Message From the Council Leadership |
November 6, 2021
Fellow Scouters,
The Scouts and families of the Twin Rivers Council have been very busy this Fall, participating in numerous and successful Scouting activities. We are so proud of our Scouts and their families.
Our membership teams, both professional and volunteer, are doing a tremendous job. To date, they have recruited over 460 new Cub Scouts. Our membership teams have been traveling all across the Council, setting up and supporting recruitment events, attending community activities, and running a very successful Rocket Day at Rotary Scout Reservation. We appreciate their hard work, and we know they are not going to stop until each child has an opportunity to experience the benefits of Scouting.
Over 1100 Scouts attended the Council Fall Camporee at the Saratoga Fairgrounds. We want to thank the team of over fifty volunteers who successfully planned and ran the Fall Camporee. It was wonderful to get outside and enjoy the fellowship of Scouting once more. We appreciate the hard work and dedication it took to put together this event for our Cubs and Scouts.
With such a great Fall, we are happy to be looking towards the future. Teams are getting together and discussing Spring recruitment. Planning has begun on the in-person University of Scouting, leader training is scheduled for all levels, Scouting For Food is ramping up, and Klondike Derbies are right around the corner.
Another item on our mind is summer camp. At a recent Board meeting, it was determined that the Council will continue to operate one resident camp program at Rotary Scout Reservation and utilize Camp Wakpominee for alternative summer and high adventure programs. We know that everyone desires to return to a two-resident camp program; however, at this time, our membership numbers do not support the level necessary to operate two camps and fulfill the Council’s share of the required National bankruptcy settlement.
We are confident that we will continue to have a successful summer program, and we look forward to seeing you all at camp next summer.
In the meantime, please continue to take advantage of the membership and program tools provided to you by our Council volunteers and professionals. There is a lot of opportunity for success, and we are excited to see what strides we can all make together over the upcoming months.
Yours In Scouting
Ken Clough Drew Chesney Mark Switzer
Council President Council Commissioner Scout Executive
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Staff Changes
Please welcome our new Registrar Assistant Evan Weaver. Evan will be working on registrations and other items in our Service Center.
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Beth Bush has elected to pursue other endeavors and is no longer with the Twin Rivers Council. We wish Beth the best and are thankful for her 10 years of service to the Twin Rivers Council. For information on Popcorn please contact Holly Rogers. For any other items please contact Mark Switzer.
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Council Office Closed November 10-12
The council office will be closed on November 10-11 for a staff retreat. We will be observing Veterans Day on November 12th. If you have items to drop off at the office, they can be put in our drop off location in the Scout Shop.
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How to use your Unit Deposit Account To Pay for Council/District Events
The only people that can use your unit deposit account to pay for events are the controller and the trusted people for that account. Below is a video detailing how to add and remove trusted people and options for their access.
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Camping and Program
For assistance contact Steven Dunn Assistant Scout Executive
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Dear Scouts and Scouters of the Twin Rivers Council,
Thank you so much for taking part in the recent Council Camporee and Expo at the Saratoga County Fairgrounds. The event was an outstanding success, and we were thrilled with the turnout! Over 1,000 youth and adults came together in a joyful demonstration of Scouting’s endurance despite the recent challenges our communities have faced.
We are indebted to the dozens of exceptional volunteers who shared their time and talents to ensure that every Scout who participated had a safe and wonderful experience.
Additionally, the final attendance exceeded even our most optimistic COVID-era projections from when the patches were ordered over the summer. We do have enough patches for every youth and adult participant who pre-registered, but we will be just a bit short to be able to accommodate every person who was on site that weekend, including those walk-in participants who registered on the day of the event.
Thank you again for your participation in this fantastic event. We look forward to seeing everyone at the next council camporee in Fall 2023! Until then, Scout On!
Yours in Scouting,
Brian Murray Drew Chesney Steven Dunn
Vice-President of Program Council Commissioner Asst. Scout Executive
Camporee Co-Chair Camporee Co-Chair Camporee Staff Advisor
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New Diversity Merit Badge!!
The first new merit badge for youth in the Scouts BSA program since 2017 officially launches today. Called Citizenship in Society, it provides Scouts with opportunities to learn more about our world by encouraging them to explore information on diversity, equity, inclusion and ethical leadership — and to learn why these qualities are important in society and in Scouting.
To earn the merit badge, Scouts must conduct research; explore resources; have conversations with merit badge counselors, peers, parents and community members; and identify actions they can take to ensure inclusivity and belonging in Scouting and society in general.
The full requirements for the merit badge and materials for merit badge counselors can be found at scouting.org/dei.
How it works
One of the unique features of Citizenship in Society is that there is no merit badge pamphlet with prescribed approaches or ideologies. There also are no requirements meant to drive a particular response or lead a Scout down a path toward a predetermined conclusion.
Instead, Citizenship in Society encourages Scouts to embark on a journey of discovery. In this case, it’s a journey of self-discovery as they explore a variety of topics around diversity, equity and inclusion and belonging, and then discuss how they apply their findings to life as a Scout and as a good citizen in society.
Scouts are encouraged to explore the topics as deeply and broadly as they see fit for their personal learning and growth. While a merit badge counselor may ask the Scout to identify their sources of information, the counselor will not be providing Scouts with answers. Instead, they will help facilitate discussions that aid Scouts in their understanding.
The merit badge will become Eagle required on July 1, 2022. Additional details will be provided by the National Youth Program team in coming weeks. “The Eagle Scout rank represents the highest achievement in Scouting and embodies a commitment to leadership and service,” says Roger Mosby, Chief Scout Executive / President and Chief Executive Officer. “Learning to respect and understand people with different identities and perspectives is foundational to becoming a good citizen and leader, which is why we have decided to make this merit badge required for our future Eagle Scouts.”
Already Scout approved
Citizenship in Society was developed carefully and thoughtfully by the BSA’s Office of Diversity and Youth Program Development Office with input from a dedicated group of Scouting volunteers, BSA youth and professional staff — including 31 Scout Executives and more than 60 troops across different regions who participated in a pilot program to test out the new merit badge.
Overwhelmingly, Scouts in the pilot say the merit badge is a positive experience. Scouts were open to having conversations around their research and the answers, and they shared personal examples of encountering the concepts and ideals covered in the requirements.
Here’s some of what they had to say:
“This is the most important work I have done in Scouting. The requirements were difficult and satisfying at the same time.”
“I have never felt excluded — now that I hear others’ stories, I feel angry and want to do something about it!”
“It’s important to stand up for one another and ensure everyone’s opinions are heard.”
Part of a broader commitment
“As we have always strived to do in the BSA, we hope to prepare Scouts for life,” says Elizabeth Ramirez-Washka, Chief Diversity Officer and Vice President of Diversity & Inclusion. “As our world evolves, we want to help our Scouts evolve with it in understanding, appreciating and respecting the differences that make us unique.”
A legacy of empathy and respect is already built into the DNA of the BSA as seen in the Scout Oath and Scout Law and other existing merit badges, such as the Citizenship in the Community, Disability Awareness and American Heritage merit badges, which require Scouts to not only learn and grow their understanding of diverse perspectives, but also to take positive action.
More information about the merit badge and the BSA’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion can be found at scouting.org/dei, including the press release.
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Have You Started Your Charter Renewal?
If each unit follows the next three simple rules, you'll find Internet Charter Renewal is fast, easy, and may only take 15 minutes to complete.
- Check the Youth Protection Training dates on your adult members. If their YPT date expires before 12/31/22, please have them take it again so that they are trained through the full charter year.
- Have new members joining in September, October, November and December use Online Registration or paper applications. Remember you'll need to ACCEPT the new applicants online using Application Manager.
- DO NOT USE THE ADD NEW MEMBER feature in the Charter Renewal portal. Let the online registration add them automatically or send paper applications and pro-rated payment to the council office for processing.
Charters are due by December 15th. NOW is the time to start.
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Membership and Unit Service
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Watch us GROW!!
The most effective recruiting occurs when professional Membership Team, volunteer leaders, and parents all work together, share ideas, and leverage each other’s skills, insights, and resources.
For parents, it’s an opportunity for their kids to help build confidence, build character development and make new friends.
For volunteer leaders, it’s a chance to watch youth learn new skills, try new things, and discover new paths.
Regardless of your role, the outcome is the same: Scouting makes the most of the limited time we have to shape the lives of America’s youth.
We have made such an impact to the youth in our communities in Twin Rivers Council these past couple of months gaining over 460 new Cub Scouts and 55 New Scouts BSA!!
Time is NOT running out to hold your recruitment. There is always time to open your doors to new families.
Want to hold a recruitment night? Interested in another one? Let's make it happen!
Remember to turn in those applications too, do not wait until charter renewal.
When Youth Learn Through Adventure, They Learn For Life. Help Your Child Build Strength & Character Through Scouting Adventures. Learn More Today!
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Development and Sponsorships |
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What is FOS?
Three little letters. One big impact. FOS, or Friends of Scouting, is the council-level annual giving campaign. Contributing to the Twin Rivers Council creates opportunities for youth to gain memorable experiences and become instilled with values, principles, and skills that will help them develop into the future leaders of our nation. Twin Rivers Council is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. Your donations are fully tax-deductible to the extent allowable by law.
Did you know that a large portion of our fundraising dollars comes from Friends of Scouting?
FOS donors help our Council cover general operating costs, like office maintenance, staff, and membership materials. FOS can also help families by allowing us to fund programs like Campership and Program and Insurance Assistance. The amount available for assistance is directly related to the level of fundraising for the year.
Who should donate to Friends of Scouting?
The answer is anyone. Families of Scouts give. Leaders give. Community members give. Friends of Scouters give.
Thank you! For Friends of Scouting donations of $150 or more, donors can choose to receive a commemorative patch featuring one of the points of the Scout Law. For 2021, the point is CLEAN. For donations of $500 or more, the donor can receive the standard bordered and silver bordered patch, and for donations of $1000 or more, the donor can choose to receive a set of three (one regular border, one silver border, and one gold border).
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Amazon Donations
Many of you are familiar with Amazon’s SMILE program. It is Amazon’s way of giving back to organizations. It is a great program that when a customer signs up for it, Amazon gives .5% (half of a percent) of the total of each purchase to the organization of your choice (picked from a list of qualifying organizations, like TRC). If you stay signed into your account, the .5% automatically gets added to the donation.
While the SMILE program is great, THERE IS A BETTER WAY to help support Twin Rivers Council when shopping on Amazon. Our Council has a link assigned to us to use for Amazon purchases. When you use the link to get to the Amazon site, we receive a commission (donation) of 6-8% of your total purchase AT NO COST TO YOU! Yes, that is 5.5% to 7.5% more than using SMILE. It is so easy! Just use this link every time you go to Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/?_encoding=UTF8&tag=twirivcouboys-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325
If you lose the link, you can find it under the Fundraising tab on our website. It is labeled: SHOP AMAZON AND SUPPORT US.
Share this link with anyone and everyone. There is no maximum on the donation we receive from this.
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