March 25, 2021 | Greater Los Angeles Area Council, BSA |
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SCOUTING FOR FOOD EASTER EDITION!
GLAAC will be hosting the first Scouting for Food Drive of 2021 on March 27, 2021. I am currently looking for hosts for this event. Hosts can be individual scout families, a pack, troop, crew, ship, or lodge that can host at their charter location (with COVID distancing in place). GLAAC would love to have representation from each district. The need is great & the more hosts we have, the better we can do! Please reach out to me at cissie.andrews@hotmail.com if you would like to host or participate. And, we love repeat hosts! Anyone who hosted in September, November or December knows what an awesome experience this is! Thanks to everyone’s generosity and support we collected over 29 tons of food, thousands of $$ in grocery store gift cards, toiletries, and clothes in 2020! It was a major success and scores of families benefitted. Please let me know if we can count on you again! Click here for donation locations.
Be a Good Neighbor: A Scout is “Helpful” and “Kind.”
Click here for the flyer! Please drop off food items for Scouting for Food at Cushman Center this Saturday, March 27 from 11AM-1 PM if you are in the area. Troop 2131 is hosting the collection which hopes to supply local families and individuals with needed provisions. Nonperishable items are welcome: canned foods, packaged beans, rice, etc. If you have questions regarding the Covid-19 safe protocol for the event and would like to join the effort, please contact Kendra Gorlitsky, Scoutmaster for 2131 at kfgorlitsky@gmail.com.
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National Youth Leadership Training (NYLT) - August 8-14, 2021
NYLT is an exciting, action-packed program designed to provide youth with skills and experiences they can use in their home troops and in other situations demanding leadership.
The six-day NYLT course centers around the concepts of what a leader must BE, what they must KNOW, and what they must DO. The key elements are then taught with a clear focus on HOW TO.
Skills come alive during a week as the patrol goes on a Quest for the Meaning of Leadership. Content is delivered in a troop and patrol outdoor setting with an emphasis on immediate application of learning in a fun environment. Interconnecting concepts and work processes are introduced early, built upon, and aided by the use of memory aids, which allows participants to understand and employ the leadership skills much faster.
NYLT integrates the best of modern leadership theory with the traditional strengths of the Scouting experience. Through activities, presentations, challenges, discussions, and audio-visual support, NYLT participants will be engaged in a unified approach to leadership that will give them the skill and confidence to lead well. Through a wide range of activities, games, and adventures, participants will work and play together as they put into action the best Scouting has to offer. In order to attend a NYLT course, a youth must have the following qualifications by the beginning of the course:
- Must be a registered member of a Scouting unit.
- Must have a current BSA Health and Medical Record form parts A, B, and C.
- As of March 1, 2021, participants must be at least 13.
- Must have completed ILST or ILSC.
- Must have a unit leader recommendation.
This course will be held in the Pollock Training Center with a hike to an “outpost” for a more rigorous overnight experience. If COVID-19 protocols require, we may hold this as a day camp program at Camp Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro. Click here for more information and registration.
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New San Gabriel Valley Scout Shop Will Open On April 1st
The Greater Los Angeles Area Council will open a new San Gabriel Valley Scout shop on April 1st. The newly completed Scout Shop is located at 411 E Huntington Dr., Ste. #117 in Arcadia, CA 91006. A Grand Opening will take place on Saturday, April 3, 2021 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Click here to visit our Scout Shop webpage to learn more!
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Summer Camp Awaits!
We have been notified by reliable sources within the State of California and LA County Dept.’s of Public Health that overnight camping guidance will be released before the end of March 2021. Within this guidance we will anticipate updates on COVID-19 protocols, food service, sleeping arrangements, camp capacities and many others. If positive COVID-19 cases in LA and San Bernardino County continue to decrease, then we could open for overnight camping as early as June 1, 2021.
If your unit has been hesitant to register for a week of summer camp at Camp Big Horn (near Lake Arrowhead) or Camp Cherry Valley (Santa Catalina Island) there is still space remaining in a few select weeks for this summer.
To explore the remaining possibilities, click the links below:
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The Friends of Griffith Park Are Holding a Contest
to design their new t-shirt in preparation for going back to work. It has been a year since we have been able to welcome volunteers to work in the park. The contest is open to all ages and there is no limit to the number of entries. See Flyer If you have any questions, please reach out to Ross Arnold at Rossarnold1213@gmail.com.
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San Pedro Meals on Wheels Thank You to Our Troops
Many thanks to the Scouts of P500, P665, and T854 for participating in this project! Meals on Wheels needs cards year-round, so if you'd like to sign up for another time, don't hesitate to let me know. Click Here for the letter of thanks and an image of hand-made cards.
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Swim Lessons at Camp Trask
We realize that many scouts have not had the chance to practice swimming skills. We are offering some lessons for basic strokes to pass the BSA swim test during the days of June 7-10th for 45 minutes each day. This is NOT an advancement class. Class sizes are limited, and there is a separate class for Webelos and scouts BSA members. Register today!
Trail to Eagle at Camp Trask
It's that time again. Time to start planning summer activities to keep scouts engaged and learning. When your scout is not away at summer camp, get them to Camp Trask to earn one of the eagle-required merit badges. We will be offering aquatics (swimming and lifesaving) during the afternoon, and evening classes for several others throughout June and July. Class sizes are limited, so register early.
Cub Scout Family Adventure Day!
The families that attended the adventure day last weekend at Camp Trask had such a great time! We are looking forward to doing it again and extending the time for Memorial Weekend. Keep watch for more information soon, but add a reminder for May 29th OR 30th to bring the family to camp.
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Cohort Leaders may be Eligible for Vaccination Under Phase 1b
The recovery roadmap in California and across the Nation is ever-changing and evolving rapidly. The Greater Los Angeles Area Council (GLAAC) continues to monitor these changes and update our procedures as new information is available. Updates will continue to be posted at GLAACBSA.org/COVID-19. Today a new FAQ is posted with answers to many of the questions we have been receiving. Click Here to view the FAQ.
This week, California and LA County announced the expanded availability of vaccinations for educators and youth recreation staff. Youth Recreation Staff is identified as "Youth Recreation (Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs, YMCA, Community Based Organizations)". Under the Youth Sports Protocol, in-person activity registered adult volunteers working directly with youth are considered "staff."
GLAAC is required to certify that the youth recreation staff member works directly with youths. Certification must come on GLAAC letterhead signed by the "Director" which is our Scout Executive. Leaders working directly with youth must be active in-person activity cohort leaders or volunteers at a Council camp and actively supervising in-person activities.
To support eligible adult cohort leaders wishing to get a vaccination, we have set up a web portal where cohort leaders can request a verification letter. Cohort leaders should present a verification letter along with their Scouting membership card and state ID at the vaccination site. Click here for the web portal volunteer verification request form.
To get a Scouting ID card, logon to www.my.scouting.org and under “My Profile”, download and print a copy of your membership card. Language on the card reads, “This certifies that [NAME], [VOLUNTEER TITLE] is an adult leader in the BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA [Council Name & Number] and is entitled to all the rights and privileges thereof to the last day of 12/31/2021. [Membership Number]”
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The New Distinguished Conservation Award Program
Last fall we shared that the BSA Executive Board decided to change the name of the Hornaday Conservation Award Program. At around the same time, the long-time chair of the National Hornaday Conservation Committee retired. It was decided that this would be a good time change the conservation award program. Click here for more information.
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VIRTUAL CELEBRATION TO HONOR THE 2020 EAGLE SCOUTS
APRIL 29, 2021 7:00 TO 8:00 PM
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Belcher Eagle Scout Scholarship
Each year the Greater Los Angeles Area Council awards up to three Belcher Scholarships to Eagle Scouts. The Donald D. and M. Marie Belcher Charitable Foundation has established a special scholarship fund for Eagle Scouts in our council who have plans to attend a four-year college or university following high school graduation. The funding will be a 2-year $7,000 college scholarship awarded each year in the amount of $3,500 the first year, renewable for a second year, with at least 24 college credits completed and a college grade point average (GPA) of 2.5 or above.
Click here for more information about this scholarship. Click here to upload your Eagle Scholarship Applications.
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Amazon Smile
Do you know that you can financially support the programs of the Greater Los Angeles Area Council without costing you any out-of-pocket money? Last year, I contributed $255.00 to the council by just buying items on Amazon through their smile.amazon.com program and I was not the only one to do so. Last year, Amazon sent $2,695.00 to the council because a number of us in the council registered for this program. If you purchase items using Amazon, you can Register here.
Amazon will donate 0.5% of eligible purchases to your favorite charitable organization. There are no fees or costs for you to make this donation. Of course, we hope that you will name the Greater Los Angeles Area Council as your charity of choice, but that decision is yours. According to Amazon’s website, they have donated $266 million to charitable organizations all over the world.
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Submit Your Articles For Our Weekly Scouter Update
Please submit your articles for the Scouter Weekly Update in MS-Word format on Monday of each week, with the images separately in a JPG format. Please email your articles to rossarnold1213@gmail.com. We welcome your input and encourage you to share your ideas with kevin.burton@scouting.org.
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