Winter Camp 2022

Grab your top hats, oil your gears, and get on board for Winter Camp at Camp Strake! Registration is NOW open, so click here to claim your ticket to adventure!

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.

College of Commissioner Science

The College of Commissioner Science is an annual training event that provides a continuing education experience for commissioners in a college-based format. It helps commissioners stay current on unit service tools, techniques and best practices in serving assigned units and districts, to expand their skills, as well as refresh their commitment and energy for commissioner service. This year’s College of Commissioner Science will be held on Saturday, November 12 at Camp Strake with an optional overnight retreat on Friday, November 11.

This ongoing training opportunity will benefit both new and experienced commissioners. Participants do not have to be a registered commissioner to attend. Any BSA adult leader that is interested in the numerous resources available in the Scouting movement is also invited to attend. Registration is open on the event’s website.

Safety Moment – Youth Protection Barriers to Abuse

The BSA has adopted the many for the safety and well-being of its members. These policies primarily protect youth members; however, they also serve to protect adult leaders. Registered leaders must follow these guidelines with Scouting youth outside of Scouting activities. Guidelines include: registration requirements, adult supervision, responsibility, accommodations, program requirements, and reporting requirements.  For more information about these guidelines, please click here.

STAY CONNECTED, LIKE US ON FACEBOOK

Membership

Fall recruitment season is in full swing! During this exciting time of year, packs across the Council, state and nation welcome new families into the Scouting program to Launch Their Adventure in Scouting. With all the new tools and materials distributed at your district’s Fall Recruitment Training, your unit should be set to reach new scouts and their families and get them on board with Scouting! This year should be the best year to join Scouting since before the pandemic, so let’s make sure that we give every family the opportunity to join! Check out all the new 2022 materials here. Here you can download the 2022 recruiting materials and find even more resources for your pack, troop, team, crew or ship. Also, don’t forget to get your unit’s Sign Up Night information and Flyer order to your district executive as quickly as possible. Flyers can be ordered through the link here (click on the button and submit your order). If you need help, please don’t hesitate to contact your district’s Membership Team or District Executive. Good Luck & Happy Recruiting!!!

IT’S RECHARTER TIME!

The annual unit recharter season for 2023 starts today.

Get Ready!…by appointing a recharter champion right away to lead the unit’s recharter process, including conducting a membership inventory to determine the members to recharter.

Get Set!…by creating the unit’s recharter roster with Internet Rechartering 2.0 as soon as it is available to us on November 1.

Get Done!…by submitting an approved recharter roster by December 15 and promptly taking any corrective action requested by the council.

A representative of each unit completes the paperwork for renewing a charter online. Through the process, information on the chartered organization, youth members and adult leaders is updated as well as BSA National registration fees, Scout Life's subscriptions, and accident insurance premiums are collected/paid. As part of December 2022 charter renewals, there will be a $6 fee per registered youth and adult which goes toward the council’s cost of accident insurance.

For more information about unit recharter, please click here.

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 took 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. 

Trail's End Popcorn

Popcorn is off to a great start, and you can join in at any time! Some Scouts in your unit may need a fundraising opportunity that Popcorn offers them. Work with all of your Scouts to let them know they can sell popcorn either in person or online to help raise funds for their unit and earn Amazon e-gift cards! The Trail’s End app powered by Square allows Scouts to accept credit cards without your unit having to pay the Square fee. Scouts can sell door to door with traditional take order or forms Online Direct orders in the app to have Trail's End products shipped to your customers. Scouts don't have to collect money or deliver products. No hassle fundraising! Perfect your Sales Pitch with Alex

Medal of Merit

Congratulations to Adult Leader Michael Halko on his reception of the Medal of Merit. In June of 2022, Michael came across a victim lying in the road after being ejected in a vehicle rollover accident. Michael directed a bystander to call 911. As there was significant blood coming from the victim’s head, Michael went back to his truck, grabbed an extra scout shirt, and began to apply pressure to his head. Michael assessed him for additional injuries, the victim warily stood up and Michael guided him to move to the shoulder out of a lane of traffic. The victim then suddenly fainted. Michael caught him as he fell and lowered him to the ground. Once on the ground, Michael continued to apply pressure to his wound, and controlled the scene. Paramedics then arrived and transported the victim to the hospital. Congratulation to Michael on his receiving this award.

Wood Badge

Wood Badge is the Boy Scouts of America's ultimate leadership training designed to meet the advanced leadership needs of Scouters in all programs of the BSA. Over the course of two weekends, participants can expect to develop skills in many areas, including leadership theory, team building, problem-solving, communication, and project planning.  

Register for the waitlist for the Fall 2022 course (October 7 - October 9 and October 21 - October 23), or for either of our 2023 courses (Spring and October) by clicking here. 

JOTI/JOTA weekend

The third weekend in October is JOTI/JOTA weekend around the world. It's the largest Scout event in the world each year with close to 2 million participants! We invite Scouts and Scouters to join the fun at the Cockrell Scout Center on October 15, 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. We have a number of activities where everyone can both "learn & earn" (learn something new and earn some International Scouting Awards). Details can be found here.

NYLT

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 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 

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 Mike Narvaez coachmike19@gmail.com

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 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 served 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 meet Venturing age requirements. Learn more and register here.

Webelos Coyote Xtreme!

Registration is now open.

Webelos Coyote Trail Xtreme (WCTX) is an annual event for 4th and 5th grade Webelos Scouts at Bovay Scout Ranch. During this fast-paced, fun-filled weekend Webelos Scouts will be introduced to the patrol method. Webelos Scouts will learn the importance of teamwork and other skills they will need for their first camp out with a troop, such as knot tying, flag etiquette, first aid, and more.

For more information or to register click here.

Winter Camp 2022

Grab your top hats, oil your gears, and get on board for Winter Camp at Camp Strake! Registration is NOW open, so click here to claim your ticket to adventure!

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 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.

Houston Museum of Natural Science Scout Programs

Houston Museum of Natural Science Scout Programs

School-year scouts classes at HMNS. For more information on our in-person or virtual classes with museum experts and museum specimens, click here!

Need to attend a Scout class that is not in our in-person schedule? Click here to book a Badge on Demand for your troop or den!

STEM Nova Day at HMNS, for scouts of all ages, October 8.  Cub Scout Nova: Down and Dirty and Fearful Symmetry. Scouts BSA Nova: Let it Grow! For more information, please click here!  

Scout Night at Monster Jam

Saturday, October 22 at 7:00pm

NRG Stadium

Exclusive Scout Offer

SAVE up to $6 on tickets plus FREE Monster Jam Scout Patch and FREE Pit Party PASS!

Order Your Tickets Today: For information or to order groups of ten or more, contact Christina at 281-367-9717 or email at christina@texasgrouptickets.com.  

For orders of 8 or less: please click here.

After purchasing tickets online, call Christina at 281-367-9717 or email at christina@texasgrouptickets.com to request patches and pit passes. Deadline to purchase is October 13.

University of Houston Scout Day

U of H Cougars Vs. South Florida Bulls

Saturday, October 29

UH Athletics is excited to provide a preferred group offer to the Boy Scouts of America Sam Houston Area Council. Join us as your Houston Cougars take on the South Florida Bulls on Saturday, October 29. Bring your family and friends for only $25.00 a seat! To purchase tickets, please click here.

For any questions or issues, please contact Branon Vaughan via email at bdvaugha@central.uh.edu or by phone at 713.743.3541.

Scout Geology Badges

Houston Gem and Mineral Society’s Annual Show

Saturday, November 12, 2022 

Humble Civic Center 8233 Will Clayton Parkway (½ mile east of Hwy 59) Humble, Texas 77338

Learn about the following:

three types of rocks, the basic properties of minerals, field methods and safety, the economic uses of minerals, what a fossil is, and about geoscience careers

For information, contact: Scout Program Registrar Elsa Kapitan-White (elsa-hgms@att.net) Show Chair Scott Singleton (832-524-8382 text or voice, fossilwood@comcast.net)

Admission tickets available at the door: $8, children 10 and under free

RSVP required—first come, first served (limited to 50 Scouts per session)

Saturday, December 3, 2022 is Cub Scout Day at Star of the Republic Museum!

Cub Scouts are welcome to join us at the museum for a fun morning of activities and information that will fulfill the requirements for their Texas Badge. Leaders will need to sign off and the badge must be bought by the cub scouts, leaders, or family members on their own. Minimum of 10, maximum of 25; $7 per Scout includes site admission for Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Site. Reservations are required; contact Jordan Lucier at 936-878-2461 x236 or jordan.lucier@thc.texas.gov.

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. 

Amazon Smile

Activate AmazonSmile on your mobile phone to support Scouting. With a few simple steps, adding this no-cost feature can help support Scouting with every eligible purchase. To learn more, please click here.

As Colonneh Lodge continues to wrap up our final few months of inductions, we are preparing to welcome a new generation of Arrowmen in the coming year. While the final count on our membership intake will not be available for another few months, we anticipate that this year will mirror the last and show promising results.

In addition to adding new members, we have also been adding some much-needed renovations to our list of service activities. Recently, an OA service day saw the Lodge give back to Camp Bovay by repainting the restroom doors and steamboat. The canoe dock also received necessary repairs.

Every passing month brings us closer to Fall Pow Wow! This is an event that no Arrowman wants to miss out on, so make sure to sign up and bring your OA friends

Wimachtendienk | Wingolauchsik | Witahemui