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Membership Registration Fee Increase -- Unit Subsidy Available
The Boy Scouts of America has worked to keep the annual membership fee as low as possible, but with rising operating costs, the fee will be increased to maintain the program.
Starting Aug. 1, the membership fee for Cub Scouting, Scouts BSA, Venturing, and Sea Scouting participants will be $72, a $6 increase from the $66 fee enacted last August. The fee for Exploring participants will be $45, up from $42.
The one-time $25 joining fee for new program participants in Cub Scouting, Scouts BSA, Venturing, and Sea Scouting will still be required. There is no joining fee for Exploring, participants previously registered in any BSA program, those transferring from one program to another, council-paid memberships, or adult volunteers.
Fees for all adult volunteers will be $45, also up from $42. That includes the cost of a background check. Council-paid memberships will remain at $30, and the unit charter fee will stay at $75.
To assist our units, PTAC will offer a unit subsidy as part of our 2022 Charter Renewal. This year there will be 2 different options to qualify for this subsidy.
- The first option: If a unit submits a clean Charter by 5 pm on Dec. 1, then the unit qualifies for a $6 subsidy for each registered youth and adult.
- The second option: If a unit submits a clean Charter by 5 pm on Dec. 30, then the unit qualifies for a $3 subsidy for each registered youth and adult.
Please remember, units should not pay their Charter Renewal online. If you pay your charter renewal online, then your unit will not qualify for the unit subsidy.
Scouting remains a valuable investment. Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, when Scouts were forced to stay home, they still learned skills that will benefit them for the rest of their lives. They still helped those in need. They still became leaders in their units and communities. Scouting is needed now in America, just as much as it was in 1910. If you have any questions, please contact your District Executive.
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New Internet Recharter System
To improve systems and increase speed and efficiency in processes while reducing costs, the current Internet Recharter system will be phased out. All units with a charter expiration date of December 31, 2021, and beyond will be submitted through a new system located in Internet Advancement 2.0 (https://advancements.scouting.org).
Please remember, units should not pay their Charter Renewal online. If you pay your charter renewal online, then your unit will not qualify for the unit subsidy.
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Happening This Fall - Cub Scouts: The Experience
All new and returning Cub Scouts are invited to join us this fall for Cub Scouts: The Experience. Formerly known as Adventure Days, these events will host activities and games that your Scouts are sure to love!
Saturday, September 25 - Robert J. Welsh Service Center and Community Park - Munster, IN
Saturday, October 2 - Slovenian Cultural Center - Lemont, IL
Saturday, October 9 - St. Peter Lutheran Church - Schaumburg, IL
Saturday, October 16 - Thatcher Woods - River Forest, IL
More information will be available soon! If you are interested in volunteering, please see the "volunteer opportunities" section below.
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Scout Tech at mHUB
Scout Tech at mHUB, a multi-million dollar manufacturing lab, will begin offering classes on Saturdays in October. Scouts must be in 8th grade or 13 years old to participate. Initially, we will be starting with Electronics, Engineering, Entrepreneurship, Inventing, and Robotics. First come, first served. Keep an eye on the calendar in early September for October classes.
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2022 Winter NYLT
Did your Scout miss our Summer NYLT course? You are in luck because we have a winter course scheduled for two weekends in January and February, 2022.
Don't delay, this course will fill up fast!
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This article is part of a series regarding our Fall Recruitment efforts. |
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As you are reading this month’s Membership article, we hope that you are enjoying your summer by spending time with your families, live and in person. During the month of August, you should be executing your recruitment plan, attend your August Roundtable Kick-off, attend the supplemental Membership Webinars, and host a recruitment event at your school’s open house or welcome back to school event so you can share the excitement.
The purpose of your August Roundtable Kick-off is to help you prepare for your back-to-school recruitment events along with our Join Scouting Week in your communities and neighborhoods. At this month’s Roundtable, you will have the opportunity to talk with your District Membership Chair and obtain collateral materials to support your recruitment efforts. We will provide Fall Recruitment training, which will touch on this year’s available materials and tools, along with youth and unit incentives. This year, we are working to provide unit-specific recruitment information within select National Recruitment videos. These videos can be used on your unit’s
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Facebook page and can be used in your schools as a replacement for a youth talk.
If you are unable to attend your August Roundtable, please work with your District Executive to pick-up the supplies you need to support your recruitment event. We are offering supplemental training this month that will cover Fall Recruitment, New Member Coordinator, and Invitation/Application Manager and BeAScout Pin. The table below lists the topics and dates for these sessions. All sessions will run from 7:30 to 8:30 pm and you can sign up through the PTAC Calendar.
In closing, please ensure you continue to address all Leads and Applications within 48 hours so those families who are interested in joining Scouting can do so. Please watch our PTAC website for additional Membership updates. If you have any questions, please work with your District Membership Chair, District Executive, and your Unit Commissioner or you can contact PTAC.helpdesk@scouting.org.
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2021 Popcorn Sale
Batter Up! It is game time! The 2021 PTAC Popcorn sale is starting!
Not sure if you Scout's pack or troop is participating in this year's sale? Check with your unit's adult leadership or contact your District Executive. Our popcorn sale is a great way to raise funds for your unit or Scout, so be sure your unit is registered!
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Ceremony Scouts Needed
We are looking for Scouts to participate in flag ceremonies in front of VIPs who invest in our program. These large-scale flag ceremonies are sure to leave you with goosebumps! We will provide dinner for the Scouts and cover the cost of parking for parents/leaders. Scouts should wear their Field Uniforms (Class A). Please, no jeans. If your Scout is interested in participating, please fill out the form(s) below.
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Volunteers Needed for Cub Scouts: The Experience (Formerly known as Adventure Days)
The Council Activities Committee, in partnership with the Council Membership Committee, will be hosting four sessions of Cub Scouts: The Experience – formerly known as Adventure Days. Not only have we re-branded the name, but we have also expanded the target audience to all registered Cub Scouts, their families, and potential Cub Scouts looking to see what the program offers.
We are looking for volunteers to not only help at the day-of events but also to help plan and coordinate with the Council Activities Committee.
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Day Camp 2022 Planning Committee
We need you to help make our PTAC 2022 Day Camp the best yet! We are looking for people who are willing to work with a committee of other Day Camp-loving volunteers to plan out program, define and document processes, and iron out location and delivery logistics. You don't have to do everything, but we would love for you to come help with even a small piece of the puzzle so we can elevate PTAC Day Camp and provide a high-quality program and experience to Cub Scouts and maybe even their friends, too. For every District that can provide a volunteer for the committee, we will consider hosting a Day Camp session in that District. Please use the form found at the link below to either volunteer yourself or another member of your District. We will begin meeting in mid-August, so please sign up by August 8 to be included. If you have questions, you can reach the 2022 Day Camp Committee Chair, Stephanie Brockway, at PTACDayCamp@gmail.com.
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Help Wanted for Fall Virtual Merit Badge Academy
In-person venues remain scarce for fall scheduling. To keep our Scouts engaged and advancing, we hope to offer virtual merit badge opportunities starting in mid-September. We are looking for help to staff this event. Positions include:
Merit Badge Counselors: Many badges can be offered virtually. Counselors will be scheduled based on their availability. All offerings will be a single 2-hour session. All sessions will be on Saturdays. Some badges may require homework. Counselors will work with the event chair to develop a list of prerequisites and define how those prerequisites will be delivered to the counselor (in-class vs. email). Those prerequisites will be posted on the registration page so that expectations are clear.
2-Deep Partners: Each merit badge class requires a second adult to be present to comply with Youth Protection guidelines. YPT partners will take attendance, admit attendees to the Zoom session, assist with tech support (asking participants to mute/unmute, turn video on, etc.) and help the counselor enforce the code of conduct. This is a great opportunity for those considering becoming Merit Badge Counselors to get acquainted with the process. The time commitment is 2 hours per session.
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Calling All Artists!
Are you a painter, sculptor, photographer, or graphic designer? We have an opportunity for you!
We want you to show off your artwork at PTAC’s largest development events this Fall. Your artwork will be seen by THOUSANDS of people at our Construction and Metals Industry Dinners and included in the Silent Auction at both events. Not an artist yourself but know someone who is? Let them know about this opportunity! We are looking to show off authentic artwork from the youth in our community. We also welcome any holiday-themed art pieces! (Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year, etc.)
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Shooting Sports Volunteers Needed - Training Available
Shooting Sports is a popular activity at any Scout summer camp or council-wide program, but it requires properly trained adults! Rifle and shotgun (for Scouts BSA), slingshot and BB (for Cub Scouts), or archery activities are typically the number one requested activity for Scouts BSA and Cub Scout participants.
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Monthly Advancement and Recognition Webinar
The Pathway to Adventure Council Advancement and Recognition Committee presents our monthly webinar informational series! On the 3rd Thursday of each month, our team will bring you news, information, and training about all aspects of advancement and recognition from across the BSA!
- August 19, 2021: Venturing Advancement and Awards
- September 16, 2021: Life-to Eagle Seminar
- October 21, 2021: Eagle Coordinator Training
- November 18, 2021: Award Nominations 101 (Covering Silver Beaver, District Award of Merit, NESA, and Alumni Awards)
- December 16, 2021: STEM/NOVA Awards
Our latest COVID Advancement information (dated 5/13/2021) can be found here.
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From the Beginning
How long has Scouting supported youth with special needs? In 1920, the founder of Scouting, Lord Baden-Powell, published Aids to Scoutmastership. In it, he addressed Scouting for special needs youth by saying, “The wonderful thing about such boys is their cheeriness and their eagerness to do as much in Scouting as they possibly can. They do not want more special tests and treatment than is absolutely necessary. Scouting helps them by associating them in a worldwide brotherhood, by giving them something to do and to look forward to, by giving them an opportunity to prove to themselves and to others that they can do things and difficult things too -- for themselves.”
So, the answer to the question above is, “from the beginning.”
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Hazardous Weather Training
Direct contact leaders must complete Hazardous Weather Training to be considered position trained. This is a very important training and must be taken every two years to stay current, just like Youth Protection Training! Hazardous Weather Training is available around the clock in the BSA Learn Center by logging in to your account on https://my.scouting.org/.
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Do you hold a special certification and are willing to share your skill?
Pathway to Adventure Council is collecting information to better serve our unit, district, and council activities and trainings. If you hold certifications in First Aid/CPR for Professional Rescuer, ServSafe Manager, COPE and Climbing, BSA Shooting sports, or Aquatics, and are willing to lend a hand, please complete this form.
Additionally, we are looking for volunteers who hold a current certification as a ServSafe Instructor, Wilderness First Aid Instructor, and Trainer for First Aid/CPR for Professional Rescuer. Please email Amy.Hutcherson@Scouting.org if you meet these qualifications and are interested in joining the PTAC training team. |
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Wood Badge 2021
Wood Badge is advanced leadership training for Cub Scout, Scouts BSA, and Venturing adult leaders at the unit, district, council, and professional levels. It is taught by living the experience of a Scouts BSA Troop, utilizing the patrol method, over two weekends. The first is Friday, Sept 10-Sunday, Sept 12, the second is Saturday, Oct 2-Sunday, Oct 3. To complete the course participants must attend both weekends.
Wood Badge is about learning and developing Leadership skills - skills that can be used in Scouting and all facets of life. By using a variety of learning techniques, including lectures, demonstrations, group discussions, and hands-on exercises, participants will learn contemporary leadership skills and tools needed to provide the youth members of their units with the greatest Scouting experience.
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Trailblazer Women in Scouting Celebration
Come celebrate the strides we have made in welcoming young women into the Scouts BSA and Cub Scout programs and help us honor some of the Scouters that helped get here. Tom and Wendy Herb, Toni Preckwinkle, Dave Sheppard, and Sue Simmons have paved the way for generations to come. Please help us celebrate their leadership and dedication to bringing equal opportunities in Scouting for women.
The Trailblazer District Women in Scouting event will be held on September 15th at 7:30 PM at the Cotillion Banquet Hall located at 360 S. Creekside Drive in Palatine, Illinois. We look forward to seeing you there! Click here to view the invitation.
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The Pathway to Adventure Council is excited to encourage experienced and novice shooters to attend our Sporting Clays Classic! Bring your family and friends out for a fun day of shooting and fundraising for a truly worthy cause. More details to follow. |
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In this section of our newsletter, we will hear from our Council President, Marc Passiment. |
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July was another amazing month for Pathway to Adventure Scouting. Our summer programs were rocking. Camp Betz, Camp Napowan, and Camps Blackhawk, Wolverine, and Reneker at Owasippe Scout Reservation were filled with campers having a great time. I understand when people tell me they never want the summer to end. I enjoyed talking to the Webelos in Camp Wolverine. It was great to see all the Scouts in camp Blackhawk playing games. I had fun visiting the general store at Flintlock Village at Camp Napowan. The staff of Camp Reneker was nice enough to tell me about the Potluck Dinner happening that night and listen to my tales of Jamboree.
Speaking of National Jamboree, I spent a week at the Scouting High Adventure Base – Summit Bechtel Reserve for Telescopium: an event to discover opportunities to honor our past jamboree traditions while gathering ideas for the next generation of Scouting. The participants all agreed, embracing our communities and talking up Scouting is essential. While there, I was fortunate to spend some time with the NYLT Leadership Academy. This is a program taking youth training to another level. The saying goes, every youth
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deserves a trained leader. Every Troop deserves trained youth as well. Take advantage of NYLT offered here in Pathway to Adventure Council.
In case you did not know, Pathway to Adventure is offering Wood Badge this fall. This is a great course for adults. So long as you have taken the basic training for your position you can attend. I highly recommend it.
As we turn to August it is time to talk about membership. Now is the time to invite everyone to join us. People realize the joy of the outdoors. What better way to experience the open air, than with Scouts that learn and have fun using the outdoors as our classroom.
As I talk to people around our community and the country, I am sensing a rebirth of our program. People are excited about the future. People are excited about Scouting, and I am so proud of our council.
See you on the trail…
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New Munster Scout Shop Hours
Beginning August 1, the Munster Scout Shop is pleased to expand its business hours. Please see below for more details. We look forward to seeing you in the store soon!
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday: 8:30 am to 5:00 pm
Wednesday: 8:30 am to 7:00 pm
Saturday: 10:00 am to 2:00 pm
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On your mark, get set, Scout!
Start off the new Scouting year with a nice & new
uniform. We’re offering 25% off* uniform shorts, pants, or skorts with the purchase
of a shirt from the same program.
*Check with your local Scout Shop for more information. Retail only. Uniform top and bottom must be from the same program and purchased together. Offer valid in participating Scout Shops from 08/02/21 to 10/31/21. Not valid on previous purchases. May not be combined with any other offer or discount. No cash value.
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The Scout Shop has made Unit and Uniform ordering easy. Place order 24-48 hours ahead of pick-up. We will pull the order for you and call when ready for pick-up.
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Markdowns as high as 90% off select items. Stop in and check out what your local Scout Shop has to offer. |
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Your Scout Shop sews!* Patch pricing $3.50 per patch. We also have a Loyalty Program Card: 1 Free Sewing after 9 paid sewings. *Check with your local Scout Shop for more information, not all Scout Shops do hemming. |
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Please remember that the Chicago Scout Shop is now permanently closed.
The La Grange, Arlington Heights, and newly renovated Munster Scout Shops remain open for business.
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Continue the conversation, follow us on social media! |
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