April 2011 Newsletter

Scout-O-Rama We want to say a special thank you to everyone who came out to the 2011 Scout-O-Rama. We had a great turn out and we appreciate everyone’s support and enthusiasm during the event. Mark your calendars now for the 2012 Scout-O-Rama on April 14th. With your help and support, we will continue to put on a first class show for scouts and the community to enjoy. Thanks again!

Calling All Youth Eagle Scouts we want to invite you to breakfast April 27th You are hereby invited to be a part of the 2011 Friends of Scouting Breakfast, where you will be one of 101 Scouts carrying an American Flag in the opening ceremony. As our guest, please join us for breakfast where you will have an opportunity to talk with community leaders about what Scouting means to you, and what you hope to be able to give back to Scouting some day.   Please RSVP, including parents and/or Scout Leaders by clicking here. This will take you to the online form.   The Ceremony will be great, the food will be wonderful, and you will be awarded a commemorative patch to hang on your uniform. This is open to the Best 101 Scouts in the Council. Come in full uniform including your Merit Badge sash. Please forward this link to other youth Eagle Scouts so they can also participate in this historic event.   For more information contact Clint Lawton at clawton@bsamail.org

Spring Roundup  Spring is in the air and that means it's time to grow your unit. Each Scout should invite one friend to your next Scout Activity. On the west side of the state, there is an exciting recruiting tool. If you are in Firebird, Thunderbird, Lake Pleseant, Pueblo, or Camelback Districts click here for more information

Pay for Camp with Popcorn Camp is just around the corner, and Scouts can earn their way to camp by selling Trail's End online! 70% of every online sale goes to the Scout's unit and council in his name. The commission each Scout earns can be used to offset his camp fees. Bonus Giveaways From Trail's End!  Scouts, click here to sign into your account (or create an account), send emails, and track your online sales. There's even an email template you can send to your customers about earning your way to camp.   Leaders, click here to sign in and view your unit's online sales.

Prepare for your Scuba Diving Merit Badge Thank you to The Academy of Scuba for sponsoring the SCUBA diving merit badge this year.  Join us for our Try SCUBA sessions designed specifically for the Boy Scouts throughout the months of April and May.  Sign-up now and see how amazing the world beneath the sea really is.  Click here to view calendar of available dates. To register your troop together click here

Spring Triathlon April 23 The Spring Triathlon will be held on April 22rd and 23th 2011 in Pima AZ, (just like the last 3 years) Please put it on the Scout, Varsity, Venturing, Unit, Chartered Org., Stake and Ward calendars as well as in your own family calendars. The distances are as follows: Swim 75 yards, Bike 6 miles, and run 2 miles. Click to see ROUTE MAPS Click here to sign up

Plumbing Merit Badge May 14 There are still openings for the merit badge clinic next month. It is a great way to help the boys meet with experts in this field, for a hands on, unforgettable experience. Click here to register  Thank you to the Arizona P.I.P.E. fitters union for sponsoring the BSA this past year. If you know anyone that would like to sponsor an event or merit badge clinic please contact Clint Lawton @ clawton@bsamail.org

Archery Instructor Certification May 14 This course is sponsored by the BSA, Grand Canyon Council. Its audience are those interested in helping to staff Council authorized Archery programs. Certification is available for 15 year olds and up. As part of the course we will also look at the BSA Archery Merit Badge and Belt Loop and Pin programs. (Note that the Archery Belt Loop and Pin can only be earned at a BSA sponsored camp program).  To Register Click Here

Night at the Museum May 20   Attention Young Scientists:  Have an overnight adventure and earn a badge at the Arizona Science Center! Get a special tour of the cosmos in our planetarium and explore the hands-on galleries…after dark.    Cubs can earn the Science Belt Loop & Pin, while Webelos can earn the Scientist Badge. Badge work will be completed during this special Night at the Center.  Click here for more Information

Mountain Man Rendezvous May 26th-28th Did any Varsity Teams miss rendezvous a few weeks ago? You have a second chance. The Coronado District in Eastern Arizona is hosting an additional council wide rendezvous on Mt. Graham. Click here to sign up

WAC Baseball Tickets May 25th & 28th Cub Scouts & Boy Scouts 13 & under are invited to participate in two days worth of activities that are geared towards helping you obtain your Sportsman belt loop / patch. In addition to the many activities each participant will receive a commemorative patch & admission to two days of the WAC Baseball Tournament.  Click here for more information

SCUBA Merit Badge We are proud to offer the SCUBA diving merit badge through the Academy of SCUBA one of our great merit badge sponsors. This will be a series of clinics, beginning May 28th that will result in earning the merit badge & open water certification for SCUBA diving. Click here for more information.  Click here to register.

Commemorative Alumni Patches To be an alumni within our great organization says a lot about ones character. It shows continued dedication and devotion to the youth of America. To honor and hold the proud image as Scout Alumni we offer you a chance to invest in the limited edition alumni council patch. Click here to go directly to the GCC Alumni page & scroll down to purchase the patches.

Council Summer Programs As we continue to prepare for the 2011 Camp Season in the Council, we are all tasked with ensuring each scout has a quality experience. This is best achieved by using the Aims and Methods of Scouting; the principals that guide our great organization. The 3 Aims are Character, Citizenship, and Fitness. The 8 Methods of Scouting are: Scouting Ideals, Patrol Method, Outdoors, Advancement, Personal Growth, Adult Association, Leadership Development, and Uniforming.We all know the value of summer camp experiences for our scouts. Now is the time we need your help to deliver the promise of preparing our youth to be leaders of tomorrow. To see which units have registered for cub scout camps, click here. To see which units have registered for boy scout camps, click here. We need your help contacting the units that have not registered and encouraging them to provide the full scouting program to their youth with a summer camp experience. Share this list with your commissioners, committees, camping committee, round table leaders, and others who desire to see Scouting thrive for another 100 years. Getting our scouts to camp will only increase the value they receive from the Scouting program.

Cub Scout Summer Camps Cub Adventure Camp Join us for a few nights along the rim country. Camp R-C host the Cub Scout Resident Camp during the month of June. Scouts enjoy horseback rides, bb shooting, crawdad contests, and many other great activities.  Information can be found by clicking here.      Cub Scout Day Camp at the Heard Scout Pueblo Each summer, the Heard Scout Pueblo is home to the Cub Scout Day Camp. Scouts participate in a host of great activities including crafts, swimming, games and much more. This is a great camp for scouts looking for an introduction to the outdoor program.  Session 9 is co-ed this year. Bring your girls as well so that they can experience day camp and have fun this year. Hurry though!  Registration goes up to $90.00 after May 1st. To register, please click here.

Boy Scout Summer Camps Camp Geronimo Come and join your fellow scouts for a week of adventure at Camp Geronimo. Camp Geronimo is home to one of our overnight resident camps featuring horseback riding, a climbing tower, and a brand new nature lodge. Our staff is busily preparing for your scouts and we look forward to seeing you there. Please click here for more information. Camp Raymond Camp Raymond hosts our other boy scout resident camp outside of Parks, AZ (near Flagstaff). Each season, hundreds of scouts realize their dreams and potential through Camp Raymond’s outstanding programs including shot gun shooting, COPE, and a great lake facility. We are looking forward to seeing you there. For more information please click here. Aquatics Camp The Lake Pleasant Aquatics and Nature Camp is a boy scout day camp in the valley designed to expose scouts to water based merit badges while providing them a great opportunity to study the nature of the Phoenix area. Merit badges scouts may earn include small boat sailing, rowing, environmental science and archeology. In conjunction with the Maricopa County Desert Outdoor Center, scouts of all ages enjoy this great facility and program. Click here to register

Camperships The Campership Application Deadline is April 29th, 2011. You can fax, scan and email, or mail the form to our office. Likewise, boys of Native American heritage can apply for the Clancy Campership for summer camp. Please complete the online form here

NYLT May 30-June 3 The National Youth Leader Training Course is the best place for your scouts to learn about the patrol method and the boy run troop. The next course will occur on May 30-June 3 at Camp Geronimo. Click here for more information.

Fishing & Rifle Merit Badge Clinics June 4- July 10 We are proud to announce Bass Pro Shops has renewed its commitment to the Boy Scouts of America. During its Family Summer Camp promotion, which runs in its retail store. They will offer lots of fun activities including the Fishing and Rifle Merit Badges. To sign up for the Fishing Merit Badge Click here. To sign up for the Rifle Merit Badge Click here.

Mountain Man Rendezvous June 15-18   The White Mountains District, Silver Creek Mountain Man Rendezvous is a great place for your young men to experience history, try new skills, and strengthen their Team. There is competition for individuals, both scouts and leaders and for the team. Our goal is to instill some of the long forgotten skills of the early 19th century Mountain Man while instilling scouting values. Click here for more information & Click here to register

Webelos Weekends   The Webelos Weekends are a great way for you and your son to be introduced into the outdoors. We offer one session at Camp Geronimo June 4-5 and a second at Camp Raymond June 11-12. This year’s program included crafts, bb shooting, knots and nature activities. Registration is limited, so sign up now. Please click here for Camp Geronimo’s Webelos Weekend and click here for Camp Raymond’s Webelos Weekend.

Camp Geronimo/Raymond Provisional Troop Did you know that you as a Scout (Youth between age 11 and 18) or Scouter (over the age of 18) you can come to camp Geronimo without your unit. During Section 5, July 2 -9, 2011 for Geronimo & July 11th-16th for Raymond there is a provisional Troop, better known as Troop “PRO”. This is a group of young men who attend camp with us from all over the country and the world. We have had scouts coming down from Canada and an American Boy Scout from the Middle East.    This could be you if you can’t go to camp when your troop is coming to camp, or would like another week at camp; this is your answer, Troop “PRO”. They have earned the big Gold“G”fifteen years straight. We have some youth that keep coming back each year, up to as many as eight (8) to ten (10) times for Camp Geronimo, Troop “PRO”.    Click here to fill out an interest application for Geronimo or Raymond This is not to sign up for camp but to have someone contact you with more information.

Trail to Eagle July 2-9 If your Scout needs some of the required merit badges on their "Trail to Eagle", have them come to the Lake Pleasant Outdoors Center for a special weeks program specifically geared toward merit badges needed for Eagle requirements, with time for aquatics activities, astronomy, hiking, desert familiarization, and more. “Trail to Eagle” offers your Scouts a program that is different from the regular summer camp program. This is not a shortcut to earn the Eagle Scout required merit badges. Scouts will be given credit for the requirements they complete. Please come ready to learn and have lots of fun. Click here for more information & Click here to Register

Webelos Encampment   The Webelos Encampment is a terrific way for your son to start his journey to becoming a Boy Scout. Hosted at Camp Geronimo on July 30-August 2, this year promises to be a great experience for scouts and their parents. With horseback riding, bb shooting, archery, crafts and much more, this will be a time you and your scouts won’t want to miss. Click here to register.

Powderhorn Sept 1-3 The council will be hosting a Powderhorn course at Camp Raymond for our leaders to learn about other resources available for their crew programs. Click here to register. Registration is limited to the first 48 that are paid in full.

2013 National Jamboree The Grand Canyon Council is now accepting applications for Scouts to attend the 2013 National Jamboree. This will be the first National Jamboree held at the new and exciting Bechtel Summit in West Virginia. This Jamboree, the Council is offering three different tour packages. One tour will depart Phoenix on July 5, 2013 and visit Boston, Philadelphia/Gettysburg, New York City and Washington DC and points in between prior to the National Jamboree. A second tour will begin in Washington DC and continue to Philadelphia/Gettysburg, New York City before traveling to upstate New York to visit historical site of the LDS Church. A third tour will depart Phoenix on July 11th and spend three days visiting the site of Washington DC before the journey to the National Jamboree. You can also see some of the excitement that awaits our Scouts by visiting the National Jamboree Website

Training Initiative Research has show that units with trained unit leaders retain youth members more, have fewer incidents on outings, and have a stronger program. The Grand Canyon Council is entering into our second phase of the National Training initiative.  Our goal in 2011 is to have all direct contact leaders trained. This includes all leaders and assistant leaders in all areas of Scouting. To be considered trained, each of these leaders needs to complete Youth Protection, This is Scouting, Fast Start, and Leader Specific Training. For Varsity and Scout Leaders, the Introduction to Outdoor Skills is also required. For a list of upcoming courses, please check the council website or click here.

Wood badge The primary purpose of the Wood Badge experience is to strengthen Scouting in our units, districts, and local councils, by training adult leaders. Since 1948, the Wood Badge course has served as a source of inspiration to thousands of leaders. These Scouters have affected the lives of millions of America`s youth in a quality Boy Scout program of citizenship training, character development, and fitness. Click here for more information

Thank you to all of our scout law and merit badge sponsors for funding character building programs. If you or someone you know would like more information about sponsoring a Merit Badge please contact Clint Lawton at clawton@bsamail.org

This newsletter brought to you by Friends of Scouting to make a donation or make a payment on a previous pledge click here Thank you for all you do for the leaders of the next generation...we are involved in a great work