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The Chachalaca Boy Scouts of America, Rio Grande Council Electronic Issue 6 Spring 2012 Inside This Issue: ASTRONAUT MIKE FOSSUM PROMOTES STEM PROGRAMS IN SCOUTING Page 2: Council Calendar Council President The Rio Grande Council hosted a Page 3: press conference on March 24th to Eagle Scouts release the new Science, Technol- Surfboards ogy, Engineering and Math (STEM) NESA programs that are being introduced Page 4: to the Scouting Merit Badge pro- Jamboree - Summit grams. Announcing the new initia- STEM / NOVA tive were Scout Executive Ernesto Page 5: Memorial Fund Carballo, Jr., and the Valley’s home- Winter Camp grown astronaut Mike Fossum. Page 6: Friends of Scouting Fossum recently returned from the Page 7: International Space Station and is Planned Giving now working to help promote the Page 8: STEM program in Scouting and local 2012 Wood Badge school districts. A local boy who Page 9: earned the Eagle rank as a Scout in Desk of the SE troop 7 in McAllen, Fossum went on Voice of the Scout to Texas A & M University, the US Air Force, and NASA. He is someone that Page 10 local Scouts can relate to and those Cubs and Scouts attending the press con- Recognition Dinner Page 11 ference had a chance to ask questions to Astronaut Fossum about education, Texas YPT Training NASA, and his experiences in the Boy Scouts of America. Several Scouts had Page 12 been present at Camp Perry last summer for the video link with Fossum from Commissioner’s the International Space Station during which he said that “Camp Perry is one of Laguna Station my favorite places on earth.” Page 13 Skeet and Trap The BSA has introduced a collection of STEM Merit Badges including Architec- Tournament ture, Automotive Mechanics, Aviation, Chemistry, Composite Materials, Com- CP Paver Project puters, Electronics, Engineering, Environmental Science, Metalwork, Nuclear Science, Radio, Robotics, Space Exploration, Veterinary Medicine, and Weather. These merit badges will be offered at Camp Perry during Summer Camp Op- erations. Page 2 Electronic Issue 6 From the Council President: Dear Fellow Scouters, COUNCIL I wanted to take this time to share with you the successes that our council has been having in the CALENDAR 10 months that I have been serving as your council president. MAY Last fall we had a great fall round up and we were able to grow our mem- bership by 3 Roundtable 12.8% over the prior year. This mean more young people learning and un- 8 Executive Committee Meeting derstanding the Scout Oath and Scout Laws. Our Exploring programs in- 9 Scout Day with the Vipers 12 BALOO Training creased last year by 2.9% over the prior year and more co-ed teens learn- 12 Commissioner Meeting ing about a possible future career. JUNE The year ended with more net assets, that’s funding able to be used in the operations of our council. This translates into more distinct executives in 1-3 Cub Resident Camp the field, more resources to train adults and better facilities at our camps. Camp Perry 2 3rd Annual Trap and Skeet Classic At the end of the year our council was able to achieve the gold level in the Tournament “Journey to Excellence”. This is a great achievement for the Rio Grande 7 Roundtable Council and I am very proud to be serving a council growing in a solid 10-16 Camp Perry Staff Week 17-23 Camp Perry Camp Week manner. JULY A few weeks ago we had an annual progress review as part of our Charter Review. We received both the 2012 charter for the Rio Grande Council 5 Roundtable and the Leaning for Life programs. Just like units are chartered to a coun- cil, our council is chartered by the national organization. We have many more exiting programs underway and I expect we will fin- ish in the gold once more! Yours in Scouting Andy Hagan Check out the complete calendar on the Website at: www.riograndecouncil.org THE MISSION The mission of the Boy Scouts of America is to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetime by instilling them the values of the Scout Oath and Law. Electronic Issue 6 Page 3 EAGLE SCOUT SURF BOARDS WANTED FOR CLASS OF 2012 LAGUNA STATION Laguna Station has need for surf boards for its high ad- Eagle Scout is the highest rank a Boy Scout venture base program this can earn. A warm congratulations and summer. If you’ve got a surf best wishes to the following Scouts who board collecting dust in the have earned Eagle since the last issue of garage, or you know of someone who could donate a the Chachalaca: previously used surf board, 2012 Eagles contact Rayburn MacNelly at Unit Name 956 545 9963. 2101 Garcia, Jacob D. 1889 Bowers, Arlan W. 142 Boe, Tyler J. 206 McDonald, Shane 59 Taylor Jr., James R 112 Lestartpe, Alain 76 Golnick, Lewis D 78 Martinez III, Alvaro 11 Arista, Phillip A 76 Atkins, Lucas 11 Brodden, Devin 1776 Jacob A Boen 6 Jonathan M Burlette 84 Victor G De Leon 78 Mauricio Diaz 206 Zachary Garcia 999 Edward D Hernandez 12 Francisco J Perez 61 Stephen D Truman 999 Jacob D Oestreich 100 Ricardo Flores National Alumni Association Everyone can now join out new Alumni Association. Click here for more information: http://www.scouting.org/alumni.aspx ElectronicPageElectronic 4 Issue Issue 6 6 Electronic IssuePage 6 Page 4 4 WANTED Could you be one of those few good Scouters WANTED to serve as Scoutmaster or Assistant Scoutmaster for the 2013 JAMBOREE? The Rio Grande Council is planning to send two troops to the Jamboree which will be held July 15-24, 2013, at the new Summit Bechtel Reserve is West Virginia. The Council is recruiting eight adult leaders to lead the troops to the Jamboree. If you are interested and would like to be one of the leaders to this first Jamboree of BSA’s second century, you should apply on-line immediately. Go to www.riograndecouncil.org and register. Your application auto- matically doesn’t guarantee any position in the team. A committee will review applications, interview appli- cants, and select the adult leadership. So if you want to be one of the WANTED, start the process now. Need further information from those who did it before? Contact Michael Key at 956-342-1440, 956-607-1601 or [email protected], or Harsha Puttagunta at 956-792-5992 or [email protected]. Scouting Quotes: “Camp Perry is one of my favorite places on earth.” Astronaut Michael Fossum STEM AND NOVA AWARD PROGRAM What is the Boy Scouts of America Science, Technology, engi- neering and Math (STEM) Initiative? A partnership with ExxonMobil Corporation has resulted in the company’s commitment to support a variety of programs that encourage active interest by youth in the fields of science, tech- nology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Exxon Mobil has generously agreed to fund the development of the program within Scouting through a special multi-year grant. The BSA STEM program is designed to bring a Scouting focus to skills that are relevant and needed in our competitive world, increasing the value of Scouting to families and communities as it supports the development of these critical skills in youth. The program provides opportunities for youth at all lev- els of Scouting to develop an enhanced interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics and to recognize their achievement in these areas via the NOVA Award program. Learn more about the STEM and NOVA Award Program by clicking on the link found on the council web page www.riograndecouncil.org. Chachalaca is a publication of the Rio Grande Council, Boy Scouts of America. An electronic edition is planned for Summer of 2012. Comments on this electronic publication of the Chachalaca may be sent to [email protected]. Electronic Issue 6 Page 5 RIO GRANDE COUNCIL MEMORIAL FUND Has someone passed on who you want to remember in a special, lasting way? Flowers are such a beautiful and warm token of condolence for the passing of loved ones or friends. They, along with words, too often fall short of the innermost feelings of the heart. A gift to the Boy Scout Memorial Fund speaks to the high character of the person who has passed on, an honorable tribute and a lasting gift. A memorial fund gift touches and warms the heart of all involved, crosses all lines of religion and wealth, a perfectly acceptable gift. DONOR: IN MEMORY OF: Rayburn W. MacNelly Enola M. Boudreaux Stephen & Dorothy Vassberg Emil Golnick Stephen & Dorothy Vassberg Norman J. Mungerson Anita & Chris Boswell Sam Sparks Stephen & Dorothy Vassberg Salvador Villegas, Jr. Stephen & Dorothy Vassberg Roger Findahl Scout Memorial booklets are available at the Scout Service Center, or may be mailed to you on request. Please call the Boy Scout Office – (956) 423-0250. RIO GRANDE COUNCIL #775, BSA P. O. Box 2424 Harlingen, Texas 78552 Phone (956)423-0250 Web Site: www.riograndecouncil.org WINTER CAMP AT CAMP PERRY The 16th winter camp was held at Camp Perry December 26-30, 2011, and the weather was perfect. More than 130 Scouts and leaders representing 17 troops spent some of the nicest days ever learning Scout skills and working on merit badges which are not normally offered at summer camp. Some 40+ merit badges were offered during the week and about 350 were completed. Scouts hailed from the following troops: 142, 76, 61, 2101, 84, 6, 604, 34, 80, 41, 1889, 59, 11, 83, 1954, and two troops from Kingsville.