Trail Notes
January 2014
In this Issue...
2015 World Jamboree needs adult leaders!

The 23rd World Scout Jamboree will be taking place from July 28 to August 8, 2015 in Yamaguchi City in southern Japan. More than 30,000 Scouts and Scout leaders from over 160 countries are expected to attend, and of course the Boy Scouts of America is planning to send a contingent from the United States.

While the application system for Scouts is not yet open, the Northeast Region of the BSA is currently accepting applications from adults interested in serving as troop or crew leaders. Applications are due February 15 and can be submitted by e-mail. This deadline is for part one of the process, and no payment is required with the initial application.

Click here for links to the World Jamboree brochure, the adult leader application, and contact information for the BSA Northeast Region World Scout Jamboree coordinator.

More information about the Jamboree will be available soon at www.scouting.org/worldjamboree.

Council Program Committees Meeting

If you are a member of your district's training, advancement, camping, or activities committee, you are encouraged to participate in the coordinated Council Program Committee Meetings. There is a meeting of this group Tuesday, January 28 at 7:00 PM at the NH Fire Academy, 98 Smokey Bear Blvd, Concord. This gathering happens every other month. This is a an important meeting where representatives of the key program committees from every district get together to share ideas and plan ways to support the Scouting youth and volunteers around the council. For more information, contact John Rainville, Council Program Director.

Last Chance to Submit Silver Beaver Award Nominations!

The Silver Beaver Award was introduced in 1931 to recognize Scouting volunteers with a record of distinguished service at the council level. Recipients of the Silver Beaver are registered Scouters who have made a tremendous impact on the lives of youth through years of service above and beyond involvement in a single Scouting unit. Daniel Webster Council is now accepting nominations of deserving Scouters who are at least 21 years of age. There are no other specific criteria beyond being a registered Scouter and providing service at the council level, but recipients are selected by a volunteer committee based on their record of service and standing in the community.

If you would like to nominate someone, please fill out a nomination form  and submit it to Daniel Webster Council, care of Dave Roberts, Director of Support Services, no later than January 31, 2014. Please do not inform an individual of their nomination. Recipients will be selected and notified in time to receive the award at the Council Recognition Dinner in the spring.

Congratulations Cub Scout Membership Achievers!

 Congratulations to all the packs listed below that had succcessful fall round-ups and achieved their recruiting goals to qualify for the "Camping Rollback" incentive. This success has not only introduced more youth to the benefits of the Scouting program, but it will enable all Scouts from these packs to attend summer camp this summer at last year's prices!

The research shows that Scouts who attend summer camp stay in Scouting longer, and the longer a Scout stays in Scouting, the better prepared he is for success. Be sure to encourage your Scouts and their families to include camp in their summer plans!

Here is the list of packs who met their membership goal for 2013. Join us in congratulating them all!

District Pack District Pack
Abnaki 53  Massabesic 92
" 155 " 118
" 186 " 292
" 198 Mt. Monadnock 73
" 234 " 297
" 235 Nutfield 4442
" 237 " 605
Arrowhead 4 " 263
" 20 Sunapee 31
" 272 " 38
" 525 " 71
" 613 " 276
Great Northern 203 " 316
" 204 Wannalancit 55
" 205 " 77
" 220 " 242
" 224 " 296
" 233 " 842
Historic 268    
" 312    
" 201    
Museum of Science Cub Scout Overnights

Dates are still available for your Cub Scout pack to spend an exciting night at the Museum of Science in Boston!

The museum provides a program of hands-on activities, exciting demonstrations, an Omni-film, after-hours access, and a sleep-over in the exhibit halls. Cost is just $55 per person, including evening snack and breakfast. Spaces are limited. E-mail Valerie Whatmough or call 1-800-221-0009 ext. 116 to make your pack's reservations today!

Manchester Monarchs February Scout Day

The Manchester Monarchs are offering another great opportunity this season for Scouts and their friends and families to see a game at discount rates and get a collectible Monarch's patch.

  • Sunday, February 16 – 3:00 PM game against the St. John's IceCaps.

Visit www.nhscouting.org/monarchs for more info and ticket sales. DEADLINE for ordering for the February game is Wednesday, February 12!

Summer Camp Promotion

Now is the time to get Scouts and their parents committed to attend summer camp in 2014! To help packs, troops, and crews get the word out, district camping committees and the Order of the Arrow will provide trained camp promoters to make presentations at unit meetings or other gatherings.

Visit www.nhscouting.org/camping and click on the "Camp Promotion" tab in the blue menu bar to request a camp promotion for your unit. Even if you attend camp every year, it's important to have a camp promoter visit your unit to share the latest information and help you build excitement!

Cub Scout leaders can also request promotional placemats to use at Blue & Gold Banquets through the Camp Promotion tab. The Council Service Center will produce these themed 8.5" x 14" placemats featuring all the Cub Camping options, dates, and fees for your unit at no cost. Request yours early and they can be delivered to you at your next Roundtable! The placemats are a great way to get details about camp to the parents of Cub Scouts so that they can make their decisions about camp in time to make early deposits by March 17. This will secure the lowest possible camp fees!

Cub Scout Summer Camp Rally

If you will be attending Camp Carpenter Cub World this summer as a leader or a parent volunteer, or you are serving as "Camp Coordinator" for your pack, you'll want to attend the Cub Scout Camp Rally on Saturday, March 22, from 10:00 to 11:30 AM at Camp Carpenter.

This will be your chance to meet key camp staff and learn about what you should be doing between now and camp to be prepared. All your questions about paperwork and the summer camp program will be answered!

There is no cost to attend, but please RSVP at www.nhscouting.org/cubrally

Summer Camp Staff Positions Available

Both Griswold Scout Reservation and Camp Carpenter Cub World are always on the look-out for talented, energetic individuals age 15 and up to join the teams that deliver our fantastic summer camp programs. If you or someone you know is interested in working at camp this summer, visit www.nhscouting.org/camping and click on "Employment Opportunities" to download a staff application and learn about the process of applying for a camp staff position.

Camp Card Sale - Raise Money for Summer Camp!

The 2014 Camp Card sale will be coming soon! Last year, Scouts earned over $30,000 to support their summer camping participation. Businesses already confirmed for this year's card are:  Tire Warehouse, New Hampshire Motor Speedway (new this year!) and Subway (expanded to include all NH locations). Updates will be available soon and cards will be available in March.

Continuing for 2014: Scouts that sell 200 cards will get to keep their commission and go to camp for the cost of the March deposit. Don't miss out on this year's sale! 

Visit www.nhscouting.org/campcards to place your unit's pre-order and learn more about the sale.

Friends of Scouting

The 2014 Friends of Scouting campaign is now underway. Friends of Scouting is a critical annual giving campaign that gives Scouters, parents, alumni, and community members the opportunity to financially support Scouting. Investments made through the campaign assist the Daniel Webster Council in offsetting program costs and providing quality service. The true cost of Scouting is much greater than what local dues and event or camping fees cover.

Yearly registration fees directly support the National Council of the Boy Scouts of America and help provide program development and research, literature, and local council support. The Daniel Webster Council uses contributions made through the annual Friends of Scouting campaign to:

  • Maintain camp properties and a service center.
  • Organize new Scouting units and support existing ones.
  • Provide professional support and leader training.
  • Distribute program resources and regular communications.
  • Organize activities and events.
  • Offset general liability insurance costs to chartered organizations.
  • Criminal background checks for adult leaders.

Each unit is asked to schedule a presentation date for this campaign during the months of January, February and March. If your unit hasn't scheduled a presentation yet, please firm-up a date ASAP so district volunteers to have enough time to plan for the campaign. Your unit FOS coordinator may schedule a presentation through the council website or by contacting your district Family FOS chair or your district professional.

For more information about Friends of Scouting and to see the 2014 donor recognition patches, please visit www.nhscouting.org/fos

Thank you for your support!

Commissioner Training

Unit Commissioner Basic Training  will be held at Camp Carpenter on Saturday, January 25 from 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM. This course is great for existing commissioners and other interested Scouters that may be interested in becoming a commissioner. Click on the link above for more information and to register.

Commissioners are district and council leaders who help Scout units succeed. They coach and consult with adult leaders of Cub Scout packs, Boy Scout troops, and Venturing crews. Commissioners help maintain the standards of the Boy Scouts of America. They also oversee the unit charter renewal plan so that each unit reregisters on time with an optimum number of youth and adult members.

The Griswold Gazette

If you are looking to stay up-to-date on all the information about Griswold Scout Reservation, including the best ways to be prepared for summer camp at Hidden Valley or Camp Bell, make sure you are subscribed to the "Griswold Gatteze" electronic newsletter. Click here for instructions on how to sign up!

Scout Shabbat February 7

A Scout is reverent! The Jewish Committe on Scouting and Temple Emanu-El in Haverhill, MA is sponsoring an opportunity for Scouts of all faiths to participate in a traditional Jewish religious service during Scouting Anniversary week on Friday, February 7. Scouts who register in advance will receive a patch and refreshments will be served after the service. Click here for details and a link to register.

District News

Click on your district for the latest news and events in your area. If you're not sure of your district, please click here

Camp Rangers' Corner

The Rangers' Corner will be a new feature in the monthly Trail Notes newsletter to keep you connected to the hard-working individuals who keep the council's camp properties and facilites open year-round to support Scouting in New Hampshire. This month: An update from Bryan Boyajian, Head Ranger at Griswold Scout Reservation...

Winter is building season at GSR! Once summer camp ends and things are packed away for the winter, we get busy with the Properties Committee to build the things needed for the upcomming season! This past Saturday, we had nearly 20 volunteers pitch-in to build six dock sections and two swimming rafts for the main waterfront at Hidden Valley. Being exposed to full sunlight and floating in a lake 3 months out of every year (while supporting thousands of Scouts getting in and out of the water) take their toll on floating docks. It's an ongoing project to repair and replace dock sections so the waterfront remains safe each summer, and we're grateful to the volunteers who give their time and talent to help us keep up!

As you can see from the photo below, great progress has also been made by the contractor erecting the Camp Bell Safety Shelter that will support program on the Camp Bell campsite hill. Next step will be the installation of the metal roof. In the shop, we'll be working with the Property Committee and other volunteers to constuct benches / tables to furnish the shelter.

"Wish List": As you can imagine, there is always need for supplies and materials to help us maintain the property and make improvements for the future. Let me know via e-mail if you would be interested in donating material to support camp. We need to be strategic about accepting donations, so please check with us before bringing items to camp. A few items that we could put to use in the near future are listed below.

  • A quality snowblower in good working order
  • Lumber (especially pressure treated 2" x 12" planks) and 3/4" plywood. (Please note that we can not accept used/reclaimed lumber).
  • LED lightbulbs and LED floodlights
  • Propane fired direct vent unit heater  (+/- 15,000 BTU)

Thanks for keeping camp in mind!

Manchester Scout Shop News

WELCOME 2014! Another new year and a great time to stop into the Scout Shop and see what is new in the world of Scouting.  From clothing and uniforms to crafts and camping, we have what you need for your pack or troop.  We have new items coming in all of the time so stop in and see what you have been missing!  

The NEW Venturing pants are now in!  Come in and check them out.

Scout Sunday patches and neckerchiefs are in stock.

We have Pinewood Derby supplies!  Kits, weights, decals and tools are all in stock to help you in the big race.  Come in and see what is new in the world of Pinewood Derby.  We also have a scale on hand to help you with that final weigh in.

We have Blue and Gold supplies!  Come in and see what we have in the way of decorations for your Blue and Gold ceremony.

Finally, don’t forget to recognize your leaders!  We have a variety of items on hand to help you recognize your leaders for all of the hard work they put in all year long.