ONLINE REGISTRATION IS NOW LIVE!!

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.

Program information can be found at completed: http://www.camporee2010.ocscouts.org/

The Occoneechee Council has now unveiled a special 100th Anniversary Puzzle Patch, made up of six separate patches that represent the major events of our anniversary year. The Center circle patch represents our Council and the icons of the State of North Carolina. It also matches one side of the 100th Anniversary Challenge Coin. The other five patches represent: the Service to America

projects going on throughout the year; the Youth Jamboree at the NC State Fairgrounds on April 24th; the History Exhibit at the Museum of History running through the spring and summer; the National Jamboree and Simulcast Arena show in July; and the Council Camporee to be held in October.

Scouts and Scouters who are paid participants at the Council Camporee will receive one Camporee patch as part of their package. Scouts and Scouters who are part of either the Council Troop Contingent or the Day Trip participants attending the National Jamboree, and all attendees at the Arena Show Simulcast on July 31st, will receive the Jambo/Simulcast patch. All other patches are for sale, and anyone may buy any of the patches. The cost for each individual patch is $2.50.

The round center patch is currently in stock and available in the Scout Service Center in Raleigh. The History patch will be available soon at the History Museum. Starting in mid-April, all the patches will be available at the Service Center and at various events throughout the year (not the Scout shops).

Puzzle Patch Desgin attached

Contact John Roberts at robertsjd@mindspring.com for more details.

Seventeen successful Eagle Scout boards of review so far this year!

One completed packet awaiting a board of review.

Eighteen service projects approved by the district so far this year. Another 24 Life Scouts are working the Trail to Eagle with projects approved between May 12, 2008 and December 22, 2009. Thus, a total of 42 additional Falls District scouts providing service to their community while working towards the Eagle Scout rank.

The National office is no longer producing the Eagle Scout Rank Application or the Eagle Scout Leadership Service Project Workbook. These documents must now be downloaded from the National website. Only the official application and workbook are acceptable.

Sincerely,
Pam Miller
Falls District Eagle Board Chairman

The Triangle Rock Club in Morrisville is offering opportunities for Scouts and groups of Scouts to earn the Climbing Merit Badge or plan a lock in. See attached brochure for details or go to their website.

Contact Mike at the Triangle Rock Club for more information.

mike@trianglerockclub.com

http://trianglerockclub.com/index.html

Does your unit need a service opportunity? In preparation for the Centennial Camporee in October the Logistics Committee has set up times where your help is needed. See attached form for details and contact information.

Come out and support the Camporee Effort.

Scoutstuff Just In!

The Eagle Scout Rank Application will no longer be available in print form.

The form is available for download online at

http://www.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/512-728_web.pdf

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

ATTACHED IS A DETAILED EXPLANATION OF THE REQUIREMENT CHANGES THAT WENT INTO EFFECT ON JANUARY 1, 2010.


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

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.

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.

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