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These last fourteen months have been a very challenging period of time for all of us. Our programs were on pause, our youth forced to meet over digital platforms, and we had no end in sight, until now.
We are incredibly proud of the work all the staff and volunteers of Twin Rivers have done to keep "Scouting On" and now we elated for the opportunity to return to the outdoors, providing the Scouting program as it was meant to be delivered.
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Over the last couple months, we have been planning for our reemergence and if you have not noticed, we have a lot of programs coming up! This newsletter touches on many of them and there is so much more. Resident Camp, Day Camp, Family Camp, National Youth Leadership Training, Wood Badge, NRA Training, the Fall Camporee, and so much more can be found on our website.
The vast majority of your have already restarted your unit programs. You have attended camporees, shooting days, and taken advantage of our facilities in other ways. In the next week we hope to announce rentals for cabins once again, so stay tuned for more.
Right now we all have the same goals in mind. We need to ensure all levels of scouting are renewed in Upstate New York, units have active programs, leaders are trained in the newest information, and we provide each youth the opportunity to join Scouting in their community. If you are running into obstacles on anyone of these items, please reach out and talk to us. Your local Commissioner Team will do everything they can to help you.
Thank you for your time and dedication to the youth and our mission. Without volunteers like yourself, the Scouting program would not succeed. Now is the time we can all start moving towards doing the activities we love, safely.
Yours in Service,
Council Commissioner
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Day Camp- "OUTSIDE, UNPLUGGED, & ENGAGED!”
Did you know there is only 62 more days till Cub Scout Astronaut Academy?
Are you concerned your Cub Scout is spending too much time playing Video games?
We've got a solution: CUB SCOUT DAY CAMP!
Twin Rivers Council is offering 2 weeks of exciting, outdoor experience while participating in age-appropriate activities such as archery, BB's, crafts, nature, scout skills, sports & games and much MORE!!
Don't forget to sign up today!! Click on the link below to get to our website to register!!
Look forward to seeing you at Camp this summer!
Sign up today!!
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Space station RSR @ Rotary Scout Reservation
July 19th – 23rd
8:30 am to 4:00 pm
Transportation is available for Day Camp at Rotary Scout Reservation
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Space Station WAK @ Camp Wakpominee
Aug 9th – 13th
8:30 am to 4:00 pm
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Cub Scout Resident Camp
Sign up today to become a Space Ranger at Rotary Scout Reservation! Cubs will rotate between space stations that include: BB guns, archery, swimming, boating and others. Check out our great recruitment video. We need you to be a Space Ranger!
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National Youth Leadership Training
National Youth Leadership Training (NYLT) is an exciting and powerful program designed to provide members of the Boy Scouts of America (ages 14 and over) with leadership skills and experience they can use to lead themselves and others. This week-long outdoor experience represents a month in the model life of a typical Scout unit. This course is designed to compliment leadership training at the unit level and is a follow on to Introduction to Leadership Skills for Troops.
The NYLT course centers on the concepts of what a leader must BE, KNOW, and DO.
Rotary Scout Reservation
Dates: Sunday 6-27-21 thru Saturday 7-03-21
Times: 9:00AM - 12:00PM
Contact:
Betty Fitzgerald
Stephen Krizar
Scoutmaster
Greg Szczesny
ASM Program
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Sign up for Wood Badge Training!!
Wood Badge draws upon the most current leadership models used by corporate America, academic circles and successful organizations throughout the country.
Wood Badge training was begun by Baden Powell in 1919 as a way to insure that the leaders of Scout troops were properly trained. Since then Wood Badge has been held worldwide, providing advanced leadership training to thousands of Scout leaders.
Wood Badge builds upon the best traditions and
experiences of the Boy Scouts of America and also draws from a wide range of courses within and beyond the bounds of Scouting to present the latest in leadership theory and team development.
Cost: $250 / late $300
Contact: William Babbage
Course Director
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Weekend 1
Camp Wakpominee
Friday 09-17-2021 7:30 AM to
Sunday 09-19-2021 5:00 PM
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Weekend 2
Camp Wakpominee
Saturday 10-23-2021 7:30 AM to
Monday 10-24-2021 5:00 PM
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How to become a TRC Merit Badge Counselor or make changes to your badge selections.
There are three required steps to apply for Merit Badge Counselor;
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Fill out this BSA MBC Information Sheet, each counselor is allowed up to 14 badges. Be sure to list your qualifications for each badge you choose. If this is the first time you’re applying for the MBC position, go to step If you are just making changes to your existing badges, fill out this form to ADD a new badge or DROP an existing badge, please only list changes to badges, not every badge you manage, go to step 3.
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First time appliers for this position need to complete pages 3 & 9 of this BSA Adult Application for scouting position 42, MBC. Digital initials and signatures are not allowed on this form. I only need pages 3 & 9 back.
- Must be current on Mandatory- Youth Protection Training during each membership term.
Additionally, the District Advancement Team would like all the MBC’s to complete the training for this position. This training is found on My.Scouting.org under BSA Learning Plans, Scouts BSA – Merit Badge Counselor Position Specific Training.
All paperwork should be sent directly back to my attention at the council office. I’ll contact anyone directly if the paperwork is incomplete. Once applications are complete they are batched weekly and sent to the District Advancement Team for review and approval. If a District Advancement Team member has a question on a qualification, they will contact you directly. Once approved, membership is posted. This procedure can take up to two weeks or more for processing
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You can scan/email all paperwork directly to me or you can mail them to the TRC address noted below.
Become familiar with Merit Badge Management in Scoutbook, here’s a short video tutorial to watch,
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NRA Shooting Sports Training Courses
Sign up to attend our training courses and help your unit have a great time participating in Shooting Sports.
NRA Range Safety Officer
Where: Camp Wakpominee
When: June 5th or 6th
Starts: 9am
Cost: $150
NRA Rifle Instructor
Where: Camp Wakpominee
When: June 19th
Starts: 9am
Cost: $225
NRA Shotgun Instructor
Where: Camp Wakpominee
When: June 20th
Starts: 9am
Cost: $225
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Membership and Unit Service
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5 new Cub Scout Recruiting Tools That Will Help You Grow Your Pack
Through experience, we know that Cub Scouting changes lives. Now let’s spread the word and invite others to join us on this adventure.
Our overall goal: Let’s not let one youth miss the chance to be a Cub Scout!
Here are 5 of the best recruiting tools within the Marketing & Membership Hub from the BSA.
1. Sign-Up Night Unit Playbook
Join Scouting events give parents and their kids the chance to learn more about Scouting. They can ask questions, build interest and see that Scouting is designed for families like theirs.
You’ll find planning tips, a list of volunteer responsibilities, promotion resources, an outline of the different sign-up night stations and a “postgame” plan for following up with new Scout families.
2. Social Media Resources
For many families, the decision to join your pack will happen online. That’s where our potential Scouts and their parents spend a lot of time.
The stats back me up here: More than 75 percent of people in the U.S. use social media — Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, etc. — meaning your unit ignores these communication channels at your own peril.
Social media can help you with recruiting, retention, fundraising and communication. The key is knowing how to use it the right way.
The hub’s new Social Media page has you covered with a Social Media Playbook, social media guidelines and social media images you can download and share using your favorite apps and sites.
3. A Case Study from the North Florida Council
The North Florida Council did Join Scouting nights a little differently, and it worked. They got rid of uniforms at the sign-up event. They used a station-to-station format instead of the more-sedentary presentation style. They gave every family a great first Scouting experience.
The result: An 18 percent increase in fall Cub Scout recruiting over the previous year.
Lucky for us, North Florida Council is willing to share its secrets. In this Best Practices Success Story, you’ll see why — and how — their plan worked.
4. Scouting Logos
While designing a flier or unit website, you might need access to logos representing various BSA programs.
You can search Google Images and cross your fingers that you found the right one. Or you can save yourself the trouble and find them in the BSA Brand Center.
It’s a one-stop shop for images available to units and local councils for websites and presentations. If you’re using these for a Scouting purpose, you don’t need any special permissions. Just download and go!
Wondering how to use these logos the right way? The BSA Brand Identity Guide answers those questions for you. You’re proud of the Scouting brand you help strengthen by serving as a volunteer. The Brand Identity Guide helps keep the BSA brand burning bright.
5. Photos, Videos and Marketing Materials
We should showcase Scouting in the best possible light so it appears in photos and videos as awesome as it is in real life. With that in mind, the BSA Brand Center also offers high-quality photos and videos sorted by activity, Scouting program, subject and more.
There are marketing materials like fliers, yard signs, billboards and PSAs that are ready for you to customize and use. These include great new sign-up campaigns like Hooked on Scouting, Rocket Into Scouting, the Science of Scouting and more.
It’s all available to you in the quest to extend Scouting’s reach to more and more families.
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Development and Sponsorships
For assistance contact Beth Bush Development Director |
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Scouts Can Attend Summer Camp at NO COST TO YOU!!!
Sign up your unit or your Scout for the Camp Cards Fundraiser to raise money for your Scout to attend camp. Scout commission is 50% ($5) per card sold!!!
These are easy to sell and the discounts are great!
Plus, for each 20 cards a Scout sells, he or she will earn an entry into the weekly drawing for camp merchandise and the one time drawing for the GRAND PRIZE of a free week at camp.
What is a Camp Card? A Camp Card is a discount card with discounts from multiple local area businesses. Each card will have about 8-10 discounts, some are one-time-use, while others are able to be used multiple times.
How does the fundraiser work? Scouts will sell the discount cards for only $10 each. The Scout will earn 50% commission ($5) from each card sold. There is no limit to the number of cards each Scout can sell. The discounts are set up to encourage people to buy more than one card.
Will the discounts be for businesses in our area? We have created two separate cards for our Council. We have created one with businesses located in the southern part of the Council, and a different card with businesses located in the northern area of Council.
Will there be Scout incentives or awards for selling? For every 20 cards that a Scout sells, he or she will be entered to win a free week at camp. Other smaller prizes will be camp merchandise.
Sample card sales and commissions
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Scouts who want to sell, but your unit is not participating can sign up to sell here: |
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The “Good Scout” Award recognition is presented to those who exemplify in their daily life the ideals of the Boy Scouts of America as expressed in the Scout Oath and Law. Recipients are chosen for their outstanding community service, as evidenced by their leadership to many worth-while organizations, as well as the respect and esteem in which they are held by their colleagues.
It is presented annually to a deserving individual at one of the Twin Rivers Council’s Good Scout Award Dinners. This year’s Columbia County Good Scout Award Dinner honors Dr. Chris Gibson, President of Siena College. The celebration will be on June 17 at Birch Hill Estate in Castleton-on Hudson.
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Council Service Center Re-Opens to Volunteers and Visitors Tuesday - Thursday.
Following the announcement from the CDC and Governor Cuomo regarding business re-openings and mask protocol, beginning Tuesday, May 25, 2021, the Council Service Center will reopen for our volunteers and visitors Tuesday – Thursday without the need for an appointment.
If the business you need to transact will require more than 10 – 15 minutes or, if you need to meet with a particular Staff Member, you are encouraged to make an appointment in advance.
The Service Center will remain appointment only on Monday’s and Friday’s and we will continue the Drop Box System on those days and the weekend.
The Scout Shop will continue their regular hours:
Monday - Friday 10 am – 6 pm, Saturday 10 am – 2 pm.
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