Spring Issue 2016 THE SamosetVoice A newsletter for families and leaders of Samoset Council Phillips Troop 540 is First in Samoset Samoset Key 3 Message Council with 100% Trained Leaders! page 3 “Every Scout deserves a trained leader.” In Troop 540, Phillips WI leaders and parents have Council News taken this to a new level. Troop 540 is the first page 4 troop in the Samoset Council to have had 100% of their volunteer leaders complete the Boy Program Planning Scouts of America basic leader training. Scouts, page 7 parents and volunteers in Troop 540 understand the value of having trained leaders. Fundraising page 8 It all begin 5 years ago when the Northwoods District Training Chair, Bill Hanson Training gave a short presentation at the monthly roundtable meeting. He offered to visit any page 10 unit to provide in-person training for all volunteers. Led by Ray Knihtila, leaders from Troop 540 took Bill up on his offer and invited him to Phillips to lead Troop Camping Committee Training. Ray encouraged volunteers in his troop to attend and the page 12 quest for a Troop of trained leaders began. Council Calendar The next year Ray arranged to have the Scoutmaster Training taught, taking page 15 advantage of the Outdoor leader skills training which is always taught over the summer at Camp Tesomas. By then, nearly every leader in the troop was trained, but not quite. Each scouting unit has a Chartering Organization Representative. The BSA has a basic leader training course for Chartering Organization Representatives and Bill was glad to come and offer that training course. Over time new volunteer committee members were also given the information needed to take Troop Committee training online. Troop 540 has continued to make arrangements for regular in-person training as well. Now the troop has 100% of its volunteers trained for their registered positions! (Continues on page 8) WWW.SAMOSET.ORG | 800-303-2195 The Samoset Voice COUNCIL RESOUrcES Page 2 Samoset Council Staff Ready to Serve our Scouting Volunteers & Families 1. Ahdawagam District - Serving the communities of Adams, Arkdale, Babcock, Friendship, Grand Marsh, Nekoosa, Pittsville, Port Edwards, Rudolph, Vesper, Wisconsin Rapids Dan Schmit | 715-409-6155 | [email protected] 2. Mushkodany District - Serving the communities of Almond, Amherst, Amherst Junction, Bancroft, Custer, Junction City, Milladore, Mosinee, Plover, Rosholt, Stevens Point Dean Bushey | 715-409-6637 | [email protected] 3. Ojibwa District - Serving the communities of Abbotsford, Athens, Auburndale, Blenker, Colby, Edgar, Hewitt, Marshfield, Spencer, Stratford, Unity, Withee James Peterson | 715-409-6486 | [email protected] 4. Rib Mountain District - Serving the communities of Birnamwood, Gresham, Hatley, Hewitt/Texas, Kronenwetter, Maine, Marathon, Rib Mountain, Ringle, Rothschild, Schofield, Stettin, Wausau, Wittenberg Christopher Fischer | 715-409-6487 | [email protected] 5. Northwoods District - Serving the communities of Boulder Junction, Butternut, Gleason, Medford, Merrill, Minocqua, Park Falls, Phillips, Prentice, Rib Lake, Stetsonville, Tomahawk, Woodruff Steven Lowe | 715-409-0819 | [email protected] 6. Crystal Lake District - Serving the communities of Antigo, Crandon, Eagle River, Elcho, Harshaw, Land O’Lakes, Laona, McNaughton, Newbold, Phelps, St. Germain, Rhinelander, Three Lakes Steven Lowe | 715-409-0819 | [email protected] Jeff Ottosen - Scout Executive/CEO Kristin Woller - Customer Service Team Lead 715-355-1450 | [email protected] 715-355-9680 | [email protected] Adam Freund - Field Director Deanna Pellegrino - Customer Service Associate 715-409-9415 | [email protected] 715-355-1450 | [email protected] Scott Domino - Director of Program & Support Lanette Lemmer - Accounting Assistant 715-490-2241 | [email protected] 715-355-1450 | [email protected] Erin Straw - Cub Scout Director Ron Stange - Camp Phillips Ranger 715-490-0450 | [email protected] [email protected] Amanda Flannery - STEM Executive Elvis Bauman - Crystal Lake Scout Reservation Ranger 715-409-6690 | [email protected] 715-490-1742 | [email protected] Troy Seehafer - Camping Executive 715-218-8245 | [email protected] United Way Partner Thank You Spectra Print Samoset Council is pleased to be affiliated with the Samoset Council thanks Spectra Print Corporation for United Way in its 13 county area. their very generous donation of printing The Samoset Voice. It is because of this support, that Samoset is able to provide such a high quality publication to our Scouting families and supporters. Samoset Council, Boy Scouts of America The Samoset Voice COUNCIL LEADERSHIP Page 3 Samoset Key 3 Message 2. We want to help every unit have a well-planned annual program. Our staff and volunteers have developed A Message to our Amazing Volunteers great resources to help Scouts and unit leaders plan the best program possible. Our staff is happy to We are grateful to come and meet with unit leaders individually. A well- the thousands of planned program makes Scouting fun for everyone! volunteers dedicated 3. We want to provide great Roundtable meetings in to making Scouting every district. This has been identified as an area programs great for we can really improve on. When den leaders, pack youth in our Council. leaders and troop leaders attend roundtable it needs We recognize the to be more than just announcements. Roundtable magic of Scouting is intended to be supplemental training that helps happens when boys leaders with ideas for running activities and meetings and girls participate with their Scouts. We are committed to having high in regular meetings quality Roundtable meetings each month in every and activities with their Den, Pack, Troop, Lab, Post or district. We would love to hear from you if you have Crew. This year we launched a new Strategic Plan for suggestions for how we can achieve this goal. the Samoset Council. For more than a year, volunteers and staff at all levels of our organization gave input to We continue to wish everyone a great Scouting year. It is our strategic direction. In the end, our strategic plan was fun to be a part of the Scouting movement in the Samoset built on six pillars. It is no coincidence the first, and most Council. We recognize the Scouting program in our important, pillar of our strategic plan is this: Strengthen council is only as strong as each Cub Scout Den. Each Our Units through Exceptional Service. Boy Scout Patrol or Troop. Each Venturing Crew. Each Exploring Post. Each STEM Lab. We are committed We are working hard to provide our Scouting volunteers to doing all we can to provide our unit volunteers with at the unit level with the training and resources they the training, resources and support needed to deliver need to run the best possible Scouting program in each amazing Scouting programs to our youth. We would love community. Here are three key areas we are working on to hear from you about what we can do to support you this year: in your role as a volunteer. That is what we are here for. 1. We want every unit to have an active Unit Thank you for all you do! Commissioner. A Unit Commissioner is a volunteer who checks in with units on a monthly basis to be of John Mabry | Council President assistance if needed. Most of all they are a friend [email protected] to the unit. If they don’t have the answers you need, they know where to find them. If you are not sure Bob Berg | Council Commissioner who your Unit Commissioner is, let us know. If you [email protected] are an experienced volunteer that would be willing to be a friend and mentor to fellow Scouters let us Jeff Ottosen | Scout Executive know, we may need your help. [email protected] Samoset Council Board of Directors Jeff Ottosen John Mabry Bob Berg Scout Executive Council President Council Commissioner Alan Panek Jeremy Thompson+ Nigel Cooper + Thad Brockman Bill Jenkins+ Jon Lanctin Pat Wallschlaeger Todd Schroeder Brian Bennett+ Kevin Crooks Randy Winter Bridget Wenman Larry Foltz Reid Rayome Dr. Frederick Prehn Marcia Tepp Rick Radloff + District Chair Eric Wangen Marita Hattem Roger King * Treasurer Greg Koepel Margaret Donnelly Steve Lammers * ** Youth Representative James Wanserski Matt Jaworski ** Terri Franson Where Camping Is King The Samoset Voice COUNCIL NEWS Page 4 Lion Pilot Program For Kindergarten Boys Program and Materials The Samoset Council has been • Lions earn their Lion badge by completing five selected to participate in the adventures. After the required adventures are Lion Pilot Program. This new completed, there are seven electives that can be program aimed at providing completed. kindergarten-age boys and • The main recognition item for completing their adult partners a Cub Scout adventures is a sticker for the Lion Adventure experience. Book. • Each adult partner takes a turn at leading a den The Lion program weaves traditional Scouting meeting or outing during the year. Most meetings concepts of character development, leadership skills, and outings are approximately 45 minutes. personal fitness and citizenship into activities that are • Lions do not participate in pack fundraising efforts. age-appropriate and fun for the boys and their parents. • Lions wear a Lion t-shirt as their uniform. The activities introduce the family to Cub Scouting, and provide an exciting way for the participants to Leadership explore the world around them. The program will fuel • Lion dens are facilitated by a Lion Guide, an their imagination and creativity as they experience the experienced leader who runs the first den meeting growth Scouting can provide. At the end of the Lion of the year and mentors the adult partners as they year, participants “graduate” to Tiger and advance into lead all subsequent meetings on a rotating basis. Cub Scouting. • A brand new/incoming Lion adult partner may not be the Lion Guide.