November 2020
The Digital Eagle
Welcome to the November 2020 edition of the Digital Eagle! This is a monthly publication of the Greater Alabama Council, BSA.
Scouting Stories Project

Have you received an email from us recently?
Did the email say:
"IMPORTANT: Verification of Greater Alabama Council Member and alumni data is now needed. Please Call 1-855-303-9231 within 7 Days"?
This email really is from us! We're partnering with the National Office's Alumni Group and with Publishing Concepts (PCI) as a way to collect and record Scouting Stories. We hope you will take a few minutes to call the number listed in the email and share your Scouting Story with us.

Did you not get an email? Here are three easy steps to ensuring your Greater Alabama Council legacy:

STEP 1—LOOK FOR A YELLOW POSTCARD IN YOUR MAIL.
Soon, you will receive a yellow postcard featuring our logo on the front.
 
STEP 2—UPDATE YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION.
When you call the toll-free number on the postcard, you will reach a trained representative who will help you update the personal information we have on file.
 
STEP 3—CONTINUE THE LEGACY
Once your contact information is updated, the interviewer will ask if you would like to share your favorite Greater Alabama Council experience for our council’s digital archive. As an alumni of the Greater Alabama Council Scouting program, you are a critical part of ensuring Scouting’s legacy for generations to come.
Sample email image for reference
Sharing your story affords you the opportunity to support the council, purchase Greater Alabama Council apparel, and/or purchase a commemorative book celebrating our local Scouting program—100 percent of monetary donations as well as a portion of apparel purchases goes directly to helping our council continue to bring Scouting to boys and girls in our community.
 
So, don’t wait. Call the toll-free number on the card and share your story as Greater Alabama Council Scout, volunteer, advisor, mentor, or proud parent. Every story is important and powerful in fulfilling this exciting legacy project. Help us fill our digital vault with your priceless memories of leadership, character development, and how the promise of Scouting unfolded for you. We can’t wait to share in your stories!
Help Support Your Local Community!

This year, more than any other, has demonstrated the need to help support our friends and neighbors in our local communities. Through agencies like the United Way and the United Givers Fund, many local agencies and services that you rely on, are able to receive operational support. Without help from families like yours, the United Way and the United Gives Fund wouldn't be able to help many worthwhile causes and agencies in your community, like the Greater Alabama Council. Please, take some time today to go to your local United Way or United Givers Fund and make a contribution to help support your hometown. Links to the United Ways and United Givers Funds that serve the communities we serve are listed below.
RECHARTER TIME!

Its time to complete your Unit's Annual Recharter Process! We have developed a handy resource page to help you as you begin the Recharter process. Rechartering can be a simple process if you use the resources on the web page linked below. If you have any questions or concerns, contact your District Executive.
Adventures of the 49'ers

The Greater Alabama Council invites you to Adventures Of The 49’ers; a three day Scouts BSA camping experience for your troop. Travel back to 1849 as Camp Sequoyah is transformed into the frontier with activities, demonstrations, competitions, and meals all centered around the life of a 49’er. In the spirit of the prospectors of yesteryear we invite you to take up the mantle of the 49’er and engulf yourself in the 49’er lifestyle. You never know? You may strike it rich!!!!!! We hear………. “there’s gold up em them hills!” 
Fall Recruiting Webinars

Back by popular demand are some of the BSA's Membership Recruiting Webinars. To register for the course, click on the buttons below!
It's Popcorn Time!
Spend less time fundraising and MORE time Scouting! Our Council’s annual Scout popcorn sale is a turn-key fundraiser that provides our units with the funding they need to deliver an amazing Scouting Program! Click on the link below to learn more about our annual popcorn sale, and sign up to get started! Need help? We've included helpful training videos to help turn you into a popcorn-selling master!
Bushcraft 101

The Greater Alabama Council will be offering a Bushcraft Training January 23 2021 at Camp Sequoyah. Come learn from experienced Scouters across the council in key outdoor skills techniques. Subjects that will be covered include:

Tools and Shelters
Knots and Lashings
Dutch Oven and Campsite Cooking
Fire Building
Wilderness Survival

This course will be beneficial for the new leader or a great opportunity for seasoned leaders to hone their skills and learn of new best practices. 

The cost of the event is 25.00 and participation is limited to the first 50 participants. 

To register follow the link. 
University of Scouting

Join us for a Virtual University of Scouting March 20th 2021. The 2021 University of Scouting will feature 3 schools:

School of Cub Scouting:
Den Administration
Den Programs and Fun
Pack Administration
Pack Programs and Fun

School of Scouts BSA:
Troop Administration
Troop Programs

School of Outdoor Adventure and Program:
Outdoor Activities and Program
Order of the Arrow 

Participants will choose a track to follow within the schools. The University of Scouting will use Zoom as the format to deliver the curriculum in 2021. 

Look for more information in the December Digital Eagle. 
Huntsville Scout Shop New Hours

The Huntsville Scout Shop has new hours!

Monday-Wednesday: 10am-6pm
Thursday: Closed
Friday: 10am-6pm
Saturday: 10am-2pm
Sunday: Closed
Celebration of Heroes!

Save the Date for the Greater Alabama Council Celebration of Heroes Virtual Event on Veterans Day, November 11th at 6:00pm. Join with Scouts and Scouters in supporting our Council and highlighting our Scouting Heroes and Veterans. Scouts will be part of the program! Post comments, share pictures and tell stories. Hear from an Eagle Scout who recently received Scouting’s Heroism Award and see what Hall of Fame Quarterback Terry Bradshaw thinks of Scouting in Alabama! We all have Scouting Heroes who have impacted our lives, join with us in celebrating them and honoring them at this fun and exciting live-streamed virtual event. Save the date! Nov 11th, 6:00pm. More information to come!

Eagle Scout Scholarship Applications Now Available!


The Greater Alabama Council is pleased to announce that an Eagle Scout Scholarship Award has been established by the Charles Richard Byrd, Jr. family. This award is open to Eagle Scouts of the Greater Alabama Council, Boy Scouts of America. The scholarship is for $1,000 to an accredited 2-year or 4-year school within the state of Alabama.

The Greater Alabama Council is also pleased to announce that two (2) to four (4) Eagle Scout Scholarship Awards have been established by James T. Stephens. These awards are open to Eagle Scouts of the Greater Alabama Council, Boy Scouts of America. The scholarships are for $3,000 yearly for up to four years of college. 

For eligibility requirements and application procedures, please click on either button below.
Announcing the BSA's Distinguished Conservation Award!

For more than a century, the BSA has encouraged and honored conservation work with an award that recognizes youth, adults and organizations who have demonstrated tremendous effort and commitment to the environment. This award, which until now had been known as the William T. Hornaday Award, is being discontinued, and the new BSA Distinguished Conservation Service Award is being introduced to underscore the importance of encouraging everyone to participate in environmental stewardship.  To learn more about this new award, click on the button below.
Go Camping in "God's Backyard"
The Episcopal Diocese of Alabama is welcoming Cub Packs, Scouts BSA Troops, and Venturing Crews to spend a weekend camping at Camp McDowell, a historic camp that has been in operation for nearly 100 years. Situated on 1,140 acres adjacent to the Bankhead National Forest in Winston County, Camp McDowell is open year round with a variety of programs and opportunities. To learn more, click on the links below.
Powder Horn 2021
Powder Horn is a High Adventure Resource Management Course open to all Scouting Adults and Youth age 14 . Participants will learn the necessary skills to oversee a high adventure program and learn of local resources available for your group’s program. For more information and to register, click the button below.
Winter NYLT Course: January 16-18, February 13-15
Summer NYLT Course: June 20-26

NYLT is a six day, five night course that gives Scouts BSA, Sea Scouts, Explorers and Venturers methods, skills and experiences to become better leaders in their unit. The course centers around the concepts of what a leader must be, what they must know, and what they must do – with a clear focus on how to accomplish all this.

To learn more and register for the course, you can visit the page at https://1bsa.org/nylt/ or click on the button below.
Engineering Merit Badge

Sign up to participate in the Engineering Merit Badge Program at the Barber Museum! This program is on the move from start to finish and includes a hands-on Build-a-Bike activity, a tour of the largest motorcycle collection in the world, and a short film. With stunning views of the Barber Motorsports Road Course, vehicle exhibits, and restoration shop, the museum offers a thrilling environment in which to learn about the field of engineering.

The opportunity costs $18 per Scout, and it includes all materials needed for the program, including the Barber Museum BSA Patch. We ask that Scouts be prepared by reading the Engineering Merit Badge book prior to their troop’s scheduled visit. To show pride in your troop and demonstrate your participation as a Scout, we ask that Scouts wear their uniforms.
Reserve a spot for your Scout or their whole troop today!

The Engineering Merit Badge Program, sponsored by Yamaha, will be offered at the Barber Museum on the following Saturdays, at 9:30 am. Spaces are limited, so please contact us to reserve your spot.

  • November 14
  • December 5


Register to attend our Engineering Merit Badge Program. When you arrive at the registration link close the login box to enter your information. The form on the first page is where you'll enter parent information, and the form on the second page is where you will enter the Scout's information. You can register multiple attendees/scouts at one time.

If you have any questions, please email Jennifer Nelson or call her at 205-702-8713.
You’re invited to attend Wood Badge!
Wood Badge is advanced Scout leader training that began in 1919 by Lord Baden-Powell, founder of Scouting and Wood Badge’s first director. It came to America in 1948 and has been updated to reflect current BSA policies and programs. Incorporating the best techniques available, Wood Badge has become the most advanced leadership training course in Scouting!

The Spring 2021 Course will be hosted at Camp Comer on April 9-11 and April 24-25, 2021. To learn more and register for the course, click on the button below.
Launching into Fall with the OA!

Virtual Induction Weekends are here! Virtual Inductions are a safe way to complete your OA Induction requirement during the pandemic. To learn more about Virtual Induction Weekends, simply click this link, or click on the button below.

Fall Fellowship is only a few days away! We're looking forward to an outstanding and unique weekend of fellowship and fun at Camp Comer on the weekend of November 20-22! Registration closes Sunday, November 15! Check the Lodge's Facebook page for more information and details!

Do you have a Scout who is interested in taking a more active role in the Order of the Arrow? Lodge Officer nomination forms are now on coosa50.org ! We're looking for youth who want to take their OA membership to the next level and who want to serve the youth of the Greater Alabama Council! Just click on the button below, or the link above to learn more.

To make sure you are in the loop, be sure to make sure your OA Dues are paid and that the Lodge has your most current email address so you can receive the Lodge's digital newsletter. Also, once you pay your Lodge dues for the year, you'll receive a "Member in Good Standing" patch! The artwork for the patch is below. Need to update your mailing address or email address? Please take a moment to submit the form below!
 
To stay up-to-date on all the latest with Coosa Lodge, follow the links below!

Are you looking for ways to keep Scouting while you're at home? We have compiled a resource page for you to keep the adventure going! You'll be able to find 30-Day Challenges and more on our resource page. To access the page, just click on the button below.
Scouting is a global institution– there are National Scout Organizations representing their home countries and delivering the promise of Scouting in virtually all areas and regions globally. The BSA International Department works to help Scouts and Leaders from the BSA to experience the bigger picture of Scouting and connect with it through our involvement in the World Organization of the Scout Movement. To learn more about Scouting around the world, including exciting events like the upcoming World Scout Moot in Ireland in 2021, click below.
The CDC has produced a series of fact sheets for young adults, ages 15-21. The fact sheets cover a variety of topics, including what test results mean, how to stay safe at the pool or beach, how to wear a face covering and other preventive measures. To learn more and access the sheets as well as those regarding the Alabama mask mandate and resources from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, click on the links below.
Scout Days!
Stay up-to-date on Scout days
One of the best parts of Scouting is the outing! We're actively building a list of Scout Days at various events near and far that you and your Scouts will love to attend! For more information, click on the Scout Day image, or the button below.