Saturday - May 1 - Scouts Trash the Trash Day

Monday - May 3 - Luis Alvarez Supernova Event

Wednesday - May 5 - Eagle BOR Binder Check - Contact Gordon Bell for time and method

Thursday - May 6 - Commissioners Meeting via Zoom - 6:30 pm

Thursday - May 6 - Roundtable via Zoom - 7:00 pm

Monday - May 10 - Eagle Board of Review - Contact Bruce McGurk

Tuesday - May 11- Eagle Board of Review - Contact Gordon Bell

Thursday - May 13- OA Chapter Meeting via Zoom 7:00 pm - Contact Mr. Stanton for link

Friday - May 15-16 - Wilderness First Aid - Council Service Center, Pleasant Hill

Friday - May 28-29 - Wilderness First Aid - Council Service Center, Pleasant Hill

Wednesday - Jun 2 - Eagle BOR Binder Check - Contact Gordon Bell for time and method

Thursday - Jun 3 - Commissioners Meeting via Zoom - 6:30 pm

Thursday - Jun 3 - Roundtable via Zoom - 7:00 pm

Thursday - Jun 10- OA Chapter Meeting via Zoom 7:00 pm - Contact Mr. Stanton for link

Friday - Jun 11-12 - Wilderness First Aid - Council Service Center, Pleasant Hill

Monday - Jun 14 - Eagle Board of Review - Contact Bruce McGurk

Tuesday - Jun 15- Eagle Board of Review - Contact Gordon Bell

  Our Virtual Order of Arrow Village meeting is Thursday, May 13 @ 6:30 pm. Email Mr. Stanton for the Zoom link if you do not receive an email with it. We normally meet on the second Thursday of each month at 7:00 pm. The meetings are approximately an hour long. More information about that below. 

Scouts Trash the Trash Day is an international Messengers of Peace project for Scouts around the world, where each Scout is challenged to bring a friend or family member along and pick up at least one Kilo (2.2 pounds) of trash each on the first Saturday in May.

The idea for Scouts Trash the Trash Day came from the scouts of Troop 1206 in Helena, Montana after realizing that there are several days throughout the year that Scouts get together and do the same thing on the same day. Days like Jamboree on the Air and Internet, Jamboree on the Trail, Trees for the World, World Neckerchief Day, but there was not a day for Scouts to all get together and clean up their communities. Thus Scouts Trash the Trash Day was started. Scouts are asked to bring a non-scout with them on this day of service in order to double the impact of their trash cleaning effort.

Scouts Trash the Trash Day is about more than just cleaning our planet, it is a day to show the world what Scouting is about, educate individuals about Scouting and recruit new boys, girls and adults into the Scouting movement.

There aren’t any exemptions for 2021, so now is the time to make sure you and your Scout’s records are up-to-date and complete.

To participate in Scouting events, campouts and high-adventure trips, Scouts and Scouters must complete the Annual Health and Medical Record. Now is the time to make sure your and your Scout’s records are up-to-date and complete, especially if your unit has summer activities scheduled.

The Annual Health and Medical Record has three different parts:

Parts A and B must be complete for all activities; Part C is required for events lasting longer than 72 hours. Again, this year, all parts must be current through the end of the adventure in order to participate. Review and complete the AHMR fully and carefully; take a look at this instruction page. If you have more questions, refer to this BSA Safety Moment or look at these frequently asked questions. Remember, these completed forms must be secure, so they are not to be digitized, scanned, emailed or stored electronically by unit leaders.

Because the pandemic is not over, it might be a good idea to schedule an appointment soon for the pre-participation exam rather than waiting until summer. When you meet with your medical provider, bring the AHMR form, and it’s advised, especially if you or your Scout will be attending a BSA high-adventure base, to bring the risk advisory associated with that base. That way, your medical provider can better understand any strenuous activities involved. Council-run high-adventure camps might also have required risk advisories to review and complete. Check with the camp you are attending for any additional forms, such as COVID-19-related forms for high-risk individuals, that are necessary this year.

You should also alert Scout adult leaders of plans to address individual risk factors or medication use. When filling out the AHMR, include all medications; you can include a separate sheet if you run out of room.

The Annual Health and Medical Record must be completed every year. It serves many purposes, but primarily, it’s to help keep Scouts and Scouters safe. Click here for the AHMR main page.

Join Scouts Nationwide to help all corners of our communities!

As we have throughout our history, Scouting families have answered the call to work together in service of the greater good. From public health drives…to caring for the environment…to assisting neighbors in need…Scouts have always been a force for positivity and goodness in our communities.

The Summer of Service is a broad initiative for individuals, families, units, districts and councils to participate, share, and report the amazing impact of serving the community.

Check out more about The Summer of Service at www.scouting.org/summerofservice

Reminder of several aspects of the Eagle Scout Rank process that have been missed by many of our Scouts lately. Please read them below and share the information with your Unit Leadership and Eagle Scout Candidates.

If the Scout needs to have an extension of time, please have them complete the form found here: https://www.scouting.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/GTA-11.2.0.0-form-2021.pdf. This form then needs to be emailed to our Briones District Advancement Chair Mrs. Bonnie Hazarabedian (bonzai@flash.net), our Council Advancement Committee Chair Mr. Merl Nygren (nygreme@att.net), and our Council Advancement Committee Advisor Mr. Michael Charlesworth (michael.charlesworth@scouting.org) for review.

Please note that our council can only grant up to a six-month extension. Any time beyond that needs to be approved by our National Office. Also, our Council Advancement Committee only meets once per month to discuss extensions, please make sure to have your Scout complete the extension form and turn it in at least a few weeks before their 18th birthday. They are to continue to work towards completing their Eagle Rank even if they have not heard back from the committee about their extension.

Eagle Scout Project Proposals need to be reviewed and approved by either Mr. Ed Isley (ekisely@comcast.net) or Mr. Mark Paulson (eagleworkbook@gmail.com) prior to any work being done on the project. They will sign in the “Council or District Approval” section on Proposal Page H in the Workbook (https://www.scouting.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/EagleProjectWorkbook2021c-v2.pdf).

If the Scout needs to complete an Eagle Scout Project Fundraising Application (Fundraising Application Page A in the Workbook), the “Authorized Council Approval” is for only Mark Woodman, as District Director, to sign after signatures of the Beneficiary and Unit Leader are received. Please have the Scout email him at mark.woodman@scouting.org and make sure to include at least one other adult in that email.

Once the Scout has completed their Scoutmaster Conference for Eagle, they need to send their completed Eagle Scout Rank Application to Mark (mark.woodman@scouting.org) to review the application before it gets verified at our Council Office. The latest this step can be done is the day before the Scout’s 18th birthday, or the final day of their approved extension. If the Scout has an extension, please have them let Mark know that final date of their extension at this time.

A few notes on the Eagle Scout Rank Application (https://filestore.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/512-728_WB_fillable.pdf):

An Eagle Scout Rank Application can be downloaded from ScoutBook with all of the dates preloaded into the correct fields, by using the information provided on the attached PDF.

Each line on the application must be completed through the signature of the Unit Committee Chair on page two. With the exception of the employer reference, if the Scout is not employed.

All information for each reference must be included: name, address, telephone, and email.

If the Scout does not have a religious reference, they must include a parent or guardian in that field.

The Grand total of hours under Requirement 5 on page two is the total number of hours the project took to complete, counting everyone’s involvement, not just the Eagle Candidate. Please encourage your Scouts to start this tally of hours as they are starting to research project ideas.

If even one number on a completion date is incorrect from the Scout’s official records, Mark will send the application back to the Scout to be corrected.

If there are missing dates for items that have not yet been entered into the Scout’s Advancement Records, please include a BSA Advancement Report (https://filestore.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/34403.pdf) with the application. This report authorizes our Council to enter in the missing dates. If Mark finds a missing date on an application, Mark will reach out to you individually for this report.

Once the Eagle Scout Rank Application is correct, Mark will then send it to our Council Registrar Mrs. Masouda Ibrahimi (masouda.ibrahimi@scouting.org) for the Council Verification step on page two. This process may take a day or two, depending on workload, vacation schedules, etc.

After the verification has been complete, Mrs. Ibrahimi will email a scan of the application back to the candidate, cc’ing Mark and our Council Advancement Committee Chair Mr. Merl Nygren (nygreme@att.net).

Scouts can then schedule their Eagle Scout Board of Review with Mr. Bruce McGurk (brucemcgurk@comcast.net) for the Lamorinda Area, or Mr. Gordon Bell (gordon.ed.bell@gmail.com) for the Walnut Creek/Pleasant Hill Area.

After the Board of Review is complete, paperwork is sent to our National Office for final verification and certification. About 3-4 weeks later (sometimes up to 6 weeks), the Eagle Scout’s National Certificate and final paperwork is mailed back to our Council Office. Once they are received, the Scoutmaster or Committee Chair will be notified that the Eagle Credentials and Award Kit is available for pick up. Since the office is closed at this time, we will arrange a pick up time, or Mark would be happy to drop off the items at your home or place of work.

Please remind your Scouts to always include at least one other adult while emailing any of the people mentioned above. This keeps everyone within Youth Protection and CyberChip guidelines. If a Scout forgets to do so, Mark will kindly remind them of this policy in his email reply, in which he will include you.

We know that this is a long and complicated process. It can go smoothly by following these few steps.

 Thank you and please let Mark know if you have any questions.

Pacific Skyline Council recently hosted "Girls in Scouting Meet Women in STEM Career Day"

This was a virtual event for their Scouts who are interested in learning about careers that require creative problem solving, encourage forward thinking, and making a difference in society. The purpose is to spark more interest in women in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields. There is a great demand for women in these fields especially in engineering, computer science, and the life sciences. We had a variety of professional women in STEM (Science, Tech, Engineering, Math) come together to meet with our Scouts to talk about these opportunities. If you missed this unique event, you can watch the video! Thank you again to all those who participated and made this event possible!

Silicon Valley Monterey Bay Council is holding an University of Scouting. Our very own membership chair Wendell Baker is teaching two of the classes. This is an opportunity to get some great training done virtually.

University of Scouting Registration is Open!

Jump back into Scouting - take a refresher course or learn something new!

The University of Scouting is like the "elective" classes you look forward to. This supplemental training week lets you pick the courses and topics that interest you to enhance your Scouting experience. You pick your classes and build your own schedule to fit your needs. Come for an evening, a few days, or the whole week of fun with our easy online webinars.

You can't beat the value at $10 for unlimited classes AND a cool patch mailed to your door!

May 17th – May 22nd

Course list for adults| Course list for youth & adults | Register

 Now that rechartering is done, you may want to print membership cards for your members or a charter certificate to present to your charter organization. Click a link to download the how-to PDF: Charter Certificate, Membership Cards.

The safety of our Scouts, volunteers, employees, and communities is the top priority for the Boy Scouts of America. BSA revised two forms that should be used for conducting service projects, including Eagle Scout service projects. These two forms were mentioned recently in the Scouting Wire Newsletter. The SAFE Service Project Planning Checklist is intended to help with planning all types of service projects. Although this checklist should be used for planning Eagle Scout service projects, it is not an added requirement. The SAFE Project Tool Use form is an updated version of the previous “Age Guidelines for Tool Use and Work at Elevations or Excavations” form. It provides age-appropriate guidelines for tool use by Cubs, Scouts BSA, Venturers, and Sea Scouts.

To better understand the BSA’s approach to SAFE Scouting, please review the following links. The first discusses the BSA’s approach to the four points of SAFE Scouting (Supervision, Assessment, Fitness and Skills, and Equipment and Environment) to ensure the safety of all participants when delivering the Scouting program. The second includes some real incidents in Scouting where at least one of the four SAFE Scouting points was not followed, and tragedy ensued.

Finally, if it has been a while since you visited the BSA’s Scouting Safely webpage, please spend a few minutes checking out the wealth of material found there that helps us ALL deliver a Safe Scouting Program.

Scouts can use and share these tips to help educate fellow Scouts and others on the importance of campfire safety.

Summer camp is a big Scouting step. It is a time for fun, growth, newfound freedom, responsibility and learning — for both Scouts and parents.

The more knowledge you have on the front end, the more impactful this experience can be. Here are some tips and advice on how to get ready for summer camp.

The recruiting pitch starts off pretty well: “If you join Pack 123, you’ll get to have fun, make new friends and enjoy hands-on experiences you can’t get in any other organization for youth.” But then the realities of the pandemic settle in, and the wheels start to fall off like a half-finished Pinewood Derby car: “Oh, but wait. You’ll have to do all that at home, at least for now.” Recruiting new families to join Scouting during a pandemic is hard — whether your unit is conducting activities virtually or in person (while following state, local and BSA guidelines, of course). Their solution, outlined in the article, clearly worked. They helped the Northeast Illinois Council become the area’s top-recruiting council in 2020. And they did it through a multi-dimensional approach that relied heavily on the most important adults in Scouting: unit-level volunteers. See the full article.

Recently, BSA announced changes to First Class (4b) to require demonstrating GPS unit proficiency while on a campout or hike and modified wording on Life rank regarding earning the 3 additional merit badges from the list required for Eagle rank. In addition, the COVID-19 FAQs update on 01/14/2021 continues to allow Second Class (5b) and First Class (6a) swimming requirement to be deferred until each Scout’s next rank, as necessary, through Life rank, but the requirements must be completed by Eagle rank. When conditions warrant, BSA will reinstate these requirements and communicate via BSA sites such as Bryan on Scouting and Scouting Wire with 30 days’ notice. Units will be responsible for tracking deferred requirements. The current release of COVID-19 FAQs can be found here.

Changes to the following Merit Badges also have been made: Archaeology, Collections, Digital Technology, Disability Awareness, Electricity, Electronics, Fish and Wildlife Management, Fishing, Fly-Fishing, Lifesaving, Motorboating, Photography, Public Health, Rowing, Sports, Theater, and Woodwork. Please see this article

 which identifies the updated requirement number and the revision in the merit badge.

BSA also announced that they will no longer publish the annual Scouts BSA Requirements book with current year rank requirements and merit badge requirements. All Scouts BSA rank and merit badge requirements, including changes, will be listed here.

The latest edition of the Advancement News is now available. Read the newsletter for updates and information on advancement topics, awards, and policies and much, much more.

Starting now and until the Bay Area Health Officers end the Shelter in Place ruling that is now in place, the following guidelines are in effect for Life Scouts who are following their Trail to Eagle.

Briones Eagle Boards of Review

   EBORs are available for Scouts who have completed all their requirements. Boards may be done virtually or socially distanced and masked in person outdoors. Briones Scouts who need their EBOR should contact Gordon Bell at gordon.ed.bell@gmail.com, or Bruce McGurk at brucemcgurk@comcast.net.

Eagle project ideas can be found in the Conservation section of this newsletter or on the Briones District webpage.

Wanted: Pictures, Videos, and Stories

To be shared by the GGAC as part of our spring recruiting program. If you have any pictures, videos, or stories featuring scouts (preferably in masks) that you are willing to have shared over social media please send them to: Wendel Baker wendell@able-baker.com or Lew Sisson lew.sisson@scouting.org

The District is in desparate need of additional volunteer commissioners to help units. While the job may seem large Mark Weyland, our district commissioner, has picked out the 6 key functions a commissioner.

There's an opportunity to learn more later this month at the Northern California Commissioners College of Science. You do not have to be a commissioner to attend. It's virtual. For more information contact Mark Weyland. Click here to register for the Commissioners College.

   Are you wondering where some of the Lafayette, Moraga and Orinda Eagle Scouts are? PARENTS: In this time of Sheltering in Place, please send pictures of your Scout in uniform to Norman Gee with the information of the date and the unit the Scout earned their Eagle Scout rank. We want to make sure EVERY EAGLE SCOUT receives recognition for their achievement! Contact Norman normgee50@gmail.com or Bonnie Hazarabedian bonzai@flash.net.

To commemorate the agency’s 50th anniversary last year, the Boy Scouts of America and EPA signed a memorandum of understanding to create a special award, encouraging those in the Scouts BSA program to strive to protect the environment. The award, which features a patch, requires Scouts to earn environmental and community health-focused merit badges and participate in a service project.

   Did you know that your units need to record their hours spent volunteering service to others? Every unit has a unique id number that they can use to record the hours. In order to make it easier for units, the District has set up an email address where you can report your hours, what the service was, and the number of Scouts that worked on it. Send an email listing the service, location, the total number of hours (# of Scouts x number of hours) to Briones.service.hours@gmail.com. Recording service hours affects everyone's Journey to Excellence scores (units, districts, councils, sections, etc...).

  Information can be found at www.californiasar.org under programs/youth programs, or they can email me directly.

President

California Society Sons of the American Revolution (CASSAR)

   Your District Committee needs your help, we have many openings. While we're listing only the primary position, every position can use additional help even those not mentioned. The more folks who volunteer the easier the work. Let Bruce McGurk or Mark Weyland know if you're interested in helping.

Roundtable

   We are in desperate need of a Roundtable Commissioner (their job is coordinate the Roundtable meetings from September thru June).

Scouts BSA Roundtable

   We are equally desperate in our need of a volunteer to coordinate and present programs for troops each month.

Cub Scout Roundtable

We are equally desperate in our need of a volunteer to coordinate and present programs for packs each month.

Conservation Chair

   We are in need of someone to be our Conservation Chair. You will be responsible for keeping track of conservation related opportunities in the District and sending the information with the newsletter editor.

Day Camp Directors

   Will you miss not having day camp for your Cub Scouts? We need at least two people to step up and start planning next years day camp. Planning started in September for 2021.There will be no day camp if no one steps up to chair it.

Unit Commissioners

   This is a rewarding fun job for those who have stepped down from working with their units. It's a great opportunity to share your knowledge with units who need help or just a little advice on the best way to do things.

This forum has a treasure trove of great info – Scouters helping Scouters! Just a heads up, though - all content, information, and opinions shared on this forum are those of the author, not the BSA.

A blog for BSA's Adult Leaders

Official Blog of thThe Official Blog of the Scouting Movement Scouting Movement

   The Briones newsletter is sent out around the first of each month to those on the Briones email distribution list. If you wish to have something published in the newsletter, please send it to Norman Gee at normgee50@gmail.com and put Briones News in the subject line.