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 March 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.
Updated 3/19/2021
Announcements
- Next Roundtable, April 8 at 7pm – Register Here (note this is a week later because of Easter)
- May Roundtable, Thursday, May 6 at 7pm
- Nut Patches for the Popcorn and Nuts Sales are available to pick up at the Council Service Centers
- Scouting for Food Patches are available to pick up at the Council Service Centers starting February 12
- Blood Drive information is available here.
- National Youth Leadership Training (NYLT) Registration is open – Register Here
- Wood Badge has moved to August 27-29 and September 11-12 – Register Here
- Friends of Scouting Campaign will be different this year. Please, contact your District Executive or District Friends of Scouting Chair to schedule a virtual presentation or an in-person presentation. You can find out more details about this year’s Friends of Scouting campaign here.
- Friends of Scouting Online Giving – Text NBOFBSAFOS to 41444 and follow the prompts to Donate or Pledge today.
- Council Recognition Dinner is May 15 at Lisburn Fire Company. registration opening soon.
- Silver Beaver Award Nominations are due by March 31 for the 2021 award
- Instructions for printing Membership Cards and Charter Certificates for 2021 can be found here.
- Mark calendars for this year’s leader training courses. Register here.
- Introduction to Outdoor Leadership Skills (IOLS) for Scoutmasters and Assistant Scoutmasters- April 9-10 and April 30-May 1
- Basic Adult Leader Outdoor Orientation (BALOO) for Cub Scout Leaders – April 23-24 and May 14-15
- Make sure you don’t miss any upcoming events by downloading the 2020-21 Council Calendar here.
COVID-19 Updates
- Most current updates are available here.
- Service Centers have new hours starting March one. Read the announcement here.
- Scout Shops hours will continue to follow their own schedule
- Continue to adhere to masking and Social Distancing Guidelines
- Updates on PA State Guidance, as of March 1, 2021
- Indoor Capacity – up to 15%, no cap
- Outdoor Capacity – up to 20%, no cap
- No travel restrictions or quarantine requirement when returning from from out of state
- NBOF currently is working with PA DOH concerning cabin capacities
- Other restrictions remain in place; remain vigilant
Program Fee Committee Study Update
- 20 volunteers reviewed Council financial data trends
- Examining wide range of options to make recommendation to Council Executive Board in May
- Next Meeting 3/10/2021
2021 Spring membership Campaign
- Get all of the details on the spring membership campaign here.
- Register your unit for the Spring Recruitment Campaign here.
- Register your unit for the Active Summer Pack challenge here.
- Summertime Pack Award details here.
BeAScout.Org Leads
Camp Cards
- Camp Card Kickoff recording available here.
- Register Here for the 2021 Camp Card Sale
- Place your Order for 2021 Camp Cards here.
- Get all of the details of the sale here.
Advancement
- Be sure to attend one of the upcoming Merit Badge Colleges
- Watch the Be A Change Event here.
Cub Scout Adventure Camp “Weird Science!”
Camping
- Join Project Hercules at Camp Tuckahoe at our monthly Service Days here.
- Attend Chainsaw Basic Certification here.
- Rendezvous
- Save the date for September 24-26, 2021
- Activities will follow a medieval theme
- Summer Camp 2021
- Get more information and sign up for the 2021 Cub and Webelos Camping Opportunities here.
- Leader Guides are available here.
- Get more information and sign up for the 2021 Scouts BSA Summer Programs here.
- Leader Guides are available here.
- Reasons to Consider Camping In-Council this summer
- Summer COVID-19 restrictions are unknown
- Travel restrictions may limit summer camp options
- Staying close to home is a safer option
- Gives support to our local Council Camps
- Camp Staff Opportunities here.
- Get more information and sign up for the 2021 Cub and Webelos Camping Opportunities here.
Questions and Answers from Roundtabl
Training
Q: How do volunteers sign up to participate in the Wood Badge Course?
A: Details for the course, including how to sign up are available here.
Q: Is it possible to combine BALOO (Basic Adult Leader Outdoor Orientation) and IOLS (Introduction to Outdoor Leader Skills) Training in the same weekend?
A: The New Birth of Freedom Council must follow the training guidance established by the National Council. The syllabus is separate for a reason because BALOO is intended for the Pack level training to be able to hold outdoor activities including overnight. IOLS is intended to be the practical process of completing training for Scoutmaster / Assistant Scoutmaster. Although there are similarities between topics, target audience and application are intended to be different.
Q: Are there any plans to offer IOLS at Scouts BSA summer camps for leaders?
A: Yes, we have offered these programs in the past. You should reach out to Tyler Roman at tyler.roman@scouting.org or Todd Weidner at todd.weidner@scouting.org to get details about signing up to participate the week you are in camp. Typically, participants work with the first-year Scout program as part of the completion of their requirements.
Camping
Q: Have there been any changes to CDC guidelines for tenting?
A: No. Recommend sleeping head to toe in the tent or each person sleeping in a personal tent. Only people that travel together share the same tent.
Q: Are Rothrocks at Camp Conewago able to be used yet?
A: Based on current restriction only one person per Rothrock.
Q: Is there a minimum age participation for Project Hercules?
A: Anyone can help! There are certain jobs that have age restrictions but we have jobs they can do. Please preregister. Go to the Project Hercules to register at https://archive.newbirthoffreedom.org/2021/02/17/earn-your-project-hercules-patch/
Q: Is chainsaw certification for adults or Scouts?
A: Chainsaw certification is for adults only.
Q: Is there still going to be Fishing Derby at HV on April 10 and Indian Echo Caverns Camporee April 23-25?
A: The Indian Echo Caverns Camporee is still happening. There will not be a fishing derby since we will be doing Hooked on Scouting this spring.
Q: Are CPR and WARFA trainings to be held at Tuckahoe or Hidden Valley?
A: The events are at Tuckahoe. You must register. Spaces are limited https://archive.newbirthoffreedom.org/warfa/
Advancement
Q: Does the Cub Scout COVID-19 Advancement Extension apply to Super NOVA/NOVA Awards?
A: There is no specific guidance that it does not. Therefore, we recommend that units have Super NOVA/NOVA Awards follow any adjusted timeframe for completing rank requirements.
Q: What are the changes in the new Eagle Project Workbook?
A: The most current workbook is available for download here. https://www.scouting.org/programs/scouts-bsa/advancement-and-awards/eagle-scout-workbook/. The new workbook went live on 2-5-21.
Changes are as follows:
- The revised workbook is not fundamentally different from its predecessor. It has been reorganized, some functionality has been improved, a few clarifications made, and a new document added for project beneficiaries. The key changes include:
- All general information, including the “Message to Scouts and Parents or Guardians” and the “Excerpts and Summaries from the Guide to Advancement,” are now at the front of the workbook.
- The “Contact Information” page is included with the proposal. Note the instructions at the top of the page indicate that only information that is reasonably required must be included.
- Functionality has been added to allow certain information from title pages and the “Contact Information” page to auto-populate fields elsewhere. Some tables have been added and functionality improved to allow appropriate fields to expand to accept additional text.
- A “Project Description and Impact” section has been added to the project report.
- “Navigating the Eagle Scout Service Project, Information for Project Beneficiaries” has been added at the back of the workbook. The Eagle Scout candidate should provide this piece to the project beneficiary and use it for discussion purposes. Note there is now a check box on the proposal for the beneficiary to indicate that a copy of the document was received.
Membership
Q: Where are the instructions for updating BSA Pins as well as turning on Electronic Applications?
A: All of these resources can be found at https://www.scouting.org/resources/online-registration/.
Other
Q: Will the Hershey Bears and Hersheypark tickets incentives for the Popcorn sale this past year be honored for those scouts who qualified to receive them?
A: Yes. Hershey should be no problem, letters about tickets are expected to be delivered by mid-April. Bears are still somewhat restrictive and continually evaluating what they are able to do for having fans in the stands.
Q: If a Scout makes and online Camp Card sale for $6 is the commission $2.50 or $3.00?
A: If the unit is not registered for a NBOF Summer Camp program the commission is $2.50 for online. If the unit IS registered and has put down a deposit for a NBOF Summer Camp the commission is $3.00 for online.
Q: What is the criteria to be selected as a Silver Beaver recipient?
A: All the details are available here. You can submit your nomination to either Council Service Center or email it to mitzi.perry@scouting.org.
