Alamo Area Council

Unified Focus On Youth

Angel Zuniga Martinez

Scout Youth Honor Fallen Heroes During Flags at Fort Sam

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                       

For more information contact:

Angel Martinez
Communications/Marketing Director
(210) 394-9915 Cell/Text
angel.martinez@Scouting.org
www.AlamoAreaBSA.org

SCOUT YOUTH HONOR FALLEN HEROES DURING FLAGS AT FORT SAM

SAN ANTONIO, Texas (May 24, 2019) – Nearly 1,000 local Scout boys and girls will spend Memorial Day Friday showing appreciation for men and women who served the nation by placing American flags at the headstones of fallen service members. Scouts, Young Marines, active, reserve and retired servicemen and women, VFW and American Legion members, corporate citizens like HEB and USAA, and anyone else wishing to pay their respects are invited to join the Boy Scouts of America, Alamo Area Council at this annualcommunity event. Mediais invited to see Scout boys and girls in action from 5-6:30 p.m. on Friday, May 24th atFort Sam Houston National Cemetery located at 1520 Harry Wurzbach Rd, San Antonio, TX 78209.

“The Alamo Area Council is proud to see our youth do a ‘good turn’ and pay respects to the armed forces as part of our duty to the community,” said Michael de los Santos, Scout Executive of the Boy Scouts of America, Alamo Area Council (BSA). “Duty to God and Duty to Country play essential roles in the traditions of the Boy Scouts of America.”

“The term ‘good turn’ comes from the Scouts BSA slogan “Do a good turn daily,” and means to do a special act of kindness, big or small towards an individual or the community,” said Angel Zuniga Martinez, PR Director for the local Boy Scouts of America.

Every year, Boy Scouts of America youth and volunteers across the country do service projects together as one way to keep their promise to help other people. While a Scout youth should do his or her best to help other people every day, a group service project like placing flags at Fort Sam Houston help youth learn to work together and do something that’s good for community.

The opening ceremony will begin promptly at 5 p.m. at the Assembly Area located on the east side of the cemetery near the administrative offices. Plan to arrive by 4 p.m. due to high attendance and heavy traffic.

For details or to register your participation, visit www.FlagsAtFortSam.orgor contact the Alamo Area Council staff advisor for Flags at Fort Sam by emailing FlagsatFortSam@AlamoAreaBSA.org.

About the Boy Scouts of America, Alamo Area Council

The Alamo Area Council, BSA headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, serves a 13 county area imparting the Scouting program to over 18,000 youth and 5,000 volunteer adults in South Texas. The Boy Scouts of America continue to prepare young people for life by providing the nation’s foremost youth program of character development and values-based leadership training, utilizing outdoor activity, citizenship, and sports fitness. The Alamo Area Council manages over 1,280 acres of outdoor adventure for boys and girls from 5-20 years of age at three premier camps – Bear Creek Scout Reservation, Mays Family Scout Ranch, and McGimsey Scout Park. Learn more at www.AlamoAreaBSA.org.

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SCOUT BOYS AND GIRLS EXPLORE CAREERS AT MERIT BADGE UNIVERSITY

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

For more information contact:
Angel Martinez, PR Director
pr@alamoareabsa.org
(210) 394-9915 text / cell

Alamo Area Council Partners with St Mary’s University and Community Sponsors for Path to Eagle Scout and Future Opportunities for Area Youth

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS (May 17, 2019) –

In continued partnership with St. Mary’s University, The Boy Scouts of America, Alamo Area Council (BSA) offers the opportunity at Merit Badge University (MBU) for youth to explore a career while earning a badge on their path to reach the highest rank in Scouting – the Eagle Scout. Media is invited to see the Scouts in action on Saturday, May 18, 2019 from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. at St. Mary’s University located at 1 Camino Santa Maria, San Antonio, Texas 78228.

The organization launched Scouts BSA in February 2019, which serves boy troops and now girl troops, enabling all eligible youth to earn the Eagle Scout rank (Scouts BSA troops are single gender – all girl or all boy). MBU is a bi-annual event hosted by the BSA that gives Scouts BSA youth, ages 11-17, the opportunity to earn merit badges ranging from recreational activities like photography and movie making to Eagle Scout required merit badges like communications and citizenship in the community.  Held in the months of May and November, MBU regularly draws over 900 Scouts and 400 parent leaders. In 2018, the Alamo Area Council produced over 355 Eagle Scouts providing over 52,000 service hours into the local community with an economic impact of over $1.28 million dollars. MBU is also a drop off location for our youth participating in Scouting for Food, the largest one-day food drive for the BSA.

“The Alamo Area Council is proud of the partnership with St. Mary’s University and our community sponsors to encourage Scouts to explore areas that interest them and to learn valuable skills which influences career aspirations and lifelong hobbies…It’s also cool we got to expand this program in 2019 to include the whole family,” said Angel Zuniga Martinez, PR Director with the Boy Scouts of America, Alamo Area Council.

The USAA Foundation, Inc., is the official sponsor of the ‘Personal Management’ Merit Badge. CPS Energy is the ‘Presenting Sponsor’ of the ‘Sustainability’ Merit Badge. And, The Elizabeth Huth Coates Charitable Foundation of 1992 has become the ‘presenting’ sponsor of the ‘Photography’ Merit Badge. 

“Experts from the various Merit Badge disciplines were recruited so that real-life experts could provide instruction to our Scouts; and, this is what makes our program unique and provides an exceptionally rich learning environment,” said John Haines, volunteer MBU Chairman.

There were over 45 Merit Badges offered to Scouts at each past event which ranged from Chemistry, Engineering, Robotics, Climbing, Railroading, Law to Citizenship in the Community, Family Life, Chess, and Emergency Preparedness to name a few. In addition, for the 400 adults, there is leader training to allow them to grow and enhance their knowledge and experience in working with our youth. 

For more information on MBU events, visit the Alamo Area Council MBU page at www.AlamoAreaBSA.org/MBU or email MBU Chairman, John Haines and his team at MBU@AlamoAreaBSA.org.

About the Boy Scouts of America, Alamo Area Council 

The Alamo Area Council, BSA, headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, serves a 13-county area imparting the Scouting program to over 18,000 youth and 5,000 volunteer adults in South Texas. The Boy Scouts of America continue to prepare young people for life by providing the nation’s foremost youth program of character development and values-based leadership training, utilizing outdoor activity, citizenship, and sports fitness. Learn more at www.AlamoAreaBSA.org.

Cub Master Finds Crying Passion at Wood Badge Training

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On completion of the course, participants are awarded the Wood Badge beads to recognize significant achievement in leadership and direct service to young people. The pair of small wooden beads, one on each end of a leather thong (string), is worn around the neck as part of the Scout uniform.

by Casey McKenzie Smith for the Alamo Area BSA

I took on being a Cubmaster with some reluctance and a big whopping share of insecurity. During the transition, my predecessor talked me into taking this course called Wood Badge. He made it sound like a breezy leadership course that would just be a little inconvenient as far as how much time it’d take, but that was about it.

HE WAS A LYING LIAR WHO LIES! It’s a very intense, draining, out-of-your-comfort-zone course that takes place over six days of camping with strangers and then you CRY.

But it was something I’m glad I didn’t let my fear make me miss out on! I didn’t love every second of it (I’m looking at you, Evil Winning Game), but I came out on the other side with a much, much, MUCH better education about Scouting, camping, adventuring, leadership, and service. It gave me energy and passion I definitely didn’t have before to bring home and apply to my kiddos and my community, to try to help spread kindness, service, and thoughtfulness.

Best of all, I got to do it with six other people who started as intimidating strangers and ended as sweet, funny, genuine, LOUD, smart, smart-ass, resourceful, irreplaceable friends.

DID I MENTION THEY MADE ME CRY BECAUSE THEY ARE JERKS?”
🙂

History of Wood Badge

In 1911, Baden-Powell, the founder of the Scouting movement, took the first steps in training Scouting’s adult leaders by organizing a series of lectures for Scouters. He made great strides in the following years, culminating in 1919 with the establishment of Wood Badge training. Wood Badge recipients now number more than 100,000 and can be found in all corners of the world. A Scouter participating in Wood Badge has the opportunity to:

  •  Understand Scouting as a family of interrelated, values-based programs providing age-appropriate activities for youth.
  • Recognize contemporary leadership concepts and discover how they are relevant to the Scouting movement.
  • Apply the skills learned as a member of a successful working team.
  • Revitalize their commitment to Scouting by sharing in an inspirational experience which provides Scouting with renewed leadership.

Many Scouters consider Wood Badge to be a peak experience of their Scouting careers. It has served as a source of training and inspiration to thousands.

The Wood Badge

Lord Robert Baden-Powell conducted the first training program for Scoutmasters at Gilwell Park in England, in 1919. Wondering what to award the graduates, he recalled a necklace of wooden beads that he had acquired in South Africa in 1887 during a campaign against the Zulus. Baden-Powell had found the necklace, which had been worn by Zulu Chief Dinizulu, in a tribal camp that the chief had abandoned in escaping capture by British Troops. The necklace, over 3 metres long and made from beads of yellow acacia wood, was a badge awarded to great chieftains and the bravest warriors.

To create the first Wood Badge, Baden-Powell took two of the original beads and strung them on a leather thong given to him at Mafeking. These original wooden beads were then used as a template for beads made in beech wood.

This tradition continues today. Leaders are presented with the Wood Badge upon completion of Advanced Level Wood Badge training.

Click to Learn More or Register for Next Wood Badge

Greehey Family Foundation Supports Scout Youth Endowment

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Dear Alamo Area Council Scouting family,

It is with great pleasure to report on the largest gift to date towards our Adventures for a Second Century Campaign – $1 million dollars from the Greehey Family Foundation for our endowment.

Your Alamo Area Council’s Adventures for a Second Century program is an on-going effort to grow our endowment, identify camp facility needs, develop venue master plans, and to secure necessary funding for our future. With the generous gift from The Greehey Family Foundation, we have raised $1,275,000 for our endowment.

For more information on how you or our community can support our Adventures for A Second Century, please email SecondCentury@AlamoAreaBSA.org or contact Michael de los Santos at 210-341-8611.

The Greehey Family Foundation’s purpose statement is the following: Knowing that we have been abundantly blessed by God’s Grace, the Greehey family is honored to share our blessings and help do His work in the San Antonio community through the The Greehey Family Foundation. In doing so, we will provide funding to improve health and human welfare conditions, to brighten the lives of sick and disadvantaged children, to educate, and to help transform the lives of the homeless.

Thank you Bill and The Greehey Family Foundation for believing in the Boy Scouts of America, Alamo Area Council!

“Strong Families! Strong America!”

Cub Scout Day Camp Activity Volunteer Form

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Our Cub Scout Day Camps are always looking for outgoing, enthusiastic volunteers to help share their specialized skills with us. Sign up today and join us for some fun this summer as we host our Game of Cubs! Cub Scouts will the get the opportunity to participate in many different activites and we are looking for some daily volunteers to help make our day camp the best one yet! All volunteers will need to provide us with a working cell phone number and email in order to be contacted. Volunteers are required to have completed their YPT and undergo a background check.  For further information or questions please email daycamp@alamoareabsa.org.

Cub Scout Day Camp Activity Volunteer form
Sport games vary from day to day. Please specify in the comments below if you have a preference. EX: Kickball, frisbee golf, frisbee golf, ultimate frisbee, basketball, baseball, golf, flag football, soccer, Gaga ball, Hiking, Cope, Javalin and softball throw, relay games

 

Steve Nelle Appointed Alamo Area Council Sea Scout Commodore

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Please help us welcome Steve Nelle to the position of Alamo Area Council 2019-2020 Sea Scout Commodore, effective immediately. A Council Commodore is a volunteer who is a member of a local council, and provides support to the Sea Scout ships chartered in the council.

In the Naval services, a “commodore” is an officer who commands two or more vessels.

Commodore Nelle can also assist the Regional Sea Scouts Committee to develop, maintain, and improve the program, literature, policies, and support materials of Sea Scouts in a manner which will emphasize the purposes and assist in achieving the objectives of the Boy Scouts of America.

Steve Nelle has been in Scouting for most of his life.  He joined Cub Scouts at age 7 in Omaha, Nebraska, aging out at the rank of Life in his Boy Scout Troop.  When his sons were old enough to join Cub Scouts, Steve got involved as well, holding a variety of positions ranging from assistant den leader to Cubmaster to Assistant Scoutmaster.

“Thank you Steve for your positivity and willingness to help grow Sea Scouts in the Alamo Area Council,” said Michael de los Santos, Scout Executive, Boy Scouts of America, Alamo Area Council.

The Council Commodore areas of responsibilities can include, but are not limited to, the following:

  1. Communicate to Sea Scouts on upcoming opportunities with the council.
  2. Report to the council executive board on Sea Scout activities.
  3. Work with the Council Scout Executive, staff and District Commissioners assigned

    to Sea Scouts for recruiting, council sponsored Sea Scout events and program

    growth and delivery.

  4. Visit individual Sea Scout ships to maintain effective communication and

    awareness of their program needs.

  5. Encourage a cooperative union among Sea Scout ships and a positive

    relationship with other programs in the Boy Scouts of America.

  6. Recruit volunteers to develop council sponsored events and training

    opportunities.

  7. Promote growth of council Sea Scout ships, including marketing materials,

    training materials, and recruiting of new volunteers.

Through the years, Steve enjoyed interacting man mentoring many of the Scouts in the Troop, while his sons learned valuable skills, earned their ranks, became actively involved in OA activities, and ultimately both earning the rank of Eagle Scout. Steve’s oldest son was 13, he heard about Sea Scouts.  Naturally, Steve joined his son in this new facet of Scouting.  He took Sea Badge and SSABLT training, and became the Skipper of Sea Scout Ship 26 Alamo (based at Canyon Lake).  Steve held that position for over six years.  During his time as Skipper, he and the Ship went on numerous trips and events, both as a single ship as well as in conjunction with other ships from both the Capitol Area Council and the Sam Houston Area Council.

Steve graduated from Oral Roberts University in 1985 with a degree in Computer Science.  Prior to moving to Texas, Steve worked for a couple of companies in Michigan and Wisconsin and has been at Continental Automotive Systems in Seguin for the past 20 years.  He specializes in the computer field working with Linux, VMware, Docker and Kubernetes to meet his company’s needs for server and virtualization technologies.  Steve’s interests outside of Scouting include Sailing (naturally) and Chess, and you can often find Sea Scouts challenging him to a chess game at almost every Sea Scout event he attends.

Scouting Adventures