April 3, 2020
The Digital Eagle: Weekly Talon
Welcome to the April 3, 2020 edition of the Digital Eagle: Weekly Talon! This is a weekly publication of the Greater Alabama Council, BSA to help keep you and your family on the Scouting Trail.

A Message from our Scout Executive

“On my honor, I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country …”

Patriotism is in our movement’s DNA. Duty to country is in the first line of our oath and prominent in our programs. How can we express this value during the current pandemic crisis that is sweeping our community? What does duty to country mean through the lens of Scouting values in the good times and in the bad? We can set the example for all to follow. Follow the current CDC guidelines and encourage others to do the same. Let us know your ideas on how you can do your duty to country while staying at home.
Keeping each of you, our community, nation, and world in our prayers.

Below the video are some links you might find helpful:
Scouts in Action- Gone fishin'!
Scouts are in action across the Greater Alabama Council continuing their trail toward the Eagle Scout rank and the engraving process for new names added to the Eagle Wall at Liberty Park started this week! Some Scouts are participating in weekly patrol or troop meetings online through apps such as Skype or Zoom. Other Scouts are seeking adventure in their neighborhoods and communities where supervised activities meeting social distancing standards are offering a little outdoor excitement and the occasional fish fry. Over 580 Scouts signed up for April’s online merit badge fair last week and our Scouting program continues to offer youth hope and a path forward during uncertain times. Thank you for your support of Scouting, which teaches a child how to succeed in any environment!  
Got paperwork? We have a dropbox!

Do you have paperwork to turn in for advancement, recharter, or any other need? There is a dropbox at the Birmingham office that will be checked throughout the day. If this isn't convenient, you can always mail the paperwork to us at the Birmingham office where we will be able to process it to help you and your unit. We have ordered a dropbox for the Huntsville office, and we will send out a special notice on our social media platforms and through email when the Huntsville dropbox is in place and ready.

We do ask, however, if you are paying for recharters, Scout Cards, or any other payment, please use the postal service to deliver checks.


Greater Alabama Council
516 Liberty Parkway
Birmingham, AL 35242
Special Jamboree on the Internet happening now!

Join us THIS WEEKEND for an opportunity to talk with Scouts from around the world during a special Jamboree on the Internet! This is a truly rare opportunity for Scouts and Scouters to come together, share ideas about keeping Scouting moving during this unique time, and learn first-hand from Scouts in other parts of the world what is going on in their backyards.

This will help meet requirements for Cub Scout and Scouts BSA advancement opportunities, so be sure to document your JOTI participation for credit! To learn more, click on the button below .
National Scouting At Home Resource Page

During these uncertain times, Scouting offers a way for Scouts and their families to maintain sense of "normal". To assist with this, a new website has been published with multiple resources and activities for Scouts of any age. To learn more and further your at-home adventures, just click on the link below.

Helpful hints from Scouts at home

Carter from Huntsville submitted this helpful idea and examples of fun ways for you to Scout at home:

"It has been a real challenge to find a way to do a meeting, but we have come up with some good ideas. Last Monday night we held our first troop meeting using GoToMeeting and the troop instructor taught knots. For the inter-patrol activity we had a burping contest (Scoutmaster's request). It was very funny and we all had a blast. For this week we have a plan to have one of the ASM's who is a food scientist do a cooking class on safe foods to eat in the wild, healthy meals to make at home with everyday foods, and I'm sure he will do so much more. Our goal is to not stop and keep knocking out rank advancement."


Thanks for the great idea, Carter! Do you have an idea on how to keep Scouting at home? Mail us by clicking the link below, and be sure to copy your Scoutmaster and Parents on the email!
30 Day Cub Scout Challenge!

Join in the fun and take on the 30 Day Challenge for Cub Scouts! This wonderful opportunity embraces all of the fun and advancement of Cub Scouts right from your living room or kitchen table! To get started on your 30-Day Challenge, just click on your rank button below and get started today!
30-Day First Class Challenge!

Even though schools have closed and most of our Scouting events are on hold, there's still opportunities to keep on Scouting! Introducing the 30-Day Scouts BSA Challenge, a great way to keep your Scouting skills sharp and begin the trail to Eagle without leaving home.
From Tenderfoot to First-Class, use these daily checklists as a roadmap to rank advancement. Just click on your rank below to take the challenge!
Do you need stuff from the Scout Shop? Don't worry, you can still get your supplies, including advancement items, straight from the Nation Supply division delivered to your front door! You can email Michele, our local territory manager, directly and she will help take care of your orders. Unfortunately, she won't be able to work with existing store accounts, but she can handle credit and debit card transactions. To fill your order, she needs:

>A list of the items needed (a general description will work)
>Name of Person receiving the order
>Address to ship to
>Phone number of person receiving order
For advancement purchases (all rank, merit badges, and palms):  

You must send a copy of the advancement report, the Scout Book report, OR Printed PDF completed with Unit and Scout’s information, as well as signed by leader.
GET TRAINED!
Every Scout Deserves a trained leader!
The Scouting program thrives with trained leaders, like you! Now is a great opportunity to refresh your skills, learn new methods, and update your training on things like Weather Hazards or Youth Protection Training. Click on the image to the left or the button below to take part in training that will help you be the best leader for our Scouts.