Octo ber 20 20 Vol. 21 Issue 2

Welcome to the Polaris Star, the monthly Roundtable minutes and Polaris newsletter. You will be able to find out what the Polaris district committee is doing as well as upcoming events in your area! Popcorn Time 2021 Camporee Date and Theme Selected It’s that time of the year again! Fall popcorn sales are in full swing. Popcorn sales help the council, your unit, and your child to make The date and theme have been selected for the 2021 Polaris extra money for the program. When a youth and his District Camporee. The Polaris Camporee is planned to return on family join our program, we promise fun, outdoor adventure, and 9-11 April 2021 subject to health rules allowing the event. This exciting activities. One of the values that Scouting teaches is that year, the camporee theme is “Monty Python and the Holy Grail”. our Scouts should learn how to pay their own way. Selling popcorn Our OA chapter is running the camporee again this year Watch the is one way that a may contribute. Polaris Star for further information as it becomes available.

As we gear up for the 2020-2021 program year, you should have planned out your unit calendars. Please be sure to include the key Upcoming Events 2020 Popcorn sale dates as part of your calendar. Please visit the “popcorn” page at the council’s website, https://www.svmbc.org/popcorn/ , for key dates and other Mark your calendars with these district and council events: information regarding the popcorn sale. You may also refer to the Date Event Trail’s End website, http://www.trails-end.com/ , for resources to October 10-24 Scout-O-Rama help you manage your sale. October 16-18 on the Air/Internet

October 17-24 University of Scouting As your unit participates in this year’s popcorn sale, pay special attention to the health guidance provided by your county. For your October 19 Show and sell popcorn return deadline convenience, links to the county health guidance is provided in the October 23 “Take Order” popcorn order deadline popcorn training chart package that is available on the council October 23 Show and sell popcorn payment due popcorn web page. November 5 Take order popcorn distribution

November 10 Quarterly Family Scouting Roundtable For questions regarding popcorn, contact the District Popcorn November 12 District Re-Chartering Party Kernel, Kevin Barlow. He can be reached by phone at 408- 749- 0482 or by email at [email protected] . Or, you can contact your November 14 Polaris Annual Awards Event District Executive, Anthony Pulliam at 408-638-8321 or November 20 Take order popcorn payment due [email protected] . December 2 Polaris District Annual Meeting

1 October 2020 Polaris District Awards Night  Varsity Scout Leader Coach's Key and Varsity Scout Leader Training Award

 Varsity Scout Leader Letter Mark your calendar! Due to the pandemic, the annual Polaris District Dinner has been converted to a virtual awards recognition  Leader Award event. The 2020 Polaris District Scouter Recognition event is  The Scouter's Training Award coming Saturday, 14 November at 7:00 PM. Online registration is  The Arrowhead Honor/Commissioner Key for the now available at http://bit.ly/polarisawards2020 . The registration Roundtable Commissioner deadline is 7 November. The event is being conducted over Zoom.  The Commissioner Key/Arrowhead Honor Award for the District and Assistant District Commissioner Don’t miss this once-a-year social event. This is a great  The Commissioner Key/Arrowhead Honor Award for the opportunity to get connected with your fellow Scouters. Each unit Unit Commissioner is requested to submit 5-10 photos for the slideshows as well as any past photos highlighting the 100 years of SVMBC. Photos can For more information on these awards, contact Anthony Pulliam, be submitted online at https://tinyurl.com/DistrictDinnerPhotos . the Polaris District Executive, or your unit commissioner.

Scouter Recognition Awards Note from the Editor

Polaris District Dinner holds a “Court of Honor” for adult leaders Thank you for reading this issue of the Polaris Star. We hope that each year. This is our opportunity to honor your volunteers and you have found it helpful and interesting. Please send items for celebrate the success of your units. Volunteers can be nominated inclusion in future issues of the Polaris Star to Mark Ellson at for several awards: [email protected] . The deadline for submissions for the  District Award of Merit: This is the district’s highest November issue is 6 November. Earlier submissions are honor that recognizes the top three volunteers. appreciated.  Polaris Star Award: Tell us your unit’s unsung hero. This is the opportunity to recognize him/her.  Polaris Five Star Award: Your troop, pack, or crew has Virtual University of Scouting done a super job for the year; give us a chance to recognize your unit. Have you ever wanted to learn more about a specific Scouting Detailed information regarding submitting nominations is available topic or skill? Be prepared to take your Scouting program to the at the Roundtable. Nomination forms are available from the Polaris next level! District Executive, Anthony Pulliam. Nominations for all awards are due to Anthony Pulliam by Monday, 2 November. Contact The annual University of Scouting (UoS) is going virtual for a full Anthony at 408-638-8321 or [email protected] with week of more than 50 classes from Saturday, 17 October through any questions. Email nominations are preferred. 24 October. University of Scouting offers classes designed for

adult leaders at all levels of Scouting (Venturing Youth may attend In addition to the district awards, many awards are provided by the the Venturing classes). The course list and registration link are National Council. These awards include: available at https://www.svmbc.org/event/university-of-scouting-  National Summertime Pack Award training-2020/ . Many classes include discussions of ways to adjust Tiger Cub Den Leader Award  Scouting programs to incorporate COVID-19 safety measures.  Cub Scout Den Leader Award  Webelos Den Leader Award Space is limited! Sign up now to hold your spot! Requests to  Cubmaster Award participate have come from as far away as North Carolina. Don't miss out! Cub Scouter Award   Boy Scout Leader's Training Award  The Scoutmaster's Key 2 October 2020 Virtual Scout-O-Rama Polaris District Committee

Scout-O-Rama is a fun event for the whole community that Position Name showcases how Scouting gets our youth outdoors and teaches new District Chairman Dave Holt skills. This year’s Scout-O-Rama is expanded to three consecutive weekends. Spread over the weekends of 10 October, 17 October, District Executive Anthony Pulliam and 24 October, Scout-O-Rama is completely free. Scout-O-Rama District Commissioner Robert Lupfer offers your family, pack, or troop lots of cool things to do! This District Vice Chairman Sheng Song event is designed with an active family in mind. Find the activities Finance Chair Junaid Shabbeer you want to do on our GooseChase app and get out there! Program Chair Sheng Song Participant registration is available online at Family Scouting Chair Cindy Chock https://www.svmbc.org/activities/sor/ . Advancement Chair Hersh Bhargava

The best way to participate is to tune into live events and take part Activities Chair Laurie Hecker in adventures with at your own pace in our GooseChase game. Pinewood Derby Chair Daniel Lee GooseChase allows you to pick and choose what to do! Over 100 Scout O Rama Chair Sandy Cheng different activities are available to select. Earn points as a family, Popcorn Kernel Kevin Barlow den, or patrol in the app to compete and win prizes. Mobile District Dinner Chair Christine Kim friendly! Download the GooseChase app to have all activities on Scouting for Food Chair Alvin Chen the go! The GooseChase app is available for download from Apple App Store and Google Play, OA Chapter Advisor Dave Low Camping Chair Betty Chou Community Service Chair Frank Oei Polaris Email Group Cub Day Camp Chair Michelle Ray Cub Day Camp Program Chair Jo Young Please note that the address for the Polaris email group is changing Training Chair Dave McIntyre to reflect the new council name. For submissions to the district Cub Scout RT Commissioner Michael Graff mailing list, please send them to: SVMB-Polaris- Boy Scout RT Commissioner Greg Spears / [email protected] . Robertsen Ku Membership Chair Steve Nguyen The Polaris District Email group is used to send this monthly WeST Chair Angel Maszy Roundtable Reminder, our monthly newsletter "The Polaris Star" Friends of Scouting Leadership Bob Wedig and between 3 and 7 special announcements a month. You can join Chair the group if you would like to stay in the loop on all that is Friends of Scouting Family Chair Karen Dillon / Betty happening in the Polaris District. If you know a fellow Polaris Chou Scouter who is not a member of the list, please invite them to join. Friends of Scouting CASA Chair Yvonne Wang

If you are not currently on the Polaris Yahoo Group mailing list Friends of Scouting Community Junaid Shabbeer Chair and would like to receive the Star each month, please subscribe to our list by sending an email to the following address: Communications/Public Relations Mark Ellson Chair [email protected] Social Media Chair Stephanie Li

All e-mail addresses can be found through the Council by contacting Anthony Pulliam at 408-638-8321.

3 October 2020 Camping Resources Online Roundtable Meetings

This time of year, most Boy Scout troops are trying to figure out Given the current situation with the corona virus, COVID-19, we where they are going to go camping this year. Two existing are following the guidance provided by the Santa Clara County resources are available to help you find places that you may not Department of Health , and the Center for Disease Control . The have been to before. The first resource is a booklet titled “Bay Roundtable Staff decided that it would be irresponsible to conduct Area Camping/Hiking/Backpacking & others activities” that is our monthly roundtables in person while COVID-19 restrictions brought to us by Troop 468. You can download the booklet from < are in place. https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-ASpjab- 6xOeTNlMjJwU2tvbmY5LTF1V3ZQam1XR2gyVUtz/view >. In September, we are again combining the Cub Scout Roundtable The second resource is a website created by our own Bobby Toda and the Scouts BSA Roundtable into a single online meeting at the called http://scoutingoutings.com/ . normal Roundtable time of 7:30 PM on Wednesday, 14 October.

Information for connecting to the online meeting is sent out on the "Every Scout Deserves a Trained Roundtable mailing list. Leader" This month’s agenda includes:  Announcements All training is now being conducted online. The council web page  Door Prizes has information regarding what is considered the applicable  Outdoor activity presentation review training based on your program and position. You can find this  Breakout session for information at https://www.svmbc.org/training/ . o Cub Scouts: Virtual events o Scouts BSA: Boards of review Many of these courses are being offered during the upcoming  Q/A discussion virtual University of Scouting planned for 17 – 25 October. Watch  Adjourn for further information regarding this major training event. The presentation charts are available online at https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1RRE_ompYO_ZYG_wYf For additional information or to verify your “Trained” status, qlfEVf4lCAWNuEDgE2Dkg-l1iM/edit?usp=sharing . please contact Dave McIntyre.

Venturing Roundtable Information Monthly Roundtable Location

The VOA meets on the first Tuesday of the month in even months. Polaris District holds a monthly Cub Scout and Boy Scout In odd months, Venturing Roundtables are held instead. These Roundtable meetings on the second Wednesday of each month. meetings normally run from 7:30 PM to 9:00 PM. Participation by During the COVID-19 pandemic, this meeting is being conducted an officer representative of every crew in the council is online. encouraged. Observers are welcome. The next meeting is the Venturing Roundtable on 3 November. Contact the council for

information on how to connect to this meeting. Family Scouting Roundtable

A special quarterly roundtable is being held for leaders of girl troops on the second Tuesday of the second month of the quarter. The next meeting is Tuesday, 10 November, at 7:30 PM on Zoom.

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