Camp Card Sale Extension

The deadline is extended through July 1, 2019. Any unit participating in the extended sale will receive a $250 incentive which start at 150 cards (units keep all profit from first 25 cards sold.) Also, scouts selling 20 or more cards go into drawing for $50 Amazon gift card, $50 Walmart gift card, or Samsung Tablet. We are working on securing vendor booths starting mid-May. Units can sign up for sale at http://campcard.stlbsa.org/

Register Service Hours

Part of our Journey to Excellence is meeting the service hour requirement. We do LOTS of service, but if it is not recorded, we can't meet our goal. Please take the time to record hours of service. Did you participate in the Pick Up Stix service day? Memorial Day Service? This can add a lot of hours towards our goal. Contact William Humphrey with questions: william.humphrey@scouting.org

Camping Chair needed

Matt Meyer's term of office has ended. Please consider taking this position as this is a very important part of scouting and we need to continue the great work Matt has done over the past several years. Contact William Humphrey william.humphrey@scouting.org or ANY committee member to let them know you are interested.

Activities and Camping

Popcorn Sales

Let’s look at the numbers:

• Our District 2019 Goal is $112,000 for the popcorn sale.
• We sold $98,330 as a district in 2018.
• We have 35 active programs in the district. Our unit participation goal is 25.
• We currently have 6 units signed up as of June 24, 2019. We need 19 more units to sign up.
• We had 18 units participate in the sale last year.
• We need 7 new units to sign up and participate this year.

Many units use the popcorn sale to drive their operating budget to pay for program activities. Popcorn sales can generate enough income to financially support your Scouting program for the entire year! Money from popcorn can be used to cover the cost of camporees, pinewood derby races, field trips, equipment or personal gear, badges, advancement and summer camp.

The more you sell the more money you have to deliver the program that youth expect. It takes one minute to sign up for a kick-off meeting: https://stlbsa.org/activities/fundraising/popcorn-sales/

Family Camp, Famous Eagle

Family Camp provides Scouts with the opportunity to spend a night, over the weekend, at one of our camp properties, sharing the fun of the outdoors with mom, dad, and Cub Scout-aged siblings! At Family Camp, meals are provided, tents are provided, and activities include BB guns, archery, swimming, hiking, and fun in the sun!

Special to Camp Famous Eagle Family Camp: Enjoy Huck's Cove Water Park, Bouldering at Castle Rock, fishing and boating at the lake, and meet a horse!

Schedule: Check-in is from 1-2pm on day 1, and check-out by 11am on day 2. Two dates to choose: June 29-30, or July 13-14. Go to the website to register: https://scoutingevent.com/312-2019FamilyCampFamousEagle

Cub Grizzly Day Camp

We encourage Cub Packs to sign up as a unit. If your pack has a Camping Chair please have your Camping Chair collect all monies and information.

Grizzly Camp is a unique camp that offers 4 weeks with 4 different themes! Each week will be filled with Shooting Sports, Swimming, Hands on Nature activities, and a trip to MUD CAVE! Scouts will also receive a lunch each day camp is in session. We encourage parents to participate with their child the week they are attending camp, but parent supervision is not required at this camp. We hire Den Leader walk arounds for each week. Please e-mail Suzie Voss at suzie.voss@scouting.org if you are interested in helping this year.

Register now: https://scoutingevent.com/312-2019GrizzlyDayCamp

Evening Twilight Camp

Thank you to Angie Blumenthal and Linda Criss for putting together another fun year of evening camp for our young scouts. And thanks to all who volunteered throughout the week! Water games and kaleidescopes were some of the fun they had.

Advancement and Recognition

Upcoming Badge Workshops:

Busch Conservation Area Merit Badge Event

Busch Conservation Area offers special scouting merit badge event June 29. Both Boy and Girl Scouts can participate in activities that will help them advance toward multiple merit badges.

St. Charles, Mo.—Scouting programs have a long and respected history of helping boys and girls connect with nature and the outdoors, as well as enabling them to grow as individuals. The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) will help scouts earn merit badges in several nature-related areas during the special Scout Merit Badge event at the August A. Busch Memorial Conservation Area in St. Charles Saturday, June 29. The event runs from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. and is free for all participating scouts. It’s open to any scouting program, including Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and American Heritage Girls.

Each activity is geared specifically to the needs of fulfilling merit badge requirements, as well giving a thorough grounding in the basics and safety aspects in each area. The activities covered will include archery (for ages 9 and up), casting and fishing skills and fish identification, mammal studies, bird studies, and more. The conservation area offers ample resources to explore and learn about each of these disciplines. All equipment needed will be provided by MDC.

For additional information, contact Naturalist Shelly Colatskie at Shelly.Colatskie@mdc.mo.gov, or 314-301-1506 ext. 4222. The August A. Busch Memorial Conservation Area is located at 2360 Highway D in St. Charles, about two miles west of Highway 94.

Merit Badge Skill Centers

• Climbing - Saturdays and Sundays at Upper Limits
• Genealogy - July 27, Aug 24, Sept 21
• Law - July 31
• American Heritage - Aug 2
• Public Health - Aug 8
• Personal Fitness - Sept 7, Oct 5
• Scuba Diving - Sept 19
• Go to the Merit Badge Skills Center page for full listings and to register: https://stlbsa.org/achievement/advancement/merit-badge-skill-centers/

The Missouri Botanical Garden is offering a series of Merit Badge workshops over the year. Go to mobot.org\scouts

The Salesmanship Merit badge has several workshops coming up. Find out more: https://scoutingevent.com/312-25882

Upcoming Moviemaking Merit Badge Workshops: https://scoutingevent.com/312-25880

Webolos Game Design Adventure has several upcoming workshops: https://scoutingevent.com/312-25883

Digital Technology Merit Badge workshop dates: https://scoutingevent.com/312-25885

New Merit Badge Counselor:

Julie Lohff has just been approved as a "Cooking" (Eagle required) merit badge Counselor. She is with Troop 104, (St. Stephen Protomartyr).

Always glad to see another Counselor added to our Thunderbird listing. It makes it so much easier for our Thunderbird Scouts, most of whom are too young to drive and must rely on parents to provide transportation.

For a full listing of Merit Badge Counselors and other counselor info, go to the website: https://stlbsa.org/thunderbird/advancement-recognition/

Venturing

Congratulations!

Venturing Crew 2179 welcomes our new OA Candidate Sarah Buck. Sarah was called out at Camp Gamble on June 13th with the first group of female Venturers in Shawnee Lodge history. Also called out from the crew was Assistant Advisor Kristi Buck. Congratulations to both of you and good luck on your journey to Ordeal Membership!

Swift Base 2019

Every week at Swift includes more activities than you can possibly complete. Rock Climbing, High Challenge Course, Rapelling, Low Challenge Course, Swimming, Sailing, SUPs, Equestrian Programs, Mountain Bikes Course and Trail Rides, Ascending, Mountain Boards, and more. Here are the dates:

• Week 1: June 9-15: Adventures of the Past
• Week 2: July 14-20: Adventures of the Future
• Week 3: July 21-27: Swift Kodiak Challenge Week

For more information or to sign up: https://scoutingevent.com/312-2019SwiftBase

Celebration Dinner - August 9

Please plan to join with all of Venturing and Sea Scouting in the Greater Saint Louis Area Council as we look back over the past year. All in Venturing and Sea Scouting, as well as friends and family, are invited to attend.

The Ranger, Quest, TRUST, Summit, Sea Scout Quartermaster, Venturing Leadership, Sea Scout Leadership awards will be presented, and the Venturing Pathfinder and Discovery will be recognized.

Go to the website to download more information: https://scoutingevent.com/312-celebrate19

STEM

Archeology Camp - STEM 2019

Dig up the past with the Center for American Archeology on August 16-18. For more information and to register: https://scoutingevent.com/312-caastem

STEM Summer Programs

For more information on STEM, go to the GSLAC website: https://stlbsa.org/activities/other-activities/stem/stem-summer-programs/

Training

2019 Summer Camp Adult Leader Training-Beaumont

Scout Leader Position Specific training, Den Leader Specific training and Hazardous Weather training will be offered at Beaumont Scout Reservation throughout the summer. You can sign up and prepay before you get to camp or you can register at camp.

This comprehensive basic training is the very best way for all Adult Leaders and Parents to be trained for their current and future Unit positions, to gain a thorough basic understanding of how the Scouting Program works, to learn ways to apply this in their home units and run a successful pack and troop program, and to obtain references and resources available for further knowledge.

NYLT

Grow and improve your leadership skills while following the guidelines of the Scout Oath and Scout Law. Scouts earning the National Youth Leadership Training shield are better prepared to interact with adult leaders and face the challenges and demands ahead.

It is recommended that they have had at least one year of camping experience. While NYLT is not an outdoor skills course, it is important that each participant have basic camping and outdoor cooking experience. For more information go to: https://scoutingevent.com/312-2019NYLTSakima

Wood Badge 2019

Wood Badge is the premiere adult leadership training program of the Boy Scouts of America and is recognized by Scouting organizations world wide. The purpose of Wood Badge is to help you develop many new leadership skills and techniques in order to deliver the highest quality Scouting program and stronger leadership for America. For more information and registration, go to: https://stlbsa.org/training/adult/wood-badge/

Other News

Tom Finan in Ireland

This past month, Tom Finan, Scoutmaster for Troop 500 (St. Raphael's), was in Ireland directing his Archaeological excavation at a medieval castle.

Attached find a photo of the shelter that he constructed using a tarp, paracord, and some tree limbs. He noted, "my knots were sound as it held together during a gale" Unfortunately, he was the one taking the photo. The other photo shows Tom giving a talk to the Boyle, Co Roscommon Scout group. He noted, "Loads of fun. Crazy how kids are the same..."