December 2020 Newsletter

DECEMBER 2020 NEWSLETTER

OFFICE HOURS The Golden Spread Council Office and Scout Shop are open: Monday thru Friday 8:30—5:30

OFFICE CLOSURES The Golden Spread Council will be closed for the following holidays in 2020: Christmas Eve and Christmas Day; New Year’s Eve

Be sure to check out our website calendar for ALL of the exciting events happening in the Golden Spread Council or follow this link:

https://goldenspread.org/

COUNCIL EVENTS

EDITOR’S NOTE

Hello Golden Spread Council volunteers, parents, staff and board members! I hope this finds all of our volunteers and families doing well during this continued coronavirus pandemic! The good news for this month is: Christmas! As we begin to (finally) close this year down, I have started reflecting on what 2020 has reminded me to be mindful of in my life. Patience, resilience, kindness, hope, joy are just a few reminders given to me. In the toughest year that I can ever remember, there is still so much to be thankful for. I still have my dad, my kids, my sister, nieces, nephews, cousins, extended family and friends plus God still reigns! We have all had extra challenges in 2020 and I am thankful to be going through the scouting challenges with all of you amazing volunteers and my work family. Whatever happens, we will all be stronger for it! Peace and blessings over all of you and your families! Merry Christmas! Lots of events coming in 2021 so read all about it! Be sure to visit the council website at www.goldenspread.org regularly to get information on upcoming events, registration and deadlines and any date changes that may occur. The newsletter will be going out every month and will contain the most current information available for council, district, and unit events. Please send unit event information, dates and pictures to Gemma Mitchell at [email protected] or call 806-282-8296 and leave me a voicemail. Don’t forget to forward all of your unit fun and activities to your district executive! If you don’t know who they are or how to contact them, look on the green tabbed district pages here in the newsletter. We are really excited to get this newsletter out to you and we are even more excited to include you and your youth! The youth of the Golden Spread Council is why we all do what we do in Scouting and when we stay focused on them, we all win!

Yours in Scouting, Gemma Mitchell

COUNCIL EVENTS

2021 GOLDEN SPREAD COUNCIL CUB SCOUTS AND

SCOUTS BSA CAMPING AND ACTIVITIES January 23: Merit Badge University February 20-21: OKPIK Winter Adventure Camp March 27: Scouting for Food (Cub Scouts and Scouts BSA event) April 9-11: Woodbadge Weekend #1 (Camp Don Harrington) April 16-18: Camporee April 24-25: Woodbadge Weekend #2 (Camp MK Brown) April 24-25: Cub Scout Extravaganza April 30-May 2: Philmont Family Weekend June 5: Cub Scout Adventure Day Camp June 6-11: National Youth Leadership Training Course (NYLT) June 20-26: Scouts BSA Summer Camp Week 1 June 27-July 3: Scouts BSA Summer Camp Week 2 July 16-18: Wolf/Bear Only Resident Camp July 23-25: Webelos Resident Camp August 21: Waterfront Day (Cub Scouts and Scouts BSA event) August 28: BB/Archery/Slingshot Day September 17-19: Webelos Woods Camp September 25-26: Cub Scout Family Campout October 16: Spook O Ree October 23: Spook O Ree November 13: Environmental Science Merit Badge Class For details on all of these camps, activities and to register, visit www.goldenspread.org. Click on the “Calendar” tab and scroll to the date to find the camp/activity. Please check with your unit leader for details on how to register for these events as some are unit registrations and others may be individual registrations. If you haven’t liked us already, go to the Golden Spread Council page on Facebook and like us! We also put a lot of information about upcoming events and news on this page.

COUNCIL EVENTS

SCOUTING IN 2020 As the year-end draws closer, there is always a curiosity as to how our Scouting units fared in advancements throughout the year. It has been a difficult year for everyone; however, here is a recap showing the advancements that were done throughout 2020 (as of October 31) - even through a pandemic! It shows a resilience that when the going gets tough, Scouting gets going! Congratulations to ALL of our Cub Scout Packs and ScoutsBSA troops! You rock! 2020 Cub Scout Advancements (By District) Lone Wolf – 105 Adobe Walls – 98 Golden Eagle – 429 TOTAL – 632

2020 ScoutsBSA Advancements (By District) Lone Wolf – 147 Adobe Walls – 159 Golden Eagle – 1111 TOTAL – 1,417

2020 Total ScoutsBSA Ranks - 289

Top 3 Merit Badges 2020 – Citizenship in the World – 69 Badges (62 Badges in 2019) Fingerprinting – 65 Badges (69 Badges in 2019) Communications – 60 Badges (42 in 2019)

Did you know that as you holiday shop you can be giving back to charities? Sign up for Amazon smile at https://smile.amazon.com/gp/chpf/homepage?orig=%2F, pick your favorite charity (yes, the Golden Spread Council is listed!), sign in with your regular Amazon sign in and begin shopping away! Each time you shop Amazon by going to Amazon smile you will be giving 5% of your total eligible purchases back to your favority charity! So this holiday season, give an extra smile!

COUNCIL EVENTS

Journey to Excellence

Scouting’s Journey to Excellence (JTE) is the BSA aspirational planning, performance and recognition program designed to encourage and reward success of our units, districts, and councils. It is meant to encourage excellence and continuous improvement in providing a quality program at all levels of the BSA.

The JTE standards are based on achievements the previous year or previous few years, both individually and for the creation of national standards. Due to the extraordinary circumstances occurring in 2020, benchmarking 2019 to 2020 at the district and council level is not constructive and similarly basing 2021 standards on 2020 for districts and councils is equally inappropriate. Many units, however, have largely adapted their programs to the challenges of 2020 so their members have continued to enjoy Scouting.

For these reasons, the Journey to Excellence recognition program for districts and councils is discontinued immediately. The Unit level recognition program will continue, and recognition patches will be available for units..

Journey to Excellence for Districts and Councils also represents data which is important to help districts and councils. A new membership reporting tool is under development to aid districts and councils with key membership data including gender and ethnic inclusion. You will soon hear more about this.

Unfortunately, the council and district JTE dashboard (dials) and finish line report require substantial manual compilation and data assessment each month. With the significant reduction in staff at the BSA National office, the staff support necessary to keep the dashboard current and helpful to you is simply not available. Consequently, it is necessary to decommission the JTE dashboard and finish line report effective September 18.

We suggest that even if JTE recognition is not available, the JTE standards still represent a vision of good Scouting for Districts and Councils and can be used in strategic planning.

Unit Recognition

Revised unit criteria, due to the pandemic, is available at https://www.scouting.org/awards/journey-to- excellence/unit/2020-scorecards-english/

2021 unit scorecards are available at https://www.scouting.org/awards/journey-to-excellence/unit/

We will be considering what assessment and/or recognition system will be most helpful to councils and districts for 2022 and beyond. It is very premature to speculate on what that might be. Questions can be directed to [email protected]. Thank you for all you do for Scouting and for your support of the Journey to Excellence program.

COUNCIL EVENTS

WOODBADGE

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?

Wood Badge is designed to meet the advanced leadership needs of all Scouters, particularly unit level Scouters, such as Cub leaders, Scoutmasters and assistants, Venturing Crew Advisors, Committee Chairs and members. Additionally, Scouters serving at the district and council levels can achieve greater effectiveness through Wood Badge.

To attend a Wood Badge course, individuals must: Be registered members of the Boy Scouts of America. (Youth 18 and older may attend as long as the appropriate Youth Protection guidelines are followed. They do not need to be registered in an adult leadership role.) Have completed the basic training courses for their Scouting position. Be capable of functioning safely in an outdoor environment. All participants are required to complete the Annual Health and Medical Record form Part A & B. WHY ATTEND? By taking Wood Badge, Scouters will acquire valuable tools such as listening, communicating, conflict Management, project planning and leading change. Participants will better learn to understand and appreciate diversity and differences in our society. They will learn skills that will make them a better Scout leader. Units with trained leaders are able to deliver an improved program and a more meaningful experience for the youth Scouting serves. By attending Wood Badge, the participants will internalize the 5 themes of Wood Badge: Living the Values, Growing, Connecting, Guiding, Empowering.

Cost per participant is $260.00 and you can register online at www.goldenspread.org

Course Dates: April 9-11th at Camp Don Harrington AND April 24-25th at Camp MK Borwn

If you have further questions, call Joe Rahija, 2021 Course Director at 806-930-0645

COUNCIL EVENTS

HUGE SCOUT SHOP SALE! Time is of the essence and supplies are limited so don’t delay! Hurry and come by the Golden Spread Council Scout Shop at 401 Tascosa Rd. today!

8 NEWS YOU CAN USE FROM SCOUTINGWIRE.COM

The Congressional Award: An impressive honor Scouts can earn just by being Scouts

In Congress, it’s the rare subject about which there’s unanimous agreement.

It’s the Congressional Award, the highest recognition Congress bestows on young people. To qualify, a young person must meet certain goals in four key areas: voluntary public service, personal development, physical fitness and expedition/exploration.

Are you thinking what I’m thinking? Yes, many of the activities young people enjoy in Scouting fit nicely into those four categories. Better yet, double-dipping is encouraged, meaning work on merit badges, rank requirements and Eagle projects counts toward the award.

This natural correlation explains why, in 1999, the BSA became partners with the Congressional Award Foundation, which remains Congress’ only charity.

As jobs and colleges become increasingly more competitive, the Congressional Award — along with a young person’s experience in Scouting — will look great on a résumé. That “something extra” is exactly what hiring managers and college admissions counselors want to see.

Scouts have been earning the Congressional Award ever since it was established in 1979. In 2019, at least 75 of the 538 Congressional Award Gold Medal recipients were Scouts. But I say it’s time to raise that number even higher. The award is noncompetitive, meaning anyone who properly completes the requirements will receive the award.

9 Important: Scouts must register first

Before you consider retroactively counting Scouting experience toward the award, let me point out one key statement from the Congressional Award site: “This is not an award for past accomplishments. Instead, you are honored for achieving your own challenging goals after registering for the program.”

That means your Scouts should register for the award as soon as possible after turning 13.5 years old, giving them the maximum amount of time to count Scouting requirements toward their progress.

But even if your Scout or Venturer is 16, 17 or older, all hope is not lost. They have until their 24th birthday to complete the requirements.

‘Things I was already doing in Scouting’

After registering, any qualifying activity — in school, Scouting or another extracurricular activity — can count toward the award. That fact is confirmed in the award’s FAQs: “If you belong to groups such as Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Venturing, 4-H, etc., your activities may often be used to achieve a particular goal.” That was certainly the case for Eagle Scout Todd Christian, who earned the Congressional Award in 2019, at age 23.

“I completed all of the requirements for the program exclusively through the things I was already doing through Scouting,” he says.

Christian earned the Gold Medal, which is the highest of the Congressional Award’s six levels. That top honor includes an invite to the national award ceremony in Washington, D.C., where honorees meet other recipients as well as their congressional representatives. (Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s ceremony was held virtually.)

The Gold Medal requires at least 400 hours of volunteer time, 200 hours of personal development, 200 hours of physical fitness, and an expedition of at least five days and four nights.

“Essentially, anyone who completes a multiday trek as well as a comprehensive service project — what we call an Eagle project — has already overcome a major hurdle to receiving the top award,” Christian says. The entry-level award — the Bronze Certificate — is within even closer reach for most Scouts. It requires 30 hours of volunteer service, 15 hours of personal development, 15 hours of physical fitness, and a one-day expedition or exploration.

“Virtually every Scout has met these requirements many times over, just by being a Scout,” Christian says.

Eagle Scout Cutler Shiver of Georgia (second from left) received the Congressional Award Gold Medal in 2019.

How to earn the award and what to expect

Explore the program requirements here.

Keep in mind that each level is cumulative, meaning time spent on one award carries over to the next. For example, completing 200 hours of service for the Silver Medal means you’re already halfway to the 400 needed for Gold.

Scouts who want to count their work in Scouting toward the Congressional Award should keep three things in mind: Scouts must register for the program before beginning to count work toward it. The minimum age to register is 13.5, and all goals must be met before turning 24. Scouts should document their work closely so it’s easy to share it with the Congressional Award program when it’s time to submit. Many Scouts already do this level of documentation when working on merit badges like Personal Management or projects like the Eagle Scout project.

Going for Gold?

Scouts like to aim high, so I’m guessing that many will be eyeing that Gold Medal. Christian shared a few examples of how Scouts might meet or exceed Gold Medal requirements just by enjoying all that Scouting has to offer.

400 hours of voluntary service: Scouts spend a lot of time helping others and serving in leadership roles, and it’s surprising how quickly they accumulate more than 400 hours. Eagle Scout service projects could easily fulfill a large chunk of the 400 hours needed. 200 hours of personal development: Scouts could register these hours by learning new skills, such as those taught in merit badges. It takes time, but it’s fun to pursue a new passion. 200 hours of physical fitness: Working toward merit badges like Cycling, Swimming, Hiking, Backpacking and Athletics will give Scouts a good foundation for this requirement. Four nights and five days on an “expedition or exploration”: A single trip to many BSA high-adventure bases would qualify, and Philmont Scout Ranch is mentioned by name in the FAQs. The primary requirement is that participants “plan, prepare and be responsible.” 24 months of work toward the award: Scouts work for months toward lofty goals like the Eagle Scout Award, Quartermaster Award (Sea Scouts) or Summit Award (Venturing). All this time will count.

A Scouter’s role

While it is certainly appropriate to present this opportunity to your Scouts and Venturers, keep in mind that — like anything else in Scouting — the Scouts should take the lead.

But as a Scouter, you still play an important role.

Any young person wishing to earn the Congressional Award will need Advisors and Validators — adults who can help a young person navigate the program and verify completion of requirements.

According to the official FAQs, Scoutmasters are ideally suited for this role — with a few exceptions. “Teachers, guidance counselors, coaches, club leaders and Scoutmasters would all make excellent Advisors and Validators,” according to the FAQs. “The only guideline in choosing an Advisor or Validator is that they cannot be your parent, relative or peer.”

11 The Congressional Award during COVID-19

Thankfully, Scouting has not been on pause during the coronavirus pandemic. Scouts are still having fun, earning merit badges and serving others.

Likewise, progress toward the Congressional Award can continue. For the official guidance on navigating the award during COVID-19, see this article from the Congressional Award Foundation.

DISTRICT EVENTS

ADOBE WALLS District Executive: Gaylyne Manns—[email protected] Ph. # 806-207-0037 District Chair: Jason Eugea Ph # 806-335-6805 District Commissioner: Mike Savage Ph # 806-595-0315 Roundtable: 1st Thursday of the month from August thru May – 6:30 pm at First United Methodist, 201 E Foster, Pampa, TX

Adobe Walls December 2020

Troop 404 ready for service hours for SOR at MK Brown.

Adobe Walls Chairman Jason Eugea, helping with Popcorn Distribution. Thanks Jason!

Gaylyne Manns –Senior District Executive SLIME!!!

DISTRICT EVENTS

GOLDEN EAGLE District Executive: Michael Lopez—[email protected] Ph. # 505-699-6552 District Chair: Jeff Sulik Ph # 806-651-3000 District Commissioner: Jon Hill Ph # 806-471-8648 Roundtable: 1st Thursday of every month from August thru June —7:00 pm at the Scout Office

Pack your golf bag and get ready to play at the Buffalo Thunder Resort and Towa Golf Club! Contact Michael Lopez at (505) 699-6552 to get more information on your chance to win today!

Set your calendars for February 27th, 2021 and get ready to race at the District Pinewood Derby!!

DISTRICT EVENTS

Troop 31 service project cleaning the outside area of the outdoor musical “Texas” in Palo Duro Canyon.

Troop 31 service project helping at the Canyon location of Snack Pack 4 kids

DISTRICT EVENTS

LONE WOLF District Executive: Erica Maddox—[email protected] Ph. # 580-651-0581 District Chair: Steve Walthour Ph # 806-922-7402 and Jim Lear Ph # 806-202-4507 District Commissioner: James Bentley Ph # 806-260-1596 Roundtable: 4th Thursday of each month from July thru April —7:30 pm at 1738 N Oklahoma, Guymon , OK

Lone Wolf District

“Give thanks not just on Thanksgiving Day, but every day of your life. Appreciate and never take for granted all that you have.” Catherine Pulsifer “Christmas is forever, not for just one day. For loving, sharing, giving, are not to put away.” Norman Wesley Brooks The holiday season is in full swing and so is Scouting. Popcorn has wrapped up, District Banquet is complete, and we are looking forward to all the activities coming in the new year! Let us remember to be thankful for each member of our Scouting family and continue to build this wonderful program. We would like to take the opportunity each newsletter to introduce the people who help make the Lone Wolf District great! This month, we would like to introduce you to Blake Wells, Unit Commissioner!

Blake Wells, Boise City, OK, is the Dad of 5 kids: Abigail 12, Trenton 11, Reaha 9, Rebeka 9 and Amanda 7. Blake is a part of Pack 146, Pack 8145, Troop 4145 and Lone Wolf District Committee. He and his wife Ashley own and run two newspapers The Boise City News in Boise City, OK and Sherman County Gazette in Stratford TX. Blake loves getting to do things with his family, working on restoring his old theater, and working with Scouts. Blake is excited to be a part of the District Committee because he gets to not only help with Scouting in his community but everywhere else. He believes that Scouting is a program all youth should have the opportunity to participate in.

Thank you Blake, for all that you do for Scouting!

DISTRICT EVENTS

LONE WOLF

Pack 38 providing some community service

Lone Wolf District Banquet 2020

Please follow our district on Facebook!

DISTRICT EVENTS

LONE WOLF

Pack 578 making slime

Troop and Pack 258 completing a Food Drive

District Award of Merit Honoree James Bentley

Troop and Pack 258 honoring Veteran’s Day

District Award of Merit Honoree Jamie Bentley

DISTRICT EVENTS

QUANAH PARKER (SCOUTREACH)

District Executive: Gemma Mitchell - [email protected] Ph # 806-282-8296 District Chair: Jeremy Bradford District Commissioner: Chrystene Speed

From our families to yours Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

The Scoutreach team: Michelle, Nazario, Chris, Adam, Shey, Ethan and Gemma