ARCHIVE – New Birth of Freedom Council, BSA Website for the New Birth of Freedom Council, BSA
Thank you to everyone that joined us for the October 2021 Council-wide Roundtable. We had a great meeting and we hope that all of the participants were able to get a lot of good information on how to KEEP SCOUTING and to do so safely.
We shared that during the presentation we would share both the slide deck and the recording from the meeting. A list of additional resources is below.
Update 10/14/21
October Roundtable Slidedeck
Announcements
- Roundtable schedule for the remainder of the 21-22 Scouting year is below.
- November 4 – In-person District Roundtables
- December 2 – In-person District Roundtables
- January 6 – Council-wide Virtual Roundtable
- February 3 – In-person District Roundtables
- March 3 – In-person District Roundtables
- April 7 – Council-wide Virtual Roundtable
- May 5 – In-person District Roundtables
- June 1 – In-person Program Launch
- Klondike Cabin Rentals are open for 2022 Klondike Derbies. Contact your District Executive before the dates below to reserve a cabin. Cabins are at 100% capacity for individual unit use. They are at 50% capacity if more than one unit is using the same cabin.
- Battlefield – November 22
- Conococheague – October 25
- Heritage Trails – November 8
- Keystone Capital – November 8
- Pioneer – November 29
- Upcoming Merit Badge Colleges
- Pioneer District STEM Merit Badge College January 15 and February 5, registration live on November 15
- Troop 168 19th Annual Merit Badge College March 12 and April 2, registration live on December 4. More information is available here.
- University of Scouting is January 29, 2022. More information is available here.
- Units who have not yet scheduled a 2021 Friends of Scouting presentation are asked to please do so by contacting your District Executive.
- Scott Holbrook will retire as ranger at Camp Tuckahoe on January 31, 2022.
- Mitzi Perry will retire mid-November.
- Danny Stone has joined our team as the new Assistant Registrar in Mechanicsburg.
- Josh Nimmerichter has been selected as the new ranger at Camp Tuckahoe and will begin work on October 18, 2021.
- Last scheduled training opportunities for BALOO and IOLS in 2021 are quickly approaching. All upcoming training information is available here.
- Council calendar is available here.
COVID-19 Updates
- Please continue to be safe and vigilant with Scouting activities and be sure to follow Scouting guidelines that are available here.
- Please make sure to report any possible COVID-19 Scouting exposures to your District Executive.
Good Turn for America
- Door hanger distribution is November 6. Food pick up is November 13.
- If you have not yet ordered your door hangers, please contact your District Executive
- Door hangers are expected for distribution by the end of the month.
- Please enter your results for Scouting for Food here.
Eagle Recognition Dinner
- Currently scheduled as an in-person event on November 23 at the Hershey Lodge. More details are available here.
- Scouts should upload their photo and biography here. Instructions and requirements for photos can be found here.
Fall Membership Campaign
- EVERYONE can help with the fall membership campaign. You can find out how through our All Hands on Deck Membership Campaign here.
- Find out 5 things your unit can do to help recruit Scouts right now by reading here.
- Check out our October Membership minute here.
- Check out all of the Friendstorming Resources here.
Popcorn and Nuts Sale
- Make sure to know all of the upcoming dates which are all posted here.
- All Show and Sell returns are due by October 16. Sign up for a return time here.
- Take Orders are due October 20. Place your order here.
- Place your Prize Orders here. Prize order instructions are here.
- Place your Top Seller Prize Order here.
- Scouts can still sell online using the Pecatonica River platform. For instructions visit here.
Camping Updates
- Tree Planting at Tuckahoe will take place October 13 through November 6. Earn your Project Hercules Patch. Sign up here.
- Halloween Day is October 23 at Camp Tuckahoe. Find out more and register here.
- Summer Camp Dates for 2022 are now posted. Register for your session here.
- Register for the Council’s Philmont 2022 Trek. Find out more here.
- Rendezvous
- National Jamboree has been announced for July 19-28, 2023. More information coming soon!
Recharter
- Brand New Recharter System
- New Birth of Freedom Council rechartering information is available here.
- Video Training on how to use the rechartering system is available here.
- Download the national guide to the rechartering system here.
Roundtable Q & A
Training
Q: Can older scouts (14+) register for any of the University of Scouting sessions or are there certain sessions that are marked for them?
A: Yes. The course catalog indicates which sessions are available for older Scouts.
Camping
Q: What hours can volunteers come to help plant trees?
A: 9am to 5pm Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.
Q: Is lunch served at Halloween Day?
A: No, you should bring a bagged lunch. Dinner will be served.
Q: Where will the 2023 National Jamboree be held?
A: The Summit in West Virginia
Q: What is Twilight Camp? Will there be Twilight Camp again in 2022?
A: Twilight Camp is a program designed for Cub Scouts to have an amazing summer experience. Twilight Camp is a full week but runs from approximately 5pm to 9pm at night. It is designed so the whole family can register and participate without having to take time off of work. Yes. We will be offering 6 or 7 Twilight Camps in 2022.
General
Q: Will there be virtual options for the in-person Roundtables?
A: Some districts have been continuing to provide streaming of Roundtables and meetings. Some of our Roundtable locations do not have the capability to live stream from their location. Please reach out to your District Executive and they should be able to help you get connected if it is being live-streamed or recorded.
Q: When will door hangers for Scouting for Food be available? How can we pick them up?
A: Door hangers will be available by the end of the month. Your District Executive will communicate options for picking up your door hangers.
Q: What should we do if our Scouting for Food delivery location is closed?
A: If you are delivering food to a location that is not one of your district’s hub locations, we encourage you to reach out to them before Scouting for Food pick up to make sure you can coordinate your drop-off. If you are looking for a site to drop off your food, please reach out to your District Executive.
Q: Is there more information on the Pioneer District STEM Merit Badge College?
A: Information will be posted soon. For specific questions, contact Sal Franqui at sal.franqui@scouting.org.
Q: If Eagle Scout pictures and bios were already submitted do they need to be submitted again?
A: If you submitted your information to your District Executive, Donna Spangenburg, or Brian DeBease, it does not need to be resubmitted. If it was not submitted to one of those sources, please follow the instructions above to upload them.
Recharter
Q: With the new direction on UMC units (that chartered organization agreements will remain valid until March, will the Charter fee be automatically adjusted on the total unit fee?
A: The information on the UMC fee was just shared recently. We don’t know the exact details yet. We will make sure that we share that information as soon as we have it.
Q: Is the Criminal Background Check (CBC) not the same as the PA Background checks?
A: CBC is the National background check. PA is currently the only state in the U.S. requiring additional clearances. They are two different checks. Remember, Internet Rechartering is a National system, so it is not designed for our unique circumstances in PA.
Q: If an individual uploads their clearances directly to the council, how does the person doing the recharter know if they have been submitted?
A: Units need to verify that an individual has current clearances before they start any volunteer service. Units should require adult volunteers to provide a copy of their certificate from the New Birth of Freedom Council that shows we have received and processed their clearances. This certificate shows when their clearances expire and are proof that they have been received. This allows the unit to be confident that the process has been complete without having to handle the sensitive documents. We will be providing reports to units on their clearances. You can check with your district executive or Mitzi Perry at any time to make sure that the clearances have been received.
Q: If an adult is a leader in pack and helps with troop, how can the recharter processor confirm that they are actually registered?
A: Communicate with a Key 3 member from the other unit to validate if the person is on their charter. This can be viewed within my.scouting.org under the unit roster tab.
Q: If an adult is registered in another position and wants to register for the first time with a new unit, do they need to resubmit their clearances?
A: No. As long as their clearances are current, they only need to submit them once for all of their positions.
Q: Is Scout Life an additional fee on top of registration?
A: Yes. It is currently $12 for the year.
Q: When does Journey to Excellence (JTE) get turned in?
A: Your unit can turn in your Journey to Excellence form any time after your charter is complete. You can then order any awards/patches that your unit wishes to purchase from either Scout Shop.
