HA Staff application
Join Our Northern Lights High Adventure Staff!
Are you over 18, passionate about the outdoors, and eager for a summer filled with adventure?
The Midnight Sun Council is excited to announce staffing opportunities for our Northern Lights High Adventure program!
We’re looking for dedicated individuals with experience in trekking, canoeing, and wilderness guiding. If you hold special certifications in these areas, we want to hear from you!
This is a rewarding opportunity to immerse yourself in the breathtaking Alaskan wilderness while guiding scouts through incredible outdoor experiences. However, we want to be upfront: this role will involve hard work, long days, and modest pay. You will be challenged both physically and mentally, but the fulfillment that comes from teaching and leading young adventurers is truly unparalleled.
Working with the Northern Lights High Adventure program means you’ll be part of a supportive team, creating memories that last a lifetime—not just for the scouts, but for you as well. This is your chance to explore some of the most stunning landscapes Alaska has to offer while making a real impact on the lives of young people.
If you’re ready to embrace the challenge and adventure of a lifetime, apply to be part of our Northern Lights High Adventure staff this summer!
To apply, please fill out the form below:
High Adventure Staff application
We look forward to your application and hope to see you this summer!
Black Pug Registration / FAQs for Resident Camp
Camp Reservation System: Creating and Editing your Profile
Setting up your Account – For Unit Leaders
*If you created an account for a prior council event, use that account. If you forgot your password, reset password.
Creating an account allows you to add your roster and keep that roster for future events to register quickly.
Registering For Events—For Unit Leaders
Starting a Registration: https://youtu.be/6WedI9ASv-Q
Completing a Registration: https://youtu.be/cWKUAG3H8cE
When you register for an event, you may notice that it first asks you for a Registration Contact.
This person is in charge of, or responsible for, that registration. Usually a parent or Unit Leader serves as the
Registration Contact, even if they are not necessarily attending the event.
Adding attendee information comes next, and these are all the people attending the event.
Registration Contact info is sometimes pre-filled for an adult slot since, most of the time, they are also
attending the event.
Some Registration Contact information is applied to all the attendees, like unit type and number, even though
you may not see it. For example, if you choose Troop 489 on the Registration Contact info page, that applies to
everyone on the registration unless asked specifically on an attendee. This is so you don’t have to choose the
unit type and number for each Scout.
Using the Parent Portal
Parent Portal: Unit Leader’s Guide https://youtu.be/RBJmmnQuSo4
• Leaders: Please make sure you mark “Prevent parents from making payments”
• If parents want to pay online, they can use the links below.
Parent Portal Guide for Parents https://youtu.be/-Fimdr9O63I
To make a camp payment online:
o Midnight Sun Council: ResidentCamp Scout Payment
o Out of Council: ResidentCamp – Out of Council Scout Payment
Thank you, unit leaders and parents, for your patience as we learn to get our registrations online with Black Pug this year!
Black Pug Registration Questions: Contact Jodi Tansky 907-699-1409 or jodi.tansky@gmail.com
HA Trek Manual
Northern Lights High Adventure Base Treks
The premier Alaskan High Adventure outdoor experience for scouts.
Backpacking, hiking, canoeing, fishing and more!
Thank you for your interest in the programs of the Northern Lights High Adventure Base. The Midnight Sun Council, Boy Scouts of America, based in Fairbanks, Alaska, operates the Base.
The mission of the Base is to provide a remote outdoor experience to youth and adults within the Scouting program.
Things to consider when thinking about a trip of a lifetime to Alaska:
1. Alaska is twice the size of the state of Texas. It may look small on a map and the distance between two points may not appear to be that much, but rest assured it is— and there may not be a road to it.
2. The Northern Lights High Adventure Base does not provide support to units that have not booked their Alaska trip through the Base. If you would like to customize your trip, please let the Base do it for you. That’s what we do best.
3. The Base provides the following services for each trip; transfer to and from the airport (Fairbanks International Airport), all ground transportation, meals, most specialized equipment, camp stoves, drivers, and Trek Leaders. You will need to provide your own personal gear, tentage, water filters, and something to eat with.
4. The mission of the Northern Lights High Adventure Base is to provide a high adventure experience to the youth in the Scouting program. While we encourage parents to participate with their sons or daughters, the trips need to have 51% youth.
5. Travel days do not/are not counted in those days. Your unit can extend a trip by adding an additional week. Some units use this extra time to see Denali National Park, hike Gates of the Arctic National Park, float the Yukon River, or tour Alaska.
6. To secure your space for a trek, a deposit is required (amount depends on the trek). Half of the remaining amount is due February 1st of the year you are attending. The balance is due by June 1st, or 30 days prior to your trek, whichever is earlier.
After you have viewed all the available information on our website and have any other questions, or would like to discuss a trek in detail, please call us at 907-452-1976 or email to Stephen.Smith@scouting.org
Ready to Plan a Trek?
The first step to planning your Northern Lights High Adventure Expedition is to answer the following questions:
1) Which trek do we want to attend? See “Treks” tab on Top Menu for more information on the treks.
2) What day do we want to arrive? Arrival dates are flexible on a first come, first serve basis.
3) How long of a trip do we want? From 3 days to 3 weeks we have an option for you!
4) How many crews will we need? Some trips are restricted in size due to land use permits. See the “Fee” section in the “FAQ/Planning your trip” tab for more details.
Once you have answered all of the above questions, contact NLHA to make your reservation.
Upcoming Changes to Calendar in Scoutbook
As of Thursday, April 4, 2024, Scoutbook will redirect all calendar functionality to advancements.scouting.org, also known as Scoutbook Plus Internet Advancement.
This change is part of the migration of Scoutbook to Scoutbook Plus Internet Advancement due to the fact that Scoutbook is built on old classic ASP (Application Service Provider) which offers application services over the internet and needs to be retired.
Users have been given the opportunity to experience the new calendar since October 2023 by going directly to advancements.scouting.org. By providing calendar functionality in both platforms, developers have been able to receive and implement feedback while the old Scoutbook calendar was still in use.
The new calendar has added features such as the following:
-The ability to create recurring events such as unit, patrol, den, and committee meetings.
-Users can generate activity logs from events prefilled with event information
-An html editor for event descriptions
-An automatic update of event invitees when members join or leave a unit (available when Scoutbook calendar is fully retired)
-Quick entry for invitation and attendance
A user guide is available at Using Scoutbook Plus Internet Advancement Calendar (IA) – Scoutbook Knowledge Base (scouting.org)
A link will still be available to the Scoutbook Calendar (old) for a short time to assist users with the transition. Users can report issues with the calendar at Latest Scoutbook/New Calendar Bugs topics – Scouting Forums where experienced users with the new calendar are available to help troubleshoot.
University of Scouting
University of Scouting – Save the Date
October 5, 2024
The Fall edition of University of Scouting will include in-person position specific training (also offered online) and supplemental trainings.
The course list will be released soon.
Trainings for Cub Scout Leaders will be in the morning and Trainings for Troops will be featured in the afternoon following the Freeze Up Canoe Race.
Intro to Outdoor Leadership Skills (IOLS)
Intro
to
Outdoor
Leadership
Skills
Date: September 27 – 28, 2024
Place: Fort Wainwright
IOLS will be held in conjunction with Fall Camporee. This is the in-person training portion that Scoutmasters and Assistant Scoutmasters need to be fully trained.
It will begin Friday evening and end on Saturday. There will be time built into the class so you may be able to watch elements of the Amazing Race.
If you are planning to attend, please email snoaps@mail.gvsu.edu.
Registration will be available soon
but we do need to collect full names, DOB and phone numbers ASAP
so we can get your information to Fort Wainwright.
From the Course Syllabus: Specifically, this hands-on program gives adult leaders a practical introduction to the patrol method of a Scout-led troop by teaching many of the practical outdoor skills they need to lead Scouts in the out-of-doors. In addition, the teaching methods, activities, and games model the variety of teaching used in effective and engaging Scouting programs.
Participating troop leadership should include the Scoutmaster, all assistant Scoutmasters, interested troop committee members, and new adult leaders from Webelo’s graduation and round-ups.
This course is REQUIRED to be considered fully trained in a Scoutmaster/Assistant Scoutmaster position, in addition to the specific leader training for your position.
Fall Camporee
2024 Fall Camporee
Amazing Race Camporee!
Scouts will race in patrols to complete eight different Scout skills and try to be the first to cross the finish line.
To be able to get access to Fort Wainwright we
MUST HAVE ALL ADULTS
to be registered with Full Name and DOB!
NO EXEPTIONS!
Final Day for Registration is September 24, 2024
When: September 27th – 29th, 2024
Where: Glass Park, Fort Wainwright, Alaska (directions forthcoming in Leaders’ Guide and via Scoutmaster email correspondence)
Early Bird Registration: $20 until 9/18/2024
Regular Rate: $25 from 9/19/2024 – 9/24/2024
click here to register for this event
click here to view/download 2024 Fall Camporee Leaders Guide
MSC Merit Badge Day
2024 Scout BSA AVIATION Merit Badge and Medical Merit Badge Days!
