Outdoor Program Newsletter Winter 2017

Welcome to The Promise. It is the intent of the Central Region Outdoor Program Support Team (CROPS) to provide councils with information and tools to improve local outdoor program and help them to better deliver the Promise of .

Our Vision: To give every young person in Scouting the opportunity to obtain lasting values and a love for the outdoors, and to do so with safety, good facilities, and strong leadership.

Our Mission: TheTo provide every council with sufficient tools to build a quality outdoor experience for Promise young people in a safe and friendly environment, and to support the efforts of all councils to deliver the Promise of Scouting.

Look in this newsletter every quarter for news from the National Service Center, highlights from the Outdoor Program Task Forces and dates of upcoming events. Feel free to distribute this to any interested Scouter and we hope this will be beneficial to your work in the Scouting Movement.

In this Issue

National Camping Report 2-4 NCAP Report 4 5-6 COPE & Climbing 7 Outdoor Ethics Conference 8 2017 Regional Outdoor Conference 9 Meet the CROPS Team 10 Chairman’s Comments 11

1 NATIONAL CAMPING REPORT Each fall councils provide camping data to the National Service Center. The data is compiled and released as the annual National Camping Report. The numbers are self-reported by the council. The data does provide an opportunity to look at trends in camping participation at the Cub, Boy and program levels.

Central Region Boy Scout Camping

200000 180000 160000 140000 120000 100000 80000 60000 40000 20000 0 Total Boy Scout Membership Total Resident Total High Adventure Total Camping

2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Some Highlights: Total Boy Scout membership in the Central Region has declined 13.7% from 2012 (181,459) to 2016 (156,544). The decline from 2015 to 2016 was 2.7%. Maybe the ship has turned? Total Boy Scouts camping has declined 6.8% from 2012 to 2016, and the decline from 2015 to 2016 was 3.6%. The report includes: • Resident camp in & out of council • Boy Scouts on staff • National & World • Specialty camps • High Adventure camping • Boy Scouts on High Adventure staff In 2013, 25,500 Boy Scouts attended the National .

2 Total resident camp, in council and out of council, declined 10.5% from 2012 to 2016, and 4.7% from 2015 to 2016. Some good news - - High Adventure, totaling all the categories, increased 18.1% from 2012 to 2016 and 4.0% from 2015 to 2016: • High Adventure in & out of council • Unit based High Adventure • National High Adventure

Central Region Cub Camping

350,000 300,000 250,000 200,000 150,000 100,000 50,000 - Cub Membership Day Camp Cub Resident Webelos Resident Camp Total Camping

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Some More Highlights: Central Region Cub membership: • Declined 20% from 2010 (309,776) to 2016 (241,921) • Declined 2.3% from 2015 to 2016 - - maybe the decline is slowing and maybe turning around. • Areas 3 & 8 had an increase in Cub membership • Total Cub Scouts camping declined 20.6 % from 2012 (133,862) to 2016 (127,838), membership declined 20% in the same period. • The 2016 total camping number was basically the same as 2015, a decline of 33, less than 1% Day Camp #’s continue to decline: • 2010 to 2016, down 21.1%, 2015 to 2016 down 4.7% • The 2010 to 2016 decline is 53.5% of the total Cub Camping decline • The 2015 to 2016 decline was 3,109 • 6 of 8 areas declined in Day Camp numbers Cub Resident is showing increases: • Up 32.8% from 2010 to 2016 and an increase of 3.3% from 2015 to 2016

3 • 7 of 8 areas declined Webelos Resident camp continues a rather steep decline: • down 36% from 2010 to 2016 and down 10.7% from 2015 to 2016 • 5 areas were down, 3 were up Overall, while Boy Scout & membership continued to decline in 2016, the rate of decline has seemed to slow down and in some areas is increasing. Camping continues to decline at about the same pace as membership, but also slowed in 2016. Cub Scout Day Camp is still declining and represents more than 50% of declining Cub camping numbers. Boy Scout High Adventure is showing strong growth, while resident camp decline is slowing and maybe turning around. This is despite the closure of several Boy Scout resident camps across the region in the last several years. With continued consolidations occurring, the number of Boy Scout resident camps is likely to continue to decline. Dan Gille, National Camping Task Force

NCAP REPORT

Central Region NCAP News

As this newsletter is being distributed, we will be approximately 70 days away from the deadline for uploading this year’s Council NCAP applications. In the fall article, I incorrectly indicated that the deadline would be April 30th, please note that the correct deadline for this year’s NCAP application is April 1st. As a reminder, these reports need to be uploaded to the [email protected] website as well as sent to: [email protected]

Also due this spring is the second group of Third Year Interim Reports. These reports are due from those councils that completed their NCAP application during the second round of the process. These are due by March 1st and should be uploaded to the [email protected] website.

I would encourage all councils in the Central Region to have a representative attend the NCAP sessions at this year’s Regional Outdoor Adventures Conference in either Des Moines, Iowa or Ft. Wayne, Indiana. We will be answering questions about the NCAP process, and also providing updates on Camp Standards changes.

As always, if anyone has any questions regarding the NCAP process they can contact me at [email protected] or (317) 354-6364 or Rich Koch at [email protected]

Denis Ward, CR NCAP Chair

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Nationally, our valued team of Certified Angling Instructor’s provided great skills instruction to 165 Scouts and Scouters in 2016. This program is focused on Angling Skills, Best Practice Teaching Methods and Program Delivery. 85% of those graduates were located and trained in the Central Region. Post- graduation, these Angling Instructors provided many hours of volunteer service to our youth at all levels of Scouting within the Central Region. Their service included developing and presenting fishing programs, providing merit badge instruction, repair and maintenance of Council Angling Equipment, supporting shoreline or fishery enhancement projects, and training summer camp staff members. These folks did a great job this year in supporting outdoor programs in their Units, Districts, and Councils! Since the inception of the BSA Certified Angling Instructor Program in 2005, we have graduated just over 800 CAIs. Job Well Done! For more information about the CAI Program and what it can do for your Fishing Programs, please visit www.bsacai.org or contact your Central Region Fishing Chair: Michael R. Brand [email protected] For more information regarding 2017 CAI Training Courses, please contact your Area Lead – Fishing. Area 1 - Fishing John Woodhall [email protected] Area 2 - Fishing Dennis Festerling [email protected] Area 3 - Fishing Robert Quam [email protected] Area 4 - Fishing David Ross [email protected] Area 5 - Fishing John View III [email protected] Area 6 - Fishing James Ridgeway [email protected] Area 7 - Fishing Steve Klubertanz [email protected]

Also, during the Fall of 2016, BSA Certified Angling Instructors from across the nation gathered in Central Region to participate in a CAI Course Director Conference. This conference was presented by members of the BSA National Fishing Task Force, and was designed to develop existing CAI’s into confident CAI Training Course Directors.

Presenters included: Ben Jelsema - BSA National Fishing Task Force - Chairman William Pepito - BSA National Fishing Task Force - Southern Region Fishing Chair Michael Brand - BSA National Fishing Task Force - Central Region Fishing Chair

Conference attendees enhanced their understanding of the mission and vision of BSA Outdoor Programs - Fishing. They received a CAI course manual that provides them step by step instructions for creating a CAI course for their Area, Council, and District. Attendees participated in discussions on optimum course 5 design, team member recruitment and staff development, financial planning, facility considerations, and marketing. The course highlighted best practices on content delivery, in both the classroom and the field.

A similar conference is planned for the during Week 11: September 17-23.

The Aquatic Resources Education Association recently awarded the Steve Campbell Outdoor Educator of the Year to Michael Brand at their bi-annual conference held October 26, 2016, at the U. S. Fish & Wildlife National Training and Conference Center just outside of Washington DC. This award recognizes an AREA member’s effort in increasing public appreciation for, and understanding of, the values of aquatic resources. It is a leader in providing and promoting angler education and fishing opportunities to diverse audiences in a fun, energetic and enthusiastic manner. Michael was recognized for his efforts with the Outdoor Fishing Program.

New requirements BSA Complete Angler Recognition Award

The BSA National Fishing Task Force has announced new requirements for the BSA Complete Angler Recognition Award. The new requirements are now in effect. In addition to earning the three Fishing related merit badges (Fishing, Fly Fishing, and Fish & Wildlife Management), Scouts are now required to complete one or more of the following projects: 1. Teach a Fishing or Fly Fishing Merit Badge skill to your Troop, Crew or Team as part of a unit program activity. 2. Help instruct Cub Scouts on fishing skills or fishery management as part of a Cub Scout meeting or outing. 3. Participate in a local fishing derby or tournament (either a Scouting or Community Event). 4. Complete a conservation project that will benefit a local fishery.

I am looking forward to speaking with many of you at the upcoming Regional Outdoor conferences. I will be joined by Area 2 Fishing Lead Dennis Festerling in Fort Wayne. Together we plan to discuss Council Fishing Programs, and how these can, when done right, provide an exciting recruiting tool. In or out of the water, they provide excellent opportunities for Scout retention. We will also discuss how these programs, when done wrong, present challenges to our recruitment and retention efforts. If you are in need of new and exciting programs to hook youth on Scouting, you don’t want to miss this session. You will surely reel the Scouts into your progam and keep them in the program. Until we meet again, wishing you tightlines and FISH ON! Michael R. Brand, Fishing Chair 6 COPE & CLIMBING The COPE & Climbing Task Force has been busy working on training aides and literature. The task force recently completed the second edition of Belay On, and it is now available at scouting.org. We are writing two new leader training documents similar to Climb On Safely. One focuses on caves and the other on canyons. Those documents should be released this winter. We are also creating presentation aides for use in camp schools and local council trainings. We are targeting the more technical classes that are harder to present. These sample presentations will help ensure a consistent message is delivered across all National Camping School (NCS) offerings. We are also discussing the idea of online training for certain syllabus topics. We are working on an online section. Eventually these online sections may serve as a prerequisite to NCS, or a council may use them as part of their staff trainings. We are finalizing the 2017 calendar with our program manager camp schools and conferences. The Central Region will be having two COPE/Climbing conferences, to be held in conjunction with an NCS offering, Program Manager, as well as renewals for COPE and Climbing Director.

Camp Geiger, St. Joseph, MO 3/23 – 3/26,2017 NCS offering Program Manager, COPE and Climbing renewal 3/25 – 3/26, 2017 Central Region COPE and Climbing Conference

Camp Gerber and Owassippi Scout Reservation Twin Lake, MI 4/6 – 4/9, 2017 NCS offering Program Manager 4/8 – 4/9, 2017 Central Region COPE and Climbing Conference

John Harrits, Cope & Climbing

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2016 BSA OUTDOOR ETHICS CONFERENCE

CAMP TRACY SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH

The third bi-annual Outdoor Ethics Conference was held on October 5-9, 2016. Approximately 130 participants, staff and guest speakers attended the multi-day event with 20 of the participants coming from 6 of the 7 Central Region Areas.

Highlights of the conference included:

• 2 days of Outdoor Ethic sessions (35 individual topics) – October 6-9th • 2 days of Tread Lightly! Master Tread Trainer and Tread Lightly! Tread Trainer trainings prior to the OE Conference • A 2-day session for William T. Hornaday advisors prior to the OE Conference • OE Task Force Chair Dave O’Leary gave several presentations on where we were, where we are and where we are going as an Outdoor Ethics movement • Agency updates from NPS, USFS, BLM and Utah State Parks • Posters and displays from participants and Agencies • The next OE Conference will potentially be held in the fall of 2018 in the Central Region • Approved Master Educator course offered by Central Region Councils in 2017 are:

Abraham Lincoln Council (2 weekend course*) Camp Illinek, IL April 21-23 and May 4-7, 2017

Northern Star Council (week long course) Camp Tomahawk, Birchwood, WI Aug. 24-29, 2017

Jayhawk Area Council (2 weekend course*) Falley Scout Reservation, Oskaloosa, KS Sept. 8-10 and Sept. 21-24, 2017

Winnebago Council (week long course) Bog Goose Station, Bighorn National Forest, WY Aug. 5-10, 2017

* Both weekends are required to complete the course For course details, go to the Council websites or the OE Website http://outdoorethics-bsa.org

Don Reinicker, Area 7 Outdoor Ethics Advocate

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2017 Regional Outdoor Conferences

West: January 21, 2017 East: January 28, 2017 Des Moines Iowa Fort Wayne Indiana Mid Iowa Council BSA Anthony Wayne Area Council, BSA 6123 Scout Trail 8315 W. Jefferson Blvd. Des Moines IA 50321 Fort Wayne IN 46804 515.266.2135 260.432.9593 www.MidIowaCouncilBSA.org www.awac.org

The Central Region is proud to offer 2 conferences in 2017 to reduce your travel time and provide you with more opportunities to attend. These conferences are open to any scouter AT ANY LEVEL with an interest in Outdoor Adventures, National Camp Accreditation Program, 2017 National Jamboree, High Adventure and Outdoor Program.

This year, a new format is offered to allow you to attend up to 3 different sessions, giving you information on various topics and the opportunity to meet leaders in other aspects of Outdoor Adventure. Bring a friend and share the experience. Display tables will be provided to give you the latest information from the various Program Task Forces.

Cost is $40.00 per person (includes lunch, refreshments and materials). Field Uniform is appropriate. Please share during online registration of any dietary needs.

Doors open at 8:00 AM local time and the opening is at 8:45. Closing will be around 2:30 pm. Pre-registration is required; for Des Moines by January 16 and Fort Wayne by January 23. Participants will be notified 2 days prior if cancelled due to impending bad weather.

To register, go to:

https://reservations.scouting.org/profile/form/index.cfm?PKformID=0x664063471

Register, select your conference, your 3 sessions and make your payment. There will also be updates at both conferences regarding the National Jamboree and information on the 2017 programs at Northern Tier and the Summit High Adventure Bases. This will be a great opportunity for you to meet and discuss issues with National and Regional leaders.

Questions?? Contact:

Aaron Randolph (Des Moines Chairman): [email protected] Jim Kern (Fort Wayne Chairman): [email protected] Virgil Reed (Regional Vice President) [email protected] Jeff Stout (Regional Support Specialist) [email protected]

SEE YOU IN JANUARY!!! 9

MEET THE CROPS TEAM!

Chair Aaron Randolph [email protected]

Conservation Task Force Pat Bowen [email protected]

Cub Camping Resource Jim Forrest [email protected]

Cub Camping Resource Jay Oakman [email protected]

Camping Task Force/Newsletter Dan Gille [email protected]

Outdoor Ethics Task Force Toby Green [email protected]

Cope & Climbing Task Force John Harrits [email protected]

Shooting Task Force Todd Cook [email protected]

Fishing Task Force Mike Brand [email protected]

Aquatics Task Force Terry Budd [email protected]

National Support Brian Gray [email protected]

Regional Support Jeff Stout [email protected]

Facilities Task Force Jim Kern [email protected]

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CHAIRMAN’S COMMENTS Aaron Randolph [email protected]

Happy New Year!

As we welcome the New Year, we also welcome a new member to the Central Region Outdoor Program team. Long-time Central Region COPE & Climbing Task Force chair Todd Whitely handed off the leadership hat to John Harrits from the in . Todd did a great job chairing this task force and we appreciate his dedication and service. Thank you for a job well done!

John is picking up where Todd left off, John has been a member of the National COPE & Climbing Task Force for some time so working with this committee is nothing new. I look forward to working with John and know he will continue the great leadership Todd has given us.

Starting off the New Year is the Central Region Outdoor Program Conference. The interest and participation in the conference has grown each year, and the topics covered, as well as the top-level presenters, are of interest to every outdoor-oriented Scouter. For these reasons, we are offering two locations and dates so that more local council Scouters will be able to attend. You will find more details about the conference elsewhere in this newsletter, and you’ll also find the registration site address. Please join us for either of the conferences and bring a carload of Scouters with you from your local council. Every Scouter, regardless of registered position or level of experience, is invited to attend.

The 2017 National Scout Jamboree is now less than 200 days away, as of January 1. There are now over 22,500 Scouts and 5,200 staff registered and many more will sign up in the coming months. We can still use your help to deliver a mountain-top experience. Come join the excitement!

And finally, please let me know what I can do to help you succeed in your Scouting role. I promise I will do my best to help you!

YITSOG (Yours In The Spirit Of Gilwell)

Aaron Randolph National Adventures Group Outdoor Program Support - Central Region Chair [email protected] (H) 319-377-0497 (C) 319-721-6733

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Editor: Dan Gille [email protected] Special Thanks to Karen Gille and Keith Christopher for proofreading and layout.

Future Publication Dates: Spring 2017

Sunset at Sea Base, Florida

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