CategoriesCouncil Resources by

Update to Scouts BSA joining requirements

Update to Scouts BSA joining requirements opens the door to more young people

While Scouts love to climb mountains and hike across rugged terrain, their path to joining Scouts BSA shouldn’t be met with similarly daunting obstacles. To that end, a change to the Scouts BSA joining requirements will make it easier for young people to join a troop alongside their friends and classmates.

Effective April 18, 2022, the Scouts BSA joining requirements have changed. They now state that a young person can be a member of Scouts BSA if they meet any of these requirements below.

 

New Scouts BSA joining requirements (effective April 18, 2022)

  • At least 10 years old, currently in the fifth grade and register on or after March 1

or

  • At least 10 years old and have earned the Arrow of Light Award 

or

  • At least 11 years old (but not yet 18)

 

As a reminder, the previous joining requirements stated that a young person could be a Scouts BSA member if they met any of the requirements below.

Old Scouts BSA joining requirements (prior to April 18, 2022)

  • At least 10 years old and have completed the fifth grade

or

  • At least 10 years old and have earned the Arrow of Light Award

or

  • At least 11 years old (but not yet 18)

 

In comparing the two sets of bullets, you can see that the change primarily applies to young people who are still in the fifth grade. Thanks to the change, a 10-year-old who wants to join a Scouts BSA troop in March of their fifth grade year (or beyond) is welcome to do so.

 

An option to cross over

Some parents might wonder whether a Cub Scout working on Arrow of Light must move to a Scouts BSA troop if they turn 11 but haven’t finished the rank.
The answer is no. The pack can continue to work on rank advancement as normal and move the Scout into a troop when they complete the rank or at the regular program roll-up in June.
In other words, the only mandatory crossover is when they have completed the fifth grade. Like all the other ranks in Cub Scouting, once school ends, the Cub Scout is now the next rank.

CategoriesSupport by

Legends & Heroes Banquet

Legends and Hero’s Award Banquet UPDATE!! 

Due to unfortunate circumstances that are beyond our control, and after months of hard work by the volunteer committee. We MUST postpone our Legends & Heroes Award Banquet honoring Bryce Ward to a future date. The award banquet was scheduled for May 22nd with an expected 250 in attendance, multiple sponsorships, and an outpouring of support for 30 desserts from bakers across the Interior willing to help and give to a great cause.

 

It weighs heavy on our hearts to miss this chance to recognize a hero born and raised right here in the Interior. The development also leaves a financial burden on the interior youth and Alaskan Scouting to find the funding required to deliver the program expected from the event.

 

We would like to take this time to remind everyone that our program is funded from local donations and every single dollar raised stays here and benefits the local youth. If you would like to donate to the Midnight Sun Council to help provide program supplies for kids at summer camp, please call (907) 452 -1976 or you can visit our donate button from Facebook.

 

You may direct any questions to CJ Stewart, Stephen Smith or Stacy Brandon at the Earl and Pat Cook Council Service Center at 907-452-1976

 

CategoriesBlog by

50th Anniversary EPA Award Reaches Conclusion

 

As part of the Environmental Protection Agency’s 50th anniversary in 2021, the Boy Scouts of America and the EPA partnered to create an award for members of troops, crews and ships. 

The objective of the EPA award was to combine a variety of disciplines to challenge and educate youth; introduce them to the breadth of the EPA’s involvement in environmental protection and conservation; and encourage them to research, investigate, experiment, demonstrate, survey, and study air pollution, water pollution, solid and hazardous waste, and ocean dumping. 

As planned, the award program was available from January 1 – December 31, 2021, and has now concluded. Scouts who earned the award during 2021 can still order their award from National Supply until March 31, 2022. 

CategoriesMidnight Sun Council by

Clarification – Eagle Scout Requirements – Citizenship in Society

Citizen in Society MB
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. 

CategoriesTraining by

Introduction to Leadership Skills for Crews (ILSC)

Introduction to Leadership Skills for Crews (ILSC) Has Been Updated! 

The Introduction to Leadership Skills for Crews Course (ILSC) has been created to help Venturers learn and practice the attitudes and skills that good leaders demonstrate. The course is a series of lessons divided into three modules: Leading Self, Leading Others, and Leading Crews. The syllabus contains six and a half hours of instruction, but a course’s length may vary depending on facilitators’ choice of games, the content chosen for more extensive discussion, and the needs of the crew. 
 
Completion of ILSC is a prerequisite for Venturers to participate in the more advanced leadership courses, such as National Youth Leadership Training (NYLT), National Advanced Youth Leadership Experience (NAYLE) and Kodiak. 
 
The 2021 Revision of Introduction to Leadership Skills for Crews (ILSC) instructor-led course includes the following major changes: 
• This version of ILSC was reviewed by the NYLT task force to ensure that it was compatible with the new NYLT syllabus. 
• Course format revised to make it easier to read online or as a downloaded document. 
• EDGE is now referred to as Scouting EDGE to align with NYLT during the Team Development session. 
• Leadership tied to the Venturing motto “Lead the Adventure.” 
• Venturing terminology updated. 
• Vision session revised to align with NYLT “Start with Why” (reference to mission statement eliminated). 
• Distinction between delegating and tasking added to the session on delegating. 
• Session on calendaring (time management) added. 
• Session on keeping the crew on task added. 
• New games/activities with options added (a few activities were “retired”). 
• Feedback from Venturers included as sidebars. 
The updated material can be found at https://www.scouting.org/training/youth/.  
 
Questions? Email Kathy.Craig@scouting.org.  
 
CategoriesTraining by

Online Training for Distinguished Conservation Service Award

New Online Training for Distinguished Conservation Service Award

In response to the needs of Scouts working toward the BSA Distinguished Conservation Service Award, Scouting U and the Outdoor Programs Team have released a new training program for BSA Distinguished Conservation Service Award Advisors and Council Conservation Committee members. This training will only be available online.

These new training programs are available by logging onto https://my.scouting.org and launching the BSA Learn Center.

When the Learn Center opens, you can search the catalog and select the DCSA Advisor/Committee Training Learning Plan.

The eight courses in the Learning Plan are arranged in order of completion (top to bottom) to allow the participant to complete the 2-hour training program in segments, making it easier to complete.

Completion of this training will award training code H114 – BSA DCSA Adviser/Committee Member, which is required to be an advisor or committee member that guides Scouts to a higher level of service, while also guiding them to a higher level of success in the completion of their projects.

CategoriesSupport by

Camper Auction

 

Great News!

The Midnight Sun Council has been gifted a 28ft bumper pull camper trailer! This 2008 SPREE is in great shape as everything works as it should and the roof has no leaks! It even comes with a weight distribution hitch! Unfortunately, we are unable to use it for Scouting programs and events. With the donors blessing, we have decided to hold an auction to find a new home for this camper. The proceeds will be used to support our Scouting program. 

 

THANK YOU TO LAST FRONTIER AUCTION 

for donating their services to promote and manage the auction!

Anyone who wishes to bid on the trailer need to visit their website and click the online auction button or download their app (APP available on Google or Apple under Last Frontier Auction). For your convenience the direct link to the auction is below. 

Bidders will need to register and part of the registration process is providing a credit card. However in order to raise the most funds, it is stated in the rules that the successful bidder will be given the option to pay via cash, certified funds, or a credit card (4% processing fee).  

2021Camperauction  2021Camperauction1

2021Camperauction2    2021Camperauction2

2021Camperauction4

 
If you are interested in looking at the camper trailer it is located at the Midnight Sun Council Boy Scout office
at 1400 Gillam Way in Fairbanks.
The camper can be unlocked for viewing during our normal business hours 9am till 5pm M-F
  
Minimum reserve must be met
Bidding starts at $5000
 
If you like what you see please place your bid at
 
Last Frontier Auction and Sales (bidwrangler.com)
 
Bidding ends December 8th at 8pm.
Winning bid will be announced during our 38th Annual Distinguished Citizens Award Banquet that evening.
 
CategoriesCouncil Resources by

Hazardous Weather Training Expiration Emails

New My.Scouting Hazardous Weather Training Expiration E-mails

For direct contact leaders, staying current on Hazardous Weather Training is an important part of offering a safe Scouting program and needs to be renewed every 2 years.

Like Youth Protection Mandatory Training, My.Scouting will now provide notification e-mails at 14-30-60-90-day intervals prior to expiring. Upon expiration of a person’s training, an e-mail will also be sent.

These notifications are important. Knowing how to recognize and manage weather and environmental risks is key to keeping our participants SAFE in Scouting’s outdoor classroom.

Please take the time before you venture out on your next outdoor adventure and update your training by going to https://my.scouting.org/ and then selecting the BSA Learn Center. You can quickly access the course in the Learn Center by selecting My Learning and typing “hazardous weather” in the search box. Clicking the “Retake” button will take you to the course so you can “Start Again” and complete it to update your training record in My.Scouting.

Thank you for all you do in serving youth and keeping Scouting safe!

click here for Hazardous Weather Training – BSA website

CategoriesMidnight Sun Council by

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.

lone scout 002
• 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.

Cub Scouts rockets 1

 

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