Foxfire and Buckskin graduation was Saturday, Feb. 13, 2010. Congratulations to the following Scouts:

Foxfire Mountain Men: Robert & Alec

Buckskin Men: Chase, Taylor, Dalton, Aiden, David, Killian, Chester, & Jack.

I think the answer lies in the last paragraph.

I asked some of my friends from my Scouting experience if they still believed in the Boy Scouts’ mission. “Kids are surrounded by plenty of opportunities to make the wrong decisions; to experience the negative. Scouting stacks the deck for a positive experience - adults who are interested in providing kids a safe environment to learn and have fun, exposure to new things, to the outdoors & hopefully a set of experiences that they’ll use for the rest of their lives whether that manifests itself in good friends, valuable skills, a first shot at leading a team or just a good memory or two,” says Troy Trybom, an Eagle Scout and father in Stilwell, Kansas. “Probably most important to me was that my Dad was there with through my entire time in Scouting. We spoke about and reminisced about Scouts until the day he passed away. I wouldn’t trade my time & memories of scouting for anything.”

A better case for relevancy is difficult to make.

Be sure to read the whole article. It’s quite good.

TWO Course Dates in 2010: (Online registration and flyers will be available soon throught the Council website)

The dates are: June 13 - 19, 2010 and August 8 - 14, 2010

New name, new program. But the mission is still the same: Give motivated Scouts the training to become effective leaders in their troops. The council’s premier youth leader training course undergoes an extreme make-over with a new program from the Boy Scouts of America. Buckskin National Youth Leadership Training Course is an intense seven-day leadership training experience for youths. The course models a month in the life of a troop all leading up to a big outdoor experience (an overnight outpost camp). The course uses the patrol method. Patrols are challenged early in the week to present to the troop at the end of the week their “Quest for the Meaning of Leadership.” While the challenge is designed to have them go through the four stages of team development, it will help patrols and individual Scouts internalize the leadership skills and concepts being presented to them along the way. The focus of each session is not only knowledge but giving the youth a “Toolbox of Skills” that equips them with the “how.” To be eligible for this course Scouts must:

• Hold at least First Class rank
• Be 13 years old by the start of the course
• Hold or will hold a leadership position in the troop
• Have experienced a weeklong Boy Scout campout
• Have Scoutmaster’s recommendation
• Have attended Cedar Badge
• Be mature to properly experience the intense training

Foxfire will take what a Scout learned at Buckskin and bring it to a whole new level. Building on the skills learned at Buckskin, Scouts will work as a Crew to complete many challenges put before them, including Dutch Oven Cooking, Tomahawk Throwing, Black Powder Rifle Shooting, Forging, and other team building games and activities. Beyond developing a better understanding of the Leadership skills taught at Buckskin, Scouts will gain knowledge that will help them in the “real world” including resume writing and interview skills. Scouts that have completed Foxfire are sought after for positions on camp and event staffs due to Foxfire’s emphasis on Staff Development. Foxfire is a unique experience that should be the goal of any youth in our Council.

Requirements to Attend: To attend Foxfire, a youth must be 14 years old, have completed their Buckskin Commitment (or Ticket), and have completed Star rank. There is only one course of Foxfire available, so sign up early.

If you are interested in helping and are a member of Troop 262, please call Cameron at his phone number on the phone list.

If you are not a member of Troop 262 and would like to do a good deed by making a donation, please email Christina McCulloch, Assistant Scoutmaster at: mcculloch_christina@msn.com. I will make sure your email is forwarded promptly.

Especially congratulations to their families.

Have a safe holiday and Happy Thanksgiving!

December 5th, 2009, 6:30 PM

Honoree presentation by special guests: Rep. Mary Bono-Mack and Rep. Connie Mack

“Red, White, & Bluejeans” An All-American BBQ,in fine dining fashion, at the beautiful home of Daniel and Sari Schachtel 6 Strauss Terrace, Rancho Mirage, CA $125. per person, $1250./table of ten

For reservations please contact Mike Lindley at mikelindleybsa@aol.com or 760-221-2664 All contributions are tax deductible to the extent permitted by law. Boy Scouts of America 501(c)3 Federal Tax I.D. # 95-1744350

To Pay by Credit Card, call Virginia at the Jack Dembo Council Service Center 909-793-2463, extension 116

Make checks payable to:
California Inland Empire Council/Sunrise DCD
PO Box 8910,
Redlands, CA 92375-2110

Camp Emerson offers a wonderful transition program for new Boy Scouts which exposes them to a variety of Scout skills. Included in the transition program are the Swimming and First-Aid merit badges, which are the ones I always recommend new Scouts get their first year in summer camp. The ranks Tenderfoot through First- Class (see the Boy Scout Handbook) have both swimming and first-aid requirements and having these badges helps them advance in rank.

Troop 262 will be attending Camp Emerson for Week 3. The dates will be Sunday, July 11 through Saturday, July 17, 2010.

The cost for Camp Emerson is $290 per Scout plus a $20 material fee for the Transition Camp program. All Scouts attending summer camp must have a physical using the Boy Scout medical form. Three of the doctor dads from Troop 262 will be conducting a basic physical as a courtesy for Troop 262’s Scouts in January/February of 2010. (If your Scout has any health issues, you will need to take him to your regular doctor).

The cost for adults is $150 for the week per adult leader. Adult leaders are requested to register with Troop 262 and are required to complete the online Youth Protection class if they have not already done so for Cub Scouts. Note: Youth Protection training must be renewed every two years. Adult leaders are also required to submit a medical form.

Deposits for Camp Emerson are due as follows:

• Deposit of $100 due on or before Wednesday, January 19, 2010
• Second Payment of $100 due on or before Wednesday, March 3, 2010
• Final Payment of $90 due on or before Wednesday, April 20, 2010.

You will note from this website that contingencies from Troop 262 will be attending several different camps, including Emerald Bay on Catalina Island and Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico. These camps are not recommended for the first-year Boy Scouts because there are either age/rank requirements, prerequisite merit badge requirements, or the activities require a higher level of physical development in order to have a successful and enjoyable program.

If any Scout or parent has a question about Camp Emerson, they may email me at mcculloch_christina@msn.com.