Membership

We want to reach out to each potential Scout and their family with a personal invitation to join Scouting, where they will learn positive values, new skills and have fun with friends. Fall is a great time to focus on recruiting new families to the fun and adventure of Cub Scouting. Invite a family to join Scouting and learn more about membership recruitment at www.shac.org/recruiting.

Trail's End Popcorn

It’s Popcorn Time! Check with you unit Popcorn Kernel about signing up to participate with Popcorn Show and Sell! Units can book time at Storefronts through the Trail’s End app where your Scouts can sign up to participate. Popcorn supports your Scouts, the unit, and the council! Unit Kernels can place additional show and sell popcorn orders every week through the Tail’s End leader portal. Orders that are submitted by Sunday at 11:59pm will be eligible for pick up on Friday afternoon. 

Safety Moment

As we begin a new year in scouting, this is a great time to make sure your Annual Health and Medical Records (AHMR) are up to date and current. Returning to a unit or joining a unit for the first time, all participants need to have a current AHMR on file. The Scouting adventure, camping trips, high-adventure excursions, and having fun are important to everyone in Scouting—and so is your safety and well-being. Completing the Annual Health and Medical Record is the first step in making sure you have a great Scouting experience.

For more information on the AHMR please visit:

• AHMR landing page
• AHMR frequently asked questions
• Medication Use in Scouting
• BSA’s Safety Moment on AHMR’s

STAY CONNECTED, LIKE US ON FACEBOOK

Annual Registration Fees

The Boy Scouts of America has worked to keep the membership fee as low as possible. As you know, costs continue to rise, and the annual fee must be increased to address the fiscal realities we face to deliver a safe and quality Scouting program. 

To ensure we have the resources to fulfill the promise of Scouting, the following national membership fee structure will take effect August 1, 2022: 

• $75 for Cub Scouts, Scouts BSA, Venturing and Sea Scouts participants
• $45 for Exploring participants
• $45 for all adult volunteers (includes cost of background check)
• $100 for a unit charter/affiliation fee
• $25 one-time joining fee for new program participants in Cub Scouts, Scouts BSA, Venturing and Sea Scouts (Not pro-rated)
• $15 for Scout Life magazine; this is the first price increase since 2005 

The national membership fee helps cover the cost of essential services, including program resources, liability insurance for those participating in approved Scouting activities, criminal background checks, youth protection, and the development of intellectual property for national, council, and unit programs. As we move forward, we will continue to look at the membership fee structure and how we deliver the Scouting program for future generations. 

Save the Date

National Court of Honor

Sunday, August 21, 2:00 p.m., Cockrell Scout Center

Please save the date for a very special National Court of Honor for Chief Scout Executive Roger Mosby and Brigitte Therivel. Both of these long time Scout volunteers will be honored for their service to youth and to the Scouting Movement on the national and world level.  Roger Mosby, the current President/CEO & Chief Scout Executive of the BSA will be recognized for having received the Bronze Wolf Award, which is the only award presented by the World Scout Committee.  Brigitte Therivel will be receiving he Silver Buffalo Award which is the national-level distinguished service award of the Boy Scouts of America. Please plan to attend this special ceremony.

Class of 2021 Eagle Scouts and parents

In the fourth quarter of 2022, the names of the 2021 class of Eagle Scouts from our Council will be installed on the wall in front of the Cockrell Scout Center.

Please take a moment and verify that your Scout’s name is formatted and spelled correctly on the 2021 list found here. Any corrections can be made at this same web address.

Merit Badge Days

October 8 and December 3, 2022

Cockrell Scout Center

Earn, Learn and Explore

The Sam Houston Area Council Advancement Committee is offering merit badge classes taught by career professionals. The classes are for any registered Scout in a troop, crew, or ship.

The merit badges are not give away merit badges but are selected for Scouts to not only earn a merit badge but learn from career professionals so that they can explore potential career opportunities. Scouts can sign up for the Health Care Professions, Law or Surveying Merit Badge classes on October 8 & December 3, 2022. Learn more and register here.

Leave No Trace Trainer Course

September 16-18, 2022

The Leave No Trace Trainer Course is a 16-hour, overnight course for individuals, ages 14 and up who wish to guide units in developing a culture that effectively demonstrates responsible outdoor choices that reduce impacts of Scouting activities. Leave No Trace Trainers, outdoor ethics guides, and outdoor ethics advisors are the backbone of Scouting’s outdoor ethics program, providing instruction to individuals and units wishing to adopt cutting-edge outdoor ethics into their unit programs. For more information, please click here.

NYLT Staff request

National Youth Leadership Training (NYLT) is an exciting, action-packed six-day council-level program designed to provide Scouts in troops, crews, and ships with leadership skills and experience they can use in their home units and other situations demanding leadership of self and others. Courses are held in December and June. Learn more at here.

After participation in an NYLT course, a Scout may apply to serve on staff. Youth that enjoyed NYLT may want to make sure other Scouts have the same rewarding experience by staffing an NYLT course. If you know a Scout who has completed NYLT and is highly motivated and passionate about Scouting, encourage them to considered serving on staff for the winter camp NYTL courses. Interviews are being conducted on August 13, 2022.

Learn more and sign up for an interview at here.

Register for Scouts BSA 2023 Summer Camp

Summer camp is a week-long council-organized overnight camp for Scouts BSA that operates under council-retained leadership. The program provides opportunities for Scouts to earn merit badges along their advancement trail.

Summer camp is held at Camp Strake, a first-class and state-of-the-art facility for Scouts and their leaders. Program areas include shooting sports (rifle, shotgun, archery, sporting arrows), climbing, rappelling, boating (canoeing, kayaking, rowing, paddle boarding), swimming, ATV riding, ziplining, cycling, merit badge classes and more. Register by October 1, 2022, for an early bird discount here.

National Scout Jamboree

July 19-28, 2023 | Bechtel Summit, West Virginia

Scouting’s flagship event is one-of-a-kind. Over the course of 10 summer days, once every four years, the Boy Scouts of America comes together for a gathering of approximately 40,000 Scouts, leaders, and staff that showcases everything that is great about the BSA and its members. The result is the national Scout jamboree. To keep up with the latest information, visit the Summit website. Scouts and Scouters will explore all kinds of adventures—stadium shows, pioneer village, Garden Ground hikes, adventure sports, patch trading, and more—in the heart of one of nature’s greatest playgrounds. With 10,000 acres at the Summit to explore, there’s no shortage of opportunities to build Scouting memories.

The council will take approximately 200 Scouts to the national jamboree as part of the council contingent. The contingent will head to the Summit for 10 days of activities ranging from shooting sports, mountain biking, zip-lining, rock climbing, white water rafting and more! The jamboree is open to youth who meet the participant qualifications, are physically fit, and agree to the jamboree code of conduct on a first come first serve basis. All Scouts BSA youth must be currently registered in a troop and be a minimum of age 12. All Venturers must be currently registered in a Venturing crew and meeting Venturing age requirements. Learn more and register here.

Prevent Duplicate accounts (and prevent hassle for members in your unit)

Welcoming new families this fall-At-a-glance document for leaders.

To prevent the hassle of having to remove duplicates in Scoutbook, My.Scouting or Internet Advancement:

1. Register or transfer all Scouts and adults correctly (do not create them from scratch within Scoutbook).
2. Then, look for the Scout or leader in Scoutbook, Internet Advancement or My.Scouting.
3. Make sure the same spelling and format is used in each listing of a person. Duplicates will be created, for example, if a middle name is used in place A but not in place B.
4. Follow correct method to invite a parent (who is not registered) to join Scoutbook and connect with their child. 

For most answers to Scoutbook challenges look here. If you have a duplicate entry that needs to be removed from Scoutbook, contact 576volunteersupport@scouting.org 

Reminder about Digital verification of Eagle Scout credentials 

Since March 2020, in response to guidelines issued by our National Council, email verification of Eagle Scout paperwork has been available to all units.  Within SHAC this option had previously been available only to outlying districts.

This option works well if everything submitted is complete, in usable formats, and the information is accurate.  Otherwise, it results in a lot of back-and-forth transactions, and the person would have been better off delivering the papers in person.  See checklists and resources for digital verification here.

ToolBank

If you are in need of resources for an upcoming service project or event, reach out to the Houston ToolBank. The ToolBank is a nonprofit organization that shares more than 10,000 tools with community based organizations across Southeast Texas. Available tools range from wheelbarrows, shovels and ladders to PA systems, projectors, tables and chairs. And, all troops in the Sam Houston Area Council are eligible to borrow tools from the ToolBank. Check out www.houstontoolbank.org or email Nancy.clippard@toolbank.org to learn more.

Enterprise Risk Management Committee

The purpose of the Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) committee is to prepare adult leaders to conduct Scouting activities in a safe and prudent manner. 

Safety Moment: Annual Health and Medical Records

Plan and Prepare for Disasters

For 2022 First Aid/AED/CPR, Wilderness Remote First Aid, and First Aid/AED/CPR Instructor Classes, please click here.

All Classes will be held at Cockrell Scout Center, 2225 N Loop West, Houston, TX 77008

*Class fees include lunch

Click here for safety moment topics

Click here for incident reporting information

For suggestions or comments, please contact Susan Yeldell yeldellse@yahoo.com or Mike Narvaez coachmike19@gmail.com

Merit Badge Days

October 8 and December 3, 2022

Cockrell Scout Center

Earn, Learn and Explore

Many scouts have said that a merit badge sparked their interest, becoming a lifelong career or hobby. Join us this fall for a new program. Merit badge classes taught by career professionals will provide an opportunity to learn about great job and career opportunities. Stay tuned to the SHAC website for more details including prerequisites, registration and more. Registration will open in the late summer for Merit Badge days this fall. 

Register for Scouts BSA 2023 Summer Camp

Summer camp is a week-long council-organized overnight camp for Scouts BSA that operates under council-retained leadership. The program provides opportunities for Scouts to earn merit badges along their advancement trail.

Summer camp is held at Camp Strake, a first-class and state-of-the-art facility for Scouts and their leaders. Program areas include shooting sports (rifle, shotgun, archery, sporting arrows), climbing, rappelling, boating (canoeing, kayaking, rowing, paddle boarding), swimming, ATV riding, ziplining, cycling, merit badge classes and more. Register by October 1, 2022, for an early bird discount here.

SHAC Venturing

Be sure to follow SHAC Venturing on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, or SHAC Venturing

Sea Scout Fair (Open House)

September 3, 2022 | 3:00 pm

Ahoy. The Scouts in the SHAC Sea Scout Fleet want to meet you at the inaugural Sea Scout Fair being held at the Cockrell Scout Center, room 100 (2225 N. Loop W., Houston, TX 77008)

There is no cost to attend. Bring only yourself and your curiosity, and learn about Sea Scouts -- one of the coed High Adventure wings of the BSA for youth ages 14-20.

Sailboats will be on display and Sea Scout ships from across greater Houston will be available to answer questions to see if you are interested in this group. Sea Scouts learn about how to apply skills such as knots, rowing, sailing, first aid, and cooking. And learn new skills, such as using a boatswain’s pipe, scuba diving, landing ships, repairing boats, and sailing on Galveston Bay. Learn more at sea-scouts.shac.org.

Scout Night with the Houston Dynamo

Saturday, September 10, 2022

Calling all Scouts and families! Houston Dynamo FC Scout Night will be on Saturday, September 10th as the Dynamo FC hosts Sporting Kansas City. Ticket packages start at $28.50 and include 1 ticket, 1 scout patch and 1 meal voucher (hot dog, chips and a soda). For more information and to purchase tickets, please click here.

Scouts Day at Texas A&M University

Saturday, September 17, 2022

The 12th Man Foundation and Texas A&M Athletics would like to invite all Sam Houston Area Council Scouts, along with their friends & family members, to come and support the Aggies as they take on the Miami Hurricanes September 17, 2022. All Scouts will receive an exclusive Texas A&M 2022 Football patch and all tickets will be discounted through this exclusive offer.

Tickets are $30 each and will be delivered digitally at a later date. Information regarding patch pick-up will be emailed at a later date as well. For more information and to purchase tickets, please click here.

Houston Museum of Natural Science Scout Programs

Houston Museum of Natural Science Scout Programs

classes at HMNS. For more information on our in-person or virtual classes click here!

Save the date for STEM Nova day on October 8. The STEM Nova Overnight for Webelos and Cub Scouts is on October 7.  

Estate Planning

Are you ready to plan your will or trust? We can help you to successfully plan your estate and avoid an accidental disinheritance. 

Did you know that your estate planning attorney can include provisions in your will that leave a lasting legacy in the form of charitable gifts to your favorite non-profits? It could be a gift of a specific asset, a dollar amount, or a percentage of your estate. You could also designate a charity as beneficiary of your retirement plan, life insurance policy, bank or investment account.

Please contact Travis Briner (travis.briner@scouting.org) if you would like additional information or let us know if you have already included the Boy Scouts of America in your estate plans. 

Summer in no way brought a suspension in Colonneh Lodge’s activities. With summer camp now closed, the Order has successfully completed seven OA days in camp, each of which had an induction ceremony. Every week brought new members into the Lodge, and as a result, expanded our ability to serve Scouting and our community as a whole. These outstanding results come at a great time, as we have just sent our 2022 contingent to Tennessee for NOAC. There can be no doubt that they represented us well, and that Colonneh won not only many awards but new friends as well.

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