Alamo Area Council

Unified Focus On Youth

Linda Dieguez

2020 Council Wide Campout Patch Design Contest! – Submit by October 5th!

by

 

Council Wide Campout 2020

Feb. 28 – March 1, 2020

Technology Now and Then

Patch Design Contest

 

Contest Rules:

Open to all Scouts and Scouters of the Alamo Area Council

 

Patch Design Must Include:

BSA Fleur-de-lis

“Alamo Area Council” or “AAC”

“Technology – Now and Then”

Year: “2020”

 

Patch Design Submission:

All submissions are due by 11:59 pm October 5, 2019

Must be submitted electronically – One entry per submission

File should be at least 300 dpi (.pdf, .png, .jpg or .tif)

File should be no larger than 10 MB

Subject Line:  Technology – Now and Then Patch Design

Body of the Email must include:

Name, Youth/Adult, Email & Phone number

E-mail to:  Linda.Dieguez@Scouting.org

Product Sales Participation Requirement for Campership Eligibility

by

Dear Leader and Parent:

Camping and other outdoor activities are an essential part of Scouting. Indeed, it is impossible to enjoy the full benefits of the Scouting program without attending Cub Scout Day Camp, Webelos Resident Camp (Webelos Outdoor Adventure), or Scouts BSA Summer Camp!

We feel so strongly about the outdoor program that we have made a commitment to support youth who may not attend summer camp due to financial constraints. To that end, the Alamo Area Council has established a Campership Fund to assist our Scouting families.

The Campership Committee will consider camp scholarship applications for Scouts BSA Summer Camp at Bear Creek Scout Reservation, Webelos Outdoor Adventure Camp at Bear Creek Scout Reservation, and Alamo Area Council Cub Scout Day Camp. Camperships are awarded based on need and will not exceed 50% of the early bird rate.

In the words of the Scout Law….”A Scout is thrifty….he works to pay his way and to help others. He saves for the future. He carefully uses time and property.” In keeping with the Scouting philosophy, we ask that each youth should pay a portion of the fee.

The family and unit should also contribute to the cost of the camp experience. The Alamo Area Council reserves the right to consider the unit’s participation in Council administered product sales as demonstrating a concerted effort to raise these funds. The committee has developed a tiered implementation for this requirement:

2018/2019 – more consideration was given to those Scouts that participated in the Popcorn and Camp Card sales to help fund their summer camp.

2019/2020 – Scouts that plan to apply for Camperships for Summer 2020 are required to participate in either the 2019 Popcorn sales or the 2020 Camp Cards sales.

2020/2021 – the committee is considering a specified amount of sales in order to qualify for Camperships in Summer 2021.

If your unit has chosen not to participate in popcorn sales this year, please open this discussion with your unit leadership.  You may sign up to sell for your unit at: https://www.trails-end.com/unit-registration

For information on the Popcorn Sales:  Popcorn@AlamoAreaBSA.org

The 2020 Campership Application Process will be published by December 1st with updated information.

 

Bear Creek Hunting Program starts November 2nd! Reserve your hunt now!

by

Bear Creek Scout Reservation, a hunter’s paradise offers you a unique opportunity to hunt game.  Sprawling across 1,000 acres of the beautiful Texas Hill Country near Hunt, Texas, Bear Creek redefines the hunting experience.

From one of 10 deer blinds you can hunt a variety of animals including: White Tail Buck, White Tail Doe, Axis, Sika, Fallow, wild turkeys and feral hogs. The reservation abounds with game from which you can take your choice.

  • 10 blinds are available to be assigned by the Hunt Manager
  • No camping is allowed on the property during rifle hunting season
  • The Hunt Manager coordinates the hunts. Please plan to arrive between 5:00 am and 6:00 am the morning of your reservation.  Failure to arrive or call on the reserved date by 6:00 am results in cancellation of your reservation.
  • Hunting is by paid reservation only.  Day Fee charges ($50.00 per day for each hunter) are required to be paid at the time of reservation. The form must be complete and submitted at the time of reservation.
  • Hunting is by rifle only.

For the form to reserve your hunting date click Hunt Reservation Application 2019!

For more hunting information and price listings click 2019 BCSR Hunting Brochure!

Lodging is available! Come and stay for the weekend at Bear Creek!  The cottage by the creek is next to the Program Director’s residence and has two bedrooms, one bath, kitchen and Satellite TV.  It sleeps four in four twin beds.

  • Lodging fees are required to be paid in full when making your reservation.

Make your housing reservation when reserving your hunt or as soon afterwards as possible.  Lodging is first come first serve. Click this link to reserve the cabin for your hunting stay: Lodging Reservation Application 2019

All reservation forms should be emailed to Adventure@AlamoAreaBSA.org  You may also mail them to 2226 NW Military Hwy, San Antonio, TX 78213. If you have any questions, please call 210-341-8611.

 

New Update to the Guide to Safe Scouting – Online Version

by

The HTML version of the Guide to Safe Scouting has been updated and can be found online at https://www.Scouting.org/health-and-safety/gss/

Please note that the PDF version will reflect the new changes on or about October 1, 2019.  We encourage you to click on the link above and review the Guide to Safe Scouting before planning any activities with your Scouting unit.

The most recent update includes new additions to the Prohibited Activity Listing.  An FAQ has been provided to help answer any questions you might have about the changes being made, to access the FAQ click https://www.Scouting.org/health-and-safety/prohibited-activities-faqs/

 

If you have not been introduced to the Guide to Safe Scouting or you have never taken the time to look it over, you are definitely missing a key part of our program.  This is an amazing guide and resource to things like: Youth Protection, Camping, Activity Planning, Transportation, Insurance, and Incident Reporting, plus much more.  The appendix has quick reference guides:

  • Motor Vehicle and Driver Checklist
  • Meeting Place Inspection Checklist
  • Flying Plan Checklist
  • Unit Money-Earning Application
  • Incident Reporting Tool
  • Near Miss Reporting Tool
  • Youth Protection/Membership Infraction Incident Information Form
  • Age Appropriate Guidelines for Scouting Activities
  • Age Appropriate Camping Guidelines
  • Service Project Planning Guidelines
  • Age Guidelines for Tool Use and Work at Elevations or Excavations
  • Campout Safety Checklist
  • Event Safety Checklist

Please be sure to keep this online version handy when considering a Scouting activity or planning a meeting or outing.

 

Register Now for Powderhorn 2020

by

Powder Horn is a resource course designed to introduce Scouting’s adults and youth to the exciting high-adventure program possibilities for their unit. The course supports the mission of strengthening units so they can achieve the mission of the Boy Scouts of America.

The Powder Horn course is designed to help the unit by introducing youth and adult Scouting leaders to safely conducted outdoor/high-adventure activities of a fun and challenging nature. The Course provides an introduction to the resources needed to successfully lead youth through a program of outdoor adventure and is based upon giving participants an exposure to some outdoor/high-adventure activities.

During this High-Adventure Resource Management Course, participants will receive:

  • Knowledge of the health and safety requirements, as well as rules and regulations of the BSA, as they apply to outdoor programs
  • Introduction to the skills necessary to operate outdoor programs, the various required certifications, and how to obtain these certifications
  • Knowledge of how to identify local resources and consultants for high-adventure activities

Powder Horn is a hands-on, intense, early-morning-to-late-night training course, which takes place at Bear Creek Scout Reservation over two weekends (Mar. 27-29 and Apr. 17-19, 2020). Participants must have a current Class III BSA “High Adventure” Physical completed before participating in the Course and they must attend both weekends!

“Powder Horn is not a personal development course or a team-building experience. Its purpose is to educate the youth and adult Scouting leaders about specific high-adventure skills, to connect them to resources to deliver those skills, and to get them excited about delivering those skills in an exciting, challenging way to youth.” – excerpt from the Powder Horn Staff Guide

REGISTER today – go to: http://legacy.alamoareabsa.org/Event.aspx?id=9830!

Also, check us out on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/1096686727207865/ (Powder Horn 2020 (AAC) Facebook Group)!

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact one of us.

Yours in Scouting,

Hugo Chavez                      Ryan Harris

 (210) 862-7544                 (210) 284-5053

hvcjr@satx.rr.com           ryan79260@icloud.com

Jamboree on the Air 2019 at McGimsey Scout Park!

by

The 62nd Jamboree on the Air
Please join us for the 62nd Annual Jamboree on the Air (J.O.T.A.) event and enjoy worldwide communications via Amateur Radio and the internet.  J.O.T.A. is the largest Scouting event in the world with over 1.8 million Scouts participating across 150+ countries.

Scouts of all ages and their families are welcome to come and participate.

This year’s event will be held at McGimsey Scout Park, in the Cub Pavilion area. The event starts Friday, October 18th from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM, continues Saturday, 9:30 AM – 10:30 PM, and concludes on Sunday, 9:30 AM – 12:00 PM.

Participants may camp out Friday & Saturday nights, providing their own camping equipment and food for the weekend.

If you are interested in participating, please register so we can track our numbers.  The event is free to attend, so registration is just to help us better plan.   Click HERE to register to attend, please. There are patches from National available for participating in this event. You can order them through the Musselman Scout Shop for a small fee.

 

Amateur Radio (ham radio) is a popular hobby and service that brings people together globally. People use radio to communicate across town, across the country, around the world, and into space using the “Air Waves”, satellites, repeaters and the internet.  It’s fun, social, educational, and provides the ability to speak with fellow amateur operator’s globally, thereby, creating friendship’s and spreading international goodwill.

It can be used as a lifeline during times of need, and fosters good communication development for the Scout.

For more information:  http://www.arrl.org/jamboree-on-the-air-jota   http://jotajoti.info/discord

Contact: John Douglas  W5NZK@yahoo.com  or  (210) 887-8317

Scouting Adventures