News

Join us for the University of Scouting on Saturday, March 22, 2025, from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm, at Lower Dauphin Middle School in Hummelstown, Pennsylvania. Hosted by the New Birth of Freedom Council, it is open to all Scouters, Venturers, and older Scouts. This training event is packed full of supplemental pieces of training...

As part of our overall strategy to move our headquarters into a unified new service center at a renovated original dining hall at Camp Tuckahoe, we previously shared our plans to sell both the Mechanicsburg and York service centers, with the York office going up for sale first. We wanted to share the news that...

As of January 1, 2024, the following changes to Scouts BSA requirements become effective.  Rank Requirements There were minor changes to Scout (6) and Star (6).  The Cyberchip has been phased out. Scouts should use the Personal Safety Awareness training at https://www.scouting.org/training/youth-protection/scouts-bsa/ for both Scout and Star ranks.  Eagle Palms Scouts BSA will no longer...

The Mechanicsburg and York Service Centers, along with both Scout Shops, will be closed on Thursday, November 23, and Friday, November 24, for the Thanksgiving holiday. The Mechanicsburg and York Scout Shops will be open for the normal operating hours on Saturday, November 25. We wish everyone in the New Birth of Freedom Council’s Scouting...

The topics covered during the October 5, 2023, Virtual Council-Wide Roundtable are listed below, along with the timestamp for that topic in the recording. Safety Moment – Behavior Around Campfires (4:02) Wizard Safari in Review (5:34) 2024 Summer Camp Reservations (9:32) 2024 Philmont Contingent (10:28) Klondike Derby Cabin Reservations (11:08) Wilderness Survival Weekend – October...

As part of the Council’s effort to periodically communicate with everyone in our Council on the status of several key initiatives involving our service centers and the sale of “buffer acreage” at Camp Tuckahoe to the Central Pennsylvania Conservancy, I have some news to share with everyone. First, as we previously shared last year,...

It’s time to begin preparations for the 2023 Wizard Safari, coming September 29 – October 1 at the Wizard Ranch Nature Preserve in Hellam, PA.  If you’re interested in serving on staff for Safari, you can submit your application today!...

At the Council’s Program Launch event on June 1, Council President Jan Wagner and Immediate Past Council President Matt Haar presented our Council’s current financial challenges, including a detailed look at the financial side of our Council’s camping operations.  Given the importance of this information and the current and potential future impacts of this situation, ...

Greetings, Fellow Scouters, I hope you and your family are doing well and enjoying the summer weather. Today, I’d like to provide information and stimulate discussion about our most important threat to Scouting. This is a particularly worrisome dilemma for everyone who loves Scouting and what it can do for our youth. I do apologize...

The Council Service Center and Scout Shop will be closed on Thursday, July 4, to celebrate Independence Day. The Council Service Center and Scout Shop will operate at normal hours on Wednesday, July 3, and Friday, July 5. Independence Day, commonly referred to as the Fourth of July, is a time to remember and appreciate...