April 2020 Newsletter

APRIL 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*: New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr. Day; President’s Day; Good Friday; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Thanksgiving Day and the day after; Christmas Eve and Christmas Day; New Year’s Eve *As a rule we follow AISD school closures in case of a snow/ice event. Please call 806-358-6500 to confirm any closures.

Additionally, the Scout Shop will be open the following Saturdays in 2020: January 11; February 22; March 21; April 18; May 16; June 20; September 12, 19 & 26; October 3 & 10; November 14 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/

SCOUT EXECUTIVE’S BLOG

MEET OUR NEW EXECUTIVE

Please join us as we congratulate Brian Tobler, who began serving as Scout executive of the Golden Spread Council in Amarillo, Texas, effective November 1, 2019.

Brian began his Scouting career as a district executive at the Heart of America Council in Kansas City, Missouri. He moved on to become a senior district executive, district director, and later assistant director of field service of the council before being promoted to director of field service of the Denver Area Council in Denver, Colorado. Brian is an Eagle Scout who enjoys watching, playing and coaching sports and spending time with his family. Brian and his wife, Laurie, have four children. Many of our fantastic volunteers have been able to meet Brian through his fireside chats already and have been able to ask the hard questions facing the Boy Scouts today; however we ask that you please join the staff in helping us send Brian our well wishes as he joins in partnership with the volunteers and staff of the Golden Spread Council to deliver quality Scouting experiences to the young people of the communities they serve within the Texas/Oklahoma Panhandles.

Look for Brian to share thoughts, experiences and good practices for Scouting in his blog each month!

COUNCIL EVENTS

EDITOR’S NOTE

Welcome to the inaugural return of the newsletter for the Golden Spread Council! You, the volunteer, have spoken about getting information out in a timely and efficient manner that you can look at and see what is coming up in council and district events. We also want you as volunteers to send in pictures of your events for the newsletter and let us know what is coming up with your units! Let us hear from you! Now, the Council is asking for your help because we want you to design the name header of the newsletter—it’s pretty generic on this edition; however, we are inviting volunteers to give your thoughts because, well, it is YOUR newsletter!

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. We are really excited to get this newsletter out to you again 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! Send in your newsletter name header by April 22 to Gemma at [email protected] and look for the winner to be announced and on the front page of the May newsletter! Good luck to you all!

Yours in Scouting,

Gemma Mitchell

COUNCIL EVENTS

2020 GOLDEN SPREAD COUNCIL CUB SCOUTS AND SCOUTS BSA CAMPING AND ACTIVITIES

January 25: Merit Badge University February 14-15: OKPIK Winter Adventure Camp March 28: Scouting for Food (Cub Scouts and Scouts BSA event) (POSTPONED) April 4-5: Cub Scout Extravaganza (POSTPONED) April 24-26: Camporee (POSTPONED) June 1-5: National Youth Leadership Training Course (NYLT) June 14-20: Scouts BSA Summer Camp Week 1 June 21-27: Scouts BSA Summer Camp Week 2 July 11: Cub Scout Adventure Day Camp July 25-26: Webelos Resident Camp August 1: Cub Scout Adventure Day Camp August 15: Waterfront Day (Cub Scouts and Scouts BSA event) August 22: Shooting Sports Day September 18-20: Webelos Woods Camp September 26-27: Cub Scout Family Campout October 17: Spook O Ree October 24: Spook O Ree November 15: Environmental Science Merit Badge Class November 21: Duty to God 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

**Unfortunately, due to the Coronavirus pandemic Scouting for Food has been postponed. Look for information to come in the future about this amazing event!**

The annual Scouting for Food Drive is on March 28, 2020!

You can pick up bags from District Roundtables in February and March in order to be ready for this community event! The High Plains Food Bank is always ready for Cub Scouts and Scouts BSA as well as Venturers to come and bring the food that they have gathered for those in the community that may be hungry!

There will also be food barrels at the scout office for those that want to bring food by to drop off before the drive begins!

Did you know that Amazon donates 0.5 percent of the purchase price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to the Golden Spread Council? AmazonSmile is the same Amazon you know. Same products, same prices, same service. The best part is that you are shopping for your normal purchases, supporting the Golden Spread Council and Amazon totals up your eligible purchases taking care of the donation for you!

Support your council by starting your shopping at smile.amazon.com today! Simply visit smile.amazon.com, sign in using your normal Amazon login, search for Boy Scouts of America, then Golden Spread Council. You should now see amazon smile in the top left part of the page.

Thank you for your continued support of the Golden Spread Council! We appreciate all of our volunteers!

COUNCIL EVENTS

IT’S TIME FOR RE-CHARTERS!

It is time for all units to get their re-charter paperwork done and turned in! The Council deadline for all units was February 10. All re-charters are due by February 28th! If you have not completed your unit recharter, you will not be registered, insured, cannot earn advancements and will not be able to attend any activities or camps. Please get your recharter done quickly! Don’t forget that fees are now $60.00 for youth, $36.00 for adults and the charter fees are now $60.00. If you are in need of fee assistance, the council has set up an assistance fund for those that will need help this year. Please contact Stephen Keel at 806-350-6639 for more information about the assistance fund. We are always available to help assist you in the re-charter process. If you have questions, please contact us and we will be happy to answer them for you!

CAMP CARDS 2020

**Due to the coronavirus pandemic the sale of Camp Cards has been extended to an undetermined date.**

It’s also Camp Card Time! Please go to goldenspread.org and get your unit signed up for Camp Cards. Camp Card Kickoff is March 5 and you don’t want to miss this easy opportunity to raise money for summer camp! If you aren’t sure how much you sold in 2019; contact your district executive and he/she will have that information for you. This is another great fundraiser that will help your youth have a great scouting experience! Oh, the stories that can come out of summer camp and be told for years to come so don’t delay; get signed up today!

COUNCILCOUNCIL EVENTSEVENTS

CAMPOREE IS HERE! CAMPOREE IS HERE!**

**Unfortunately, due to the Coronavirus pandemic, Camporee has been postponed. Look for more rescheduling information to come at a later date!**

It’s time for the annual Golden Spread Council Scouts BSA Camporee at Camp Don Harrington from April 24 - April 26! The leader guide and registration link have not opened yet but be sure to check our website every week so that you can get your unit signed up and not miss this amazing and fun weekend of friendly “competition” in the Scouting spirit! Click on the following link OR you may also get more information by contacting Jake Splawn at 806-350-5879. https://goldenspread.org/

2020 Golden Spread Council Cub Scout Family Extravaganza Camp**

**Unfortunately, due to the Coronavirus pandemic Cub Scout Family Extravaganza has been postponed for April 4-5. Look for important information on new dates!**

Down on the Farm!

April 4-5, 9:00am-12:00pm Camp Don Harrington $50.00/Cub Scout $25.00/Adult and siblings under 6 years

Horsemanship demonstrations, overnight camping, hay rides, and a farm animal petting zoo! Hear from local farmers about what it takes to feed our communities, roping classes, and much more!

COUNCIL EVENTS

Philmont Family weekend is back!

Mark your calendars for May 1-3, 2020 for a whole weekend of family fun at Philmont Scout Ranch just outside of beautiful Cimarron, NM. Enjoy all of the activities that Philmont has to offer such as horseback riding, hiking, tent camping, see the National Scouting Museum, tour the Villa and go shopping in the Tooth in Time Trading Post!

For more information and how to register for this fantastic weekend, contact Jake Splawn at 806-350-5879.

COUNCIL EVENTS

National Youth Leadership Training Sunday May 31 – Friday June 5, 2020 Camp MK Brown, Mobeetie, Texas

The National Youth Leadership Training (NYLT) 6-day program integrates the best of modern leadership theory with the traditional strengths of the scouting experience to train young men and women to better serve their units when placed in leadership positions. Youth registered with the Boy Scouts of America, that are at least 13 years of age, have earned the rank of First Class (Scouts BSA only), and have completed Introduction to Leadership Skills for Troops or Crews, are eligible to participate. Youth who are registered Venturers and Sea Scouts do not need to achieve the First Class rank, but must attend Introduction to Leadership Skills for Crews (ILSC) prior to participating in NYLT.

For more information click on the following link or contact: Ashley Wells at [email protected] OR Jake Splawn at [email protected]

9 NEWS YOU CAN USE FROM SCOUTINGWIRE.COM

Can a Den Chief Work with a Cub Scout Den of the Opposite Gender? Some units have asked a question about the Den Chief position, and this offers clarity on that topic. Let’s give a giant Scout salute to the den chief. When entrusted with enough responsibility, this young person can be a Cub Scout leader’s best friend. A den chief is a Scout, Venturer or Sea Scout who: Helps plan and conduct den meetings. Suggests games and activities the Cub Scouts might enjoy. Serves as a role model for the Cub Scouts. Guides Webelos Scouts as they transition into Scouts BSA. I can hear Cub Scout leaders everywhere saying, “that would be a handy person to have around!” Walter Carroll, committee chairman for a pack and troop in the Northern New Jersey Council, had den chiefs on the mind when he sent me these two related questions: Can a Scouts BSA boy be a den chief for a girl Cub Scout den? Can a Scouts BSA girl be a den chief for a boy Cub Scout den? The answer to both questions is yes.

We asked the expert For confirmation, I checked with Anthony Berger, national director of Cub Scouting. “The answer is yes,” he says. “Since den chiefs are never alone with the Cub Scouts, and there is always two- deep leadership, the gender of the den chief does not need to be the same as the den they serve.” Berger also points out that den chiefs can be Venturers or Sea Scouts. Both of these programs are fully co-ed, and members of either program can serve as den chiefs for any Cub Scout den.

Den chiefs across the programs Scouts BSA members who enjoy giving back to Cub Scouting make excellent den chiefs. The role also fulfills the position of responsibility requirement for Star, Life or Eagle. Venturers who serve as den chiefs gain an important connection to Cub Scouting and complete work toward the requirements for the program’s second-highest and highest awards: Pathfinder and Summit. Sea Scouts who serve as den chiefs gain vital leadership skills and check off requirements for the Quartermaster award, Sea Scouting’s highest rank. How to get the most out of den chiefs Recruit them. Pack leaders should visit Scouts BSA troops, Venturing crews and/or Sea Scout ships to explain the role and find prospective den chiefs. Remind these young people that the position counts toward advancement requirements. Show them you depend on them. A den chief who feels needed and important will be more likely to show up meeting after meeting. Train them. The BSA’s den chief training, delivered online or in person, sets your den and its den chief up for success. Award them. Have an active den chief who has served for at least a year and met other requirements? Reward them with the Den Chief Service Award. Understand their role. Just because your den chief is a “go-getter” doesn’t mean you should use them exclusively to go and get things. Instead of asking your den chief to run errands, ask them to run activities or entire segments of the den meeting. Let them lead, and watch them shine.

In its effort to welcome a vegetarian Scout, troop embarks on a culinary adventure

To call the adults in Troop 96 carnivores is a bit of an understatement. As in any youth-led troop, the Scouts in Troop 96 of the Northeast Illinois Council are on their own at mealtime. Scouts in each patrol plan the menu, shop for ingredients and prepare the meals. That leaves the adults to fend for themselves. And in Troop 96, the adults eat like royalty. The “adult patrol,” to use its unofficial name, has a proud history of preparing delicious dishes you’d think would be too difficult for campsite cooking. Pork loin that’s both stuffed and wrapped with bacon. Beef brisket cooked to perfection in a Dutch oven. Barbecue ribs that fall off the bone. When prospective Scouts and their families come to visit Troop 96, the adults always make plenty of extras for the visitors to enjoy. But at one of these campouts not too long ago, the adults learned that one of their guests was a vegetarian. They had non-meat options, but they were mostly plain vegetable sides. “While it did the job, it was not too inspiring,” says Troop 96 assistant Scoutmaster John Boos. “We felt that we could have done a better job of making that person feel more welcome. After all, a Scout is friendly, kind and courteous.” That vegetarian Scout joined the troop, and Boos was determined not to make him feel like an afterthought. The Cooking merit badge counselor also saw a teachable moment: showing Scouts that vegetarian meals can be just as tasty as their meat-based counterparts. “Our troop started down this road to be more inviting to our vegetarian guests,” Boos says. “We learned that we could easily expand our food horizon, lower our food budget and add more variety.” Here’s how they did it.

12 A recipe for success Boos wanted to debut the new plan on a nine-day trip from the Chicago area through Wisconsin, Minnesota, South Dakota and Wyoming. The troop would camp and prepare meals each night. Working with the Scouts, Boos aimed for one large vegetarian dinner option for each night of the trip. (Breakfast and lunch were simpler and required less prep, but these had vegetarian options, too.) Boos decided the vegetarian meals needed to be: Nutritionally balanced. Varied. “Nine days of canned string beans would not fly. We needed to mix it up,” Boos says. Tasty and attractive. “The dishes had to stand up next to some elaborate meat dishes,” Boos says. “They had to look and taste good.” Not too complicated to prepare. Not based on imitation meat like meatless burgers or hot dogs. “I thought it would be a better experience for the troop to see vegetables in a way that would highlight the ingredients,” Boos says. Next, he scoured cookbooks and online resources to find recipes that might work. These had to be scaled up (each would need to serve 10 to 12 people, or about the capacity of a standard Dutch oven) and simplified (no complex cooking operations or fancy equipment). It turned out that cooking vegetables is, in many ways, simpler than cooking meat. While meat must be heated to a minimum temperature for food safety, veggies can be eaten raw. Cooking only changes the flavor and texture. “One of our favorite methods was to cube the unpeeled vegetables, quick-fry them in a small amount of really hot oil, then season and combine with the rest of the ingredients,” Boos says. “This gave a good brown on the vegetable and kept some crunch and texture.” Tastes like happy Even the skeptics were pleased with the way the meals turned out. “The dishes were almost always fully gone by the end of supper,” Boos says. “Some Scouts who said they would never go vegetarian were surprised that they enjoyed the meals — and that they could lower their camping menu cost by using some vegetarian options.” But getting to that point took work. Here’s what Boos recommends to other troops wanting to add vegetarian menu options: Don’t overcook the vegetables. Most vegetables don’t need the high temperature or long cook time that meat needs for safety. Rethink the recipe search. Don’t limit yourself to vegetarian cookbooks or recipe sites. Meat recipes with lots of flavor, like tacos, Italian dishes, chili and goulash can be quickly adapted. Just substitute cubed vegetables like zucchini or sweet potatoes for the meat and add some black beans, sunflower seeds or nuts for protein. Expect to save some money. Boos found that vegetarian dishes were cheaper than their meat counterparts. “The cost was about half or less per person compared with meat dishes,” he says. Start slow. You don’t have to eliminate meat entirely. Begin by introducing some vegetarian dishes along with your meat creations. You’ll have your Scouts eating their vegetables in no time.

DISTRICT EVENTS

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

UPCOMING EVENTS/TRAININGS:

Our annual Fish Fest is the District Cub Scout Event of the year! Cubs and Adults can enjoy a great day of fishing, fellowship, fun, food and awards at MK Brown Boy Scout Camp, Mobeetie, TX on Saturday, May 16th, 2020. Please pre-register by May 8th, 2020

Check in time is at 9:00 am with hooks in the water at 9:30 am $5.00 per scout, $3 per adult and sibling Lunch will be served about 11:30 am Awards and prizes for First Fish Caught, Most Fish, Longest Fish, Shortest Fish, Most Unique Fish & More!

Please bring your fishing gear/tackle, bait, lawn chair and appropriate necessities and clothing for the weather. No fishing license is required! All catches are catch and release. Please pre-register by May 8th, 2020 by visiting www.goldenspread.org, click on the main menu, “District “ tab, then “Adobe Walls” district. You can register as a pack or individual if the pack is not coming. For more information contact Gaylyne Manns at 806-207-0037 or [email protected]

DISTRICT EVENTS

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

Saturday May 16th 9:00am-11pm Check in begins 8:30 am Southeast Park Canyon, TX To get to Southeast Park, follow Hwy 87 south through Canyon, turn left (east) on 4th Avenue and then right (south) on 28th.

$5 per Scout (includes a Breakfast Burrito) All others fish for $2 each person. (Participants over 18 years of age must meet State of Texas Fishing License Requirements.) Cash or Check only for same day registrants Register on-line at goldenspread.org at the Scout Service Center (401 Tascosa Road), or at the derby.

Several trophies will be awarded, including most fish caught and most unusual…all scouts will receive a fishing derby patch

DISTRICT EVENTS

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

LONEWOLF DISTRICT CLEANUP & FISHING DERBY

Lake Fryer Cleanup!! Saturday, May 16, 2020 Meet at Camp Parnell (South side of Lake Fryer) at 9:00 for check-in and instructions. Please wear long pants, close-toe shoes and work gloves. Trash bags will be provided. ************************************************************************************* Lone Wolf District Fishing Derby!! Saturday, May 16, 2020 Registration will begin at 2pm at the south fishing dock. Cost is $5.00 per Cub Scout and includes a patch and snacks. Various awards will be presented. Please bring a bucket for catch and release, your fishing gear, and bait. Fishing will begin at 3:00 and end at 5:00. ************************************************************************************* Map & Compass Hike for Troops will begin at 2pm at Camp Parnell ************************************************************************************* *Camping is available at Camp Parnell for Friday, May 15 and/or Saturday, May 16. Please contact Erica Maddox at 580-651-0581 or [email protected] with camping details.

DISTRICT EVENTS

EXPLORING

District Executive: Gemma Mitchell—[email protected] Ph # 806-282-8296 District Chair: Jeff Wallick District Commissioner: Chrystene Speed

For 70 years, Exploring has provided exciting activities and mentorship for youth ages 14-20 looking to discover their future. Whether you’re a local organization looking to strengthen the community or a young person wanting to uncover the possibilities of your future, Exploring is a great place to start by learning in a hands-on, interactive career based setting. We want to say congratulations and welcome to our newest Explorer Post, Pampa Regional Medical Center in Pampa, TX! These medical professionals stepped up to give of their time and energy to show students from Pampa High School the different areas and careers associated with each in the hospital. The following pictures were taken inside the Cardiology Lab where the students were learning about heart health and how the hospital/doctor/nurse teams will take care of patients. They also watched how a heart cath test is done and what the cardiology team looks for to determine if the heart is healthy or is showing signs of disease.

DISTRICT EVENTS

QUANAH PARKER (SCOUTREACH)

District Executive: Ariel Severson—[email protected] Ph # 785-443-5118 District Chair: Jeremy Bradford District Commissioner: Chrystene Speed

INTRODUCTION TO SCOUTREACH Scoutreach is the BSA’s commitment to making sure that all young people have an opportunity to join Scouting, regardless of their circumstances, neighborhood, or ethnic background. Today, young people are faced with many challenges as they often face fragile families and disintegrating neighborhoods. Our biggest asset in these difficult to serve neighborhoods is a well-defined program based on values, learning-by-doing, fun, and positive role models. The Golden Spread Council has been serving our underserved youth in Amarillo for the last 13 years! Our program and 9 Scoutreach Program Aides currently serve 672 youth in Canyon and Amarillo. This does not include a couple of our new locations that we are excited to share with you in our next newsletter!

DISTRICT EVENTS

PROGRAM PREVIEW

Program preview has now been moved from August 1, 2020 to ALL District Roundtables in May 2020!

This is the time of the year to come get all the information that you as a leader and your unit parents will need to know for an exciting, fun year of Scouting! You will receive information on upcoming events in your district, the council calendar (which is now an 18-month calendar!) and information on all of the council events planned!

So, check your District calendar for the date and time and then make plans to attend your District Roundtable in May and get all of this valuable information for you and your unit! Plus, you will get a chance to enjoy some light training and see old friends while meeting new friends while you are at Roundtable!

If you have any questions, please contact your District Executive and they will be happy to assist you! Also, you can click on the link below for the council website, go to the calendar page and check out current events as well as upcoming events!

https://goldenspread.org/