When: February 13, 2021

Where: Camp John J. Barnhardt

Time: 730am-4pm (check-in from 730-815am)

Cost: $20.00 for all badges except shotgun which will be $30. Cost includes: program supplies, patch and lunch.

The purpose of the merit badge program is to allow Scouts to examine subjects to determine if they would like to further pursue them as a career. For this event, one badge per Scout!

Every Scout will need to complete a 14 day self monitoring and temp check form for the event. This form is required for everyone attending the event. No registrations will be taken after January 29th, 2021 for any reason.  14 Day Temp and Self Monitoring

This is a non-camping event but your Troop is welcome to camp on Saturday evening.  If you wish to camp, please fill out the camping request and return to Kyle.Camp@Scouting.org by January 29th. 

Last Day To Register

1/29/2021 11:55 PM

In an effort to provide the best and safest program to our youth, it is critical that all re-charters are completed and processed in a timely manner.  The reality is that we as unit leaders have legal responsibilities and liabilities based re-charters being processed on time.  Any re-charter that has not been processed or was not in the office by December 31 is considered a “dropped” unit and is no longer covered by the accident and health insurance and is no longer eligible to receive advancements.  We moved the 2021 Charter due date Council-wide to December 1, 2020 in an effort to get the process completed earlier.

I know of and appreciate the hard work that everyone is doing to get re-charters in and to address any issues your charters may have.  Please help us make sure your unit is delivering a quality, timely program by ensuring your re-charter has been processed, your unit is registered, advancing, and covered for any issues that may arise.

If you need help with any aspect of the re-charter process, please reach out to your District Executive and they will be happy to help.  As always, I will be glad to help with any scouting concerns you may have.  You may contact me at jeff.bays@scouting.org or 704-982-0140 option 3.

Please keep in mind:

• We cannot accept any advancements or conduct eagle boards or process any type of awards for someone that is not current. 
• We cannot allow anyone to participate in events or attend any activity including unit meetings that is not currently registered.

All restrictions apply to adults and youth.

Thank you for everything you do for Scouting and our youth,

Jeff Bays, Field Director

Attention Scoutmasters and Eagle Candidates in Sapona District

The Sapona District Eagle Board of Review will conduct virtual reviews for Eagle Candidates and Eagle projects only using the Zoom Conferencing program by appointment only beginning at 6:30 pm on day of review. See district calendar for BOR dates. Review periods will be 45 minutes for Eagles and 30 minutes for Eagle Project approval.

All Candidates should appear in Full Official BSA Uniform.

NOTE: The District Board plans to continue virtual reviews for the immediate future regardless as to what you may read or see elsewhere including the District Calendar. At this time we are not reviewing Star or Life candidates but may consider it in the future.

To make appointments email your full name, unit number, email, phone number to Marny Hendrick at the email listed at bottom of this message. Once appointment time is set, candidate will be notified  of the Zoom meeting ID and appointment time by the Review Board by email. Candidate will also receive a copy of the District Board Policy and Guidelines to help prepare for the review.

For Eagle Project approval:

■ Candidates must be a current Life Scout

■ Candidate must fill out the Proposal section of the Eagle Project Work Book and obtain all signatures for that section prior to the review (Beneficiary signature plus Scoutmaster and Troop Committee Chair)…scan and email the proposal section to email address below, prior to the review. Also include the Fundraising Application form, filled out and signed, if public fundraising and solicitation is involved.

■ Once review is complete and approved by District Board, the signature page will be returned to the candidate. The project can be commenced immediately after approval.

For Eagle Rank Candidates

■ Submit original Eagle Scout application with signatures to email address below.

■ Application also must be submitted to Ellen Whitley at Central NC Council office for verification prior to the Review Board (Ellen.Whitley@scouting.org). Verified copy must then be emailed to the address below prior to the review date. Can also FAX to Ellen Whitley at 704-982-0262. Please do not wait until the last minute to seek verification because it may not be available in time.

■ The candidate’s written personal statement of life ambitions and goals plus honors and awards outside scouting (see certification section of Eagle application) must be emailed to address below with the Eagle application.

■ Candidate should bring Eagle project workbook with required signatures in Final Report section to the review session and be prepared to discuss project and show the signatures to the Review panel.

To make appointment and submit required documents and information contact:

Marny Hendrick, marny@mindspring.com

Attention Scoutmasters and Eagle Candidates in Sapona District

The Sapona District Board plans to continue virtual reviews for the foreseeable future. We will continue to review and make a decision about returning to in-person review sessions on a month to month basis. Plenty of notice will be given to leaders and Eagle candidates if changes are made in the review process. At this time we are not reviewing Star or Life candidates but may consider it in the future.

The Sapona District Eagle Board of Review has developed a process to conduct virtual reviews for Eagle Candidates and Eagle projects only using the Zoom Conferencing program by appointment only beginning at 6:30 pm on day of review (See district calendar for BOR dates). Review periods will be 45 minutes for Eagles and 30 minutes for Eagle Project approval.

All Candidates should appear in Full Official BSA Uniform (aka Class A).

To make appointments email your full name, unit number, email, phone number to the email listed below. Once appointment time is set, candidate will be notified  of the Zoom meeting ID and appointment time by the Review Board by email. Candidate will also receive a copy of the District Board Policy and Guidelines to help prepare for the review.

 For Eagle Project approval:

■ Candidates must be a current Life Scout

■ Candidate must fill out the Proposal section of the Eagle Project Work Book and obtain all signatures for that section prior to the review (Beneficiary signature plus Scoutmaster and Troop Committee Chair)…scan and email the proposal section to email address below, prior to the review. Also include the Fundraising Application form, filled out and signed, if public fundraising and solicitation is involved. Submit by Sunday prior to review.

■ Once review is complete and approved by District Board, the signature page will be returned to the candidate. The project can be commenced immediately after approval.

 For Eagle Rank Candidates

■ Submit original Eagle Scout application with signatures to email address below…submit all information by Sunday prior to review.

■ Application also must be submitted to Ellen Whitley at Central NC Council office for verification prior to the Review Board (Ellen.Whitley@scouting.org). Verified copy must then be emailed to the address below prior to the review date. Can also FAX to Ellen Whitley at 704-982-0262.

■ The candidate’s written personal statement of life ambitions and goals plus honors and awards outside scouting (see certification section of Eagle application) must be emailed to address below with the Eagle application.

■ Candidate should bring Eagle project workbook with required signatures in Final Report section to the review session and be prepared to discuss project and show the signatures to the Review panel.

To make appointment and submit required documents and information contact:

To our Scouting community, 

In Scouting, we vow to help other people at all times. Now, in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, our Scouting community must do its part to slow the spread of the virus, which will save lives and avoid overwhelming our local healthcare infrastructure. 

The safety of Scouts, volunteers, employees and our communities is our top priority.  

With safety in mind and based on guidance from national health officials, the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) is strongly advising that in-person meetings, activities, events and gatherings of 10 or more people be suspended through the end of March. Please also follow any restrictions outlined by your state and local health department or other state and local authorities. This applies to youth and adults out of an abundance of caution.  

In accordance with national guidelines, please focus on the following through the end of March: 

• Avoid in-person gatherings; instead, utilize available digital and online resources, such as video conferencing, to continue Scouting meetings, projects and advancement, adhering to the current youth protection guidelines already in place for digital communications. 
  

• If you must meet, limit participants to fewer than 10 people and remain at least six feet apart.
  

• Follow BSA blogs and social channels, as well as #ScoutingAtHome, for great examples and ideas of how to continue Scouting. 
  

• If you or any member of your family feel sick, DO NOT go into the office or attend any gatherings. Contact your health professional to get care and notify your supervisor so they can take the appropriate measures while you focus on recuperating.  
  

We will continue to evaluate the ongoing situation and prioritize the safety of everyone involved in Scouting – youth, families, volunteers, employees and our communities – is our number one priority. 

We realize these decisions are not without their challenges, and we thank you for helping meet the needs of our communities in difficult times.  

The steps we are taking reinforce the many ways – big and small – that Scouting empowers character and leadership today and for generations to come.  

Yours in Scouting, 

This free solution will replace the current Internet Advancement platform, which will be retired.

Scoutbook Lite will feature a slick new user interface. It will be optimized to whatever device you use: desktop, tablet or smartphone.

Once Scoutbook Lite is released, the Scoutbook database will become the official record of advancement for the BSA.

Scoutbook Lite, as you might guess, comes from the team behind Scoutbook, the BSA’s advancement-tracking web app that has more than 1 million users. The Lite version of Scoutbook will incorporate key elements of the paid version.

Even after Scoutbook Lite is released, the Scoutbook team will continue to work on and improve Scoutbook as the full-featured application. That means you can expect frequent exciting updates.

Scoutbook Lite will offer optimized functions for almost everything found in the current Internet Advancement platform.

I say almost, because one feature won’t be making the leap to Scoutbook Lite. The system will no longer support the CSV data file import.

The BSA found that less than 10 percent of units used this feature in Internet Advancement. The team focused instead on tools that more Scouters need and want.

As Steve Jobs used to say, there’s “one more thing.”

Scouters experienced in the development of apps or web platforms will be excited to learn that the BSA will roll out a number of APIs (application programming interfaces).

The BSA will release a selection of specific, read-only APIs to Scouting volunteers in the first half of 2018. There are no current plans to roll out APIs to third parties.

The BSA Launches Historic ‘Scout Me In’ Campaign Inviting Girls and Boys to Experience Adventures Through a Cub Scout’s Point of View

Irving, Texas – May 2, 2018 – The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) made history today by unveiling the new Scout Me In campaign that features girls, as well as boys, in its iconic Cub Scout program for the first time. Starting this summer, all kids are invited to say, “Scout Me In,” as they join the fun, adventure and character-building opportunities found in Cub Scouts. The campaign presents an energizing Scouting experience that speaks to kids by putting them in the middle of the action. It also engages parents who are looking for ways to make the most of the time they have with their kids and help them to be Prepared. For Life.

The Scout Me In creative shifts the perspective by showing what it’s like to be a Scout from a kid’s point of view. Instead of simply showing Scouts participating in activities, the campaign brings the young viewer into the middle of the action – from fishing, biking and canoeing to launching rockets and making slime – where they get even closer to the experiences that Scouting brings to life.

“Cub Scouts is a lot of fun, and now it’s available to all kids,” said Stephen Medlicott, National Marketing Group Director of Boy Scouts of America. “That’s why we love ‘Scout Me In’ – because it speaks to girls and boys and tells them, ‘This is for you. We want you to join!’”

The Scout Me In campaign celebrates the BSA’s expansion to serve families and welcome girls and boys into Scouting in communities across the country. It reinforces that the mission and core values in the Scout Oath and Scout Law are welcoming, inclusive and foundational for both young men and women. Since announcing the BSA’s historic decision to welcome girls into Scouting, more than 3,000 girls across the nation have already enrolled in the BSA’s Early Adopter Program and are participating in Cub Scouts ahead of the full launch later this year.

“As we enter a new era for our organization, it is important that all youth can see themselves in Scouting in every way possible. That is why it is important that the name for our Scouting program for older youth remain consistent with the single name approach used for the Cub Scouts,” said Michael Surbaugh, Chief Scout Executive of the Boy Scouts of America. “Starting in February 2019, the name of the older youth program will be ‘Scouts BSA,’ and the name of our iconic organization will continue to be Boy Scouts of America.”

The new Scout Me In recruitment campaign and creative approach was created by award-winning Dallas agency Johnson & Sekin, who also led efforts in the naming process supporting Scouts BSA. The Cub Scout and Scouts BSA program launch, led by Golin, will encompass a fully integrated strategy that spans paid, owned and earned channels.

“Scouting is deeply woven into the fabric of American life,” said Chris Sekin, Managing Partner of Johnson & Sekin. “It is a privilege to work with the organization to usher in its newest era that now includes all of our country’s youth and families.”

“We are excited to partner with the BSA to expand its impactful programs that are relevant to all families,” said Caroline Dettman, Golin’s Chief Creative and Community Officer. “We are thrilled that the mission and goal of the BSA’s programs to instill character and leadership is now a powerful promise for boys and girls alike.”

About the Boy Scouts of America

The Boy Scouts of America provides the nation’s foremost youth program of character development and values-based leadership training, which helps young people be “Prepared. For Life.®” The Scouting organization is composed of nearly 2.3 million youth members between the ages of 5 and 21 and approximately 960,000 volunteers in local councils throughout the United States and its territories. For more information on the Boy Scouts of America, please visit www.scouting.org.

BSA Today