The silent auction items went live on September 28th and has been a huge success! There are still some terrific items available including jewelry, massage, cookies, tool sets, a wine tasting, and much more. The silent auction closes at 5:00pm on Saturday, October 3rd.

The live auction presentation begins at 6:00pm on Saturday, October 3rd. Don't miss the chance to bid on fabulous trips, kayaks, autographed guitars, Eagle Scout quilt, a toddler airplane scooter, and many other fantastic items.

This year the Golden Ticket will provide the winner with $3,500 in auction cash to spend during the live auction. Oh the places you'll go!

First off, you, all of our leaders, parents and volunteers, have made it… through the start of this pandemic…through the summer… and through September Join Nights. Way to go! You are amazing in your dedication and keeping our youth scouting. Thank you!

Transitioning to virtual-everything takes a little finesse. Online or drive thru Join Nights are very doable and many of our units have had success with these. Our 2020 fall recruiting efforts will continue into October and through the end of the year. October is a great month to host a Join Night or a second one. Remembering that “more Scouts equals more fun” (and maybe a little more chaos) even with a Zoom or Webex Meeting.

It is amazing at how resourceful our leaders are at adapting to a virtual format and at the many resources available online. National Boy Scouts of America has created flyer templates, promotional videos, den meeting slide shows, and webinars that can answer just about all your questions regarding program and membership at www.scoutingwire.org. If you have not visited Mount Baker Council’s virtual campsite –check it out. It is constantly being updated and new items added. Recruiting information is available under the “Membership” tab and all of the S’MORES Membership Club webinars are available to view, covering topics to help with virtual recruiting. 

I would like to introduce you to the “new” Scouting @ Home Committee. This is a group of hard-working volunteers and staff committed to providing Scouts and Leaders with activities and resources to keep Scouting alive and fun while remaining socially distanced. These folks have been meeting every week since April to help provide the Scouting program. You may not have heard about us yet, but you have heard about the many things we have been doing: Family First Fridays, Online Merit Badge classes, Million Minute Community Service Challenge, Scouting @ Home Award, and Council CamporALL, just to name a few.

We are excited to announce our new Scouting at Home Resource section featuring suggestions broken down by Theme and points of the Scout Law. The goal is to make Scouting easier and more fun during this time.

Overall, the best way to keep our alumni up to speed with the current Scouting situation and events is to encourage them to register with Scouting Alumni and Friends (SAF) at https://scoutingalumni.org/. This is free and makes it easy to reconnect, even if it’s been “a while” since someone was involved in Scouting.

Even as summer comes to an end, we know that camping season is continuing strong!

While we were unable to operate our traditional resident camp, we can still welcome limited camping at Fire Mountain under state and county guidelines.

With Skagit County currently in Phase 2 of the Safe Start plan, Fire Mountain can offer campsite rentals to household groups OR groups of up to 5 individuals. While sites vary, the average cost of a weekend at camp is only $65. This fee includes access to bathrooms and showers, firewood, and one of the premier Scout camping facilities in the country.

To make a reservation at camp, visit: https://www.mountbakerbsa.org/camping/fire-mountain-scout-camp/

Kiwanis International is a global community of clubs, members and partners dedicated to improving the lives of children one community at a time. You have the opportunity to join this movement and further help the Mount Baker Council to reach youth in our communities.

A group of local Scouters is looking to form a Kiwanis Club who's focus will be on assisting to bring Scouting to more youth in our communities and to support Fire Mountain Scout Camp.

There is a minimum of 20 Scouters required to start a club and the initial fee is estimated to be between $100 and $200 per person.

If interested in joining this organization contact Dan'l Adams at danl.adams@scouting.org.

The Mount Baker Council is looking for people to join their Marketing and Communication team. If you're interested in being a part of the team contact us at mountbakercouncil@gmail.com.