Inclusion Toolbox

The BSA has many training resources to help us in serving the youth. We want to introduce you to the Inclusion Toolbox. Every Unit should be familiar with information that will help you as leaders in working with youth with disabilities. Our aim is to help all youth who want to join Scouts do so with leaders who know how help them feel accepted.

The Inclusion Toolbox 

The Inclusion Toolbox for Special Needs and Disabilities is a printable website that keeps special needs and disability information accessible 24/7/365 for the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) community, including Scouts BSA. The Toolbox replaces the printed and PDF Scouting for Youth with Disabilities Manual from 2007.

The Toolbox does not read like a novel or textbook. It is designed to allow you to jump to the topics of greatest interest and then read other sections later. Use the Inclusion Toolbox menu (above) on the AbleScouts site to find the Toolbox and list its modules. Each module contains a Table of Contents outlining its material. You may also use the web site’s search feature to jump to what you need.

Here are the modules of the Inclusion Toolbox. They are also posted on the Scouting.org web site. There are three major sections:

• The Toolbox, modules A through W
• AA: Appendices
• BB: Camp Programs for Scouts with Special Needs and Disabilities
  
  

Individual modules will be updated as required.

• The Toolbox
• A: Introduction
• B: Basics of Scouting From a Special Needs Perspective
• C: Unit Leader’s Role Supporting Scouts with a Disability
• D: Parent’s Role Supporting a Scout with a Disability
• E: Navigating Advancement Requirements
• F: Methods That Apply to Many Types of Disabilities
• G: Organizations That Support Those with Disabilities
• H: Understanding Allergies and Food Issues
• K: Understanding Attention Deficit/ Hyperactivity
• L:Understanding Autism
• M: Understanding Blindness and Vision Impairment
• N: Understanding Deafness and Hearing Impairment
• P: Understanding Intellectual Disability
• Q: Understanding Learning Disorders
• R: Understanding Physical Disabilities (Mobility/ Gross & Fine Motor)
• S: Understanding Speech and Language Disorders
• U: Special Needs and Disabilities (SND) Committees
• V: Evaluating Advancement Alternatives
• W: Commissioner Service for Units
• AA: Appendices
• Special Needs and Disability Language Matters
• Credits & Acknowledgements
• BB: Camp Programs for Scouts with Special Needs and Disabilities
• Aquatic Programs
• BB-1: Swim Areas
• BB-2: Waterfront and Boating
• Shooting Sports 
• BB-3: Guns
• BB-4: Low Velocity

Any questions contact your district Disability Awareness Committee member on your district Advancement committee or Roger Heslop, Chair, Crossroads of the West council Disability Awareness committee at 801-791-1526 or rhes44@gmail.com.

Who Needs Training?

 

All leaders who work directly with youth, as well as all leaders in the service area, should be trained. Identify those leaders who serve in your unit who have not completed training. Encourage them to start training with the on-line modules in their My.Scouting account.

Promote Training to your Unit Leaders

One of the best ways to promote training to your unit leaders is at your monthly committee meetings. As a Committee Chairman or the Training Chair, if you have one, may take turns in giving a Training minute. The information during this training minute can help them understand the need for them to be trained. It can be something these leaders have learned from training or even a story of how training helped when working with the youth you are serving. Training can also help you to develop new skills and keep learning alive and fresh to improve the scouting program. There is always something to learn to keep the leaders up to date and make Scouting an exciting place to be. 

Supplemental Training for Scout Leaders

Last month we talked about what is means to be Leader Specific Trained in the Scouting program. We would like to add that in your my.Scouting account you will see a Trained patch by the scout title you are registered in when you have completed the necessary training. This is found on top of the requirement page.

This month we will look at the Supplemental Training Unit Leaders can use to help them keep the scouting program fresh and fun for the youth they serve.
(The following information was taken from BSA resource “The Guide to Leader Training” book pages 21-22)

BASIC Training

All leaders are encouraged to complete leader position-specific training before they meet with youth to prepare them for the opportunities and responsibilities relating to their leadership positions. Leader position-specific training is also an opportunity for new leaders to get answers to questions they might have about their roles and responsibilities. Training is available for every position at the unit, district, and council level.

SUPPLEMENTAL Training

Supplemental training includes a variety of courses offered on a district, council, area, regional, or national basis. Courses are designed to give additional information on targeted areas of the program through additional knowledge of Scouting in general, additional skills and roles knowledge, and/ or beginning or advanced leadership skills. Some of the information presented in basic training is treated in greater depth in supplemental training courses. Some courses are held on a regular basis to cultivate our culture of continuous learning. 

Supplemental training is also offered in conferences at BSA national training centers. Roundtables, BALOO, Safe Swim Defense, and National Camp School are examples of supplemental training. A supplemental course might teach a specific Scouting skill or idea, enhance leadership skills, or prepare someone to teach others. Supplemental training is intended to enrich the leader’s experience.

Examples of some of the many supplemental courses held on a regular basis include the following:

•  CUBCAST/SCOUTCAST.
• CubCast and ScoutCast are audio podcasts that provide Cub Scout and Boy Scout leaders, parents, and unit-serving executives with a variety of program how-tos and informational topics that can be used right away. Produced in an AM radio format and updated monthly on scouting.org, these information-packed programs can be downloaded on a computer or MP3 player and listened to at any time or shared at roundtables or other training events.
• TRAIN-THE-TRAINER COURSES. 
• A train-the-trainer course gives trainers the methods and theory behind offering successful training sessions in the Boy Scouts of America.
• FUNDAMENTALS OF TRAINING help trainers, regardless of previous experience, improve their basic presentation skills. (NOTE: Fundamentals is required for the position of pack trainer.)
• TRAINER’S EDGE provides additional presentational development and supports the instructor’s skills that were formalized in Fundamentals. (NOTE: Trainer’s EDGE is required for Wood Badge and NYLT staff.
• THE STRATEGIC TRAINING PLAN teaches participants how to collect and analyze data, formulate and execute a training plan, and review results and make adjustments as necessary.

What Does It Mean to Be Trained?

 The Boy Scouts of America has always encouraged training for both youth and adult leaders. But exactly what does it mean to be 'trained'?  How do you know if you are trained in your current position?

In order to be fully trained you will have taken all the training in-person or online that are necessary for your scout position. If you were trained in your scout position before 2017 it is highly recommended you retake the trainings. Many changes have taken place and it is best to refresh your mind in the programs of scouting.

Here is a guide to see if you can count yourself as being trained.

1. You have taken the Youth Protection Training before you registered as a scout leader in scouting.
1. You then update this training every two years.
2. You login on to my.scouting.org and look at Leader Specific for your area of scouting. 
1. When you click on the menu, a drop-down menu appears. 
2. Click on Training. 
3. In this area you will see three areas:
1. YPT & Training Center
2. Required for your Scouting position
3. Completed

Let’s investigate each of these:

YPT & Training Center: Your title of your position will help you know which training you will need. For example, if you are a Cubmaster or Scoutmaster, you will click on Cub Scouts or Boy Scouts, click on the training that pertains to your position. You will see what has been completed and what percentage is still to be completed. You will be done when you have completed all the modules in the section called 'Required for your Position'. Cubmasters and Scoutmasters need additional Outdoor trainings called Baloo, for Cub Masters, and Introduction to Outdoor Skills for Scoutmasters. Outdoor trainings are to be done in person. The Council offers a couple trainings during each calendar year.

Required for your Position: This section is where you see all the modules that will fully complete your training. Each one will be 4–15 minutes long to give you an understanding of your scout position. The more titles you have the longer the list. Most of these trainings only need to be taken once. If you pace yourself, a few modules every week will help you be fully trained in a few months.

Completed: This area will list all the trainings you have completed and when they will need to be renewed.

Meet the New District Commissioner

 At the Old Ephraim District Business meeting held on February 4, 2022, Jared Olschewski was introduced as the new Old Ephraim District Commissioner. We asked him to share a little about himself so we can get to know him.

I live in Brigham City with my wife of 26 years, Teresa (she is part of the Silver Beaver class of 2018). We have two sons, one daughter, and two daughters-in-law. For years I have worked in customer relations, and the past decade has been in the tech industry. Currently, I am the Vice President of Customer Experience for a tech startup based out of London. 

My wife and I love to travel (which my job requires a significant amount of when there isn't a global pandemic) and are aspiring foodies. I have been blessed to visit all 50 states and 6 continents, and I'm working towards crossing off the 7th for our 30th wedding anniversary. We love to experience various cultures and explore their history and beauty. You can always find goodness if you look for it, and it is amazing how many connections you can make through Scouting wherever you go. 

In my 20+ years as an adult leader I have worked in every program in the BSA in councils in Utah and North Carolina. For many years I was serving in LDS units and a community unit at the same time, and worked to make sure all youth had an opportunity to participate. I have spent a lot of time training adults and youth as a Council Training Chair, Area Powder Horn Coordinator, Course Director (NYLT, Wood Badge, Powder Horn), National Camp School, NRA Training Counselor, Roundtable Staff, etc. I have been blessed to attend Philmont twice, 2013 National Jamboree as a Scoutmaster, and Japan as a National Contingent Leader for a Friendship Exchange with the Scout Association of Japan in 2011. I have served on various committees, including national and international. 

Like many Scouters, I am usually wearing multiple Scouting hats because I love this program. I have been presented with many awards over the years, which is nice to know my efforts are appreciated and in line with what we are trying to accomplish as Scouters, but the one that has the most meaning to me is my Eagle. That is why I wanted to be a Scout, and it was the only award I had a desire to earn.

District Awards of Merit Presented

On February 4, 2022, District Award of Merits were presented to Jared DeHart and Sheri' Nielsen at the annual Old Ephraim Recognition Dinner.

Sheri' Nielsen

Assistant Scoutmaster Troop 2119

Sheri' Nielsen has served in a number of positions during her Scouting career and is currently serving as an Assistant Scoutmaster for Troop 2119, the first BSA girl's troop in this district. She also serves as a Den Leader for Packs 314 and 589 and is on the committees of their companion troops. Sheri' is a strong believer in Scouting's mission statement and the strength that it can bring to our communities, and puts her belief  in to action through her service. She is the mother of seven children, three of which are still at home and also active in Scouting units. 

Service is an ingrained part of Sheri's life. She has served her country as a member of the US Marines, serves actively in her church and community, and has been inducted into the Order of the Arrow whose tenets include providing cheerful service to others. She is a volunteer teacher and has also worked on several service projects with the Box Elder Community Pantry, the Box Elder County Justice Center and the Child and Family Services Department. She supports community improvement projects and strives to encourage youth to be active members in and contributors to their communities.

Jared DeHart

Assistant Scoutmaster Troop 47

Jared DeHart grew up in a Scouting family and was very active as a youth in Scouting. He served for four years on the council's NYLT (National Youth Leadership Training) staff as the Senior Patrol Leader. He also served for four years on the camp staff at the council's Aspen Ridge scout camp.

Jared is an active member of the Order of the Arrow and has served as both a Chapter and Lodge Chief. He is a Vigil Honor member of our Lodge and has been awarded both the Coup Shield and Founder's Award recognitions for his dedicated service.

Jared has earned his Wood Badge beads and has served on staff for several Klondike Derby camps and Bike the Bear events. He is currently serving as an Assistant Scoutmaster of Troop 47.

Unit Leader Training for Scouts with Disabilities

 

This month we are featuring training that will help unit leaders with scouts who have a disability. Scouting has always tried to be as inclusive as possible and by making some adaptations you can make your program accessable and welcoming to all.

The Crossroads of the West Council has created a webpage with numerous links to available trainings and resources for unit leaders use when they have scouts with disabilities or special needs within their unit. To get to the page, logon to UtahScouts.org, click Resources in the top menu. Click on Disability Awareness Resources in the drop down menu. This page has links to many resources for various kinds of disabilities. There are sections specifically dedicated to Autism and ADD\ADHD as well as information for supporting youth with physical disabilities.

These trainings will enhance your scout knowledge for your position. Often the trainings are in modules so you can do a session, stop and then come back to continue. Using this information can help you make you program available to youth with various challenges and the lives of your other scouts will be enriched because of it.

2022 Old Ephraim Klondike Derby

It's that time of year again for the always popular Klondike Derby. This annual test of scout skills and outdoor toughness will take place on Feb 25-26, 2022. We will be in the same location as last year at Sunrise Campground next to the Bear Lake Overlook. There is a $7/person fee and units are strongly encouraged to register early online so we can ensure we have enough supplies

The activities will be centered around Pioneering and Orienteering skills so practice up on your knots and compass reading. There actually are some Klondike Sled designs online where the sled is lashed together. That could be some good practice for the Pioneering activities. There will also be a 1 mile compass course, so be prepared to participate in that.

It is especially important to be prepared for cold weather campouts and you will want to be sure to have everything you need for the Klondike activities. Here are some things to keep in mind.

• Please come prepared for snow and cold. 
• Each scout needs boots, gloves and coat and a stocking hat. 
• They need shelter and a warm sleeping bag (or two)
• Please leave tennis shoes at home. Snowshoes really help! 
• Remember to clean up after yourself and leave your campsite nice and clean
•  Ashes need to be carted off or widely scattered
• No pallets allowed
• Trash, wrappers, etc must all be taken home
• Leave No Trace practices are mandatory
• Please use the restrooms at the rest stop
• We need to use parking space very efficiently
• There is not a lot of parking room so please don’t bring a large trailer if you can avoid it
• Bring meals, drinking water, firewood, equipment and Klondike sled
• There will be a Friday night cracker barrel at 8pm in the parking lot
• Saturday activities start at 9am with a flag ceremony
• Klondike race will be at 1 pm
• Activities will be basic Scout skills with an emphasis on map, compass and rope work
• A 1 mile compass course will be available
• Stations will be round robin style with no set time per station
• Each scout needs a compass and 12-15 feet of rope

The restrooms will need to be sanitized, swept and mopped at the end. If your troop would like this service project, please contact Paul at ph.cv.ut@gmail.com. 
 

UPDATE: 2022 Scouting for Food Drive

 

Update: The bags have arrived and will be available at the Logan Scout office most mornings of the this week (Feb 7-11) You can also call Jason Eborn (208-847-5487) or Randy Hadfield (435-512-0960) to make arrangements to have them delivered to you, especially for outlying units.

It's time for the annual Scouting for Food drive. This year's drive will be on Saturday, February 12, 2022. Units may participate in several ways.

 Bags will soon be available for pickup at the Scout Service Center and scouts of all ages can distribute them during the week to neighbors, friends and family. Saturday they can collect the donations and deliver them to the nearest Smith's Food and Drug store, Bank of Utah location or directly to the nearest food pantry. We will send out another email when the bags are ready and available. For units that are outlying from the Scout office, let us know and we can make arrangements to get bags to you. 

Units may also be asked to staff collection points at Smiths stores and Bank of Utah branches to help collect food that is delivered. Those staffing collection points at stores will also have flyers they can hand out to shoppers and encourage them to buy food to donate. Collection point locations can be found on the Council website.

All units should help promote the drive any way they can. Be creative and get the word out on social media or maybe post a sign in your yard. If your unit has another idea of how to collect food or to promote Scouting for Food we would love to hear about it. You can put your idea in the comments below or shoot an email to district.oldephraim+sff@gmail.com and tell us about it.

If you have questions, contact Randy Hadfield by email randy.hadfield70@gmail.com or text to 435-512-0960.

What is a Scouts Own?

 

The Scout Law teaches, “A Scout is reverent. A Scout is reverent toward God. He is faithful in his religious duties. He respects the beliefs of others.” It is important that Scouts be taught to recognize the beliefs of other Scouts and to respect those beliefs. This respect can be fostered through participating in non-denominational services or devotionals where everyone can demonstrate their duty to God despite differences in beliefs about spirituality. 

A Scout's Own (an interfaith worship service is now the BSA's preferred term) is simply a short program or service where Scouts of all ages and faiths can join together to worship and show reverence to God. These services typically include some thoughts,  poems or inspirational stories, musical numbers and singing,  prayers and sometimes readings from scriptures of different religions.

The Sunday prior to the BSA's anniversary on Feb 8th of each year is designated as Scout Sunday and scouts nationwide are encouraged to make a special effort to demonstrate reverence and to perform their duty to God. This year, Scout Sunday falls on February 6th, 2022 and the Old Ephraim District has decided to provide a special Scouts Own or interfaith worship service. The First Presbyterian Church has offered the use of their building for this event. Scouts of all ages from Cub Scouts to Venturers and their families are invited to attend this event on Sunday February 6, 2022 at 4 pm. We will meet at the First Presbyterian Church at 178 W Center Street in Logan and the service will last about an hour. Uniforms are encouraged and bring your unit flag. There will be refreshments as well. Come join us as we unitedly worship together and rejoice in the hopes and beliefs that are common to us all.

Become a Certified Angler Instructor

Robert Baden-Powell, the founder of Scouting, said "A fisherman does not bait his hook with food he likes. He uses food the fish likes" The same is true for Scouts and it turns out that fishing is what Scouts want. In fact, fishing comes in as fourth on the list in a recent survey of Cub Scouts and Scouts BSA participants about what they want from Scouting. 

Because fishing is so popular, the BSA has developed the Certified Angler Instructor (CAI) program and now are offering this unique training online over the next few weeks. The training will be offered in six modules that will be taught online every Tuesday at 9 pm from January 25 through March 1, 2022. There is a $10 fee to cover the cost of the patch and shipping. In the past, this training with travel and lodging has often run into hundreds of dollars so this is a very inexpensive option. To register, click here. You will be sent a Zoom link after you register

The CAI Training course is taught using the E.D.G.E. Method, in an effort to provide Scout Leaders/ Camp Staff with the tools necessary to design, develop and provide leadership to BSA fishing programs. Participants include current and future Council Camp Program Directors, Camp Fishing Staff Members, Merit Badge Counselors, Cub Scout Day Camp Staff, Cubmasters, Scoutmasters, Sea Scouts and Venture Staff.  Unit Leaders wishing to grow their membership with an active outdoor program!

Den Leaders, Assistant Scoutmasters, Committee Members, Star, Life and Eagle Scouts.  You will become prepared to instruct Scouts in fishing and fly fishing while using fishing to plan outdoor activities in all seasons.  This includes outdoor and indoor skill development and preparation. Leaders who take this course qualify as fishing and fly fishing merit badge counselors.

The CAI course syllabus includes age appropriate skills using fishing tools and techniques for their Scouts, ranging from Cane Pole to Fly Fishing

The course will 

• Highlight best practices on content delivery, in both the classroom and the field.
• Provide a positive fishing experience & improve your council’s fishing program
• The skills learned in the course can be used to increase membership in your unit, district and council
• Participants will become confidant in fly tying and fly casting, knot tying and catch and release practices.
• CAI offers quality fishing gear at value pricing/cost effective purchase power for units and Councils alike.

For more information check out these links:

• What is a BSA Certified Angler Instructor
• Informational Brochure
• Training Opportunities
• https://www.bsafishing.com/

Training for 2022

Most of our units have completed their rechartering and are looking toward a new year in scouting for their unit. Often during the new year celebration we reflect what has been done, and how we can do a little better in the coming year.

We wanted to share what our District has done this last year in the way of training. The Council updates us every quarter to let us know how we compare to other districts in the Crossroads of the Wsest Council. At this time, the Old Ephraim District has 42.76% of it's adult leaders who are trained in their position. We are tied for first place with another district in the Council. That is encouraging, but we feel we can do better.

For 2022,  the Old Ephraim district has two Face-to-Face trainings planned. The first is on Saturday, March 5th and the second Saturday, October 8th. Both trainings will start at 8am. Please add these dates to your Unit calendar and then encourage your adult leaders to be there if they haven't been trained. We have experienced trainers who are ready and eager to give you the help you need. If those dates won't work remember that online training is available for every scouting position.

BSA has an excellent resource to make scouting units excel and improve year by year. It is called Journey to Excellence! (JTE) It helps units plan quality programs all year round. The Boy Scouts of America explains it like this:

“Scouting’s Journey to Excellence (JTE) is the BSA aspirational planning, performance and recognition program designed to encourage and reward success of our units. It is meant to encourage excellence and continuous improvement in providing a quality program at all levels of the BSA.

The JTE standards are based on achievements the previous year or previous few years, both individually and for the creation of national standards.” (found online at: BSA Journey to Excellence)

Each year a new score card for Journey to Excellence is posted. Your unit can print it off and plan how you will achieve the goals set. Remember scouting is a journey we all take and we improve little by little.

Happy New Year Old Ephraim District!

Photo: 2022 text on wooden blocks by Marco Verch under Creative Commons 2.0

District Eagle Scouts in 2021

We are proud to announce that the Old Ephraim district had 43 Eagle Scouts for the year 2021! The Eagle Scout Coordinators could not have done it without the district Advancement Committee.

• We call on them to help with all the Eagle Scout Board of Reviews
• We ask them to help in approving Eagle Scout Projects.
• They help educate units with advancement.
• They have helped scouts who have been left behind when the massive change took place.
• This last year we had to say good-bye to a great scouter who is greatly missed due to Covid-19.

We love the scouting program and what it makes of the youth & their leaders!

 
Here are a few reminders as we head into the New Year of 2022!

• Eagle Scout Boards of Review are held twice each month on the first Tuesday and the third Thursday. 
• Boards start at 6 pm and there may be up to three in an evening
• Eagle Scout Boards of Review are only scheduled after all of the documents the scout needs for their Eagle Scout Board of Review have been received
• Unit leaders and parents are notified when the Board of Review will take place and invite them to be there as a support
• When approving Eagle Scout projects, two to three people review the project. 
• Scouts should use the Eagle Scout workbook (Jan 2021) and send it by email to be approved
• It takes a few days to look over all aspects of each project. Sometimes revisions are needed
• Each project should be typed for several reasons
• First, it makes it easier to read for those who review it, and changes are easier to make when needed.
• Second, each Eagle Scout project plan is saved until the Eagle Scout Board of Review
• Remember that Eagle Scout applications can be filled out right in Scoutbook! 
• All pertinent  information in Scoutbook will be automatically filled in on the application.
• This also gives the unit, council office and the Eagle Scout Coordinators a nice clean copy to scan and send to the National office after the scout's Eagle Scout Board of Review