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The ScouterThe Newsletter of the Boy Scouts of America, Connecticut Yankee Council, Inc. | Winter 2013

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A Scout Salute to all the victims at Sandy Hook Elementary School

12.14.12

Council

B o y S c o u t S o f A m e r i c A c o n n e c t i c u t y A n k e e c o u n c i l w w w . c t y A n k e e . o r g

The Scouter

Key LeadershipDouglas Machin

Council President

Ray MonceviciusCouncil Commissioner

Charles FlowersScout Executive

Executive StaffJonathan Pleva

Director of Field Service

Tony VoglDirector of Development

Dan CooleyDirector of Camping

Jonathan GlassmanDistrict Director, Pomperaug

& Wepawaug Valley

Kevin BoydExploring Executive

Gary ChrislipSr. District Executive, Scatacook

Elsie HemmingsDevelopment Director

Herb KempSr. District Executive, Lighthouse

David RennieSr. District Executive, Powahay

Blaine Boxwell, IIIDistrict Executive, Sleeping Giant

Administrative StaffKaren Caiati

Executive Assistant to the Scout Executive Office Manager

Minu KraglerBusiness Manager

Kathy ZnoskoRegistrar

Carolyn CrusonCamping / Program Registrar

Lynda PapalloExecutive Assistant, Development

William AmidonAccounting Specialist

Samantha YoungAccounting Specialist

Cindy PepeReceptionist

Council Resource Center60 Wellington Road

Milford, CT 06461phone (203) 876-6868

fax (203) 876-6884www.ctyankee.org

The ScouterThe Scouter is the official publication of the Boy Scouts of America, Connecticut Yankee Council. The Scouter is distributed quarterly to over 12,000 families in Fairfield and New Haven counties. Periodical postage paid at Stamford, CT and an additional mailing office. Postmaster: Send address changes to the aforementioned address.

© 2013 Connecticut Yankee Council, Boy Scouts of America. All rights reserved.

MeMorial TribuTe FundWords too often inadequately express the sentiment we feel at the

death of a friend or the joy felt when a friend is honored with a special recognition. No finer tribute can be paid than to encourage some boy to live the life of a Scout and thus perpetuate the high principles you

admire in your friend. A contribution to the Connecticut Yankee Council’s Memorial Tribute Fund in any amount is the perfect

tribute.

December 20, 2012 – Yesterday, on behalf of the Scouts and Scouters of Connecticut Yankee Council, the Boy Scouts of America and the World Brotherhood of Scout-ing, I passed along our condolences and prayers to the parents of Cub Scouts Chase Kowalski and Benjamin Wheeler, lost so tragically in Newtown. I told them how much the Scouting family cares about them and how the entire Boy Scouts of America is ready to provide support to the families and the Pack.

We presented them each with the Spirit of the Eagle award and an American flag. The families were touched by the outpouring of support from all of us, and thanked us. On their behalf, I thank you for your thoughts and prayers.

If your unit would like to help, please perform a com-munity service project in support of Newtown in your home town and tell our council about it at [email protected]. We will keep the Pack and the families informed. Let the youth leadership in your unit decide what to do. In my discussions with units around our council, I’ve heard some incredible ideas, some of which are already going on.

That’s what Scouting is all about!The Pack 170 leadership has asked that we set up a

Memorial Fund to support the families. Donations can be made out to “Pack 170 Memorial Fund” c/o Connecticut Yankee Council, PO Box 32, Milford, CT 06461.

World Brotherhood of Scouting Comes Together for Support

Doug MachinCouncil President

January4-6 – Youth Leader Training Weekend 110 – Training Committee Meeting11-13 – Youth Leader Training

Weekend 212 – Camp Sequassen Minor Work Party14 – Sea Scouting Wardroom15 – Camp Committee Meeting15 – District Operations Meeting17 – Jewish Committee Meeting21 – Martin Luther King Day /

Resource Center Closed22 – Membership Committee Meeting23 – Advancement Committee Meeting24 – Council Annual Business

Meeting & Recognition Dinner26 – Merit Badge College Weekend 128 – OA Executive Committee Meeting28 – Venturing Committee Meeting28 – Venturing Officers Association

Meeting28-30 – Staff Planning Conference

February1 – Sea Scout Bridge of Honor2 – Merit Badge College3 – Scout Sunday3-9 – Scouting Anniversary Week7 – Camp Kickoff8 – Happy Birthday BSA!8 – Scout Shabbat Service9 – Merit Badge College 9 – Camp Sequassen Minor Work Party11 – Sea Scouting Wardroom13 – Ash Wednesday14 – Valentine’s Day18 – President’s Day / Resource

Center Closed19 – District Operations Meeting19 – Camping Committee Meeting20 – Advancement Committee Meeting21 – Training Committee Meeting23 – Merit Badge College25 – OA Executive Committee Meeting25 – Venturing Committee Meeting25 – Venturing Officers Association

Meeting25 – Hartford Catholic Cmte Meeting26 – Membership Committee Meeting28 – Executive Committee Meeting

March2 – Merit Badge College Snow Date2 – Trainer’s EDGE4 – Hartford Catholic Committee

Meeting9 – Camp Sequassen Minor Work Party11 – Sea Scouting Wardroom17 – St. Patrick’s Day18 – Venturing Committee Meeting18 – Venturing Officers Association

Meeting19 – District Operations Meeting19 – Camping Committee Meeting20 – Advancement Committee Meeting21 – Training Committee Meeting21 – Jewish Committee Meeting24 – Palm Sunday24-2 – Passover25 – OA Executive Committee Meeting25 – 1st Passover Seder26 – Membership Committee Meeting26 – 2nd Passover Seder28 – Board of Directors Meeting29 – Good Friday / Resource Center

Closed31 – Easter

April6 – Fishing Derby at Deer Lake8 – Sea Scouting Wardroom13 – Fishing Derby at Deer Lake13 – Camp Sequassen Minor Work Party15 – Venturing Committee Meeting15 – Venturing Officers Association

Meeting16 – District Operations Meeting16 – Camping Committee Meeting17 – Advancement Committee Meeting18 – Training Committee Meeting22 – OA Executive Committee Meeting22 – Earth Day23 – Venturing Committee Meeting23 – Venturing Officers Association

Meeting23 – Membership Committee Meeting25 – Executive Committee Meeting

Upcoming Council Dates

Council The Scouter

B O y S C O U T S O F A M E R I C A | C O N N E C T I C U T y A N k E E C O U N C I l

Welcome Charles Flowers, New Scout Executive

Hello. First and foremost, I am thrilled to join the profes-sional staff and the multitude of dedicated volunteers at every level of the Connecticut Yankee Coun-cil Scouting organization in service to youth and our communities. What a privilege I have been granted to serve as the fourth Scout Executive of the Con-necticut Yankee Council!

As for a brief introduction, here goes: As a youth, I served on the Robert E. Lee Council camp staff for 4 years and received my Eagle Scout award in 1987 in Richmond, VA. I earned a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Virginia Commonwealth University and a Master’s of Arts Degree in Public Administration from North Carolina State University. I began my Scouting career in 1994 with the Robert E. Lee Council in Richmond, VA as a District Executive in 1994 and later served as a Senior District Executive.

After 6 years in Richmond, VA, I was promoted to District Director in the Heart of America Council in Kansas City, MO where I served for 3 years. In 2003, I was promoted to Finance (Development) Director in the Simon Kenton Coun-cil in Columbus, OH. After a year of service in Finance, I assumed the position of Field Director where I served for two years.

In April 2006, I became an Associate Director within the National Council’s Professional Development Division. On July 1, 2008, I became the Director of Field Service for the Greater Pittsburgh Council located in Pittsburgh, PA.

My vision for the Connecticut Yankee Council is simple and achievable. I believe we are obligated to provide the high-est quality programs possible to the youth and communities we serve. This will be realized through increasing the capacity and improving the quality of service and programming we offer at the unit, district and council level. If we continue to involve and engage the best talent to help us deliver the pro-gram we will accomplish our goal of being the best Council in the Boy Scouts of America.

As an Eagle Scout (product of the Scouting process) I know first-hand the power of the life changing, values-building pro-grams of Scouting. I commend you for enrolling your child or volunteering in this great transformative program that produces great people, great citizens, and great future leaders.

So if you see me at camp, at a den meeting, a troop com-mittee meeting, your district’s roundtable, or at an Order of the Arrow function, please introduce yourself and share with me why your love this great program of Scouting.

See you on the trail ...

Charles FlowersScout Executive

Congratulations to all who participated in the 2012 sale! The top selling unit was Pack 161 from Darien, which sold $26,934 worth of popcorn – they earned over $9,400 for their pack treasury to fund Scouting!

We continued our partnership with the University of Connecti-cut during the 2012 Popcorn Sale. Scouts who sold at least $700 worth of popcorn, receive two free tickets to a UCONN basketball game against Rutgers University, at the XL Center in Hartford on January 27th.

Additionally, they will be invited down to half court during halftime during the UCONN basketball game. Over 150 qualified for the free tickets and the opportunity to go on court at halftime.

In 2012, the Council offered a special incentive to the Scouts that sold over $3,000 worth of popcorn. Scouts with sales at that level received an IPad2! Eleven outstanding Scouts reached that sales level.

A special thank you to Ken Lewis and XPect Discount in North Haven. They were kind enough to receive the popcorn, unload the popcorn, and store the popcorn for our two distributions. It is because of their kindness that we are able to distribute the pop-corn in such a smooth manner. Thanks again Ken!

Connecticut Yankee Council is pleased to announce seven Scout-ers were selected for award of the Silver Beaver by a selection board which met on November 19. The Silver Beaver is the highest national award authorized to be presented at the council level and is awarded to registered Scouters who have demonstrated notewor-thy service of exceptional charac-ter to youth. All service focused on youth development is credible for the Silver Beaver award. Each council is authorized to grant up to one award for each 60 regis-tered traditional units.

The awards will be presented at the Annual Volunteer Recognition Dinner at the McClinch Family Center in Trumbull on January 24, 2013. A registration form is on the following page, and also available at www.ctyankee.org/councildinner. The dinner is $45 per person or $50 for registrations received after Janu-ary 8. There is also the option of purchasing an ad in the program to recognize one or more of our Silver Beavers for their service.

Please join us in recognizing the many dedicated Scouters and youth who providing quality Scouting programs across our council.

Seven Scouters Selected for Silver Beaver Award

For 2013 the following Scouters have been selected for award of the Silver Beaver:

David Barrett, Scatacook DistrictBruce Bowlus, Scatacook DistrictMichael Card, Pomperaug DistrictJoyce Ference, Pomperaug DistrictCarolyn Jagielski, Lighthouse DistrictDavid Lyons, Sleeping Giant DistrictDavid Mestre, Pomperaug District

2012 Popcorn Sale Recap - Well Done!Top Salesmen in the Council were:

Chase Gulick $3,589 Pack 161 DarienBrenton Ingulli $3,243 Pack 155 DarienJacob Grimm $3,237 Pack 155 DarienLuke Riordan $3,222 Pack 155 DarienRyan Sullivan $3,195 Pack 89 FairfieldChristopher Conrad $3,110 Pack 161 DarienAlex Hauser $3,035 Pack 492 MadisonA.J. Raucci $3,023 Pack 471 GuilfordDrew Richthammer $3,007 Pack 89 FairfieldMichael Queenan $3,002 Pack 570 NewtownMark Kolotylo $3,001 Pack 89 Fairfield

Top 10 Selling units were:1) Pack 161 Darien ........................$26,934 2) Pack 17 Wilton ..........................$23,3433) Pack 22 Wilton ..........................$21,795 4) Pack 95 Fairfield .......................$21,357 5) Pack 155 Darien ........................$20,7176) Pack 8 Southington.................$20,5567) Pack 89 Fairfield .......................$20,5488) Pack 97 Norwalk .......................$18,0359) Pack 72 Southington ..............$13,89510) Pack 6 Wallingford ................$13,329

Top 3 Selling Units by District were:Powahay Scatacook Pomperaug:1) Pack 161 $26,934 1) Pack 156 $11,215 1) Pack 95 $21,3572) Pack 17 $23,343 2) Pack 270 $9,381 2) Pack 89 $20,5483) Pack 22 $21,795 3) Pack 44 $8,026 3) Pack 468 $12,668

Lighthouse Wepawaug Valley Sleeping Giant1) Pack 495 $10,214 1) Troop 41 $7,117 1) Pack 8 $20,5562) Pack 455 $10,213 2) Pack 709 $6,198 2) Pack 72 $13,8953) Pack 475 $6,412 3) Troop 59 $6,040 3) Pack 6 $13,329

Join the conversation online. Be our “friend” – www.ctyankee.org/facebook


Council News The Scouter

Congratulations to the following Scouts who have earned the rank of Eagle Scout. Your trail has just begun. Join the National Eagle Scout Association at www.nesa.org.

Nicholas Anagnost Troop 88 FairfieldThomas Anania Troop 82 FairfieldSeth Baldwin Troop 9 DanburyChristian Ball Troop 5 BrookfieldNoel Berry Troop 100 WestportMark Bluemer Troop 701 MilfordTheodore Boynton Troop 12 MilfordJonathan Buehler Troop 810 North HavenDaniel Cahill Troop 88 FairfieldKyle Camerato Troop 5 WallingfordAnthony Cardo Troop 640 HamdenDaniel Cassidy Troop 463 NorthfordMatthew Caswell Troop 125 WiltonMichael Connelly Troop 199 FairfieldScott Cox Troop 52 DanburyEthan Crans Troop 490 MadisonMatthew Crohan Troop 11 StamfordJames Daly Troop 67 TrumbullChristoph Dow Troop 66 EastonBenjamin Dringoli Troop 800 WallingfordSamuel Edgerton Troop 474 GuilfordKevin Ellis Troop 4 WallingfordDaniel Flood II Troop 5 BrookfieldWilliam Fulda Troop 199 Fairfield

Ryan Gallo Troop 135 BrookfieldTimothy Goetz Troop 71 StratfordDavid Goodrich Troop 810 North HavenWesley Haaf Troop 811 North HavenTristan Haas Troop 125 WiltonWindsor Hall III Troop 53 DarienGeorge Harvey Troop 31 New CanaanWilliam Hauselt Troop 4 WallingfordNicholas Lott Troop 810 North HavenPeter Jacobs Troop 82 FairfieldPeter Jelinski Troop 135 BrookfieldGordon Kiesling Jr. Troop 31 New CanaanZachary Klang Troop 70 NewtownJames Korin Troop 5 StamfordKirk Lauri Troop 135 BrookfieldJohnathan Lawless Troop 701 MilfordMathew Levine Troop 463 NorthfordChristian Lofthouse Troop 701 MilfordDaniel Malone Troop 67 TrumbullHenry McDowell Troop 20 WiltonMorgan McMahon Troop 474 GuilfordJesse Morrow Troop 811 North HavenDaniel Murray Troop 701 MilfordJonathan Nazario Troop 5 Wallingford

Michael Parisi Troop 810 North HavenTimothy Peterson Troop 196 MilfordScott Philipson Troop 31 New CanaanAnthony Piselli Jr. Troop 721 MilfordWilliam Poling Troop 199 FairfieldRoderick Porter II Troop 103 BridgeportJoshua Rivera Troop 208 West HavenKyle Rivera Troop 208 West HavenAlexander Roehl Troop 42 New FairfieldRobert Russo Troop 270 NewtownRobert Scarpetti III Troop 72 StratfordWilliam Scofield Troop 72 StratfordJason Secula Troop 67 TrumbullJames Shannon Troop 70 New CanaanTimothy Stapp Troop 116 RidgefieldAlexander Taylor Troop 70 NewtownJason Van Leeuwen Troop 463 NorthfordPhilippe Vibien Troop 9 StamfordAlex Watsik Troop 116 RidgefieldJacob Wilczek Troop 701 MilfordJohn Wilson Troop 70 New CanaanJohn Wisniewski Troop 39 WestportJeffrey Zakrzewski Troop 5 WallingfordMatthew Ziluca Troop 20 Wilton

Scout anniversary week is Feb-ruary 3 through 9 – the one week each year when Scouts nationwide make their presence and numbers known.

Every unit is encouraged to organize at least one activity for Scouts to perform a service or deed that publicly demonstrates Scouts/Scouting in action. This is our opportunity to show the local communities that Scouting is strong, in their neighborhood and working hard to shape the next generation of leaders.

Some great resources for planning your Scout Sunday or Scout Sab-bath are available online at www.scoutingmagazine.org/sunday.

Don’t miss out on the fantastic opportunity to see Big East Bas-ketball at its best, when the UCO-NN Huskies take on the Rutgers University Scarlet Knights!

Tickets are available for the Sunday, January 27th men’s bas-ketball game at the XL Center in Hartford.

Tickets are on sale until January 16th, and will be available to be picked up at the Council Resourc-

es Center on January 21st.GO HUSKIES!!

Friends of Scouting Campaign Kicks off for 2013We kicked off the 2013 Friends

of Scouting campaign in Decem-ber and are already off to a great start. Friends of Scouting (FOS) is an annual fundraising appeal to directly support the programs and services of the Council. It makes up over 10 percent of our annual operating budget, and is critical to our collective success.

The Council staff had 100 per-cent participation, and our Board has committed to being at 100 percent of its participation goal by the Council dinner on Jan. 24. We now begin what we call the family phase, where a volunteer will come to your unit’s upcoming meeting or ceremony to tell the story of what the Council does for your unit and how each family can make an investment in its success.

Under the leadership of our Council FOS Chairman Jennifer Jackson, we will exceed our goal of $450,000 for 2013.

One of the common mispercep-tions is that the membership dues

you pay each year ($15) goes to the Council, when in actuality it is transmitted directly to the national BSA. Every dollar in our $4.4 mil-lion operating budget is raised, and spent locally, so you can be assured that your gift will make an imme-diate, local impact on a Scout.

FOS provides for the Scout-ing program, maintaining our camp properties, offering train-ing courses, keeping records, and subsidizing camp fees so that everyone can attend regardless of income. These are just a small example. To learn more about Friends of Scouting and how your gift can help, visit www.ctyankee.org/support/fos. You can even see regular progress reports and give online. Companies that offer gift matching programs can expand the difference your gift makes.

If you haven’t scheduled a pre-sentation for your units families, please contact your district execu-tive immediately.

Thanks for your generosity.

Celebrate Scouting Anniversary Week

Scout Night with UCONN Huskies


Council Committees The Scouter

Cub Scout Religious Emblems Workshop

The Jewish Cub Scout Reli-gious Emblems Workshop is Sun-day, Jan. 27 from 1:30-4:00 p.m. at the Jewish Community Center of Eastern Fairfield County, 4200 Park Avenue in Bridgeport. Cub Scouts can earn the Maccabee and Aleph emblems during this fun-filled and educational day. A $15 registration fee covers all pro-gram materials and a snack. Scout earning religious emblems will be recognized at the Council Scout Shabbat Service on Friday, Feb. 8. Don’t miss out! For additional information and registration ma-terials go to the Jewish Commit-tee page on the council website.

Scout Shabbat Service

The committee will host a Scout Shabbat Service on Friday, February 8, 2013, 7:30 p.m. at Congregation B'nai Torah, 5700 Main Street, Trumbull. This will be a memorable evening in which Scouts participate in the Shabbat service, and Scouts who have earned a religious emblem (Maccabee Emblem for Tigers, Wolves & Bears; Aleph Emblem for Bears & Webelos; Ner Tamid Emblem for Boy Scouts; Etz Chaim Emblem for older Boy Scouts, Venturers & Sea Scouts) over the last year will be recog-nized. Additionally, the Shofar Award will be presented to adult Scouters who have distinguished themselves in the service of Jewish youth.

R.S.V.P. by email to Jewish

Committee on Scouting Chair-man David Elkodsi. Please let David know if your Scout has earned a religious emblem over the last year, what emblem it is, and please bring it with you to the service. All are welcome to attend.

Jewish Religious Emblems

The National Jewish Com-mittee offers several religious emblem programs to further a Scout’s religious involvement and education. Programs are tailored to be age and grade appropriate from the youngest Cub Scout to Boy Scouts, Venturers and Sea Scouts. The Maccabbe Emblem is available to Cub Scouts in 1st-3rd grade, the Aleph Emblem to Cub Scouts in 3rd -5th grade, the Ner Tamid Emblem to Boy Scouts in 6th-9th grade, and the Etz Chiam Emblem to Boy Scouts, Venturers and Sea Scouts in 9th grade and up. Upon completion of the requirements for any of these emblems a Scout will receive the appropriate medal and certificate, and will be recognized at the an-nual Scout Shabbat Service.

For more information on the religious emblems program, or for help in getting started, contact David Elkodsi.

Earn the Hebrew Interpreter AwardScouts and Scouters who com-

plete the following requirements can earn the Hebrew Interpreter Award (Interpreter Strip):

Carry on a 5-minute conversa-tion in Hebrew.

Translate a 2-minute speech or address in Hebrew.

Write a letter in Hebrew Translate 200 words or more

from the Hebrew written word.The Hebrew Interpreter Award

is available for purchase at the Scout Shop.

Online ResourcesNational Jewish Committee on

Scouting – www.jewishscouting.org

Connecticut Yankee Council Jewish Committee on Scouting - www.ctyankee.org/program/religious/jcs

Also, check out “Connecticut Yankee Council Jewish Scouts” on Facebook.

Bridgeport Diocese Award CeremonyThe Catholic Committee

on Scouting for the Diocese of Bridgeport will hold its Religious Emblems in Scouting awards ceremony at 7 p.m. on June 6 at St. Theresa’s Church, 5301 Main Street in Trumbull. Award recipi-ents should arrive at the church no later than 6:30 p.m.

Candidates for religious emblems should turn-in their completed application no later than April 1st. The application and $20 dollars should be mailed or dropped off at Diocese of Bridgeport Catholic Center, Attn: Sr Florencia Silva, Director of Youth Ministry, 238 Jewett Ave, Bridgeport, CT 06606.

Candidates for Ad Altare Dei and Pope Pius XII awards need to appear before a board of review. Date, time and place for the boards will be provided when available.

The religious emblems programs are sponsored by the various reli-gious groups to encourage youths to grow in their faith and values while engaged in the Scouting program. Each religious group

creates its own emblems and ad-ministers its own programs. The BSA approves of these programs and allows the recognition to be worn on the official uniform.

The Catholic Committee on Scouting for the Diocese of Bridgeport is co-chaired by Robert Scarpetti and Michael Novajosky (203 209-4929 or [email protected])

Hartford Diocese Awards Ceremony The Archdiocese of Hartford

Catholic Committee on Scout-ing will hold its Religious Awards Recognition Ceremony on April 28, 2013 at 2:00 PM in the beau-tiful Cathedral of Saint Joseph in Hartford. Everyone is welcome to attend the ceremony to celebrate the Scouts’ growth in their religious convictions. Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts from the Hartford Archdiocese area will be honored at this ceremony.

Boy Scouts planning to receive the Ad Altare Dei or Pope Pius XII Award must attend a board of review on March 11th at 7 p.m. at the Council Resource Center.

Cub Scouts planning to receive their Light of Christ or Parvuli Dei award should turn in their

form at the Scout Office no later than March 5.

Mark your calendar now and we look forward to seeing you at the award ceremony.

Catholic Committee on Scouting

www.ctyankee.org/program/religious/nccs

Committee ChairmanRobert Scarpetti(203) [email protected]

Staff AdviserDaniel Cooley(203) 876-6868, Ext. [email protected]

Jewish Committee on Scouting

www.ctyankee.org/program/religious/jcs

Committee ChairmanDavid Elkodsi(203) [email protected]

Staff AdviserJonathan Glassman(203) 876-6868, Ext. [email protected]

Top – Bronze Pelican and St. George Medal award recipients for 2011 and 2012. Jeanette Schell and Chellon Wilkinson, Lighthouse District, were also present, being recognized for re-ceiving the St. George Medal in 2011.

Above – Janice Wivagg and Mon-signor Motta at the Archdiocese of Hartford Adult Awards Banquet at St. Thomas Seminary November 18, 2012. Janice was awarded the Bronze Pelican for her work supporting Catholic Scouting and the Catholic religious medals program with the Scouts in her community.

The Scouter


Council Committees The Scouter

Owaneco LodgeOrder of the Arrow

www.owaneco.org

Lodge ChiefJesse [email protected]

Lodge AdviserLloyd [email protected]

Lodge Staff AdviserElsie Hemmings(203) 876-6868, Ext. [email protected]

Order of the Arrow Unit Elections

To Unit Leaders:Owaneco Lodge will be start-

ing Unit Visitations earlier because of our accelerated Ordeal schedule next year. We will be sending visi-tation information out in Septem-ber so you can schedule a time for your visitation and elections to be held by the end of February. These visitations are not just to elect new members to Scouting’s National Honor Society but also to inform units about different camping opportunities and how the Order of the Arrow can help improve the Troop experience and program. For more information please go to www.owaneco.org.

Project 2013The National Boy Scout Jambo-

ree is only 6 months away! There are various ways that you can be involved with this great event. You can go with the council as a participant, you can go on normal staff for the event if you are 16 or older, or you can go as a member of Project 2013 which is the Order of the Arrow staff members. There are multiple program areas on the OA side of it. You could be a member of the service corps and provide assistance where ever needed. If that is not the right thing for you, maybe you would want to be a trek guide and lead a troop up to the top of the summit. Or perhaps you like helping other people out, you could be a day of service guide and oversee a project in the surrounding areas of the Summit. This is an event you will not want to miss! If you think be-ing on staff requires you to just do staff things, you are wrong. The days leading up to the Jamboree, the OA has been tasked with breaking in the camp and making sure everything works properly, and everyone on Project 2013 staff will be experiencing a white water trek in the surrounding areas of the Summit. If you are interested in going you can complete an ap-plication on the summit website.

Social Media

www.youtube.com/owanecolodgewww.owaneco.org

www.facebook.com/owanecowww.twitter.com/owaneco

Lodge CalendarAll Executive Committee Meetings are held at 7:30 p.m. at the Council Resource Center

January28 – Executive Committee Meeting

February28 – Executive Committee Meeting

March25 – Executive Committee Meeting

April22 – Executive Committee Meeting

May3-4 – May Ordeal20 – Executive Committee Meeting

JuneMay 31-2 – June Ordeal7-9 – Section NE-2A Conclave24 – Executive Committee Meeting

July15-24 – 2013 Nation Scout Jamboree

– Project 2013

Why training mattersAs 2012 comes to conclusion, I

have had some time to reflect on the past twelve months. Overall while it’s had some challenges, in general it has been a really great year; however, it did not start off that way. Actually, it was more about how the previous year ended. I had a pretty severe heart attack just over a year ago. At the beginning of 2012, I found myself in a cardiac rehab program. The entire experience is quite sober-

ing, and I recommend avoiding it. Many were surprised, but no one more than me. I had just returned from a Philmont trek and then climbed Mt Washington setting a personal record for pace. Still when talking about the experi-ence, I tell people it is another example of the charmed life I lead. After all, I have a wonder-ful family, great job, home and friends. How could having a heart attack leave me feeling charmed (or blessed as a friend tells me) you might ask? I had my heart attack while I was in a hospital. It’s truly amazing. In just twenty minutes, I had a stent in place, a hospital record by fifteen minutes.

If you have read this far and have not turned the page, you are probably wondering what this has to do with “Why Training Matters.” Once my heart attack started, there were two things I was acutely aware of. The first and most obvious was the crushing pain in my chest that was trying to kill me. The second was the speed and efficiency that the hospital staff went to work at saving my life. Of course, it is a given that the staff knows how to do their jobs, they are doctors and nurses, but they are not always assigned in the exact same work groups. De-

pending on the day or shift, there will be a different complement of staff. Also, heart attacks do not happen every day. They have gone as long as thirty-five or more days without a case. I know this because my sister-in-law is a nurse in the cardiac unit at that hospi-tal. (Remember I lead a charmed life.) The staff operated in such an unbelievably orchestrated man-ner that honestly you have to see it to believe it. Clearly, they had trained, they had practiced, and they knew their roles and respon-sibilities.

Ultimately, that is why we train our leaders. We hope that bad things will never happen, but hope is not a plan. Sometimes, the un-fortunate happens, and most often it is when we least expect it. When disaster strikes, being properly trained makes all the difference. As charmed as my life is, I will still take training over luck every time. 100%.

I urge you to check your train-ing status and ensure your training is up to date. From Weather Hazards to Safe Swim Defense, BSA has a course for whatever you have planned.

See You In 2013,

– Ray Spagnuolo

Training Committeewww.ctyankee.org/training

Committee ChairmanRay Spagnuolo(203) [email protected]

Staff AdviserHerb Kemp(203) 876-6868, Ext. [email protected]

www.ctyankee.org/woodbadge

A total of 6 full days are required! The program begins Friday morning at 7:30 a.m. and concludes Sunday afternoon by 5 p.m. both weekends.

Wood Badge brings together lead-ers from all areas of Scouting – Cub Scouting, Boy Scouting, Venturing, as well as district and council volunteers and professionals. The course reflects the best of over 100 years of Scouting experience and also draws upon the most current leadership models used by corporate America, academic circles, and other successful outdoor leadership organizations. The practical skills learned in this course may be used in Scouting, personal life, as well as the workplace and other volunteer organizations.

Join Course Director Caroline Griffin and the entire staff for an experience you’ll benefit from the rest of your life.

BUILD YOUR OWN MEMORIESat Cub Scout Day Camp 2013

SEVEN GREAT WEEKS TO CHOOSE FROM July 8-12 PNA Park, Wallingford July 15-19 Eisenhower Park, Milford July 22-26 Eisenhower Park, Milford July 29-August 2 Old Mine Park, Trumbull August 5-9 Old Mine Park, Trumbull August 12-16 Hoyt Scout Reservation, Redding August 19-23 Camp Rocky Craig, Stamford

www.ctyankee.org/daycamp

Camping & Activities The Scouter


Build your resume now for your 2014 summer job.

CIT positions are available at both Camp Sequassen and Deer Lake. The positions do not pay a salary but can payoff big next year. As a CIT you will live the life of a camp counselor while learning the ropes and trying your hand at teaching skills and crafts to eager young campers. A helpful mentor will ensure you develop your skills to be ready for 2014 when all the

preparation will pay off.Need reasons to be a camp staff

member? Check this: good pay, adjustable hours, escape from home, good friends and food, become a camper’s forever best friend, a summer of fun, sun and happiness, work on merit badges and enjoy the camp’s entire inven-tory of things to do.

Visit ctyankee.org/camping for a CIT application and additional information on the CIT programs.

2013 marks the 86th anniver-sary of Camp Sequassen and what an incredible 86 years it has been. From a wooded property with little more than a waterline and ruins of a shack, Camp Sequassen has been developed into one of the most beautiful and well prepared camps in the Northeastern United States. During all these years, Scouts and Scouters have invested their creative and physical energy into developing a camp where Scouting can be learned, lived, and enjoyed just as Sir Baden-Powell

envisioned.All The Fun, Excitement And

Adventure You Want In Your Own Backyard

Now is your opportunity to reg-ister for a week at Camp Sequassen to share the Scouting adventure and excitement which has been evolving for 86 years. The camp is a Scout-ing activity and learning center for Scouts of all ages. In addition to a long list of fun available activities there are more than 30 merit badges to help you along your personal trail to Eagle. Just a short list of some of

the fun things you can do at Camp Sequassen includes sailing, motor boating, kayaking, standup board-ing, canoeing, row boating, swim-ming, snorkeling, COPE, climbing a tower or rocks, archery, shooting rifles and shotguns, water trampo-line and swing, biking, SCUBA, leather and wood crafts, night hikes and visits to haunted ruins, endless sporting events – especially Ultimate Frisbee, Frisbee golf, nightly camp-fires, ax and knife throwing, and so much more.

It’s Your Camp, Use It.

An open letter from the Camping Committee to the poor slubs who trek to far away resident camps instead of Camp Sequassen:

We invite you and your Scouts to Camp Sequassen for a mag-nificent 2013 summer camp experience. We know you enjoy the camp you now attend, but you’ll enjoy Camp Sequassen more. Guaranteed!

Last year nearly 2000 Scouts attended Camp Sequassen and each and every one of them had the time of his life. If you have any doubts about the quality of the Sequassen experience, talk to someone who camped there.

If you decide to bring your troop to Camp Sequassen, Carolyn will work with you to make it an easy transition. Changing camps can be a hassle so we want to offer you as much help as possible. To ease your way we will credit your account for any lost deposits at another camp

Our Camp Kickoff is scheduled for February 7, 2013 at the Grace Methodist Church in Fairfield. This is a great opportunity for you to get an update on all things Sequassen, promotional materials, and a copy of the current leaders guide. Please attend our kickoff -- dinner is served at six and a short program starts at seven. We hope to see you there.

Camp Sequassen – it’s the place good Scouts belong.

Each year the Connecticut Yan-kee Council conducts a Camper-ship program which helps nearly 200 Scouts attend either a summer day camp or resident camp. The Council’s goal is to ensure all active Scouts get a summer camp experience despite their financial burdens.

Campership funds are provided by personal donations to make up the difference between the camp fee and what the Scout,

the sponsoring organization and the unit can pay. Normally, the amount approved will be no more than half of the total fee but can be more if conditions warrant. An impartial board of three Scouters determines the right amount of as-sistance to provide.

A form to apply for a camper-ship is available at ctyankee.org/camping/residentcamp and has to be at the council office no later than May 15, 2013.

Summer Jobs for Senior Scouts

More than a few good Scouts are needed to operate the 2013 sum-mer programs at Camp Sequassen and Deer Lake. Camp Directors at both locations are looking for many young men and women to serve in positions such as camp coun-selors and instructors in numerous program areas such as archery, rifle, crafts, swimming, boating, the natural sciences, and more. Ex-perience helps but is not required. Staff members must be over sixteen years old with an interest and abil-ity to motivate and have fun with campers ranging in age from 5 to 18 years old.

Most positions pay a minimum of $1,000 for seasons which range from mid-June to the end of August.

There are three camps to choose from: Camp Sequassen Boy Scout resident camp, Deer Lake Cub Scout resident camp and the Deer Lake Learning for Life day camp. Each camp has unique require-ments, one of them is right for you.

Applications for all staff posi-tions are available at the council’s web site (ctyankee.org/camping) and should be submitted ASAP to the addressee listed on the form.

By the time you’re reading this article, you will be able to make an on-line short-term camp reservation for facilities and campsites at Sequassen, Hoyt, Pomperaug and Deer Lake (Wah Wah Taysee is not being automated). The reservation system has been active for testing and “populating” since September and is now ready to help you with planning your next visit to a council camp. Effective January 1, 2013, the automated system will be the best way to make a reservation for a weekend at a council camp.

The automated reservation system is a product of Michael Card who masterfully constructed a data program capable of taking the vagaries of human wants and needs and reducing them to a commitment on a specific place at a certain camp on a predetermined day. It isn’t rocket science but it’s pretty close. Mike has developed reservation and registra-tion systems for this council and others.

Using the on-line system provides the following advantages:• World-wide access to the reservation system.• Ability to check availability of camp

sites and facilities.• Ability to book a reservation at the

push of a button.• Make credit card payment on an

amount computed by the system.• Regularly receive automatic remind-

ers and invoices via email.

When you’re ready to make your next camp reservation, go to ctyankee.org and click on the short-term camp reservation button, then follow the prompts. It’s that easy.

Computer adverse? No problem. Carolyn will be happy to process your camp reservation the old fash-

ioned way if you contact her at (800) 333-7905, Ext 273.

Camp Sequassen86 Years in Service to Scouts and Scouting

2013 Counselor- In-Training Program

A Helping Hand When It’s Needed

Online Reservation SystemAutomation Arrives at Council Camps

There have been many recent news items about diseases and insects that are destroying our forested environment -- one tree at a time. The problem is serious and is having a disastrous affect on wooded areas from coast to coast.

For instance, the Asian Long-horned Beetle and the Emerald Ash Borer are two insects which are deadly to our hardwood forest. Both of these pests have been sighted close by. Anyone doubting the impact of such threats should endeavor to find a Red Pine left alive in Connecticut. There used to be thousands –- now there are none because a tiny bug killed them all. Other species of trees will soon be gone if precautions

are ignored. Transporting firewood from

one area to the next is a major contributor to the spread of bugs, blight and disease. So leave your firewood at home, Scouts. There is plenty of downed wood at camp to keep your fires going all weekend.

Do not bring your wood to camp, please.

Don’t bring your wood to camp boys.

Camping & Activities The Scouter


2012 was another stellar year for Cub Scout Day Camp as the campers strove for the gold. The staff and volunteers made this an unforgettable summer as nearly 750 Cub Scouts did their best in earning Academic and Sports belt loops and several different rank advancements. New friends were made and the bonds between ex-isting friends became stronger as the boys came to camp and shared so many fantastic experiences.

On average, most campers earned about 10 belt loops, 4 Achievements or Electives, and 2 Webelos Activity Badges. In the shooting sports ranges: 76,000 BB’s were fired, 40,000 arrows were shot and close to 200 pounds of chick peas were shot out of the camp sling shots. Several hundred bars of soap were also carved by the Bears and Webelos. The campers were as busy as the US Olympic Team this summer.

It is the volunteer staff of adults and youth that are at the heart of camp. They all give a week or two of their summer to spend with a group of boys and make sure they are safe and have the best time. The volunteers are the most important people in camp, for if

they do not come, camp would not be possible. Staff can run the pro-gram areas but the volunteers get them there and go the extra mile for every camper. Please consider joining the ranks of these amazing people and volunteer in 2013.

Special thanks to Camp Director Cheryl Gustaveson, Camp Chef John Valus, Jr. and Shooting Sports Directors Sam Leiterman and Shea Marazita. Along with the rest of the travel staff, they brought the program to the campers this year.

See you next summer,Dan Marazita or Capt. Dan

Build Your Own Adventure 2013

The summer of 2013 is going to be EPIC! Your favorite Cub Scout Day Camp has a theme that is sure to get every boy excited in the Connecticut Yankee Council. Building Block Adventures may just be the best theme ever for camp. Spend a week immersed in blocks or min-figures, design-ing and creating a new world that is only limited by what you can construct.

Be your favorite character or be the chief engineer on the build-ing site. You pick the week, either Mini-figure Week or Construc-tion Week. Can’t decide? Then come to both for a complete summer experience. If that is not enough, we will also shoot Archery at every camp, BB Guns at select camps and lots of sports, skills, crafts and much more.

If you have been waiting for the right time to come to Cub Scout Day Camp, then this is it. Regis-ter early to save your spot, for each camp is limited to the first 200 campers to sign up.

You do not want to be left out of the fun!

On July 8, 2013 a bus will de-part the area taking 24 Scouts to the Philmont Scout Ranch in Ci-marron, New Mexico for the high adventure expedition of their life. It will be ten days of backpack-ing over the 137,493 wild acres in what was once the Beaubien and Miranda Land Grant — but now better known as the Philmont Scout Ranch. Not only is Philm-ont a place to share your existence with coyotes, buffalo, bears, elk and mountain lions but you can also pack out a ton of history and appreciation for the settlers who tamed the west. It happened here along the Santa Fe trail which passes by the ranch.

If you backpack, or ever want to

be a backpacker, this is the place for you. Ten days of hiking from campsite to campsite with only what you need to survive another day and nothing else. The sites are set up to provide a wild west pro-gram that will entertain, thrill and prepare you for the challenges of living away from everything you think is necessary in your life.

Only ten spaces are open for Scouts and adults who want the experience of a lifetime. Don’t delay. Applications are on the council website and we are waiting to help get you on the bus to an extreme adventure.

Of all life’s adventures, this is the one you’ll never forget.

Be there.

Last Call for the Ultimate Scouting Adventure

2012 Day Camp Wins The Gold


Powahay District The Scouter

Powahay District

Serving Darien, New Canaan, Norwalk, Stamford and Wilton.

www.ctyankee.org/powahay

District ChairmanMichael Kraus(203) [email protected]

District CommissionerDomenic Rauccio(203) [email protected]

Sr. District ExecutiveDavid Rennie(203) 876-6868, Ext. [email protected]

Award Nominations Needed

Nominations are needed for the District Award of Merit, the Key 3 Award and the Powahay Pioneer Award. Nomination forms are available on the district website and are due April 1st to David Rennie, Senior District Executive. You know why good old ‘Joe’ never got that recognition – it is because nobody nominated him for the award he so rightly deserves! Be sure to get the nomination in so that he is recognized.

Popcorn SalesThank you to all the units and

youth that participated in the fall 2012 Trails End Popcorn Sale. The units in the Powahay District sold in excess of $182,000 in prod-uct! Over 600 boys participated in the sale and averaged $330 in sales each. Over $65,000 in unit com-missions were earned by the packs and troops of Powahay. Congratu-lations to Pack 161 of Darien as the top selling unit in the District and Council with $27,000 in total sales! Special Thanks to our District Popcorn Kernel – Peter Riordan for all his work in helping coordinate the sale.

Pinewood Derby Championship & Cubmobile Race

Saturday, April 27, 2013We’re kicking it up a notch this

year at Powahay’s Race Day, with our traditional Pinewood Derby Championship. The top three winners from each pack will race their cars. We’re adding a more competitive Cubmobile Race with 1st, 2nd and 3rd place recogni-tions and a just for fun third race our first ever District Raingutter Regatta. There is something for everyone and sure to be fun for the entire family. Leader’s Packet and registration form can be down-loaded from our Powahay Web page or contact John Hanks at [email protected]

Webelos Overnight Weekend

Hosted By Troop 5 StamfordMay 18-19, 2013Bears and Webelos, parents and

leaders are invited to a weekend of camping fun and adventure

at historical Putnam Memorial State Park, Connecticut’s Valley Forge, in nearby Redding, CT. for Powahay’s Webelos WOW! Our theme for the weekend is “Webelos Minutemen” preparing our Webelos to act “at a minute’s notice.” Activity Badges, outdoor skills, hikes, games and fun are all part of the weekend along with a cool patch, t-shirt, and a special medal for the historical hike. Webelos and parent can show up anytime after 11 AM. All you’ll need is a tent, sleeping bag, ground pad or air mattress and clothing for the overnight. Dinner and breakfast will be provided for you. Bring a bag lunch for Saturday. Leader’s Packet and registration form can be down-loaded from our Powahay Web page or contact John Hanks at [email protected].

Boy Scout Spring Camporee – “Mys-

teryQuest”Hosted by Troop 5 StamfordMay 17-19, 2013 at Putnam

State Park Boy Scouts are invited to the

Spring Camporee to explore some of the mysteries, legends, and sto-ries that have surrounded Putnam Memorial Park since the New England regiments were there in 1778. A “MysteryQuest” Hike, merit badge opportunities, games, and more are being planned. More details can be found at the District web page or contact Kevin Smith, Boy Scout Activity Chairman, [email protected].

Spring RecruitingAlthough we are deep in the

middle of winter now is the time to start planning your unit’s Spring Recruiting Plans. Mem-bership continues to be on the rise and we should be proud that we are delivering a great program to more boys. This spring, we are encouraging every Pack, Troop and Crew to help us continue this trend by planning and hosting an open house or social event where new families can see what Scouting is all about. With fun, engaging activities such as the Fishing Derby, Cubmobile Derby, Spring Camporee, and Scout Night at the Bluefish. There is no better time to get new families active and engaged. Take the time and inventory your gaps and make

plans to fill them before fall hits. Contact our new Vice – Chairman for Membership Peter Riordan at [email protected] to schedule your open house.

Scouting for Kids with Autism

Many of the extracurricular options for children, team sports in particular, are not well suited for a child with autism due to the social, communication, or coordi-nation required.

Scouting has much to offer a child with autism. Scouting places its members in a wide variety of social situations with a mixture of people and tasks. This gives the Scout with autism a chance to learn acceptable behaviors. Children with autism and other disabilities benefit from the self-paced nature of the Scouting advancement system. It allows them to participate and social-ize with other Scouts of different skill levels, especially in teaching situations. Scouts with autism can learn about others’ feelings while performing service hours in com-

munity activities. Participating in service projects focuses on learning to be a good citizen which builds a sense of belonging to a larger community.

Scouting can help create a safe community for youth with autism. Many children with disabilities have no friends outside of their immediate family and their paid caregivers. Scouting offers a chance for them to make genuine friends. These friendships can carry over to school and other ac-tivities beyond their Scouting unit.

The Scouting program offers lots of opportunities to strengthen practical skills. For example, Scouts with autism can improve their public speaking skills while giving troop presentations on skills or merit badge topics. They can develop motor skills while learn-ing to tie knots or working on tent set up for camping.

Leadership positions in a troop are another excellent way for Scouts with autism to learn toler-ance and a flexibility of thinking. They come to realize that leading requires motivating others,

Continued on Page 23

District CalendarJanuary1 – New Year’s Day – Resource Center

Closed2 – District Annual Meeting9 – Roundtable9 – OA Chapter Meeting12 – Commissioner Workshop21 – Martin Luther King Day – Re-

source Center Closed26 – Cub Scout Winter Blast30 - Commissioner Staff Meeting

February6 – District Committee Meeting8 – 10 – Klondike Derby13 – Roundtable13 – OA Chapter Meeting18 – President’s Day – Resource

Center Closed

March6 – District Committee Meeting13 – Roundtable13 – OA Chapter Meeting27 – Commissioner Staff Meeting


Pomperaug District The Scouter

Pomperaug District

Serving Bridgeport, Easton, Fairfield, Monroe, Stratford,

Trumbull, Weston, and Westport.

www.ctyankee.org/pomperaug

District ChairmanBill Ference(203) [email protected]

District CommissionerScott McCurdy(203) [email protected]

Vice Chairman for FinanceDennis Doherty(203) [email protected]

Vice Chairman for MembershipBob Cloutier(203) [email protected]

Vice Chairman for ProgramFrank Duffy(203) [email protected]

District DirectorJonathan Glassman(203) 876-6868, Ext. [email protected]

Friends of ScoutingThe Pomperaug District has

kicked-off the 2013 Friends of Scouting campaign. The district and council rely upon the sup-port of each Pack, Troop, Team, Crew and Ship to help in raising the funds that help in providing the many services that the council makes available for its units and families. When a presentation is made at your unit, please give as generously as possible, and help the council to continue providing a quality Scouting program for the young people in our communities.

For more information about the Friends of Scouting campaign, to schedule a unit presentation, or if you are interested in helping to raise funds, please contact our Family Campaign Chairs Jennifer Jackson at [email protected] or Joyce Ference at [email protected].

Council Recogni-tion Dinner

The Council’s Annual Recogni-tion Dinner is Thursday, Jan. 24 at the McClinch Family Center at St. Catherine of Siena Parish in Trumbull. Join Scouters from across the council to celebrate our achievements and recognize volunteers and youth for extraordi-nary service to Scouting and their communities. The highlight of the evening will be the presentation of the Silver Beaver Award, the highest recognition a local council can bestow upon a volunteer. Three Pomperaug District Scout-ers, Joyce Ference, Michael Card and David Mestre, will be among those honored with the Silver Bea-ver Award at this year’s dinner.

Also to be awarded will be the Council Venturing Leadership Awards to the Pomperaug Dis-trict’s Tara Moore. Please join us in recognizing Joyce, Mike, Dave, Tara, and many other dedicated Scouters and youth members for the roles they play in providing quality Scouting programs across our council.

District DinnerThe Pomperaug District’s An-

nual Dinner will be held Thursday, Feb. 28, 7 p.m. at Vazzy’s at Fair-child Wheeler Golf Course, 2390 Easton Turnpike, Fairfield. Join us in celebrating the 103rd birthday of the Boy Scouts of America and honoring the achievements

of Pomperaug District Scouters. The highlight of the evening will be the presentation of the District Award of Merit. Other awards and recognitions to be presented are the Unit Leader Awards of Merit, Key Three Awards, Unit Spark Plug Awards and Veteran’s Awards. Silver Beaver Award and Venturing Leadership Award recipients will also be recognized. Additional information and reg-istration materials are available on the district webpage.

Ski Trip to Mount Snow

Troop 36 will host a Scout ski trip to Mount Snow in Vermont on January 25-27. Bring your Scouts and family out for a week-end of skiing and snowboarding. Overnight accommodations will be provided in Brattleboro, Ver-mont. Information is available on the Pomperaug District news page of the Council website. Questions can be directed to Jack Berry at [email protected] .

Klondike DerbyThe Pomperaug District/

Sleeping Giant District Klondike Derby will be held on January 19 at Camp Sequassen. For more information check the Pompe-raug District website or contact Frank Duffy at (203) 373-1393 or [email protected].

RoundtableThe Pomperaug District of-

fers Roundtable meetings on the second Tuesday of every month (September-May), 7:30 p.m. at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, 30 Bonnie View Drive in Trumbull. Come out to the Roundtable to get information on upcoming district and council ac-tivities, training opportunities, and ideas for unit programs that you can bring back and implement with your Pack, Troop or Crew. For more information contact District Commissioner Scott McCurdy.

Jewish Cub Scout Religious Emblems

WorkshopThe Jewish Cub Scout Religious

Emblems Workshop is Sunday, Jan. 27, 1:30-4:00 p.m. at the Jew-ish Community Center of Eastern Fairfield County, 4200 Park

Avenue in Bridgeport. Cub Scouts can earn the Maccabee and Aleph emblems during this fun-filled and educational day. A $15 registration fee covers all program materials and a snack. Scout earning reli-gious emblems will be recognized at the Council Scout Shabbat Ser-vice on Friday, February 8. Don’t miss out! For additional informa-tion and registration materials go to the Jewish Committee page on the council website.

FacebookBecome a fan of the Pomperaug

District on Facebook. Simply search for Pomperaug District. Once on the page, click to become a fan and you’ll receive updates as to what’s happening.

William D. Boyce Award

Are you interested in a short term commitment that can have a positive long term effect on the young people of your community? If so, volunteer as a new unit orga-nizer. Organize a new Cub Scout Pack, Boy Scout Troop, Venturing Crew, or Sea Scout Ship and be recognized with the William D. Boyce Unit Organizer Award. The award consists of a uniform square knot certificate, and lapel pin. For more information, contact District Vice Chairman for Membership Bob Cloutier or District Director Jonathan Glassman.

District CalendarJanuary8 – District Committee Meeting8 – Commissioner Staff Meeting8 – Roundtable8 – OA Chapter Meeting19 – Klondike Derby24 – Council Annual Meeting &

Recognition Dinner

February3 – Scout Sunday3-9 – Scouting Anniversary Week5 – District Committee Meeting8 – Scout Shabbat Service12 – Commissioner Staff Meeting12 – Roundtable12 – OA Chapter Meeting28 – District Recognition Dinner

March5 – District Committee Meeting12 – Commissioner Staff Meeting12 – Roundtable12 – OA Chapter Meeting

From The District ChairmanCongratulations Pomperaug District Silver Beaver recipients:

Michael Card, Dave Mestre and Joyce Ference. We would like to thank you for your years of service to the youth of our district and council. Your hard work and dedication to the ideals of scouting are much appreciated.

In October we had our District’s Fall Camporee, the scout leader challenge. Three hundred scouts and scout leaders came to Camp Sequassen on a rainy Friday evening to wake up to a sunny Satur-day for the day’s activities. Knot tying, compass, tent peg relay, yes we did let them use hatchets to make tent pegs, fire building and many more. My favorite part was judging the deserts on Saturday night. There were so many creative and tasty delights.

The District Committees that have been working hard to finish the years FOS and membership goals. Thank you to the teams who have been manning the phones, making Unit visits, selling popcorn and as always having fun.

As I look forward to 2013, I’m very excited about the upcoming activities, the Spring Camporee at Camp Sequassen, three for three events at Camp Sequassen and the Fall Camporee that we hope to combine a ropes challenge with an emergency preparedness campo-ree. This summer we will have our National jamboree a the Bechtel Summit. I will be on national staff for shooting sports and many of our Pomperaug adults will be on Council or National staff with me.

I am looking forward to the New Year and I hope to see you all at the exciting events planned for 2013.

– Bill Ference, District Chairman

Supporting Scouting is just a QR code away. Scan the code below to make your pledge securely online.


Scatacook District The Scouter

Scatacook District

Serving Bethel, Brookfield, Danbury, New Fairfield, Newtown, Redding,

Ridgefield, and Sherman.

www.ctyankee.org/scatacook

District ChairmanEric [email protected]

District CommissionerTom O’Brien(203) [email protected]

District ExecutiveGary Chrislip(203) 876-6868, Ext. 233 [email protected]

Sandy HookNow that we have had a little time to reflect on the tragedy that has befallen Newtown and all of us,

and having attended the funerals/ wakes of the five families from Pack 170, I know there is hope for all. The support that has come in from across the globe is amazing.

To our units in Scatacook and especially Newtown, you are amazing in your support and love. Yester-day's ceremony for Benjamin Wheeler was the most beautiful thing every seen. Brian Anderson's photos captured the moments. I am so proud to say I am your district chairman.

To our fellow Scouters from Syracuse, NY and Kingston, NY - thank you. At a moments notice, to travel the distance you did to help us salute Ben and his family is inspirational. You remind us that Scout-ing is a family. When one of the family calls, we all come. I salute you!

To Doug Machin, Jon Pleva, Gary Chrislip, Blaine Boxwell, Jonathan Glassman, Mike Abrahamson and Charles Flowers - thank you gentlemen for all the support you have given us during this most dif-ficult time.

To Tom O'Brien, my partner in crime of the Key 3 - thank you for helping me with the heavy burden that came upon us. Yesterday would not have been possible without you.

To Pack 170 - you are truly amazing and strong people. Liz and Mark, your leadership in this time is an example for all of us. Thank you. To the others leaders, who I met for the first time last Sunday night, words cannot express the admiration I have for you as you joined around to comfort and help your fami-lies. You make us all proud. Thank you.

As we move forward, I wish all of our Scatacook families the best this holiday season. And to all a joy-ous and Happy New Year.

– Eric Larson, District Chairman

Two Silver BeaversIt is with great honor Scatacook

announces its two Silver Beaver recipients for 2013:

David Barrett of NewtownBruce Bowlus of Ridgefield.Both gentlemen have given

greatly of their time and energy to Scatacook and Boy Scouting. So mark your calendars for Thursday, Jan. 24 when the Silver Beavers will be awarded. The location is McClinch Family Center, St. Catherine of Siena Church, 210 Shelton Road, Trumbull.

Let us join Dave and Bruce that night. Registration forms are avail-able online at www.ctyankee.org.

Klondike Derby

The Scatacook District Klon-dike Derby is being held at Volunteer Park in Sherman. This exciting event will begin on Friday, January 25 with a campfire and continue on Saturday, January 26 with activities. For more infor-mation check www.scatacook.org or www.ctyankee.org

Webelos Activity Pin Activity College

Troop 431 of Ridgefield is hosting a Webelos Activity Pin College on Saturday, January 12, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The loca-tion is Saint Stephen’s Episcopal Church- North Hall, 351 Main Street, Ridgefield. The cost of this activity is $35 per person. Space and Activity Pin selection are limited and will be accepted on a first-come, first served basis. For more information contact Shelly Schonberg (203) 431-0959 or [email protected]

Scouts in Government DayThe Scatacook District is host-

ing Scouts in Government Day on Wednesday, February 6. Appli-cations are being accepted until January 2, 2013. For more infor-mation contact Cindy Palmer at (203) 313-5926 or [email protected].

District CalendarJanuary2 – District Committee Meeting - St.

Thomas Episcopal Church, Bethel 7:30 p.m.

9 – Roundtable - St. Thomas Episco-pal Church, Bethel 7:30 p.m.

12 – Webelos Activity Pin College- Troop 431 - St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, Ridgefield

25-26 – Scatacook District Klondike Derby-Volunteer Park, Sherman

February6 – District Committee Meeting6 – Scouts in Government Day13 – Roundtable

March6 – District Committee Meeting13 – Roundtable16 – Boy Scout Leader Specific Training

Lighthouse District The Scouter


Lighthouse District

Serving Branford, East Haven, Guilford, Madison, New Haven,

and North Branford.

www.ctyankee.org/lighthouse

District ChairmanPat Freeman(203) [email protected]

District CommissionerKeith Sparr(203) [email protected]

Sr. District ExecutiveHerb Kemp(203) 876-6868, Ext. [email protected]

Klondike DerbyThe 2013 Winter Klondike

will hosted again by Troop 428, Branford, January 18-20. This year we move to Deer Lake Scout Res-ervation. Scouts will be camping in the new lean-to sites. Contact: Bob Day [email protected]

Cub KlondikeThe Lighthouse District Cub

scout Klondike Derby is returning for another fun event this coming January. Save the date of January 26, 2013. The event will be at our Deer Lake Scout Reservation. This has been a very popular event the last couple of years. Twenty dollars covers lunch, activities, an event patch and lots of hot chocolate. Parent is included. It will run from 9:30-2:30. So mark this date on your calendar and watch for more information as the date approaches. Note this date is different than what is on the Scout Directory. This is the correct date. Contact: Mark Mackowiak, [email protected]

New Haven ScoutingThe Lighthouse District is

committed to the revitalization of Scouting in New Haven. Last year, the District created the New Haven Scouting Commit-tee, tasked with the responsibility to serve in an advisory role and attract volunteers and financial resources. We have appointed a new Chairman help us in this effort: Idris Trotman - Assistant Principal, Truman School, New Haven Executive Vice-Chair, New Haven Scouting

New Haven Scout-ing Uniform DriveThe District Scout Reach

program is in need of uniforms for the 600 Scouts in New Haven. We are looking for both Cub and Boy Scout shirts in good repair. Please contact either Joan Furr at [email protected] or Herb Kemp for more details.

Popcorn Sale!Under the leadership of

Popcorn Kernel Paul Savino, our units sold over $60,000 worth of popcorn. Congratulations to all the units who participated in this excellent fundraiser. Thank you for making popcorn a part of your program because your sales help your unit succeed and keeps the Council camps, program and services strong.

RoundtableNeed inspiration, information,

and recognition then join us for the Lighthouse District Roundta-ble. We meet on the second Tues-day of the month at the North Branford High School cafeteria starting at 7:30 p.m. If you have any suggestions on what topics you would be interested in learning about, please contact Keith Spaar, District Commissioner.

Save a ScoutEvery year Lighthouse District

loses about 30% of their member-ship when Units complete their annual charter renewals. Most of these dropped youth would return if asked. We suggest calling every dropped family and invite them back. Thanks!

District Calendar

January8 – Lighthouse District Committee

Meeting-Tabor Lutheran Church- 7:30 p.m.

12 – Webelos Activity Badge Acad-emy, LDS Church, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

18-20 – Klondike Derby- Deer Lake Scout Reservation

22 – Roundtable-North Branford High School 7:30 p.m.

26 – Cub Klondike Derby- Deer Lake Scout Reservation 9:30-2:30 p.m.

February5 – District Committee Meeting7 – Council Camping Kick-off, 6 p.m.-

8:30 p.m., Fairfield Grace United Methodist Church, Fairfield.

12 – Roundtable

March5 – District Committee Meeting12 – Roundtable 23 – Pinewood Derby, McDermott

Chevy, East Haven

Drive, Ride or Get Dragged

Ring, Ring! “Hello”, “Hi, This is Ted, Do you have a minute to talk?”

The rest of the conversation was all a blur, but now I have a new patch on my shoulder and some new responsibilities. When Ted asked me to become the next Chairman for the Lighthouse Dis-trict, my first thought was how my family would deal with this new adventure. I also considered whether I knew enough to take on the job. I even spent some time thinking about those who might not want to see me in this position.

But a phrase kept popping into my head, “You can either Drive the Train, Ride the Train, or get Dragged along behind it”. I usually think of this related to my work. I am an engineer for a medical device company. The medical device industry is driven by regulations and standards. If you work to write and establish the standards you can change the direction of the industry. At the very least we need to follow the standards and make changes to the products as the standards evolve (riding the train). If you don’t help write the standards or follow them, then you get run over by them. So how did this little phrase influence my decision, well to apply this analogy to Scouting, you can drive the train by being a member of the District Committee, or you can ride the train by attending the District Round Table meetings. If you don’t do either of those things then you may just get dragged behind the train because the program that you offer your scouts will be missing out on some re-ally great district programs.

So I decided that I wanted to do help drive the train, and after getting the green light from the most important people in my life, my wife and kids; I decided that I would take this opportunity to work with the best and some of the most experienced Scouters in the Lighthouse District. I highly recommend stopping by and at least visiting a District Committee meeting. The meetings are open to everyone, without exception. So please accept my personal invita-tion to attend a Lighthouse District Committee meeting. We meet the first Tuesday of the month at Tabor Church in Branford. The meetings start at 7:30 p.m. I hope to see you there. If you like what you see maybe you can help drive the train too.

Patrick Freeman, District Chairman

To The Lighthouse District:It has been an honor and a great privilege to serve again as your

District Commissioner for the past two years. During my tenure, I have very much enjoyed working with the most dedicated professionals and volunteers both at the district and unit level. Our scouting program seems to get better and stronger each year due to your collective efforts. Our boys are fortunate for it is through your efforts that they are able to participate in a truly great program. “We are small but, we are mighty!”

I take this opportunity to introduce Keith Spaar as my successor. Most, if not all of you, know that Keith has been very active as Scout-master of Troop 428 in Branford, our district Leave-No-Trace trainer and most recently serving as District Program Chairman. It is without reservation that I step down leaving the duties of District Commis-sioner in his very capable hands. Keith brings renewed energy and new ideas that will surely strengthen our ability to better serve all of our units across the district. Keith, I congratulate you and wish you all the best in your new role as a member of the Key 3 for Lighthouse District.

I now look forward to serving as a Unit Commissioner and as one of the Scoutmasters in the Council 2013 National Jamboree contingent this coming summer.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve as your District Commissioner and I leave you with one of my favorite quotes from our founder.

“In all of this, it is the spirit that matters. Our Scout Law and Prom-ise, when we really put them into practice, take away all occasions for wars and strife among Nations.” - Lord Baden-Powell

Kirk L. Engstrom, District Commissioner

We presented a charter for the new Cub Scout Pack 125 to Worshipful Master Jason Morse at a meeting and Scout Night of Cosmopolitan Lodge in New Haven on November 21, 2012.

Tiger TracksTiger Scouts and their Part-

ners are invited to join us for an afternoon of Tiger Sized Fun at the 2013 Tiger Tracks!! The event will be held on January 12, 1:00-3:00 p.m. at Holy Infant School, 450 Racebrook Road, Orange. Boys and their partners will travel from station to station working on Tiger Cub Electives. Go to every table, do all the activities, and you'll earn 10 electives and receive a Tiger Track Bead!!

See the district webpage for more information and registration materials.

For questions, contact Donna Wesolowski at [email protected], 203-799-3519.

WAPAWAPA (Webelos Activity Pin

Academy) is on January 12, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Holy Infant School, 450 Racebrook Road, Orange.

Webelos Scouts can pick two or three Activity Pins to work on with local Boy Scouts helping to teach the skills. This is an action packed day with the added op-portunity of being able to see all of our local Scout Troops in action so that each Webelos Scout can start to pick the “best fit” troop to move up to after Cub Scouts. There will be three 90 minute Activity Pin sessions (two in the morn-ing and one after lunch). Some Activity Pins may run for more than one session. For some pins, not all requirements will be able to be finished that day. Everyone should bring their own lunch.

For questions, contact Donna Wesolowski at [email protected], (203) 799-3519.

Friends of ScoutingThe Wepawaug Valley District

has kicked-off the 2013 Friends of Scouting campaign. For infor-mation about the campaign, to schedule a unit presentation, or if you are interested in helping to raise funds, please contact our

Family Campaign Chairman Don Kaletsky at (203) 882-1818 or [email protected].

District DinnerThe Wepawaug Valley Dis-

trict’s Annual Dinner will be held Wednesday, April 24, 6:00 p.m. at the Race Brook Country Club in Orange. Join us in celebrating the 103rd birthday of the Boy Scouts of America and honoring the achievements of Wepawaug Valley District Scouters. The highlight of the evening will be the presen-tation of the District Award of Merit. Other awards and recogni-tions to be presented are the Unit Leader Awards of Merit, Veteran’s Awards, Unit Scouter Awards, and more. Additional information and registration materials are available on the district webpage.

Ski Trip To Mt. SnowTroop 36, Westport will host a

Scout ski trip to Mount Snow in Vermont on January 25-27. Bring your Scouts and family out for a weekend of skiing and snowboard-ing. Overnight accommodations will be provided in Brattleboro,

Vermont. Information is avail-able on the Pomperaug District news page of the Council website. Questions can be directed to Jack Berry at [email protected] .

Klondike DerbyWepawaug Valley Boy Scout

Troops have been invited to participate at the Pomperaug/Sleeping Giant District Klond-ike Derby, which will be held on January 19 at Camp Sequassen. For more information check the district website or contact Lynn Crisci at [email protected].

RoundtableRoundtable meetings are the

first Monday of every month (Sep-tember – May), 7:30 p.m. at the Council Service Center. Come out and get information on upcom-ing district and council activities, training opportunities, and ideas for unit program that you can bring back and implement with your Pack, Troop, Crew or Ship.

For more information contact District Commissioner Dee McLenithan.

Continued on Page 22


Wepawaug Valley District The Scouter

Wepawaug Valley

DistrictServing Bethany, Milford, Orange,

West Haven, and Woodbridge.

www.ctyankee.org/wepawaug

District ChairmanBlaine Boxwell, Jr.(203) [email protected]

District CommissionerDeeanna McLenithan(203) [email protected]

District DirectorJonathan Glassman(203) 876-6868, Ext. [email protected]

Hundreds of Cub Scouts from across the Wepawaug Valley District gath-ered at Camp Cedarcrest on October 26-28 to participate in the Haunt-O-Ree. Scouts enjoyed a weekend of creepy, crawly, Halloween themed activities. Pictured here, Haunt-O-Ree Chairman George Scobie fishing with his grandson at the event.”

Following Hurricane Sandy, Scouts from across the district helped those in need. Scouts participated in beach and neighborhood clean-ups, food collec-tions and providing meals, and more. Great job, Scouts!

District CalendarJanuary7 – Roundtable7 – OA Chapter Meeting9 – Commissioner Staff Meeting9 – District Committee Meeting12 – Tiger Tracks/WAPA24 – Council Annual Meeting & Rec-

ognition Dinner

February3-9 – Scouting Anniversary Week3 – Scout Sunday4 – Roundtable13 – Commissioner Staff Meeting13 – District Committee Meeting

March4 – Roundtable13 – Commissioner Staff Meeting13 – District Committee Meeting

April1 – Roundtable10 – Commissioner Staff Meeting10 – District Committee Meeting13 – Boy Scout Leader Training22 – Earth Day24 – District Recognition Dinner

From The District CommissionerIt’s been a busy and eventful fall for us and I hope the new year

finds everyone safe and well. If you need any assistance of any kind, please contact us and we will do our best to help you out or find the services that you may need.

I would like to thank our Commissioners’ staff for all that they have been doing to help our units be as strong as they can be.

To me, service to others is one of the most important aspects of Scouting. I am elated with the overwhelming response from our units during our recent calls “to help”. The City of Milford did not hesitate to call upon our ability to quickly and efficiently lend a hand with recent storm relief efforts. I was very impressed to see our “inland units” coming down to the coastline to also help. It was a true Scouting community effort. Food drives in all towns were all also hugely successful. Don’t forget to log those service hours on the Journey to Excellence and Messengers of Peace websites. I wouldn’t hesitate to estimate the total storm relief effort at over 1,000 hours of volunteer service! Let’s get some well deserved credit for it.

Fall is over, but there’s never a bad time to recruit new Scouts. Ask all of your young men and women to invite a friend to an upcoming meeting, outing, or service project.

Rechartering has come and past. Contact your unit commis-sioner, or a member of our district leadership team for any assis-tance you may need. We are here to HELP. It is imperative that we make this a top priority.

Training is always a priority and you can check on MyScouting to ensure that your leaders and committee members’ are up to date.

As always, Keep it Simple, Make it Fun. Scouting is absolutely about helping others, but it is also about having fun. Thank you all for everything that you do for your unit, district, and Council.

Dee McLenithan, District Commissioner

WepawaugContinued from Page 21

Thanks For Giving Food Drive

I want to thank everyone who helped out with the food drive this year. We had our best year every collecting 329 turkeys, 8 landscape trailers filled with clothes, over $3000 cash, storm supplies for area residents and enough canned goods to feed 254 families, and to stock the Milford Food Bank, St. Mary’s Food Pantry, Cornerstone Chris-tian Center and Beth El Shelter.

On behalf of the city of Milford and the families that received our gifts, I would like to ask that you thank everyone in your unit that was involved. If you need more patches for your Scouts let me know and I will get

them to you. I also want to thank all the businesses that made do-nations, if you could please email me the names of any businesses that supported the food drive effort I’d really appreciate it as

I’d like to give them more formal thank you notes.

Tom Mercaldo, Thanks For Giving Food Drive Chairman

Sleeping Giant District

Serving Hamden, Meriden, North Haven, Southington,

and Wallingford.

www.ctyankee.org/sleepinggiant

District ChairmanCaroline [email protected]

District CommissionerDion [email protected]

District ExecutiveBlaine Boxwell(203) 876-6868, Ext. [email protected]

Share the Scouting Experience

Are you passionate about scouting? Do you believe that the leadership skills developed through the scouting program make a difference? Do you believe the scout oath and law?

If you are nodding your head in agreement, then you should be re-cruiting! You work hard to provide a good Scouting experience for your scouts. Are there more youth in your area who aren't having this experience?

We focus a lot of time and energy on Cub Scout recruiting. While it is true that many of our Boy Scouts and Venturers started as cub scouts, there are thousands of potential scouts out there we aren't reaching. So I want to challenge you to find new ways to reach these future scouts.

Here are some ideas to get started.

• Encourage your scouts to bring a friend to a meeting or outing.

• Advertise events in the paper and in schools.

• Put pictures in the paper from your events. Potential scouts can see what your unit does. Who doesn't want to rock climb?

• Talk about scouting with your non-Scouter friends. You must have some right? Some of these friends might have kids.

Be proud of your unit and share what you do. We want to have as many youth as possible to have the benefit of scouting. The ball is in your court! If you have ideas, email them to me at [email protected].

Scouting for Food – Makes a difference! Each year, on the first two

weekends in November, the scout-ing units in Sleeping

Giant give back to their com-munities by participating in the “Scouting for Food” food drive. This year, 38 scout units (697 scouts) worked to collect over 32,600 pounds of food for their local food pantries. This is over 4700 pounds more than last year! Each town in Sleeping Giant participated. Special thanks to Jim Racca to coordinated the effort and to each of the town coordi-nators who made everything go smoothly at each collection site. This is what Scouting is all about!

Sleeping Giant District The Scouter

From Scouting Magazine (Jan. 2013)

Those Scouting-related expenses can stack up. It’s all for a good cause, we know, but with April 15 not that far away, here’s a quick guide to what you can – and cannot – deduct from your taxes.

Gary Seger, a CPA whose son will earn his Eagle this year, says that according to IRS guidelines, you’re allowed a charitable tax deduction for any “non-reim-bursed, out-of-pocket expenses connected directly to your per-formance as a Scout leader.” That applies to any volunteer role an adult plays in Scouting, whether a uniformed leader or a parent lending a hand.

Seger says that a broad spec-trum of expenses falls into the “can deduct” category including but not limited to: driving in performance of your duties for campouts, service projects, com-mittee meetings, training ses-sions, or other Scouting related activities. You can take either 14 cents per mile or the actual

cost of gas and oil. You may also deduct the cost of materials for items such as awards, food, lodg-ing, parking, tolls and admis-sion fees if you’re accompanying Scouts to educational activities like museums. Also OK are the costs of uniforms, patches, books, charts or maps used in your role as a Scouting volunteer.

One caveat: meals are only deductible if you have incurred an overnight stay, Seger says. If you’re driving back from a week-end campout and stop for lunch, your meal is deductible. If you just attended a two-hour meeting and your stomach’s growling, you’ll need to pick up the full tab yourself.

As for other no-nos, Ken Sibley, also a CPA warns that the

IRS has stepped up enforcement on charitable contributions. For example, if you want to deduct costs of uniforms, they must be official and not something you might wear in the course of daily activities. You also can’t deduct the cost of a tent or rock-climbing gear or fishing equip-ment because these items could easily be used for non-Scouting purposes.

Another murky area has to do with banquets and auctions. If you buy a 10-seat table at $100 a seat, you can deduct nine of the seats ($900) but not your own. That’s because you receive a $100 benefit from the purchase. In ad-dition, if you buy an item worth $100 for $200 at a charitable auction, you can’t deduct the first $100 – the actual value – but you can deduct what you paid beyond its stated value.

Consult with a tax professional if you have any doubts about de-duction dos and don’ts. These tips are just guidelines and may not apply to your particular situation.

Scout Out Your Deductible Expenses

District CalendarJanuary7 – District Committee Meeting14 – Roundtable14 – OA Chapter Meeting19 – Klondike Derby27 – WOW - Webelos Opportunity

Workshop

February4 – District Committee Meeting11 – Roundtable11 – OA Chapter Meeting23 – Blizzard Blast

March4 – District Committee Meeting11 – Roundtable11 – OA Chapter Meeting

April1 – District Committee Meeting8 – Roundtable8 – OA Chapter Meeting20 – District Pinewood Derby

Milford Scouts are distributing flyers from the City of Milford to residents who were in need of storm relief


Your support of Friends of Scouting makes The Scouter, and the other services of the Council possible. Thank you.


Council The Scouter

PowahayContinued from Page 17

which helps them understand that multiple viewpoints are valid and should be respected. Troop Lead-ership Training can be a great way for Scouts with autism to become more aware of what is normal behavior in social interactions.

Below are several BSA publica-tions related to scouts with Autism and/or other disabilities, that con-tain information that could help both parents of Scouts with autism and Scouters with autistic scouts in their Unit. The “Individual Scout Action Plan” was developed by the Working with Scouts with DisAbilities website and is similar to an “Individual Education Program” (IEP) that a disabled student would have at school. This is not an official BSA worksheet, but could be a very useful tool in helping an autistic Scout advance and thrive in the BSA.

Scouting for Youth With Disabilities Manual: Autism Spectrum Disorders BSA Fact Sheet on Scouts

with Disabilities BSA Policy on Disabled

Scouts Advancement for Youth

Members With Disabilities Individual Scout Action Plan Autism Elopement Alert

Form

Klondike DerbyThis year’s Powahay District

Klondike Derby will be held at the Ernest Thompson Seton Scout Reservation in Greenwich, CT on the weekend of February 8-10, 2013.

Building on our experience at Camp Seton last year, this should be even better. Remember that we camped on one of the very few snowy weekends last winter?

This year, we have many of our Troops contributing to run the activity stations. This format will certainly be exciting and provide some nice variety! The afternoon will be filled with the classic Klondike Sled races. So, get those sleds out now and get them race-ready! We will again have the use of the large Pray Build-ing for Friday night activities and other needs during Saturday. Be Prepared: with proper prepara-tion cold weather camping can be a fun, unique, and educational

experience for all. Take the time to prepare and a great experience is guaranteed.

Additional information and registration forms are available on our district webpage.

Or contact: Kevin Smith, Boy Scout Activity Chair, [email protected]

Sub Zero Patch

The Sub-Zero Camper patch is available to any Powahay District Scout or Adult Leader who camps overnight, in the outdoors, when temperatures drops below zero degrees Fahrenheit. The camp-ing must be spent in either a tent or a structure of natural material built for the purpose of camp-ing. Proper cold weather camping skills must be exhibited. There are not many opportunities to earn this unique patch and our District Klondike is one of those unique opportunities. Download the Sub-Zero Form from the District webpage.

Advancement Notes

National Advancement is asking advancement committees to remind both the Cub Scout and Boy Scout leaders to enter advancement of their youth soon after the award or rank is earned. Many units are holding onto the records and not entering the ad-vancement into Internet Advance-ment (IA) until just before a pack meeting, Blue & Gold dinner or a Court of Honor. In the monthly advancement reports we are see-ing months go by with very little advancement activity in IA and then spike due to some recogni-tion event that is being planned. Please take some time to enter the advancement as soon as earned. Please remember that if you pur-chase awards outside of Council using the old paper advancement reports, you are still required to enter the awards into IA.

As to Eagle service project pro-posals, Scouts are leaving the date of Life board of review as well as the district blank. In addition, Scouts are forgetting to sign the project proposal (page 10 of work-book). The troop’s Project Coach or Eagle Coordinator needs to remind the Eagle candidate that these items are required.

“This was one of the best run Scouting events ever. The passion and commitment from the instruc-tors was awesome. They cared deeply for the boys and loved their respec-tive trade.” - A parent

Need work done around your house? The 80 Scouts who at-tended the first annual Building Trades Merit Badge Workshop on October 13 are ready and prepared to fix just about any-thing. We were proud to partner with the Connecticut’s unions to offer this brand new opportunity this year. The workshop at the Plumbers 777 Apprenticeship

Training school in Meriden gave Scouts the opportunity to earn merit badges taught by skilled tradesmen using modern tools and techniques.

We have a saying that boys join Scouting for fire and knives. Boys attended this workshop for blowtorches and power tools.

We extend our thanks to all the volunteers and leaders who made the weekend possible. Thank you to the following trades and businesses who helped:

Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 777International Union of Operat-

ing Engineers Local 478

International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 90

Bl CompaniesInternational Union of Paint-

ers and Allied Trades District Council 11

Mechanical Contractors of Connecticut

Connecticut Carpenters Ap-prentice and Training Fund

Sheetmetal Workers Interna-tional Association Local 40

Thanks also to Roger Poggio for his help. Look for details on the Council website as a date is set for the 2013 Building Trades Merit Badge Workshop.

Building Tradesmen Through Merit Badges

‘Call Me Baby’ Carly To Open JamboStill on the fence about attend-

ing the Jamboree? The hits just keep on coming.Exactly one month after the

BSA locked in Train to close the 2013 jamboree, we now know who will kick things off at the Summit Bechtel Reserve next summer.

It’s Carly Rae Jepsen, the 27-year-old Canadian songstress whose single “Call Me Maybe” won MTV’s Best Song Of 2012 honors and has been seen more than 360 million times on You-

Tube – and counting.Carly, who’s up for two

Grammy Awards in February, will headline the “Welcome to the Summit” show on Tuesday morning, July 16, at the stadium (the area known as the arena at past jamborees).

If, somehow, you’ve missed the video or the dozens of spinoffs it spawned — from the USA Olympic Swim Team, NASA, Sesame Street, and the U.S. Armed Forces, to name a few — you can watch the original below.

But fair warning: The infectious tune will stick in your head till July.

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