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April 20, 2007
New Cubcast Sounds Like Success!
The
BSA's new Cubcast for April 2007 is about 20 minutes long and
has some great program information for all parents, Cub
leaders, district leaders, and council leaders. What a great
way to learn about Scouting program ideas from people directly
involved with developing the ideas nationally.
Cubcast is just a podcast specifically designed to support
the Cub Scout program. Podcast may be a new term for many.
It was created from the merging of the name for Apple's portable
music player, the iPod, and the term broadcast. The end result
is an audio file that can be listened to over the internet
or downloaded for listening to at a later date. Podcasts are
simple to produce and simple to use.
I really like this idea because I can listen to the Cubcast
as I continue working on other projects on my computer. In
fact the podcast is being played right now as I write this
article. The spoken word also just communicates in a way that
is difficult to do with the simple written word. With the spoken
word you can feel the excitement and energy associated with
the ideas being shared by the speaker.
This could be a very interesting addition to the monthly Roundtable
which is can be a great source of information on upcoming program
activities for those who attend Roundtable. Just think, if
a podcast was posted each month that covers the key information
provided
during
the Roundtable,
volunteers would be much more informed about upcoming events.
Communication is such an important aspect of running any organization
it would seem appropriate to at least investigate new and interesting
options to share information like podcasting.
Some of this new technology can be a bit frustrating though,
as I am working on my newsletter while listening to the Cubcast
things have become interesting. The Cubcast audio feed started
to stutter. Not an easy way to proceed and be able to understand
what they are saying in the Cubcast. My suggestion is to right
click on the link to the podcast and then downloading the audio
file to your computer. Then you can listen to the audio file
without the difficulties associated with the audio feed being
received without the stutter. This same method works well for
opening big files, especially big Adobe Acrobat pdf files.
For some reason opening these files is just a lot easier after
I have downloaded them to my computer.—Rick
Cubcast
Cubcast is an audio podcast featuring a variety of
how-to and information topics for Cub Scout leaders
and parents. Click the RSS icon to the right for the
URL to subscribe, or download individual episodes below.
Cubs & Bugs Galore, Camping Talk, National
Summertime Pack Award [MP3
- 27.9 MB]
Kim Barker, Chairman of the Themes Task Force, outlines activities
for the May theme of "Cubs and Bugs Galore." Dennis Kampa,
author of the Baloo Camping Guide, shares insights on camping. Jamie
Shearer, Assoc. National Director of Cub Scouting, explains the purpose
and criteria for earning the National Summertime pack award. (April
2007)
For your convenience, the current and next month's
program helps may also be downloaded as Acrobat PDF
files:
The Order of the Arrow gathering called an "ordeal"
is a time when general membership may volunteer to serve once
again in a rededication of themselves to their obligation to
serve others and Scouting in general. Remember the words of
E. Urner Goodman, a founding father of the Order of the Arrow.
"You were selected as pacesetters in
cheerful service."
For those new to the Order of the Arrow here
a few definitions from the Language of Scouting Web page
that may help you and your parents understand the Order of
the Arrow a little better.
Order of the Arrow
Scouting's national honor society. Youth members (Arrowmen) must hold First
Class Scout rank; they are elected by all youth members of the troop, based
on their Scouting spirit and camping ability. The aim of the OA is to promote
the outdoor program and service to Scouting.
Ordeal membership
The induction phase of membership in the Order of the Arrow. A candidate
becomes an Ordeal member upon completion of the Ordeal and Ordeal ceremony.
Brotherhood membership
The second and final induction phase of membership in the Order of the Arrow.
Capitalize Brotherhood only when referring to membership or to the ceremony.
Do not capitalize when referring to friendship.
Vigil Honor
The highest honor the Order of the Arrow can bestow upon its members, for
service to the lodge, council, and Scouting.
Arrowman
A youth or adult member of the Order of the Arrow. Plural is Arrowmen.
Boy Scouts are elected to the Order of the Arrow by the members
of their troop. During the Spring Camporee a team of Arrowmen
conduct a "Call Out" ceremony during which the newly
elected members are in fact called out to join the Order. During
an Ordeal new elected Boy Scouts complete their Ordeal ceremony
and become Ordeal members. This ceremony is special to those
who see and understand the honor being bestowed upon newly
elected members of the Order. After completing the Ordeal membership
requirements and after having served a sufficient time as an
Ordeal member an Arrowman may request the final induction phase
called a Brotherhood Ordeal and thus become a permanent member
of the Order. Have you completed your Brotherhood membership?
Think about it!
The Order of the Arrow Ordeal is also a traditional time for
Arrowmen to provide cheerful service to the local council by
doing tasks of service for Rancho Alegre.
Come out and support our newest members
of Chumash Lodge 90, the Los Padres Council, and your Boy
Scouts of America.
Cost:
$35 for Ordeal candidates
$30 for Brotherhood candidates
$20 for those not going for any higher honor
Ordeal and Brotherhood candidates
receive appropriate sashes and materials as part of their
fees upon completion of the Ordeal.
April is Youth Protection Month
I should have run
an article on April being National Child Abuse Prevention Month
earlier this year. However it is still
a worthwhile topic to address even though the month will be
over soon. The information on Youth Protection listed below
is from the March-April 2007 News Briefs published in Scouting
Magazine. Since this information was published in Scouting
Magazine the Online Learning Center of the BSA has made
available the Venturing Leader Youth Protection Training. Just
be aware that when you attempt to take the training you will
receive an error message. When you encounter the "Error Type
3" page select your council from the drop down menu and then
proceed. The national council will fix this little problem
in due time.
Our obligation to be vigilant on youth protection is not limited
to just the month of April. Child predators are active 365
day
a year and 24 hours a day. Please help keep our children
safe and use the youth protection resources provided by the
BSA. —Rick
Nationwide, April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month,
and for the seventh consecutive year, the BSA has designated
April as Youth Protection Month for councils, units,
families, and community organizations.
Local councils will conduct youth protection training for
more than four million youth and adults. Many councils will
also provide this training, through BSA videos and DVD's, books,
and an Internet course, as a community service to other youth-serving
agencies.
During Youth Protection Month, each unit is encouraged to
participate in one or more of the following ways:
Ensure that unit adult leaders (and other interested adults)
take the online Youth Protection training, available at http://olc.scouting.org/info/ypt.html. The training is
also available in DVD format, "Youth Protection Guidelines:
Training for Volunteer Leaders and Parents" (BSA No. AV-09DVD01).
Discuss with youth in a unit meeting
the exercises in "How
to Protect Your Children From Child Abuse: A Parent's
Guide." (These
are found in the pullout pamphlet in the front of youth
and adult handbooks. The guides can also be downloaded
in PDF
format at www.scouting.org/pubs/ypt/resources.html.)
Using the meeting guides (available in PDF format in English
or Spanish at www.scouting.org/pubs/ypt/resources.html),
present the age-appropriate, award-winning BSA training to
youth and parents:
For Cub Scouts—"It Happened to Me" (No. AV-09DVD11)
For Boy Scouts—"A Time to Tell" (No. AV-09DVD04)
For boys and girls age 11 to 14—"A Time to Tell for Learning for
Life" (No. AV-09DVD05)
For young adults (boy or girl, ages 14
to 20)—"Youth Protection:
Personal Safety Awareness" (No. AV-09DVD27).
In Cub Scout packs, distribute and discuss the Power Pack
Pals comic books, which focus on bullying (No. 33980), Internet safety (No. 33981), and personal safety (No. 34750).
For availability of BSA resources, contact your local Scout
council service center or go to http://www.scoutstuff.org/.
LodgeMaster
Saturday
- April 21 at 12 p.m. prior to the regular Lodge Executive
Committee (LEC) meeting at St. Andrew's Church in Orcutt a
demonstration of the new software program LodgeMaster will
be made.
"The Order of the Arrow has developed a powerful
system for managing lodge membership in an easy, yet powerful
way. It includes two tools: OA LodgeMaster Desktop, a software
program which stores and tracks membership, and OA LodgeMaster
Online, a companion web site which stores and synchronizes
membership data between multiple members of your lodge.
To learn more about what your lodge can do with OA LodgeMaster
Desktop and OA LodgeMaster Online"
For more information on the features and benefits of the
LodgeMaster program visit the following Web site: [ http://www.lodgemaster.org/ ]
Feast Day of St. George patron Saint of the Boy Scouts
- April 23
In
Scouting for Boys, Baden-Powell wrote of chivalry and the knights
of old. He tried to show Scouts a new path to chivalry and
honor. Saint George was the Patron Saint of England, and of
the Knights of the Garter, the oldest order of chivalry in
Europe. They were familiar subjects to most English boys when
B-P was writing. Here is what he wrote:
St. George, Patron Saint of Scouting
"Prepared and alert a Scout follows the lead
Of our Patron Saint George and his spirited steed."
- Baden-Powell in "Scouting for Boys"
St. George
They (the knights of the Round Table) had as their patron
saint St. George, because he was the only one of all the
saints who was a horseman. He is the Patron Saint of cavalry
from which the word Chivalry is derived, and the special
saint of England.
He is also the Patron Saint of Boy Scouts everywhere. Therefore,
all Scouts should know his story.
St. George was born in Cappadocia in the year AD 303. He
enlisted as a cavalry soldier when he was seventeen, and
soon became renowned for his bravery.
On one occasion he came to a city named Selem, near which
lived a dragon who had to be fed daily with one of the citizens,
drawn by lot.
The day St. George came there, the lot had fallen upon the
king's daughter, Cleolinda. St. George resolved that she
should not die, and so he went out and attacked the dragon,
who lived in a swamp close by, and killed him.
When he was faced by a difficulty or danger, however great
it appeared—even in the shape of a dragon—he
did not avoid it or fear it, but went at it with all the
power he could put into himself and his horse. Although inadequately
armed for such an encounter, having merely a spear, he charged
in, did his best, and finally succeeded in overcoming a difficulty
which nobody had dared to tackle.
That is exactly the way in which a Scout should face a difficulty
or danger, no matter how great or terrifying it may appear
to him or how ill-equipped he may be for the struggle.
He should go at it boldly and confidently, using every power
that he can to try to overcome it, and the probability is
that he will succeed.
St. George's Day is April 23rd, and on that day all Scouts
remind themselves of their Promise and of the Scout Law.
Not that a Scout ever forgets either, but on St. George's
Day he makes a special point of thinking about them. Remember
this when April 23rd comes round again.
The
2007 Del Norte District Spring Camporee theme is "Scouting
for Adventure." In an effort to increase challenge for
older boys and learning opportunities for younger boys, the
events
this year will be focused on a more rigorous outdoor skill
challenge. The events will all be based on the patrol method
principle
that is the corner stone of the Scouting method. To balance
the events, a rank weighting component will be added to each
patrols scores. This is in effort to even out the scoring between
younger and older patrols.
The mission of the 2007 Camporee is to set up a structure
to ensure the success of future Camporees by establishing
a Camporee Committee and using input from the volunteers and
boys to shape the event. The only way this will happen is with
every troop pitching in.
Del Norte District Spring Camporee
"Scouting for Adventure."
May 4-6 at Camp French
Contact the Del Norte District at 805-461-4018
for more information.
Calendar Items
South
Coast District's Spring Adult Leader Training Dates - [ flyer ] South Coast District's
New Leader Essentials Training Invitation - [ flyer ]
Please send corrections
or additional calendar information to [suggestions@lpcylt.org]
for posting.
Weekly Scouting Term
This feature of Rick's
News! presents a new Scouting term taken directly
from the Language of Scouting web page each week. This
information may help upgrade your understanding of Scouting
terminology and the Scouting program. If you have a term
you would like listed let me know. [http://www.scouting.org/identity/los/]
College Scouter Reserve
A registration status for young people 18 and older who are in college, have
been actively registered in Scouting, and commit themselves to an informed
interest and active participation in the program whenever possible.
Weekly Web Site
ScoutParents
is part of the National Parenting Initiative. Currently, Flint
River Council (GA) and Daniel Boone Council (NC) are serving
as pilot councils for this new initiative of the National BSA.
The vision of lifelong Scouter Gerald I. Lawhorn, the intent
is to provide parents with information and tools to help them
understand their importance in becoming more involved with
their Scouts. In turn, we hope that Scouts will stay with the
program longer and have a better experience hopefully working
their way to Eagle Scout.
ScoutParents Vision:
The Boy Scouts of America's National ScoutParents Initiative helps provide
a quality Scouting program experience to every eligible youth.
ScoutParents helps to enhance youth and adult enthusiasm,
recruitment, retention, advancement, and the family FUN of
Scouting with passionate commitment by all who participate. ScoutParents helps
to Make It SO!
ScoutParents Mission: ScoutParents' mission is to develop and implement
methods that increase the passion, participation, and number
of volunteers, especially with the parents of Scouts. Promoting
parental understanding and an appreciation of Scouting will
be the foundation from which all methods will develop. It is
the intent of ScoutParents to highlight the importance of Scouting
in the development of our youth. Make It SO!
Rick's News is
not associated with the Los Padres Council or the Boy
Scouts of America.
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address by clicking — [ HERE ]
Previous issues of the Los Padres Council's "Weekly News" and Rick's
News! can be viewed at: [ Archives ]
The
BSA's new Cubcast for April 2007 is about 20 minutes long and
has some great program information for all parents, Cub
leaders, district leaders, and council leaders. What a great
way to learn about Scouting program ideas from people directly
involved with developing the ideas nationally. 
May 18 - 20 at Rancho
Alegre
Saturday
- April 21 at 12 p.m. prior to the regular Lodge Executive
Committee (LEC) meeting at St. Andrew's Church in Orcutt a
demonstration of the new software program LodgeMaster will
be made. 
In
Scouting for Boys, Baden-Powell wrote of chivalry and the knights
of old. He tried to show Scouts a new path to chivalry and
honor. Saint George was the Patron Saint of England, and of
the Knights of the Garter, the oldest order of chivalry in
Europe. They were familiar subjects to most English boys when
B-P was writing. Here is what he wrote: 
The
2007 Del Norte District Spring Camporee theme is "Scouting
for Adventure." In an effort to increase challenge for
older boys and learning opportunities for younger boys, the
events
this year will be focused on a more rigorous outdoor skill
challenge. The events will all be based on the patrol method
principle
that is the corner stone of the Scouting method. To balance
the events, a rank weighting component will be added to each
patrols scores. This is in effort to even out the scoring between
younger and older patrols. 
Memorial
Day
Tres
Robles, NYLT Orientation Meeting [ 
Order
of the Arrow - Lodge Executive Committee
ScoutParents
is part of the National Parenting Initiative. Currently, Flint
River Council (GA) and Daniel Boone Council (NC) are serving
as pilot councils for this new initiative of the National BSA.
The vision of lifelong Scouter Gerald I. Lawhorn, the intent
is to provide parents with information and tools to help them
understand their importance in becoming more involved with
their Scouts. In turn, we hope that Scouts will stay with the
program longer and have a better experience hopefully working
their way to Eagle Scout.
