Attention Scoutmasters and Eagle Candidates in Sapona District

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. The first session will be Tuesday April 28 by appointment only beginning at 6:30 pm. Review periods will be 45 minutes for Eagles and 30 minutes for Eagle Project approval.

All Candidates should appear in Full 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 April 26.

■ 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 April 26

■ 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, 

Fellow Scouters,

Nominate Your Outstanding Sapona District Scout Leaders and Volunteers!

Each Year the Sapona District BSA is proud to honor our outstanding unit leaders and volunteers. We are currently seeking your nominations for the various awards and recognitions. Attached please find a nomination form for unit level awards plus a form for the District Award of Merit. Please take time now to identify and nominate your leaders for outstanding service during 2019. The deadline for submitting nominations is February 11, 2020 at the monthly roundtable gathering. In the interim, submit all; nominations to our District Executive Dieter Stoelting in person or by email. Forms are listed below.

RECOGNITION BANQUET: The 2019 award winners will be recognized at our Adult Leadership Recognition Banquet in March. The date will be Sunday March 15 at the First Methodist Church Fellowship Hall in downtown Salisbury. Note that this year’s event will be somewhat different than in the past. The date is a Sunday evening beginning at 6:30. Instead of a catered meal we are suggesting a potluck meal where all attendees bring enough food for themselves and two others. We are soliciting sponsors to cover other expenses related to the banquet including Eagle Scout Recognition. Under this new format there will be no charge to attend the banquet but we will need attendees to register (online registration will be available in the very near future.). If you are interested in being an event sponsor or know someone who is willing please let us know. Our goal is $500 total..

EAGLE SCOUTS: As in the past we will recognize our 33 outstanding Eagle Scouts for 2019 at the banquet. Scoutmasters please notify your 2019 Eagle Scouts of this opportunity and encourage them and their families to attend.

Please register as adult leader or 2019 Eagle Scout. No charge to attend but please bring food to share in potluck dinner . Registration open until March 13.

Please make plans now to participate and please nominate your outstanding leaders. If you have any questions or wish to be involved in the Recognition Banquet planning process please let Dieter or the District Committee know.

Yours in scouting,

Marny Hendrick marny@mindspring.com

Linda Bowman scout.bowman@yahoo.com

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

• Cubmaster of the Year  82-85, 89, 2000, 02, 03, 04, 06, 07, 08
• Assistant Cubmaster of the Year (If Awarded) Before 1992, 94-2008
• Den Leader Of the Year 89, 97, 98, 2000
• Webelos Leader of the Year 85, 89, 91, 97, 98, 2000, 02, 03, 04
• Tiger Leader of the Year 1988-2014
• Scoutmaster of the Year 97, 99, 2000, 03, 04, 07
• Assistant Scoutmaster of the Year 89, 91, 97, 98, 2000, 02, 03, 04, 06, 07
• Venturing Adviser of Year All Years
• Assistant Adviser of Year All Years
• Female Scouter of the Year 89, 91, 94-2000
• Male Scouter of the Year 89, 91, 94-2000, 02, 03, 04
• District Award of Merit 81-86, 89, 97, 2000, 02, 03, 04, 06, 07, 08, 11, 12, 14

This was done for several reasons:

1.  To encourage each Scouting Unit in Sapona District to be aware of and implement the JTE program as a means of strengthening their unit finance, programming, membership and service;

2.  To ensure all Scout Units in each BSA program are measured against consistent standards and measured against their own unit’s previous year’s results to drive continuous improvement;

3.  To eliminate any advantages of larger units versus smaller units and/or new units versus longer tenured units; and

4.  To ensure all units have equal access to the information and standards of our Sapona District  & BSA Recognition.

JTE Scoring is done by each Scout Unit’s leadership and committee with assistance by their Unit Commissioner.  The JTE  Scorecard is turned in with your Unit’s annual re-charter in December.

The Sapona District Cups will be awarded annually utilizing the highest Unit JTE Scores for each Scouting program.  In the event of a tie between two units within the same Scouting program, the tie-breaker for that  program’s Sapona Cup Award will be presented to the unit with the highest percentage of Adult Scouters (all or any registered unit leader-i.e. Scoutmasters & Assistants, Cubmasters & Assistants, Den Leaders, Crew Advisors, Post Advisor, Unit Committee Members & Chartered Partner Representative) who have completed their role specific training. 

Additional resources can be found on the www.Scouting.org website and by clicking on this link to the Journey to Excellence landing page on Scouting.org: https://www.scouting.org/awards/journey-to-excellence/ .  Please be sure to use the Guidebook for your Unit’s Scouting program which are available by clicking on this Scouting.org link: https://www.scouting.org/awards/journey-to-excellence/guidebooks/