Clarification – Eagle Scout Requirements – Citizenship in Society
Eagle Scout candidates will continue to use the current rank requirements until June 30, 2022, and will not be required to complete the new Citizenship in Society Merit Badge as long as they complete all of the current Eagle Rank requirements before July 1, 2022.
They do not have to submit their final Eagle Scout application nor complete their Eagle Scout Board of Review prior to July 1, 2022, but must complete all current Eagle Scout requirements before then.
Starting July 1, 2022, Eagle Scout candidates will be required to complete all Eagle Scout requirements including the new Citizenship in Society merit badge.
As has been the practice, the Local Council will be responsible for verifying in the system the Eagle Scout candidate and their completion of the Eagle Scout requirements.
The Local Council will determine those Scouts that meet all requirements before July 1, 2022, under the current requirements, and those Scouts that fall under the new Eagle Scout requirements as of July 1, 2022.
Lone Scouting
The Boy Scouts of America is proud to provide the Scouting experience to all youth who meet membership requirements. Youth can join Cub Scouting or Scouts BSA and have the opportunity to grow and learn from Scouting. There are many opportunities for youth to benefit from the Scouting experience.
Why Lone Scouts?
A youth applies for membership as an individual Lone Scout only if he or she cannot conveniently join a Cub Scout pack or Scouts BSA troop. They may reside in remote areas of the country, live overseas, or be in a place where it just isn’t safe for them to attend traditional unit meetings. Lone Scouting may be the answer for these youth.
When Is Lone Scouting the Right Choice?
Because regular interaction between youth and leaders in the BSA’s traditional programs has many advantages, we must keep in mind that Lone Scouting is not intended for youth who are able to safely attend meetings of traditional Cub Scout packs or Scout troops. Traditional units, if available, have the best potential to provide a quality Scouting program. Youth in circumstances such as those listed to the right, however, may find that Lone Scouting is the best option. With the right adult friend and counselor, Scouting’s aims and mission can be well met. Youth in the following or similar circumstances may find Lone Scouting is the best option.
• Home-schooled where parents do not want them in a youth group
• U.S. citizens living abroad
• Exchange students away from the United States
• Disability or communicable illness that prevents meeting attendance
• Rural communities far from a unit
• Conflicts with a job, night school, or boarding school
• Families who frequently travel or live on a boat, etc.
• Living arrangements with parents in different communities
• Environments where getting to meetings may put the Scout in danger
Although the Lone Scout might miss the opportunity to participate in activities in the pack or troop, there are certain advantages to this experience. For example, Scouting activities can be done entirely at home. Boys or girls who live in rural areas have the outdoors close at hand where much of Scouting takes place. Each youth can progress at his or her own pace, building upon his or her own interests and abilities. Also, the youth has the personal help of an adult counselor.
With the entire Cub Scouting and Scouts BSA programs open to them, they may, under the watchful eye of a Lone Scout friend and counselor, strive for the Eagle Scout rank, just as any other Scout. Advancement in Lone Scouting provides flexibility when requirements call for participation with a den, pack, patrol, or troop, and opportunities abound for a strong bond between a Scout and counselor.
How to join
If Lone Scouts is right for you, fill out the necessary paperwork
– Youth Application
– Adult Application
– YPT
and send it to the Midnightsun Council to get registered to participate in Scouting.
For detailed information contact us at 907-452-1976.
Click here to download/view the Guide to Lone Scouting
Cub Scout Resources
Cub Scout Electives to be Retired in 2022
Be sure to click on the link below for the latest in Cub Scout elective adventures that will be retired next year.
Nineteen Cub Scout elective adventures will be retired next year
Details on the 19 Cub Scout Elective Adventures Being Retired in May of 2022
To keep the Cub Scouting Adventure program relevant, elective adventures are reviewed for content and popularity.
The elective adventures to be retired are as follows:
• Family Stories, Rank: Tiger, SKU: 619922
• Earning Your Stripes, Rank: Tiger, SKU: 619925
• Tiger Tales, Rank: Tiger, SKU: 619930
• Tiger Theater, Rank: Tiger, SKU: 619931
• Collections and Hobbies, Rank: Wolf, SKU: 619940
• Grow Something, Rank: Wolf, SKU: 619944
• Hometown Heroes, Rank: Wolf, SKU: 619947
• Motor Away, Rank: Wolf, SKU: 619950
• Beat of the Drum, Rank: Bear, SKU: 619958
• World of Sound, Rank: Bear, SKU: 619960
• Make it Move, Rank: Bear, SKU: 619963
• Robotics, Rank: Bear, SKU: 619968
• Looking Back Looking Forward, Rank: Webelos/AOL, SKU: 619978
• Maestro, Rank: Webelos/AOL, SKU: 619979
• Project Family, Rank: Webelos/AOL, SKU: 619997
• Build My Hero, Rank: Webelos/AOL, SKU: 619992
• Adventures in Science, Rank: Webelos/AOL, SKU: 619989
• Fix It, Rank: Webelos/AOL, SKU: 619975
• Movie Making, Rank: Webelos/AOL, SKU: 619982
Pinewood Derby
Come and check out all the fun accessories for your cars!!
Venturing
Updates to Venturing Awards and Ranks
The National Venturing Committee is pleased to announce that, effective immediately, the Venturing, Discovery, Pathfinder, and Summit awards will be referred to as Venturing ranks to improve consistency among the different programs within Scouting. The Quest, Ranger, and Trust Awards will remain as part of the Venturing program as specialty awards and are not considered Venturing ranks.
Additionally, certain restrictions regarding prior credit for Venturers have been changed. Effective immediately, Venturing Advisors have the discretion to give a Venturer credit toward Venturing rank and award requirements for work previously completed by the Venturer while a registered member of a Scouts BSA Troop or a Sea Scout Ship. As explained in more detail below, this change aligns the Venturing advancement program with the Scouts BSA and Sea Scouting advancement programs.
Under the current edition of the Guide to Advancement and the latest printed edition of Venturing Awards and Requirements, a Venturer was required to complete all work on Venturing awards while registered as a Venturer, and Venturing Advisors were not permitted to give credit toward Venturing award requirements for work previously done by a youth in Scouts BSA or Sea Scouts. Neither Scouts BSA nor Sea Scouts have these same restrictions. Except as stated in the temporary transition rules covering first-time members entering Scouts BSA after February 1, 2019, in both Scouts BSA and Sea Scouts, unit leaders are currently able to consider work done in any program when giving credit toward completion of rank or award requirements. To improve consistency within the three programs and to encourage membership in Venturing Crews, Venturers may now receive credit toward Venturing ranks and specialty awards for work completed while registered in a Scouts BSA Troop or a Sea Scout Ship.
The next editions of the Guide to Advancement, Handbook for Venturers and Venturing Awards and Requirements will be revised to reflect the two changes to the Venturing advancement program described in this update.
Scouting @ Home with the Midnight Sun Council
FUN PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES THAT CAN BE DONE FROM HOME
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Boy Scouts of America – Scouting at Home – YouTube channel
Scouting @ Home Concept
A one-stop shop for Scouting and non-Scouting families to find quality age and grade specific character building activities at home.
Youth Protection Reminder
It’s critical that we all continue to keep youth protection top-of-mind whether our Scouting activities are taking place in person or through a digital platform. Of note, remember that BSA prohibits any one-on-one interaction between an adult leader and a Scout – in person, online, through a web conference, over the phone, via text, or in any other form.
Detailed youth protection information is available here. To ensure you are following safety standards for all Scouting activities, please reference the Guide to Safe Scouting.
The BSA’s Social Media Guidelines serve as a complement to our youth protection policies.
The Merits of Scouting @ Home
Across the nation, councils are finding ways to help keep our youth members engaged and Scouting. These out-of-the-box, in-home activities are centered around providing advancement-related content to help keep kids safe, engaged and to help them make the best of home time.
Scouting @ Home Patch Program /adventures/challenges/activities
Cub Scouting (Grades K-5)
Scouts BSA (Grades 6-12)
You can help with additional Cub Scout/Scouts BSA Skill videos!
If you are an adult and have expertise in a Scout skill that you would like to share – this is your opportunity at being an internet sensation! While there are no meetings going on, this could be your “one hour a week” for Scouting project.
How this will work:
• Send an email to District Executive Robert Stewart at robert.stewart@scouting.org with the Scout Skill you would like to teach by video recording.
• He will let you know if someone else has already contacted him about doing the same skill.
• Record a video of yourself or others teaching the skill
• Contact Rob again when you are done to arrange the transfer of the video file (if you have a Gmail account, include your Gmail address)
By participating in this project, you agree:
• The council may or may not be able to use the video. If the video is used, you will be given credit when the video is shared
• That once the video has been given to the council, ownership of the video transfers to the council and the council may edit the video
• That you do not expect to be reimbursed for your time or expenses in creating the video
• That if anyone under the age of 18 is shown in the video, you will receive written permission from the parent for their child to be included in the video and the written permission is transferred to the council with the video
Scouting Advancement can still happen from home!
Remember, Scouts still need their Unit Leader’s approval to start working on a Merit Badge, and Youth Protection policies must be observed even in a digital setting.
Online Merit Badge Opportunities:
This is a great time to encourage Scouts to complete their Cyber Chip!
FEATURED KNOTS AND CAMPCRAFTS VIDEO
Click here for more Knots & Campcraft skills videos from national
Looking for other free resources for youth? Here are just a few:
National Geographics Kids: Activities and quizzes for younger kids
Duolingo: Learn languages for free
Mystery Science: Free science lessons
The Kids Should See This: Wide range of cool educational videos
For more information and activities check the scouting at home link regularly, and let your friends know about these great options for at-home fun and learning for Scouting families and non-Scouting families alike.
LDS Relations
Our Path Forward
For more than a century, Boy Scouts of America and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have worked together to instill character, citizenship and fitness in young people. Through the Church of Jesus Christ, millions of young people have been part of the Scouting adventure. For those families, Scouting is more than an activity – it’s a legacy. As of December 31, 2019, the formal partnership with the Church will come to an end, but your Scouting journey can continue!
This page will provide the latest tools and updates as you and your family transition to other Scouting units so they can continue the Scouting journey!
On behalf of Charles Dahlquist
Dear Scouting Friends,
On January 1, 2020, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints concluded its 106 year partnership with the Boy Scouts of America. However, throughout the country there are thousands of Latter-day Saint Scouts, adults leaders and Scouting families who have expressed a desire to continue their Scouting Adventure.
We would like to extend an invitation to you and others within your council to join us this summer at Philmont for Vision 2020. It will be held Saturday, June 13th – Saturday, June 20th, 2020. It is designed to help Council and District Key 3s, officers, Board members and other Scouting leaders:
Effectively identify Latter-day Saint youth, leaders and Scouting families who desire to continue their Scouting Adventure;
Find new charter organizations within their council boundaries;
Start a Scouting unit to meet the needs of Latter-day Saint youth and families desiring to have a Scouting experience;
Strengthen new units, including organizing unit committees, recruiting more youth, training adult and youth leaders, holding effective fund raisers, developing an annual plan, and learning other skills necessary to continue in Scouting
Understand how Scouting supports and positively impacts a Latter-day Saint youth’s participation in the Church’s new program for children and youth
Understand the impact an effective Commissioner Service Team can have in strengthening new units serving Latter-day Saint youth, including having a strong cadre of New Unit Commissioners;
Understand the new and exciting Vanguard International Scouting Association, an independent organization approved by the Boy Scouts of America to serve the needs of Latter-day Saints in Scouting worldwide – including learning how to become a part of Vanguard International;
Understand how to help youth and adults earn the new and exciting religious awards for Latter-day Saint Scouters;
Learn how Latter-day Saint youth are now involved in packs and troops much larger and much more active in teaching Scouting skills and leadership than ever before;
Understand how to identify and effectively utilize social media and other community and internet resources to effectively market Scouting in your area and identify those Latter-day Saint families interested in giving their youth a Scouting experience; and
Much, much, more!
Attached is a flyer and here is a promotional video:
In addition, spend a wonderful week in the shadow of the Sangre de Cristo mountains enjoy the company of other Latter-day Saint families learning about Scouting, sharing spiritual experiences, spending wonderful family time, enjoying the spectacular sunsets and meeting new acquaintances that will last a lifetime – all in the beautiful setting of the Philmont Training Center. For those who have experienced the Philmont Training Center in the past, it has become one of their most memorable family vacations – as Scouters learn about Scouting, spouses have a wonderful “Silverado” activity program including some much-needed quiet time (always an option at the PTC) and all enjoy being together as a family. Plus, you can learn to carve Bolos with the skilled Gary and Laura Dollar, see the beautiful new Scouting Museum located right next to the Philmont Training Center, participate in the Family Parade at Family Home Evening – and a hundred other wonderful activities at Philmont Scout Ranch.
Register Here
Dear Scouting Families of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, please take the survey through the link below, to help us help you find a Scouting home:
tinyurl.com/MSCLDSOutreach
Can my family continue in Scouting? (click on the following links to view youtube video)
Still Scouting: Mark and Nettie Francis
Join Mark and Nettie Francis as they share key reasons why their family will “Still be Scouting” in 2020 and beyond!
Charles Dahlquist discusses changes to the relationship between the BSA and the Church of Jesus Christ and how Scouting families will be continuing with Scouting.
Still Scouting: 2020 and Beyond
Will your troop or pack close at the end of this year? Does your family plan to still be Scouting in 2020? Join Charles Dahlquist and Mark and Nettie Francis..
The Path Forward: The BSA and the Church of Jesus Christ
Charles Dahlquist discusses changes to the relationship between the BSA and the Church of Jesus Christ and how Scouting families will be continuing with Scou…
New Children and Youth Initiative
With the introduction of the new Children and Youth Initiative by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on September 29, 2019, we are excited to share with families how participation in Scouting can be a part of the goals set by children and youth. The images below demonstrate how a youth or child participating in the new Church initiative can select Scouting activities in the areas of Personal Development as well as Service and Activities. As always, the values of Scouting combined with the structure of the Church can help our children and youth stay focused on the Savior and “become men and women of integrity.”
Please visit this link to see the Children and Youth Introductory Video:
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/youth/childrenandyouth/children-and-youth-introductory-video-broadcast?lang=eng
Children and Youth Introductory Video Broadcast
Stories and experiences from test stakes are shared. Parents and leaders are encouraged to read An Introductory Guide for Parents and Leaders, to counsel with their children and youth to discover the areas of growth and learning they are interested in, and to look forward to the November 17 Face to Face event with Elder Gerrit W. Gong.
Building Resiliency in Youth
In the September 2019 issue of the Ensign, there are several articles related “Raising Resilient Children”. In an article titled “Resilience – Spiritual Armor for Today’s Youth”, Elder Robbins describes the need to strengthen our youth so they are more likely to finish a tough first year of college, or complete a full term of missionary service.
Resiliency can come through doing hard things, such as meeting a demanding work schedule while attending High School, or trying new things, such as mastering a musical instrument or team sport. Inherent in the Scouting process are many opportunities to develop resiliency, such as completing a week-long backpacking trip, or navigating the process to become an Eagle Scout. Completing four years of seminary will help our youth develop resilient testimonies of Jesus Christ and His restored Church.
Resilience—Spiritual Armor for Today’s Youth
Charity (giving someone a fish) and self-reliance (teaching someone the art of fishing) also apply to parenting. We could make every decision for our children, but it would be wiser to teach them the art of decision-making and thus help them become intellectually, spiritually, socially, and emotionally self-reliant.
Questions & Answers
Can my child continue in Scouting?
Yes! There are Cub Scout packs, Scout troops, Venturing crews and Sea Scout ships chartered by community and religious organizations in your area. Contact the Midnight Sun Council at 907-452-1976 to find out where you can join or start a unit of your own!
Can we be involved in both Church and Scouting activities?
Of course! In fact, the Tufts study found that sports and Scouting are a powerful driver of character development in young people. Additionally, the Baylor study “Merit Beyond the Badge” showed that Eagle Scouts had a greater connection to religious community.
Is Family Scouting available to us?
Yes! Scouting has always been a family activity. In fact, Cub Scouting now offers separate dens for girls and boys, and Scouting-age youth will have opportunities in single-gender troops beginning February 1, 2019.
Why should I continue?
Since the Scouting values, character and leadership training you have come to know are now available for your entire family, Scouting can continue to prepare your child to do hard things, set goals, earn the Eagle rank, prepare for a mission and serve our nation.
How can I help? Can I still serve?
There are many ways that you can help Scouting in your area. Whether you are volunteering directly with Scouts or helping out behind the scenes, you can make an impact on the lives of Scouts by volunteering your time.
Assisting directly with the Scouts on an ongoing basis
- Leader (Cubmaster, Den leader, Scoutmaster, Venturing crew Advisor)
- Assistant leader
- Board of review coordinator/member
- Court of honor coordinator/member
Helping directly with the Scouts in specific events or activities
- Event coordinator/event committee member
- Pinewood derby coordinator/committee member
- Service project coordinator/committee member
- Camping trip participant
- Banquet coordinator/committee member
- Day camp coordinator/participant
- Summer camp coordinator/participant/promotion
- Merit badge counselor
Support: Administrative Role
- Advancement committee chair/member
- Communications committee chair/committee member (Webmaster, PR, newsletter)
- Secretary: record keeping, meeting minutes, annual recharter activities
- Treasurer/assistant treasurer
- Youth Protection training coordinator
- Life to Eagle coordinator
- Merit badge coordinator
- District Committee
Support: Other
- Chartered organization representative
- Friends of Scouting coordinator (fund-raising)
- Unit committee chair/member
- Unit youth recruiter
- Product sales committee coordinator/member
- Promoter of district/council events to parents
- Religious award committee coordinator/member
- Trainer
- District/council committee member
- Transportation coordinator
- Historian
- Quartermaster
- Unit Commissioner
How can I find a new unit to join?
Call (907) 452-1976 or contact a local unit directly:
What if i still have additional questions?
Chat with us:
E-mail robert.stewart@scouting.org .
Call (907) 452-1976.
Come visit us at our Council Service Center. 1400 Gillam Way, Fairbanks, AK 99701
