recognition. Now, it is time to honor Harold with this well-deserved prestigious award. We hope you will celebrate with us.

You may wish to congratulate Harold with a note, by purchasing a $5.00 “Greeting” Ad in the Banquet Program. Larger ads are also available for purchase through the Council Office. The attached flyer includes those details.

Please share our good news with all our Scouting friends and families. Thanks so much for your help. May God bless you and yours.

Always YIS,
Carol S Liberty

Attached is the latest Falls in Focus Newsletter. Pass it on!
To subscribe or submit articles send an email to: fallsdistrict@hotmail.com

Occonneechee Council Aquatics Committee is sponsoring a River Kayaking Adventure.

Objectives are to teach the fundamental river kayaking skills, safety and group management. The schedule will be set depending on the number of participants and water levels in rivers between April and September 2010.

All participants must contact one of the directors on or before March 15, 2010.

Organizational meeting will be held on March 23, 2010 (location to be determined.)

See attached for details and sign up form.

Return to Our Heritage!

October 8, 9 and 10, 2010 at Camp Durant for Cub Scout program and Camp Reeves for Boy Scout and Venture Program. This is the Council Centennial Camping Event. The theme will focus on the evolution of Scouting with lots of activities and exhibits. Units are encouraged to commit as soon as possible.

Details to follow at www.camporee2010.ocscouts.org/home.html

Occonneechee Council is sponsoring a Canoe Safety and Handling Course.

This is an opportunity for Boy Scout Adults of Troops, Crews and Ships who wish to lead u=youth on canoeing kayaking and rafting trips on lakes rivers and whitewater. Good physical condition and ability to pass BSA Swimmer Test is required. No prior knowledge of canoeing is required, but may be helpful.

Part 1. April 16-17, 2010 at Lake Crabtree near RDU

Part 2. April 30 to May 2, 2010 on the Cape Fear or Haw River.

See attachment for details and contact information.

This is not part of the Cub Scout Program.

Take some time away from the cold to remember warm weather and baseball season! The Mudcats are having two Scout Campouts this year on May 7th and June 11th. Attached is a flyer with more information about this. It is open to friends and family members again and not just Scouts. The movies that we are showing this year are G-Force and Up.

The Mudcats would love to see your Scouts come out again. There are other regular group outings for Scouts in case you would like to come on a different night. Contact Chris Signarelli at csignarelli@GOMUDCATS.com for more information.

See Attached information and form.

This course is Part 5 of the required training for Scoutmaster and Assistance Scoutmasters, and Varsity Coaches and Assistant Coaches for the Trained strip. Hosted by Great Northern District

March 4, 2010 Pre Weekend Session
March 12 to 14, 2010 Camping at Camp Campbell

Course limited to the first 32 participants. A waiting list will be maintained. Course fee is $30. Registration required by February 26, 2010.

Course Director Sue Herring, email at: Eagle01mom@aim.com

See attachment for detailed information and registration form.

New Year’s Resolution: Make 2010 the Year to step up and experience Wood Badge!

What better time in history than the 100th anniversary of Boy Scouting in America to affirm your commitment to being the best leader possible?

Mark your calendar for the premier advanced hands-on leadership skills experience offered to volunteers of the Boy Scouts of America:

Wood Badge SR-1050
Wood Badge for the 21st Century
Occoneechee Scout Reservation
Carthage, NC

September 11-13, 2010 and October 1-3, 2010

Find attached the application for the Course. If you have any questions, please contact Ann Meyer at ameyer7@nc.rr.com

What an awesome experience it was to spend the last two nights of 2009 conducting Eagle Scout boards of review. These six new Eagle Scouts, on top of the five from November, allowed Falls District to achieve an all-time record of 65 Eagle Scouts in 2009, and helped push the Occoneechee Council to an all-time record of 409 Eagle Scouts in 2009!

Our congratulations to each of these outstanding scouts and to the unit leaders who provide the excellent programs that makes these achievements possible.

Remember: the Occoneechee Council Eagle Scout / Silver Award Banquet is Saturday, January 23, 2010 at McKimmon Center at NC State University in Raleigh, NC.

Yours in Scouting,
Ed Miller

The Council COPE / Climbing Committee is pleased to announce that beginning in January 2010 the COPE Course and Climbing Tower will be manned by trained staff or units to use on a regular basis. To utilize this service you will need to go to CampDurant.com and click on the COPE/Climbing link. You will need to complete the COPE or climbing reservation form and pay a fee of $5.00 per person. The reservation form must be turned into the council office. You must bring your receipt with you to the program

A hold harmless agreement must be completed for each participant, and turned into the program director. The agreement can be found at the COPE/Climbing tab on the Campdurant website.

The COPE program is an all day program, consisting of a low course in the morning and the high course in the afternoon. You must do the low course in order to do the high course. To do the COPE program all participants must be 13 or older.

No walkups will be allowed, in the event that the program is over subscribed we reserve the right to place the participants into either a morning session 9 AM to 12 noon or an afternoon session 1 PM to 4 PM

Yours in Scouting,
Dave Pederson

See attached for schedule.

Attention Scouts,
Attached is a PDF of the 2010 Boy Scout advancement requirements changes. We have distributed these within my home district and at the recent University of Scouting and I can attest that the vast, v-a-s-t majority of scouters fall into one of two categories: either they are totally unaware of any changes, or they are partially aware and totally confused by the upcoming changes! Not very good options.

In addition to the information on the changes themselves, there are two other items that are crucial to pass along:
1) The changes affect all scouts. There is no such thing as being "grandfathered" once the scout purchases a handbook.
2) The scout is allowed to finish the rank he is currently working on under the old requirements for that rank if he chooses. A scout is only working on one rank at a time. In other words, if a scout were a Second Class scout who had completed all of the Eagle-required merit badges such that he had badges listed under Star, Life and Eagle requirements, that young man is not working on Star, Life and Eagle, he is working on First Class. Once he completes First Class on or after January 1, 2010, he is then required to earn Star and subsequent ranks under the new requirements.

If you have not already done so, please take steps to get this information to the scoutmasters and crew advisors in your district.

Opportunities like this are an excellent way for our committee to demonstrate value. Let's seize the opportunity! Thank you all.

Sincerely,
Ed Miller, Chairman
Occoneechee Council Advancement Committee

A new emphasis on training has been initiated by BSA National Training and sent to you by Occoneechee Council VP for Training and HR Marianne Absher. The formalization of the Pack Trainer Position and the specific requirements have been developed and are included in the attached document. The attachment is the new Pack Trainer form that Marianne developed and will be used for the upcoming MEGA Training. This is what we are going to start putting out to our Packs on qualifications and requirements. Please review and start sharing within your District.

Marianne also indicated that our Council signed the "contract" to be a pilot Council for the new training requirements for our leaders. By 2011 all top level (CM's, SM, CC's, Advisor's, Coaches, etc) will need to be trained in their position. Direct contact leaders (DL's, ASM's, Assoc Advisors, Committee Members, etc) will be required to be trained by 2012. This will need to be done in order to recharter.

More information will be coming out on this in one of the next Scout Signs, so that we can make our leaders aware of this pilot program. We are going to need our Pack Trainer's help in meeting these requirements!

If you have any questions on this, please let me know.

Yours in Scouting,
Ann Meyer
Northern Service Area Training Coordinator

JAMBOREE INFORMATION Will you be one of those that attend?

WHO: Registered Boy Scouts who are First Class or above as of July 1, 2010 but who have not turned 18 by August 3, 2010. Each scout must be approved by his Scoutmaster. Webelos in their 2nd year may be old enough to attend in 2010.

WHAT: Once every four years Scouts and adults from across the country and visitors from other countries meet for a week of activities, action centers, challenges, shows and Scouting fun and spirit. Live Scouting at its BEST!

WHEN: The 2010 National Scout Jamboree is July 26, 2010 - August 4, 2010.

WHERE: Fort A.P. Hill, VA near the town of Bowling Green in Caroline County, Virginia

See attached flyer for details and information.