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