Why Probing Questions are Necessary for Eagle Service Projects

In the Eagle Scout Service Workbook on page 4 it says:

“Questioning and probing for their understanding of the project, the proposal, and what is to be done, shall be conducted in a helpful, friendly, courteous, and kindhearted manner. We will respect the Scout’s dignity. Scouts will be allowed, if they choose, to have a parent, unit leader, or other adult present as an observer at any time while they are discussing their proposal or project with someone who is reviewing it.”

Also, on page 2 it reads under The Project Plan:

“Your project plan can also be important in showing your Eagle Scout board of review 
that you have planned and developed your project as required.”

The questions the unit leaders, district and council ask are to help the scout be successful with their project. Everything they have been working on up to this point in Scouting leads to the Eagle Scout service project. Merit Badges like communication, personal management, and having scout leadership roles all prepare them in leading a group of volunteers in serving the community with the Eagle Scout service project they have chosen.

The questions asked should be helpful for the scout in doing the following:

1. Help them know their project meets the requirements of an Eagle Scout Project
2. Helps the scout be forward thinking in seeing all aspects of the project, not just getting the job done. That means, having all materials, supplies, tools, and meeting safety issues while doing their project. The workbook helps scouts think through this process by filling out all sections
3. Questions help scouts develop their Eagle Project in depth by seeing phases that need to take place in an orderly manner to be effective. It teaches them how to plan large projects and see them be successful in a safe framework of scouting
4. These probing questions also help the scouts work through problems that might arise during the project. With guidance of adult leaders, the scout can put into place safety help they might have not seen

We hope this information is helpful to Eagle Scout coaches, scoutmaster and parents who help guide the scouts through the Eagle Scout process.

Are the Adults in Your Unit Trained?

Scouting needs lots of leaders to help each unit run smoothly. Each scouting position is important to help the unit succeed. Each leader in these positions is to be trained on how they can be more effective in helping their scout unit.

As a district we are finding most of the leaders who are not trained are those who are serving as committee members. These members do not often work directly with the youth but have a big impact on how the program runs.

As a district we encourage all scout leaders to go to the National Scout site and login to My.Scouting.org and see what you need to do to be fully trained in your position.

The following is useful information for all scout leaders.

Where do I go online for more information?

There are two main sites for information about your troop. Each of these sites help you access different information to help you in your scouting position. It’s like being a member of two different banks. Depending on what you need, you should go to that site for the right information.

The National Scout site is your My.Scouting.org bank. This site lets you know what training you need for your position; what training needs to be completed and it also updates your personal Scouting profile. You need to set up a username and password to login to the account. This site also helps current District and Council positions in seeing who needs training and be a support to the adult scouts they serve.

Scoutbook requires the same username and password as your My.Scouting.org account. Scoutbook is your unit’s access to the advancements for all scouts in Pack, Troop or Crew. The Key Three in the scout unit have the rights to login to Scoutbook and can add three additional members of their unit to have access. For example, the Den leader could be added to mark advancements or changes for their den members and the Advancement Chairman will also need access. A scout parent can see their child’s advancement.

Special note: Scoutbook has main scout positions that have the right to be able to have access for your unit. If a person cannot login it may be that National does not have them listed in a curtain scout position to gain that access.

Eagle Scout Service Project Contact Page Pitfalls

Our tip for this month is to help our unit leaders, old and new, to avoid common pitfalls while helping our scouts complete the contact page in the Eagle Scout Service Project workbook. This information helps the scouts to know who will help them receive signatures, get answers to questions about the project and to prepare for their Eagle Scout Board of Review.

We hope this information will be saved by all unit leaders helping their scouts with the Contacts page.

The following areas are often left blank when workbooks are submitted to us:

• The date they earned their Life Scout rank must be typed in
• All information for the scout's unit leaders should be typed in, including:
• Address
• Phone number
• Email. The scout needs to be able to find you if needed.
• The beneficiary is the organization the scout is serving. Information should include
• Name 
• Organization address
• The beneficiary representative is the person the scout contacts in behalf of the beneficiary organization. They should provide
• Address
• Phone number 
• Email
• The council information is:
• Crossroads of the West,
• Phone 801-479-5460 
• Address: 1200 East 5400 South Ogden, UT 84403 
• Email address is : programoffice@scouting.org . All of this information needs to be listed.
• The council or district representative is:
• Debra Henrie
• Phone: 435-512-5905 
• Email: dafhenrie@gmail
• Address: 100 Pinewood Drive Logan, UT 84321 
• This address will be needed for the Eagle Scout recommendation letters needed for their Eagle Scout Board of Review

We encourage unit leaders to save this information and give it to their scouts as they are filling out their Eagle Scout Service workbook.

We look forward in serving your scouts as they prepare to become an Eagle Scout.

Congrats to These Eagle Scouts

 

The Old Ephraim District would like to recognize the following scouts for reaching the rank of Eagle Scout. Many Eagle Scout projects have beautified our district by their service to leadership and planning. Congratulations to these Eagle Scouts.

Troop 1

    Weston B. Christensen

Troop 2 

    David Audd 

Troop 47

Thatcher Jones
Mateo Webb-Barragan 

Troop 110

Case Holmes PostHumous Eagle Scout
Bridger Beeton

Troop 123

Adam L. Rowe
Hyrum Anderson
Joshua Tippetts

Troop 314

Hayden Francis

Troop 589

Seth Barton
Isaiah Carr
Easton Bodily
Jack Davidson
Bretton Petersen
Korver Hurd

Troop 2119

Katie Latvakosk

Troop 2319

Andrew Thornley

“Since 1912, the Eagle Scout rank has represented a milestone of accomplishment—perhaps without equal— that is recognized across the country and even the world. Those who have earned the Eagle Scout rank it among their most treasured achievements. 'Eagle Scout' is not just an award; it is a state of being. Those who earned it as youth continue to earn it every day as adults. That is why an Eagle Scout IS an Eagle Scout—not was.”

(Guide to Advancement, page 62)

Are You Trained to Use Everything in Your Program?

Why are you involved with Scouting? Do you know the purpose of the
program you are involved in?

The scouting program is like a chair with 4 legs, if one of those legs is broken or is not 
being used then the chair is not balanced and will cause the person who sits on it to fall.

For example: if the four legs were labeled as

• Character development
• Leadership development
• Citizenship Training
• Personal Fitness

And leaders only focus on Character development, then our scouts would miss out on learning leadership skills or citizenship training. Scouting is a well-balanced program!

Being Specific Leadership Trained will help you know about all areas of scouting and will help you implement a full and balanced scouting experience to those in your unit. You can be trained online on your My.scouting.org account or come to the next in person training, Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023, at the Logan Scout Service Center. Registration will be ready by September 1. Cost $5.

We hope to see you there.

Have you ever wondered where to find great websites to help you in your Scouting position? Scouting websites can be a way you can always be learning how to make your programs better after you have taken Scouting Leader Specific Training.

You might have questions about how others help the scouts with Merit Badges, how can I help scouts with disabilities, what makes a fun pack meeting, how can I better prepare my scouts to be leaders in our troop, new places to camp, ways to motivate your scouts in their advancement or even ideas to help your scouts find an exciting Eagle Scout project. We want to give you a few websites that are excellent help in supporting your efforts in the scouting program.

We will start with the closest, your Old Ephraim Newsletter! Do you take time to read what is happening locally? In our District newsletter you will find information that will support you in helping your scouts. There are programs that are close to home that will help scouts in earning Merit Badges, we just had one this last month! A calendar is mapped out so that you plan your activities and support district pack and troop events.

If you are a little more adventurous look at the Crossroads of the West website. (www.utahscouts.org) Our council covers the entire state of UT, some of Idaho and a little bit of Wyoming. Activities are planned throughout the year for scouts and their leaders. You will find a wide range of activities you can support on a council level.

Aaron on Scouting (blog.scoutmagazine.org) is a newsletter you can sign up to receive or look up online. It comes a few times a month. There are excellent articles about scouts throughout the nation including great stories you can share and use to motivate your scouts in their planning and making your programs even better. You will find outstanding Eagle Scout projects that can give your scouts ideas in finding the right project for them. There are updates with scouting advancement that will be helpful in having the most up-to-date information. The latest newsletter wrote about being safe when in the water and the importance of wearing a life jacket whether you are a scout or an adult.

Another newsletter is Scouting Wire. (scoutingwire.org) This past newsletter contained an article about youth taking the next step with NYLT. This would be a great way to excite your scouts about being trained and becoming better leaders in your troop.

Are you involved in Order of the Arrow? Websites are available on the local (utahoa.org) as well as the national level (oa-bsa.org). These sites educate you on what OA is, giving you a calendar of when events are held and how you can be part of this excellent organization.

We hope these sites and newsletters are helpful and keep the excitement going in your scouting efforts!

 

Eagle Scout Board of Review reminder

We wanted to remind our Troop leaders of when Eagle Scout Board of Reviews are held and how their scouts are to prepare for them. Sometimes scouts think that giving us their Eagle Scout service workbook is the only document needed to hold their Eagle Scout Board of Review. 

The Eagle Scout service workbook is one of four documents that are needed. As we receive these documents, we send email updates to the scout and their unit leaders. The following documents are needed in order t0 schedule a scout’s ESBOR.

1. Eagle Scout Service Project Workbook completely filled in including the signatures of completion by the scout, the beneficiary, and Unit Leader.
2.  Four to five letters of recommendation for the scout to become an Eagle Scout. (These are mailed directly to the Eagle Scout Coordinator NOT to the Scout or unit leader
3. A statement of ambitions and goals of the scout.
4. An Eagle Scout Application that has been signed by the Ogden Scout Office, verifying that all requirements have been completed.

Our District holds Eagle Scout Boards of Review twice a month, on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday. We can have up to three scouts in an evening. Because we cover a large area, we would like to arrange to have at least 2 scouts come for their boards. If that is not possible because of the time commitment of the family members etc. we will hold an Eagle Scout Board of Review for one scout.

We hope you find this helpful as you work with your scouts in preparing for and having this important Board of Review.

Adult Leader Awards

 

In Boy Scouts of America program the scouts are not the only ones who can earn awards. Adult Leader Recognitions are also available to recognize adult scout leaders who serve at the Unit, District and National levels.

There are three ways scout leaders can earn recognition.

1. Leaders serve in a scout position, complete the training necessary for position, have the required tenure, and perform specified requirements as they serve.
2. Scout peers recognize others for the service they are giving and nominate them for recognition
3. Scout leaders give the council or national endowment funds to Scouting and the BSA.

Listed below are a few examples of awards adult leaders in scouting can earn. Other awards are found on the Boy Scout of America website along with the qualifications and forms to earn them.

James E. West Fellowship

Overview

To recognize gifts to local council endowment funds.

Who can earn this award?
Presented to anyone who donates at a particular level.

How to get this award?
Complete application.

Silver Beaver Award

Overview

To recognize registered Scouters of exceptional character who have provided distinguished service within a council.

Who can earn this award?

Presented by the National Court of Honor on behalf of councils.

How to get this award
    Anyone may nominate any deserving registered Scouter to the council, which selects recipients for the following year. Each council may process their own annual allotment of Silver Beaver awards and shall send a list of Silver Beaver recipients presented each calendar year to the National Court of Honor no later than January 31 of the following year.

Scouter’s Training Award

Overview

To encourage training, tenure in a position, participation, and performance of adult leaders.

Who can earn this award?
This award can be earned by Cub Scout, Scouts BSA, Venturing, and Sea Scout leaders as well as District Committee members.

How to get this award?
Obtain a Scouter’s Training Award Progress Record and Application. There are separate applications for Cub Scout Leaders, Scouts BSA leaders, Venturing leaders and Sea Scout leaders. Once the requirements have been met, submit your completed document to your local Council Service Center to be processed. Once approved a copy should go back to the unit for purchasing the award.

2023 District Award of Merit Recipients

 

At the annual Old Ephraim District recognition dinner held on March 3, 2023, Andy Hofmeister and Mike Dixon were presented the District Award of Merit for their outstanding service to youth.

Andy Hofmeister Committee Chair Troop 1

Andy is a proud adult leader of Utah's oldest scouting unit, Troop 1, here in Logan. Andy served as Troop 1 (boys) Assistant Scoutmaster from May 2019 to January 2020 and took over the Committee Chairman role in January 2020, where he continues to serve in that role today.

In August of 2022, Andy became the Committee Chairman of Troop 1 (girls), which was founded last year due to the growing need to serve our female scouters her in Cache Valley.

Andy took several adult and youth members of Troop 1 (boys) to Philmont in the summer of 2021 and thought it might be a good idea to backpack the Unitas during the summer of 2022 with Troop 1 (boys) (adults and scouts) ... and all had a very memorable experience!

Andy is certified n First Aid/AED and Wilderness First Aid, attended Introduction to Outdoor Leader Skills in August 2022 and just recently received his Wood Badge beads at a beading ceremony on January 14th.

The Hofmeister family play an integral part in Troop 1 success with scouting with wife Stacie serving as a Committee member and Secretary of Troop 1(boys) as well as an Assistant Scoutmaster of Troop 1(girls). The Hofmeister's also have two proud scouts in Troop 1 (boys)!

Mike Dixon Scoutmaster Troop 123

Mike Dixon is the extraordinary Scoutmaster of Troop 123 sponsored by Lee's Marketplace. He applies his years of personal experience and extensive scout training every week. He takes the responsibility of running Troop 123 very seriously, making sure every youth and leader feels welcome and appreciated.

Mike likes to talk things through, resolve conflicts, discuss solutions and help everyone, both youth and adult. He is kind and patient with all. Along with that, he is excited about scouting, loves a good cheer and sings every scout song with zeal.

Mike is a professor at Utah State University in the Business Department. Besides Scouting, he is active in his community and supports the Green Canyon High School Marching Band. Mike and his family reside in Hyde Park.

Which Website Do I Want?

 

Have you ever wondered why your username and/or password does not work when you are trying to login into a scouting site? It may be because you did not know there are two different sites. Each of these sites help you access different information to help you in your scouting position. It’s like being a member of two different banks. Depending on what you need, you would go to that site for the right information.

The National Scout site is My.Scouting.org. This site lets you know what trainings you need for your position, what training need to be completed and also updates your personal Scouting profile. You need to set up a username and password to login to the account. This site also helps current District and Council positions in seeing who needs trainings and be a support to the adult scouters they serve.  

Scoutbook requires the same username and password as your My.Scouting.org. account. Scoutbook is your unit’s access to the advancements for all scouts in Pack or Troop and Crew. The Key Three in the scout unit have the rights to login to Scoutbook and can add three additional members of their unit to have access.  For example, the Den leader could be added to mark advancements or changes for their den members and the Advancement Chairman will also need access.  A scout parent is able to see their child’s advancement. 

Special note: Scoutbook has main scout positions that have the right to be able to have access for your unit. If a person cannot login it may be that National does not have them listed in a curtain scout position to gain that access. 

The next Roundtable April 5th will be a Council wide Roundtable! You will learn from Council experts all about Scoutbook!

The Crossroads of the West Council Scout site is www.utahscouts.org. This is the site you access in order to register for camps or council events like University of Scouting, Commissioner College, Merit Badge Pow-Wow’s, District Dinner’s etc. All of these use the Tentaroo program. You are to set up your own username and password to login for these items. It does not work with your National username and password unless you set it up to be the same.

Get Trained at University of Scouting

Every Scout deserves a trained leader

You've heard it many times and the University of Scouting is the premier training event for adult leaders offered by the Crossroads of America Council. It is designed to supplement the educational experience of any Scouting leader.

On any average year, the university offers 80 to 100 different courses, from outdoor skills such as knot tying to group management concepts to keep that unruly den of Scouts on task. The University of Scouting has courses for everyone from first-time leaders to experienced leaders planning a high-adventure expedition.

Here is what you can look forward to at this year’s University of Scouting:

• Leader Specific Training for scouting positions
• Eagle Mentor Training will be helpful for those who are an ES mentor in their unit 
• Learn how to make an Eagle Scout project great!
• Many other classes to help youth and leaders learn skills in presenting the adventure of Scouting
• Seeing other scouting friends from the Council.

Plan and Register Now on the Council website!

University of Scouting – March 11, 2023

Utah Cultural Celebration Center

1355 West 3100 South
West Valley City, UT

 This year, instead of a Spring Camp-o-ree, the Old Ephraim District is offering a Merit Badge Pow-wow. Sessions will take place April 29th and May 13th. More details will be made available as we get closer to the date.

Check back here for updates!

Eagle Scout Coach Training

University of Scouting is offering a class for Eagle Scout Coaches. We encourage all units to have a member of your Troop committee that helps Eagle Scouts, to attend one of two sessions. This class will help them work with scouts in preparing Eagle service project proposals and get them ready for the Eagle Coordinators to review. The date of University of Scouting is March 11, 2023. It is a full day of classes for all scout leaders to assist in offering an excellent scouting program to the youth. To register, go to the Council page and click Trainings, click University of Scouting and find out more about this great training event.

Outdoor Ethics Guide Course

 

LNT 101-Outdoor Ethics Guide Course
February 18, 2023 9 am-1 pm
Ogden Service Center
$12 per youth and adult

Leave No Trace is important as we strive to live by the Outdoor Code, follow the Scout Oath and Law, protect nature, and leave a good impression on others. The BSA-LNT 101 course is designed to give Scouts and Scouters the basic training and skills needed to be leaders in the outdoors and effectively practice the principles of Leave No Trace on all outings. Troop Outdoor Ethics Guides and Advisers are especially encouraged to attend but this course is for any Scouting youth (11+) or adult with an interest in learning how to be a better steward of the outdoors. (utahscouts.org)

Why should each troop or crew have an Outdoor Ethics Guide? The outdoor ethics guide is a troop position of responsibility that counts for the leadership requirement for Star, Life, and Eagle ranks. It was instituted in the 13th edition of the Scouts BSA Handbook. This replaces the role of the Leave No Trace trainer, which was also a Star and Life leadership position. Venturing crews may elect to assign the responsibility of outdoor ethics guide to a member, but it is not a leadership position. (scouting.org)
This training is a great opportunity to help your troop have fun responsibly in the outdoors, while fulfilling a leadership role for youth.

You can register for this training at utahscouts.org/lnt . If you have questions, please call/text Shanae Ames at 712-4755 or email at cachescrappers@gmail.com.