Venturing Program Changes

The new vision for Venturing uses youth-led adventures and a simplified program model to provide a means of developing leadership skills, reinforcing the value of service to others, and creating opportunities for personal growth in line with the Scout Oath and Scout Law.

Awards serve as benchmarks that give Venturers a structure for developing their own personal vision into manageable goals that lead to recognition by their peers, mentors and the larger community.

The Venturing awards program has four levels:

• All Venturers should earn the Venturing award soon after formally joining the program.
• Venturers then proceed by earning the Discovery and Pathfinder awards.
•  Finally, Venturers earn the Summit award, in which a young person formally serves as a mentor to other Venturers in his or her crew.

Venturing is a flexible program and the awards program is designed to help all Venturers, no matter what their crew specialty, to grow and develop.

The current award system will be phased out December 31st, but the new program can be implemented this year.

New versions of the Handbook for Venturers, Venturing Advisor Guidebook, and the Venturing Awards and Requirements Book are due in Scout shops soon.

Learn more about the new awards and requirements at: www.scouting.org/programupdates. 

Visit the Venturing page on the national council website for program planning tools, and many other resources at www.scouting.org/venturing.

Venturing is a youth development program of the Boy Scouts of America for young men and women who are 14 years of age OR 13 years of age and have completed the eighth grade and under 21 years of age.

29-2    Cub Resident Camp Session #3 at Cub Adventure Camp
29-5    Boy Scout Summer Camp Session #3 at Camp T. Brady Saunders
4-5      Scout Shop & Service Center Closed
6-9      Cub Resident Camp Session #4 at Cub Adventure Camp
6-12    Boy Scout Summer Camp Session #4 at Camp T. Brady Saunders
7         Philmont Contingent Returns
9         Commissioner Cabinet Meeting
9-12    Cub Resident Camp Session #5 at Cub Adventure Camp
13-16  Cub Resident Camp Session #6 at Cub Adventure Camp
13-19  Boy Scout Summer Camp Session #5 at Camp T. Brady Saunders
16-19  Cub Resident Camp Session #7 at Cub Adventure Camp
20-23  Cub Resident Camp Session #8 at Cub Adventure Camp
20-26  Boy Scout Summer Camp Session #6 at Camp T. Brady Saunders

Thank You!

A HUGE thank you to all of our courageous edgers who stepped up to take the challenge to go Over the Edge to support Scouting!

We would also like to thank Dominion Virginia Power for being an incredible building host. Plans are already in the works for next year’s event!

Click here to view photos from the event.

Below is a picture of Brett Smiley presenting Jesus Portillo with a gift basket from Diamonds Direct for being the event's top fundraiser.  Jesus raised a whopping $3,382 for Scouting, but even more impressive was that he had 93 donors help him reach his goal.  AMAZING!  Way to go Jesus!

Registration Now Open for the Inaugural Big Trail Challenge!

For all of the details and to register, please visit http://bigtrailchallenge.hovc.org/.

Building Scouting

Objective #3 (#2 for Venturing) is to grow your membership.  Every unit should have a membership growth plan coming out of a program planning process taking place this summer.  Planning resources can be found on the council website at this link:  http://hovc.org/resources/program-planning/  Need help?  Contact your commissioner (see district column).  

Do Not Accept the Usual.  Plan the Extraordinary.

What sort of a year will your pack, troop, crew or post deliver to your youth?  Will it be the usual stuff, the same things they did last year?  Or will you give them incredible experiences that they will remember the rest of their lives?  Break the mold.  Don’t allow your kids to have to settle for cookie-cutter campouts and lackluster unit meetings.  Plan something extraordinary.

Too busy?  Too scared?  Think there’s not enough money, or time, or manpower?  There are those who think they can, and those who think they cannot.  Both are usually right. 

Just try.  The first step is not hard.  Go here, and scroll down to view all the program planning resources that are available.  Second step is to set a date this summer to plan the 2014-2015 Scouting year.  Third step, invite everyone to participate in the meeting…parents, leaders, Scouts.  Fourth, challenge yourself and everyone else to plan something extraordinary.

Sign up NOW for the 2014 Popcorn Sale! 

Simply fill out the  Unit Commitment Form electronically and click the submit button in the top right corner. If you are on a Mac or if this feature is not working for you, please still fill the form out electronically and then save it locally to your computer and email it to lisa.washington@scouting.org.

2014 Popcorn Sale Key Dates

August 2- Battlefield District Explosion- Fairfield Presbyterian @ 9:00AM
August 5- Capitol District Explosion- Service Center @ 7:00PM
August 18- Crater District Explosion- Wesley UMC @ 7:00PM
August 12- Cardinal District Explosion- United Methodist Conference Center @ 7:00PM
August 14- Arrohattoc District Explosion- Hopewell UMC @ 7:00PM
August 14- Rivers District Explosion- Beale Memorial @ 7:00PM
August 26- Huguenot Trail District Explosion- Mt. Pisgah UMC @ 7:00PM
September 1- Sale Begins!
September 15- Show and Deliver Orders Due
September 27- Show and Deliver Popcorn Distribution
November 10- Sale Ends!
November 10- Final Popcorn Orders Due
November 17- Prize Orders Due
November 22- Final Popcorn Distribution
December 6- POPCORN BLAST DAY!!!
December 12- Final Payment Due!

Questions about the 2014 Popcorn Sale can be directed to:

Field Director – Jason Smith,  804-204-2616,   jason.smith@scouting.org
Program Assistant – Lisa M. Washington,  804-204-2633, lisa.washington@scouting.org

Basic Training for Commissioners

The Heart of Virginia Council is offering the Commissioner Basic Training Course on Saturday,  August 16th from 8:00AM to 5:00PM at the Heart of Virginia Council Office. Scouters who complete this course will be awarded an Associates Degree in the Commissioners’ College degree program and will be eligible to enter the Bachelors Program at the Commissioners’ College to be held in February 2015.

To attend, register here.

Our Tireless James
Scout Troop Service Project Opportunity

Project Date:  Saturday, September 13, 2014

Scout Troops and Venture Crews are asked to take on a short stretch of the James River within our council territory to free the James River of tires. 

Last August, in an effort to directly impact the health of the James River, the JRA partnered with the Heart of Virginia Council in kicking off its largest tire clean up throughout the watershed. Our “Tireless James” was a one weekend project collecting over 510 tires in a six mile stretch of the James River.

This effort will be supported by Bridgestone America who has graciously agreed to collect the tires and distribute for next use products. Collectively with the aid of JRA RiverRats, a citizen River monitoring group, and six bateaux, the Heart of Virginia council will strongly impact our founding river.

Your help is needed to conduct a tire cleanup in your area of the James River watershed. JRA has recorded a number of sites along local waterways where tires have accumulated.  We will provide any interested troop with the location of a site in need of cleanup, a place to leave the accumulated tires, and will arrange for Bridgestone Americas, Inc. to collect the tires for recycling.

To learn more about the James River Association and to reserve a stretch of the James go to:  http://jrava.org/get-involved/volunteer/tire-less-james

How to Hold a Great Party                                         

By Bill Givler, Director of Field Service, bill.givler@scouting.org

People generally enjoy parties, for lots of reasons…   They like catching up with friends.  They like meeting new people.  They like enjoying food and fun activities together.  A great party has good food and drink, fun things to do together, and opportunities for conversation.  However, even if an event has the best food, incredibly fun things to do, and is at an amazing location, it can still be a lousy, terrible party.  How?  If no one shows up.

Spending time getting people to come out to your party is the #1 most important component of throwing a great party.  If the crowd is good, the party will be fun.  Sure, planning out what will happen at the party is useful, but never more important than getting people to show up.  We’ve all been to parties that could have been a hit if there were more people in attendance.  I’m sure some of you have even left a poorly attended party to go to another one that had more of a crowd. 

At this point you’re wondering why this article is in The Courier, right?  Well, let’s apply Party Planning 101 to Scouting. Take your average Cub Scout Pack.  The parent volunteers meet in the summer and plan a whole year of fun activities for kids.  There are camping trips, pack meetings, pinewood derby, and a Blue and Gold Banquet.  Dates are set, event chairmen get selected, and the plans are finalized.

Suddenly September gets here and it’s time to invite attendees (families) to come to the party (Cub Scout Pack).  We set a date for a Join Scouting Night, and then what?  Well, our most successful Packs are spending a good bit of time promoting their party.  They are:

• Hosting Bring-a-Buddy Pool Parties for returning Scouts to bring a new Scout friend.
• Having a booth at the School Open House/PTA/Back to School Events to let parents of potential new Scouts know about the pack’s plans for the year.
• Utilizing peer-to-peer recruiting cards.
• Putting up posters at the school and at their charter organization.
• Encouraging parents of existing Scouts to talk with their friends about joining Scouting.

There are many more ways to promote Joining Scouting.  However, there is one item that separates a great party from a mediocre one.  The best parties have one person assigned to invite others and promote attendance.  In Scouting, that person is called the Unit Membership Chairman.  Does your unit have one?  If the answer is no, who is getting people to your party?

Appoint a Unit Membership Chairman.  Find out more here.  New Unit Membership Chairmen can register with the Council here.  Throw a great party!

Last Call for Photo Entries

The Heart of Virginia Council announced a photo contest on June 1st.  We are looking for images of Heart of Virginia Council Scouts doing awesome Scouting activities.  1^st Place - $50 gift certificate in the Scout Shop.  2^nd Place gets $30 gift certificate, 3^rd place gets $20 gift certificate. 

Contest participants must be willing to allow their submitted images be used in Heart of Virginia Council marketing efforts; flyers, website, social media, etc.  To submit, email your pictures to ashley.wyatt@scouting.org.  We are holding the deadline open until Wednesday, July 2, 2014, so don’t delay with your photo submissions!

It's Cub Scout Day Camp Time!

Click here for information about our local Cub Scout Day Camps!

Friends of Scouting

Funding our mission. Friends of Scouting is the annual giving campaign of the Heart of Virginia Council and is the largest and most important source of funding for the council.  The bulk of our support comes from individuals like you who believe in what Scouting does for youth and families. 

Volunteers will be wrapping up work on the 2014 campaign in July.  A summer gift will help us reach our goal.

Thank you for your support!

Wood Badge 2014!!!

Please contact brett.smiley@scouting.org for more information.

James E. West Fellowship

The James E. West Fellowship Award is a national recognition for individuals who contribute $1,000 or more in cash or securities to the Heart of Virginia Council's permanent Endowment.  Individuals may contribute monies toward a fellowship in honor of someone else: an Eagle Scout, a parent, a graduate, a Silver Beaver/Vigil Honor recipient, Scoutmaster/Cubmaster, retiree, council president or special loved ones including non-Scouters, youth or adults.

Contributions to the Endowment Fund through the James E. West Fellowship are never spent; only the interest is used to further the programs and outreach of the Heart of Virginia Council.  Members are recognized with their names displayed in the lobby of the council service center. Contact Brett Smiley at brett.smiley@scouting.org or (804) 426-9241 for more information.

2014 James E. West Fellows

Upcoming Events on the Reservation

Summer Camp 2014

Weeks 1, 2 and 6 are full

Weeks 4 & 5 have limited availability

50^th Anniversary Camp T. Brady Saunders

Fee of $295 per Scout

Leaders $100 per week or $20 per day if not staying the entire week

1 free leader for every 10 paid Scouts

No Program or Merit Badge fees, including the Civil War Experience & Voyager Trek!

Cub Adventure Camp
2014
PIRATES!!!

Cub and Webelos Adventure Camp
Heart of Virginia Council Scout Reservation
 

Cub and Webelos Sessions

      Session 1-June22-25, 2014
     Session 2-June 25-28, 2014
     Session 3-June 29-July 2, 2014
     Session 4-July 6-9, 2014
     Session 5-July 9-12, 2014
     Session 6-July 13 -16, 2014
     Session 7-July 16-19, 2014

     Regular Fees

Cub Scouts $130
Adults          $95

Albright Scout Reservation

Albright Scout Reservation is a great site for weekend camping.  Situated on 568 acres on Lake Chesdin, it is close and offers three types of camping areas all at NO COST!  It has six traditional campsites for car camping each with a shelter, table and latrine nearby.  Three sites near the lake offer more of a wilderness experience.  There is also a "leave no trace" area and a short backpack trail for a shakedown experience. 

In addition there are two picnic pavilions and a chapel area for unit activities!  Sites and facilities are free to Heart of Virginia Council units and reservations can be made online at http://hovc.org/camps/albright/.

Chairman: Drew Biehler, 804-639-9170 , drew.biehler@gmail.com
Commissioner: Karen Wood, 804-748-9664, kwoodcid@gmail.com
District Executive: Matt Malone, 804-204-2618, matt.malone@scouting.org
Website: www.arrohattoc.com

July

10        Roundtable Planning Session, 6:30PM, Hopewell UMC      
16        District Committee Meeting, 7:00PM, Trinity UMC
24        OA Chapter Meeting, 7:00PM, Hopewell UMC

August

5-9      Arrohattoc Cub Scout Day Camp, Pocahontas State Park
7          District Commissioner Meeting, 6:30PM, Hopewell UMC
7          Roundtable, 7:00PM, Hopewell UMC
14        Arrohattoc Popcorn Explosion, 7:00PM, Hopewell UMC
16        OA Hike Day, 9:00AM-3:00PM, Albright Scout Reservation
20        District Committee Meeting, 7:00PM, Trinity UMC
28        OA Chapter Meeting, 7:00PM, Hopewell UMC

Roundtable Planning Session

Be sure to attend Arrohattoc’s annual Roundtable Planning Session on Thursday, July 10^th at 6:30PM at Hopewell UMC.  This is where we as a District plan out our year of Roundtable topics and we want your input!  Please be sure to bring ideas of what you and your Unit are looking for in terms of Roundtable.  Dinner will be provided.  For any questions please contact Marian Fletcher at fletcherfam@comcast.net.

Arrohattoc District Olympiad

Be sure to mark your calendars for September 26^th-28^th as Arrohattoc will be holding our District Olympiad Camporee.  Be sure to be working on your Scout skills as we will be putting those skills to the test during the Camporee.  More information to follow!

OA Hike Day @ Albright Scout Reservation

Boy Scout Troops and Venture Crews, mark your calendar for a fun day of hiking at Albright Scout Reservation on Saturday, August 16^th from 9:00AM – 3:00PM.  The Takashin Chapter of the Order of the Arrow will be hosting the Hike Day which will highlight the new 5-mile trail constructed by the Nawakwa OA Lodge Trail Crew.

Fishing Fun Weekend

The Arrohattoc District Program Committee is pleased to announce that we will be offering an opportunity for all Cub Scouts to come out to Albright Scout Reservation to participate in a District Camping and Fishing weekend.  The Fishing Fun Weekend will be October 3-5.  We will have our Fishing Fun Day on Saturday and prizes will be awarded for biggest fish and most fish caught!  We will also hold a campfire that evening.  Camping for the event will be family camping so be sure to invite the entire Pack out for a fun event!  For additional information please contact Matt Malone at matt.malone@scouting.org. 

New Units

One of the goals of the District is to assure that we are providing Scouting to as many youth in our area as possible and we are always looking for new leads to help us grow Scouting.  If you attend or know of any local organizations (faith, civic, community outreach, etc) that might be interested in sponsoring a Scouting unit, let us know.  Please contact Matt Malone at matt.malone@scouting.org or 804-204-2618 with any suggestions and we will be happy to pursue them.

District Roundtable

Calling all adult leaders and Scout parents!  Are you looking for ways to improve your Scout Unit’s programs while also finding out how to more easily manage all of the logistics of running a successful Pack, Troop or Crew?  Join us on the first Thursday of every month at Hopewell United Methodist Church (6200 Courthouse Rd) at 7:30PM.

District Chairman:  Dr. William Hefele, 363-0334, whefeledds@yahoo.com
Commissioner: Herb Sening, 240-7381, herbsening@comcast.net
District Executive: Nick Harman, 204-2622, nick.harman@scouting.org
Battlefield District Website:  http://hovc.org/battlefieldscouting/

JULY

THERE ARE NO DISTRICT MEETINGS FOR THE MONTH OF JULY! HAVE A GREAT SUMMER AND SEE YOU AT THE AUGUST ROUNDTABLE!

POPCORN

Folks, now is the time of year to sign your Unit up for the Annual Popcorn Sale! Selling popcorn is the single best way for your Unit to fund its year-round program. Please sign up today! Please contact the Battlefield District Popcorn Kernel, Ray Alexander at BattlefieldPopC@aol.com

PROGRAM PLANNING

Now is the time of year for your Unit to hold its annual program planning conference. This is when your Unit will set its calendar for the next years worth of Scouting! If you need any assistance or if your Unit missed out on the District’s UP3 Training and did not get program planning materials, please contact Herb Sening, herbsening@comcast.net

ROUNDTABLE

Roundtable is a monthly gathering open to all leaders in the Battlefield District. It is the premier opportunity for leaders to get all the latest information about what’s going on in the Heart of Virginia Council as well as a great venue for sharing ideas and fellowship! Roundtable is the 1^st Wednesday of every month (except for July). Please ensure that your Unit has at least one representative at every Roundtable. We hope to see you all there!

District Chairman: Jonathan Murdoch-Kitt,  jonathan@murdochkittlaw.com
District Commissioner: Doug Hill, 804-922-3706,  dhill@nikon.net
Senior District Executive: George Smith, 804-204-2632, george.smith@scouting.org

July

No District Meetings in July

August

5   Capitol District Committee Meeting - Service Center 6:00PM
5    Capitol District Popcorn Kick-off  - Service Center   7:00PM
5    Annual Capitol District Roundtable Cook-off - Service Center (parking lot) 7:00PM

*Note: change of venue - August 5 meetings will be held at the service center

POPCORN KICK-OFF

You've done your unit program planning. A lot of great stuff has been planned! How are you going to pay for it all? Popcorn sales is the surefire way to fill those unit coffers and the Scouts can earn great prizes to boot!  Plan to attend the attend the August popcorn sales event. Who from your unit is handling popcorn sales this year? It's a great way to get parents of Scouts involved in unit operations. Committee Chairmen are strongly encouraged to attend this valuable popcorn sales orientation.

LEADER AWARDS

Your Pack and Troop are only successful because of the time and resources that each of your leaders put into Scouting.  Recognize their efforts on a regular basis.  You can visit http://scoutleaderawards.com/awards/knots1.asp to get some great ideas.

TRAINING

Make sure that your leaders have been properly trained for their positions before you turn in new applications.  Please look for the “Training” tab at www.HOVC.org and sign up at Doubleknot.com.

ANNUAL CAPITOL DISTRICT ROUNDTABLE COOK-OFF

Bring your favorite camping dish to cook and share. Come with your Dutch ovens and cooking gear to the service center parking lot.

Get there early for set-up! Show off your skills and Scoutcraft. Great for new leaders to learn some of the tricks of the trade

District Chairman:  Bill Janis
District Vice Chairman: John Hunnicutt, 212-5161, jhunnicutt3602@verizon.net
District Commissioner: Carl Whitaker, 449-1762,WhitakerCarl79@yahoo.com
District Director: Austin Grappe, 218-6795, austin.grappe@scouting.org
Cardinal Website:  www.cardinalscouts.com

July

16  DISTRICT COMMITTEE MTG 6:30PM Dinner, 7:00PM Mtg. at Markel Plaza, Salon B, 4600 Cox Rd.

It’s Popcorn Time

It’s that time again when all units need to be planning their Trail's End Popcorn campaign. The District popcorn team will be contacting you for more information and Popcorn Explosions will be happening soon! Check www.popcornvirginia.com for more updates!!

School Night Planning for September

During the month of July the Cardinal District membership team and our Join Scouting Chairman, Joyce Waters joyce.waters@gmail.com, will be working hard with the assistance of our District Director  in setting up and securing support as well as dates for all school nights across the district this coming September.  Joyce will be in contact with each Cub Scout pack to gather necessary information. If you have any specific dates that you would prefer, please let us know ASAP.  If we all work together we know that we can have one of the best recruitment seasons that we have had in many years. 

Program Planning

If your Scout unit was not represented at the UP3 event where program planning kits were distributed, you can now stop by the Scout office and pick up your unit's packet with the new council calendar included to assist you with your unit program planning.

Members of the Cardinal distrct committee, and below at roundtable, standing with the golden saber given to the most outstanding district for 2013.

District Chairman: Virginia Cherry, vcherry44@gmail.com
District Commissioner: William “Bill” Simms, 804-586-6382, winglvr70@hotmail.com  
Field Director: Marcus Ragland, 804-204-2634, marcus.ragland@scouting.org

JULY

THERE ARE NO DISTRICT MEETINGS FOR THE MONTH OF JULY! HAVE A GREAT SUMMER AND SEE YOU AT AUGUST’S ROUNDTABLE!

AUGUST

4          DISTRICT COMMITTEE MEETING – WESLEY UMC 6:00PM
4          DISTRICT COMMISSIONER MEETING – WESLEY UMC 6:30PM
4          CRATER ROUNDTABLE – JOIN SCOUTING KICKOFF – WESLEY UMC 7:00PM
11        DISTRICT POPCORN KICKOFF – TIME AND LOCATION TBA
11        OA LEADERSHIP TRAINING – 5:00PM

Crater District Day Camp

When:                                     July 28 – August 1, 2014
Time:                                      8:30 AM – 3:30PM
Where:                                   Richard Bland College
Who:                                       All Tigers, Cub Scouts and Webelos
Fee:                                         $85.00
Early Registration:                Now thru June 13, 2014
Late Registration:                 June 13 – July 19, 2014
                                                No t-shirts or water bottles with late registration.

                                                No new Packs after July 19, 2014, You can add
                                                up to 3 Scouts to existing Pack registration.
                                                Contact Mrs.Mott at gmott@sent.com.

POPCORN

Folks, now is the time of year to sign your Unit up for the Annual Popcorn Sale! Selling popcorn is the single best way for your Unit to fund its year-round program. Please sign up today! For more information please contact Marcus Ragland, mragland@bsamail.org .

PROGRAM PLANNING

Now is the time of year for your Unit to hold its annual program planning conference. This is when your Unit will set its calendar for the next years worth of Scouting! If you need any assistance with this or if your Unit missed out on the District’s UP3 Training and did not get program planning materials, please contact Bill Simms, winglvr70@hotmail.com

Catholic Scouts

Mike Menefee and Kathy Orr are planning to start an Ad Alteri Dei religious emblems class for Catholic scouts who are in the 6th grade or above.  If you are interested in having your scout participate or have any questions, please email Kathy at rkorr724@comcast.net.

ROUNDTABLE

Roundtable is a monthly gathering open to all leaders in the Crater District. It is the premier opportunity for leaders to get all the latest information about what’s going on in the Heart of Virginia Council as well
as a great venue for sharing ideas and fellowship! Roundtable is the 1^st Monday of every month (except for July). Please ensure that your Unit has at least one representative at every Roundtable. We hope to see you all there!

District Chairman: Lt. Colonel "H.C." Davis, 804-239-4105, hcvsp33@aol.com
District Commissioner:  Lee Adcock 804-378-6782, LeeAdcock@Huguenottrail.org
Senior District Executive: Geoff Angle, 434-390-0466, geoffrey.angle@scouting.org
District Website: www.huguenottrail.org

July

THERE WILL BE NO MEETINGS OF THE DISTRICT DURING THE MONTH OF JULY

Membership

• Non-Renewed Scouts: During the month of June, members of the District Committee have been contacting those families of Scouts who did not recharter to see if they would like to continue their Scouting journey in one form or another.   Leaders, please make sure that ALL youth and adult leaders are properly registered.
• SCUBA Crew:  Experience the ultimate in underwater adventure with Venture Crew 1882!  No summer activities can beat diving wrecks and reefs!  Contact Andrew Chambers at 804 920 3668, Andy@RichmondDiveandTravel.com
• New Scouts:  Early in the summer, there were many units that had recruiting events.  Campouts, pool parties, and raingutter regattas are all great ways to bring in new scout families.  Please take the time to thoroughly orient new parents and leaders, make sure they take the necessary training, and get those boys having fun!  Most importantly, make sure those folks are registered as soon as possible!  Have you checked your email from BeAScout.org lately?  Several new hits have popped up and are waiting for your speedy reply!

Manpower

• The District Nominating Committee process has determined our new 2014-2015 District Members at Large slate and it has been approved.  However, the Nominating Committee will continue it’s process through the month of August, so that we can be as prepared as possible for the new program year!  Again, if you know someone in your Scouting family or community that would make an excellent candidate, please don’t hesitate to notify your SDE or District Chairman!
• The District Dinner and Award Ceremony :  Congratulations to Di Klotz of Troop and Crew 876 and Jesus Portillo of Pack 836 for earning and receiving the District Award of Merit, the highest award presented by the District to an adult volunteer.  Both are tireless and innovative volunteers and deserve the recognition by their peers.  Thank you both Di and Jesus for your great works furthering Scouting’s mission in Huguenot Trail!

Finance

• Friend$ of $couting:  It is of vital importance that every single Scouting family be asked to contribute.  Every donation, no matter how large or small is crucial, and gratefully received.  If you have not made a donation this year, please consider doing so this month.  All gifts are tax-deductible and payments can be made monthly over the remainder of the year.  Additionally, many employers make matching gifts, which can double your donation power.  There are employers that will make donations based on volunteer hours, such as the “Dollars for Doers” program, which will gift the most valuable donation of all, your time.
• Popcorn: It may seem far away, but unit FUNdraising activities are just around the corner.  We had several units absolutely SMASH their money earning goals and we sincerely hope that ALL UNITS will utilize popcorn sales to do so.  Our Popcorn EXPLOSION will be on Tuesday, August 26^th, 7:00PM at Mt. Pisgah UMC.  Please make sure to select a Unit Popcorn Kernel and have them attend!

Program

• Annual Planning:  For those units who participated in UP3 at last Roundtable, you know just how CRITICAL it is to have a solid plan moving forward.  It is vitial to take the time with leaders and parents and use the materials provided to come up with a fantastic program and a solid outline of how to fund it.  Some successful planning models have been pool parties and outdoor barbeques.  It doesn’t have to be a serious atmosphere to get some quality planning done.  Make sure the boys will have at least one peak experience this year, that they are able to go to camp, and your committee knows exactly how they will earn the money to do it.  Please consider the ready-made plans of popcorn sales and camp card sales to do so!

• Don’t forget your training!  Youth protection in particular, must be renewed every two years, and can most easily be renewed online. 
• Huguenot Trail District Day Camp:  Camp was FAAAAAANTASTIC this year! Special thanks to Scott Street, Mandy Foster, Sam Bartle and all the Chaperones, youth staff and parents who made it possible!!!  The “Camp that Comes to the Boy” hosted over 130 Cub Scouts, which is a new record. The cooperation, enthusiastic participation, patience and persistence made it one for the record books.  Sadly, this is Scott Street’s last year as Camp Director, but we are excited to have gained Mandy’s leadership in that role!  Next year, we will be shifting our location to Powhatan, more on that to come!

District Chairman: Marty Shirilla, 804-436-7289, shirilla@lancastersheriff.net
District Commissioner: Diane Mumford, dianemumford@aol.com
District Executive: Joseph Orr, 804-909-3262, joseph.orr@scouting.org

July

No District Meetings

Exploring Chairman: John Smatlak, john.smatlak@dom.com   
Exploring Executive: Lauren Billings, 804-204-2619, lauren.billings@scouting.org
Exploring Website: www.ExploringVA.org

ATTENTION ALL ADVISORS

*Attention Advisors don't forget about the annual meeting on Wednesday, July 30th at noon. Email Lauren with any questions*

There will be an Open House Training on July 30^th at noon. Please try to send a representative and your Fall Open House date to this meeting. We will be going over important information regarding fall recruitment and the various tools at your disposal. Please let Lauren know if you will or will not be able to attend.

**NEW and IMPORTANT**

There are a lot of new and exciting changes happening in the Exploring division. There are three things that we can use your help with right now!

1. We now have the opportunity to spread the program to middle school youth in addition to the 14-20 year old young men and women we currently serve. If your company is interested in how this program can benefit you, feel free to contact us and we can get you more information.
2. We are building our Division Committee and would love to have some new faces in the crowd! You do not need to be a current Exploring Leader to be on the Committee. If you know someone who is active in the community and wants to help Real World Career Education grow please send us their information or have them contact us directly. We would especially love some members in the art & humanities and Skills trades.
3. We are working on updating our webpage and could use any photos or videos you are able to share! Please email them to Lauren.billings@scouting.org. Thank you!

   ---

                               Eagles Nest

Eagle Name and Unit            Service Project

Robert Bradley Brown      710     High School Bleachers Area
Wesley Michael Camet      1893     Benedictine Abbey Landscaping
Alexander Paul Cheesman      800     Memorial Garden at Amelia Veteran's Center
Michael Lee Claytor      7430     MacCallum Moore Children's Garden
Eric Jay Clinger      2862     A.M. Davis Trail
Andrew Michael Collins      6504     Outside Benches for Amelia County High School
Ryan Alexander Corbett      2852     Miriam's House Project
John Ligon Coyner      1811     Pocahontas State Park Benches
Jordan Samuel Dimmick      2842     Benches for County Fair
Ryan Paul Doyle      2854     Obstacle Course for Chesterfield Police Dept. K-9 unit
Tristan James Edwards      304     Blood Drive at Beale
Hunter Brock Gingras      799     Interactive Learning Painting for Elementary School Enrichment
Christopher Stuart Hall      1807     Gardening with Ginter
Jared Raleigh Henshaw      107     Gun Safety for Teens
Kevin Garrett Holt      900     Emmanuel Trail at Camp Kehakee
Rosewell Franklin Jones IV     710     Prayer Garden
Zachary Arthur Keithly      728     Church Volleyball Court Benches
Mason Alexander Louthan      418     Build Playground Fence
Matthew Edward McGuigan      799     Shelving for Tuckahoe High School
Ryan Michael McTague      800     CDC Shade Pavillion
Ryan Joseph Miller      2835     Central Baptist Church Memorial Area
Harikrishna  Parasu      735     Gravel Path at Sri Sai Narayano Organization
Justin William A. Richardson      185     Playground and Memorial Garden Restoration
Joseph Jackson Sandler      706     Fence Repairs at Wings of Hope Riding Ranch
Liam Harrison Schofield      498     Unit Set for New Kent Trojan Theatre
Eric Walter Wilhelm      2880     Livestock Shelter at Chesterfield Animal Shelter
Henry Alan Wingfield      799     Woodville School Garden Planter Boxes

The National Eagle Scout Association has established the Glenn A. and Melinda W. Adams National Eagle Scout Service Project of the Year Award to recognize valuable service of an exceptional nature by a Scout to a religious institution, a school, community, or other entity. The award recognizes the Scout for his Scout leadership service project, which is a requirement for earning the Eagle Scout Award. Please use the following link to access the updated application for the Glenn A. and Melinda W. Adams Eagle Scout Service Project of the Year Award: http://www.nesa.org/PDF/542-026.pdf.

In Honor Of

Thomas Disharoon III
Pack 799
Trinity Methodist

Anthony P. Smith
Troop 400
St. Paul's Episcopal Church

Everett O. Winn
Harvey D. & Alice L. Davis

Scout Shop Notes

**The Scout Shop will be closed Friday, July 4th & Saturday,
July 5th in observance of Independence Day**

**The Scout Shop will be closed the first three Saturdays in August:  the 2nd, 9th and 16th.  Sales history shows that these weekends are very slow for Scout Shop business.  The Scout Shop will resume Saturday hours (9:00 to noon) on August 23rd.**

Stop and see all the fun stuff we have in stock!!!  We have great gifts for Scouts and leaders!

Pack and Troop leaders Please tell new Scouts which items and uniform parts to purchase.  With almost 500 units in our council, the Scout Shop does not know what individual units require or provide.

Per National BSA policy: When purchasing rank and or merit badges, advancement reports must be turned in at time of purchase, including Bobcat and Scout.  To purchase replacement patches, you must have the rank card, merit badge or blue card or copy of the Scout's record. 

All returns must be made within 30 days, with receipt, and items in original condition. 

Special event and dated patches have a limited return period.  Please check with the Scout Shop for details. 

For orders sent to the Scout Shop, please allow 1-2 business days for processing.  If you email your order, to ensure we receive it, please use the address scoutshop@scouting.org. 

PO BOX 6809 - Richmond, VA 23230-3921   
Phone (804) 355-0628, Fax (804) 353-6109
HOURS - Monday – Friday 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM                   
Saturday 9:00 AM - NOON                                                         
Email Address: Scoutshop@Scoutingva.org