Nominations for Unit Volunteer of the Year

The Scripps-Mesa District Dinner is set for June 7, 2008.  It is traditional on this night to recognize the outstanding service of the adults serving at the unit level, by awarding the Unit Volunteer of the Year awards.  This is your chance to show your appreciation to those who work in the trenches all year long.  Paper and electronic nomination forms are available on the our website to submit the names of deserving individuals.  Please coordinate the nominations within your unit, then submit one form listing all of the individuals.  Nominations must be submitted my May 31st. And be sure to come to the dinner on June 7 to show your support in persona!.

Yours in Scouting,

Advancement & Recognition Chair
858.578.7549

Centennial Quality Award

Let’s talk a bit of philosophy and then some details about the Centennial Quality Award and earning it.

First and foremost- those of you who have heard me speak on this subject know that I firmly believe that the BSA Quality Unit Awards have NEVER reflected some lofty special level of achievement worthy of recognition by some special award.  Every aspect of the qualifications reflect a STANDARD level that each program should measure itself against to determine if they are truly “Delivering the Promise” of the Scouting movement for all our kids in the program.  EVERY Unit, Unit Leader and, indeed, EVERY parent/grandparent/other adult partner associated with a unit should make it a goal to accept nothing less than achieving the designation of a Quality Unit every year!  EVERY Charter Partner should use these criteria to determine the efficacy of their sponsored units.

OK, OK- enough soapbox from the crusty old District Commissioner…let’s talk specifics about your 2008 Unit Centennial Award commitments.  You should recognize these items from the back of your 2008 commitment forms.  I will add some personal commentary.

Please bear in mind these are the opinions of the District Commissioner based on experience and additional discussions on other levels.  I am happy to talk in greater detail on any of these comments.  Also- these are not cut and dried.  Every unit is unique and the Commissioner Staff is more than willing to work individually on special circumstances as they arise.

1. We will have            percent of our direct-contact leaders complete Basic Leader Training and Youth Protection Training.

Direct-contact adult leaders include: Cubmaster, den leaders, Webelos leaders and all assistants; Scoutmaster and assistants; Varsity coach and assistants; crew Advisor and associates. These are adults who meet with youth regularly. You identify how many are registered and develop a plan to have them trained. If in the fall a new leader is registered within the past two months, their training status will not keep the unit from qualifying. To help with this achievement, each unit should have a unit trainer to work with all adults who need training. The job description can be found on the Web site under the Centennial Quality Awards program details.

The Direct Contact Leaders are the folks on the front lines when it comes to delivering the program to the youth members.  There must be a commitment on their part to do the job to which they committed in the best possible way.  This CQA requirement doesn’t require all the supplemental training, HALTT, CPR etc. even though some may be required for specific program activities.  This requirement is quite simple; YPG, New Leader Essentials and Program Specific training (see council web site for specifics).  It’s May- your current leaders and recruits this spring have 7 months to get these. Scripps Mesa has the BEST Training staff in the Council.  They are responsive to needs.  There is no excuse for not meeting this COMMITMENT!  Contact our training folks for help.

2. We will provide excellent programs to achieve our youth membership goal of____percent retention, recharter on time, and recruit_____ new members.

The youth retention goal and the number of new youth should be set with the commissioner and unit leadership at the beginning of the calendar year. You should also work with your commissioner to recharter on time.

More on Programs below but what about the others.  Let’s do the easy one first. “Recharter on time” should be a snap.  It’s not like it’s a surprise- we do it every year and the due date is New Year’s Eve. My commissioners ensure every unit has their recharter packet in hand at least two months before it’s due.  Even with Thanksgiving and Christmas it shouldn’t come down to tracking folks down for $$ and signatures on the 29^th of December.  When you get the packet, just do it.  Later paperwork can be handled as it comes in.

Now, retention and new members.  The old-timers out there will remember when the Quality Unit Award had a requirement that your unit get larger every year.  BSA finally decided that was not a realistic goal and modified it to this.  Units will advance and decline over the course of their lifetime.  Membership reflects this BUT the quality units have plans and programs to mitigate severe declines.  Retention is critical.  Generally, with the exception of youth members moving away from the area or aging out of the program, the only reason a boy is not retained is the program doesn’t meet his needs.  I know, I know, there is a whole ‘nother category of conflicting commitments for our kids in these busy times but that is subject to a different diatribe (HEY- BELIEVE IT-if you weren’t one then little Jimmy, Johnny, Joey etc. is NOT going to be a professional Baseball, Basketball, Soccer, Football whatever athlete, period- he’s probably not even going to get a scholarship- Buy lottery tickets to fund your retirement instead).  Anyway- your unit goal is to retain every member who starts the year in the program and is still eligible to be in the program geographically and chronologically when re-charter rolls around.  Then you fudge the commitment figures some to reflect those kids that are just going to go away despite a good program and your best efforts.

New Members is an easy number to determine.  At least replace your losses.  For Cub Packs- if you graduate a Webelos II den, recruit a Tiger Cub Den and try to get fillers for other losses from the Wolf/Bear/Web I dens.  Troops should strive to add a New Scout Patrol every year at the very least- that should cover any losses at the top end and other drops or moves.

3. In the spirit of the National Parent Initiative, we will recruit____new parents/adults to assist our unit program.

The purpose of the National Parent Initiative is for each unit to involve more parents/mentors with their unit’s program. Every parent should be asked to help with at least one specific task. Go to www.scoutparents.org for more details and tools available to support these efforts. Other adults who do not have children in the unit can also be recruited as mentors.

This one pretty much speaks for itself.  A reasonable and minimal goal could be a number that matches the “new members” from #2.  It is incumbent on every family that puts a child in the program to support the program with more than drop off/pick up/ pay dues.  Otherwise your unit gets closer and closer to the spirit of BSA meaning “Baby Sitters of America”.

4. We will have____percent of our youth earn advancement awards.

This includes the basic rank awards in Cub Scouting, Boy Scouting, and Varsity Scouting. For Venturing, this includes the earning of individual core requirements and electives in the Ranger, Quest, Trust, Bronze, Gold, Silver, and Quartermaster awards, as well as completion of the Venturing Leadership Skills, Kodiak, Kodiak X, or SEAL courses.

Here’s where the rubber meets the road when it comes to deciding how your program is doing.  Look at #2 above. With rare exception (a late in the year roundup/recruit) there is no good reason that 100% of those combined numbers don’t show some progress within the program in the course of an entire year.  Every year cub scouts move up in the program and should have attained the appropriate rank before doing so.  Activity pins and arrow points are advancement as well.  Even the long term Life Scout or still active Eagle can earn merit badges toward advancement or Eagle Palms.

5. We will have ___ percent of our youth participate in at least ___ outdoor experiences or group activities.

Specify in advance the events that will be used and how many are required to qualify. For Cub Scouting, this could include pack meetings. For Boy Scouts or Varsity Scouts, the emphasis is outdoor activities, not meetings. The types of outdoor activities may vary for each type of program. Venturing crews can develop an activity schedule centered on their planned programs of emphasis.

Seems a little out of sequence to me (see #6) but the real purpose of Scouting is “Outing”.  We do meetings to work on skills and admin details but we put it all in practice when we get out and about.  The Summertime Pack Award, for instance, is a great goal to set each year and work to make it appeal to the kids.  There is no rule that says all winter pack meetings must be indoors either- this is SOCAL, folks- perhaps plan a Pinewood Derby for a Saturday in February?   As far as troops, teams, and crews are concerned- GET OUT! Get out every month- plan one meeting a month or so to be away from the usual place- theme related is best but sometimes just for fun (can you say laser tag or broom ball??).  Obviously 100% participation is an unrealistic goal at every activity but dedicated effort and work with parents is critical to make sure at least equal time and emphasis is placed on Scouting activities as sports and other family events.  If your activities are not generating AT LEAST 50% participation by your members, get the unit leadership and parents together and work to figure out what can be changed to make it better. 

6. We will conduct annual program planning and will provide the financial resources to deliver a quality program to all members.

Your unit should develop an annual program plan and share it with all members. The unit develops a budget of expenses and a plan to provide the finances to achieve quality programs, through unit fund-raisers and member dues.

This is directly related to #5 above.  While we have all heard the old sayings about “a plan is just something to deviate from” or “no plan survives contact with the enemy” successful programs still have a plan because it is indeed the framework for a way ahead.  You are far more likely to have buy-in and participation from your kids and parents if they can anticipate future commitments.  If you don’t have a plan, NOW is the right time to develop one.  If you need ideas/help/advice- your Roundtables and Commissioners are available.

A budget plan supports the program plan- develop them together.  Speaking of fundraisers- The council fundraisers do serve two purposes- they support ALL of BSA in San Diego Council but they also provide a staffed and organized way to add $$ to the unit coffers as well with a minimum of additional paperwork and unit effort- take a look and see how they can help and they are easier than weekly car washes etc.

Always- Yours in Scouting
Pat O’Donohoe

What do you want?

What do you want? That's a pretty easy question, right? Straightforward, simple, something we don't seem to get asked often enough. But when we are finally asked this question, many of us stare blankly and our mind seems suddenly empty. In Scouting, our leaders go to training, our parents sign up for events or volunteer efforts, our boys go on adventures with their Dens, do projects, and we all spend time together, but... sometimes we need to stop and think... What do you want?

We need to ask ourselves that question, and also consider asking it of those we are training to support. We can easily get so wrapped up in the "preparation" and the "doing", that we forget what the ultimate goal is. Are you taking that training to be better prepared? For what?

What you should try to stay focused on is that you are training to be better prepared to;

Get the point? There is a purpose to our training, a desired outcome of it all.
This focus doesn't just apply to trained leadership, but to parents and boys as well.

Michael Acampora
Cubmaster - BSA Pack 1209

First, we head to Emerald Bay Summer Camp on Catalina Island in July. 

Also in July, we will be at summer camp at Schoepe Scout Reservation at Lost Valley, with 45 Scouts and Scouters going...we are excited as some of our older boys now meet the age requirements to do the High Adventure Program of black powder firearms, rock climbing, caving, and the High C.O.P.E. course.

We have three 50 milers planned this year, with two this summer in the high country of Yosemite. The first will be a  series of day hikes, where we see  the volcanic Little Devil's Postpile, swim in beautiful subalpine and alpine lakes, explore the "Wild and Scenic" Tuolumne River and its tributaries, and summit North Dome on the rim overlooking  Yosemite Valley. The hikes chosen tend to be on less traveled trails (for example, on two of these hikes in 2007, we saw six people one day, and only twelve on another).   Scouts can earn the hiking and forestry merit badges, National 50 Miler Award, as well as the "Yosemite Trek" medal on this trip.

Second, we  are planning to do the classic "High Sierra Loop," where the older Scouts in our Troop will backpack to the historic camps, meadows, mountains, and waterways in the heart of Yosemite National Park.  Once again, these trails tend to be away from the crowds one often associates with Yosemite.    Scouts will work on their National Fifty Miler Award, backpacking merit badge, and the Backpacking Yosemite Trek Medal. This trip will help prepare us for Philmont in 2009.

 

  It is that time of year when we Pack 614 Cub Scouters say farewell to some of our own.  Pack 614 Webelos II scouts will be bridging to Boy Scouts in an “Arrow of Light” ceremony.  Our Webelos II scouts’ “Arrow of Light” ceremony will take place at the Scripps Ranch Library on Monday, March 3rd at 6:00PM.  All scouts attending this ceremony must be in full uniform.  It has been wonderful having these Webelos II scouts and their families involved in our pack over the recent years.  Pack 614 says good bye and good luck to our Bridging Webelos II scouts.

If you have a boy that you would like to get into scouting and need to find the closest Pack, Troop, Crew or Ship, or just want information about the District, please contact one of the following people: