The My.Scouting and Scoutbook systems will be down this Saturday, November 5th, beginning at 10:00AM to 10:00PM for a system upgrade. All features will be offline during this time. This includes, all My.Scouting tools, the training site, Online Registration, Internet Rechartering and Advancement along with Scoutbook.

First, we would like to THANK YOU for supporting our Scouts by Buying Pie to Keep Them Dry! Pies will be available for pick-up at the Council Leadership Center on Friday, November 18th and Saturday, November 19th... just in time to enjoy over the holidays. As of today, Fruit of the Forest and our New York Style Cheesecake are tied for first place in our 2022 Pie Poll! Don't forget to cast your vote.

[Buy A Pie Details]

Each year, all Scouting units must update their member roster and pay fees for the coming calendar year. This process is called Unit Renewal, or Recharter. This year, Unit Renewal is open October 15th through December 17th. Visit our 2023 Unit Renewal page using the link below to access instructions, training, a user guide, timeline, test sandbox environment, and the live Internet Rechartering console.

[2023 Unit Renewal]

This Veterans Day, Heart of Virginia Council is proud to fulfil its Duty to Country with a special photo album on our website and social media honoring the Veterans in our Scouting community. We all know a special service member who should be celebrated this November 11th. Please send your photos (along with their name, title, branch of service, and other information they would like shared) to rebekah.nyalko@scouting.org to be included in a special online tribute to their incredible service.

[Recognize a Veteran]

Cub Scout Unit leaders, volunteers, and parents... have you checked out Cub Chat Live? Each Friday at 3pm, a team of National leaders with Scouting Magazine gets together to host a Facebook live event where they discuss topics that are meant to help you succeed. Today, they're discussing FUN Pack and Large Events!

[Tune In and View the Archives]

Cub Scout Packs from across Council are invited to a weekend of fun shooting sports at Red Oak Nursery in Montross, Virginia. The Rivers District is hosting their annual Shoot-O-Ree the weekend of November 12th - 13th. At only $5 per youth participant (that's Scouts, siblings, and friends... adults are free), you can come out and participate in shooting activities Saturday and camp overnight.

[Register to Attend]

We’re building a photo album of the 2022 Creepy Hollow Cub Scout event at Cub Adventure Camp, and would LOVE to include photos of your experience! Send photos in an email to rebekah.nyalko@scouting.org with the subject “Creepy Hollow Photo Album” and they will be featured on Heart of Virginia Council’s website, the Cub Adventure Camp website, and social media. You do not need to provide details unless you’d like to.

[Share Your Shots!]

Have you read your November 2022 issue of Scout Life magazine? To help you get started on your holiday shopping, flip to page 16 for the annual Scout Life guide for some of the hottest toys and games of the year. Want to win some of the great stuff they review? Pick the prize you hope to win and submit your contact information once a day until November 30th! Many will enter, only 22 will win.

[Enter the Giveaway]

Lego Lovers, we’re excited to announce an opportunity for Scouts (14 years of age and up, male and female) and adults to run the Lego Car Derby Track at Brick Fest Live on November 5th and 6th, 9am to 5pm, at the Richmond Convention Center. Youth and adult volunteers are needed to fill several roles and are welcomed to volunteer for more than one shift. You could qualify for service hours!

[Get More Details]

Your journey to a Philmont trek in 2024 has begun! The registration portal will open at 9 a.m. MDT on Saturday, Oct. 1st and close on Thursday, Dec. 1st. All units who enter their information during this time will be entered into a lottery drawing to determine availability for their preferred dates. A wilderness and learning adventure that will last your lifetime is just around the corner.

[Enter the Lottery]

We are currently looking for merit badge instructors for Winter Camp 2023. Many leaders serve as merit badge instructors for the camp. We especially need volunteers to teach merit badge classes for the Sunday and Monday sessions and Eagle Required merit badges, especially Environmental Science, Sustainability, Personal Fitness and Personal Management. Volunteers help to make this event a success.  

[More Info & Registration]

The 2023 TBS Summer Camp Hold-A-Spot form allows for you to make a housing preference from the camp facilities listed below. Note that housing is not guaranteed and will not be final until arrival at camp. The Hold-A-Spot Fee is $350 (due at registration) and is non-refundable.  

[Hold Our Spot!]

The Den Chief Training combines fun and enjoyment with an excellent character-building experience. Participants will learn leadership, organization, and most importantly, how to work with Cub Scouts. This training is for youth who are or want to be a Den Chief to a den in a Cub Scout Pack. It's also for registered adult leaders who would like to learn about the duties of a Den Chief. Join us on November 18th!

[Get Registered]

The next orientation opportunity for new Citizenship in Society Merit Badge Counselors is on the calendar for Sunday, November 20th at the HOVC Leadership Center from 2:00pm to 3:30pm.  A list of prerequisites and other materials can be fond on the registration website, linked below.

[Register for Orientation]

We have made the difficult decision to CANCEL our National Youth Leadership Training (NYLT) winter session, scheduled for December 17th - 23rd. Registered attendees have been notified via email and reimbursements will be issued. Please reach out to our Leadership Center with questions: (804) 355-4306.

Our traditional summer session will take place in 2023!

Each fall, we invite brand new (and experienced) youth and families to join us on the adventure that is the Scouting program. It just happens to be that many units will plan their fall camping experiences during hurricane season! It's situations like this that make Hazardous Weather training so important. This free 30 minute course covers hazardous weather conditions that Scouts need to consider, so they can plan ahead!

[Get Trained]

A great way to honor your Eagle Scout is to sponsor a personally engraved Eagle Brick. The cost is $200 per brick which includes engraving of up to eighteen characters per line (letters, space and punctuation) with a maximum of two lines. To be included in the 2023 Eagle Brick Unveiling Ceremony, brick orders must be received by July 7th, 2023.



[Learn More]

Like being in-the-know?  Our Facebook page is regularly updated with news and information we feel is most helpful to our Scouting community.  Swing by and give us a like and a follow, and don't forget to share the posts that are most meaningful or helpful to you.

[Visit fb.com/ScoutingVA]

The HOVC Communications team continues to work hard to provide existing, new, and potential Scouts with the best possible experience! That includes access to great, accurate information… and we think YOU are an important source! We would love to hear from you about your positive experiences with HOVC.

[Leave a Review]

Get the top news stories of the week and month by subscribing to our Friday 5 and Courier newsletters. We'll keep you updated on the news you need every Friday at noon. Subscribe and view the archives by visiting the link below.

[Friday 5 and Courier]

Submit your stories, subscribe, and view the archives for Scouting with Heart, a mid-week Heart of Virginia publication that focuses on the faces of local Scouting. We hope you’ll join us in celebrating our youth and volunteers by learning more about their service to our community and accomplishments in our program.

[Scouting with Heart]