Nov 4 - NNJC Training: BALOO for Cub Leaders Nov 9 - HLD District Committee Meeting Nov 9-11 - Popcorn: Take-Order pick-up Nov 13 - HLD Commissioners' Meeting Nov 15 - HLD First Aid Rally Nov 15 - CCOS Planning for Scout Sunday Nov 18 - NNJC Cub Pow Wow Nov 18 - NNJC Training: Den Chiefs Nov 18 - NNJC Training: Commissioner Basic Nov 20 - HLD Roundtable - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Dec 2 - Wood Badge Dining Out Dec 9 - HLD Training: 3-part for Cub Leaders Dec 11 - HLD Commissioners' Meeting Dec 13 - CCOS Regular Meeting Dec 14- HLD District Committee Meeting Dec 18 - HLD Roundtable - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Jan 4 - Eagle Dinner Jan 6 - NNJC Training: Venture Leader Basic Jan 7 - OA Banquet Jan 8 - HLD Commissioners' Meeting Jan 11 - HLD District Committee Meeting Jan 12-14 - Klondike Derby Jan 22 - HLD Roundtable Jan 27 - HLD Training: Youth Leaders Jan 31 - CCOS Regular Meeting - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Looking Ahead Feb 4 - Scout Sunday Feb 8 - HLD Annual Meeting Feb 24-25 - NNJC Scout Ski Days Mar 3 - Merit Badge Rally Mar 3 - Pinewood Derby Mar 24 - HLD Training: SM specific Apr 27-29 - Council Weboree Apr 29 - HLD Banquet May 4-6 - HLD Camporee May 4-6 - OA ordeal weekend May 12 - Scout Show Jun 1-3 - OA ordeal weekend Jun 6 - Program launch Jun 9 - Camp workday Jun 15-17 - OA Section Conclave •
The Chairman's Minute
The Chairman's Minute
At all our local meetings, we hear a lot of news about what is happening in the Hudson-Liberty District, but little about what is happening in the rest of the Council. So here, in the spirit of full disclosure, are a couple of items about the rest of the Council. These notes were taken from a memo from Council Scout Exec Trip McMillan.
Traditional Membership: For most of 2006, our Cub Scout, Boy Scout and Venturing membership has been running about 8% behind 2005. However, October was a good month for recruiting. We have cut significantly into the loss and we are currently running about 5.5% behind 2005. Orange Mountains District went into the plus for October.
Popcorn: Fantastic News! Our popcorn goal was to sell $788,000 worth of popcorn. To date, with a few orders still outstanding, we are at $836,265. The Council receives 32% of the sales, which will greatly help our bottom line.
-o-
The numbers in HLD seem to be leveling off, and we are poised for a very exciting year. We recently had our Goal Setting meeting, and the numbers for next year are very attainable. That said, we need the help of all district units. What does that mean? It means that we need all units need to sign up for an FOS presentation this year. If you sign up, we will get somebody to your unit.
This month's Roundtable meeting will focus on Camping. It looks like a great opportunity for the units to get both the adults and the youth leadership involved. We look forward to making this a successful meeting.
Yours in Scouting, Greg •
Al Hacker is the New District Commissioner
Al Hacker is the New District Commissioner This announcement was printed in the Nov edition of the Council's newsletter, Spirit of Northern NJ - Leaders Edition:
Welcome to new District Commissioner, Al Hacker of Kearny. Al is a long-time Scouter and dynamic trainer Al has agreed to serve the District until February of 2007. •
Scout Dinner Honoring Jim Miller (Oct 24)
Scout Dinner Honoring Jim Miller (Oct 24)
Jim Miller, who has been involved with Scouting for some 50 years, was honored by our district with a Community Service Award. About 75 well-wishers turned out to congratulate him, including Bayonne Mayor Joe Doria, who has known Jim since they went to college together. Here is information about Jim extracted from the event's press release:
The Hudson-Liberty District honored long-time volunteer and Eagle Scout Jim Miller, Sr. with their annual Community Service Award. The award was presented by State Senator Joseph V. Doria, an Alpha Phi Omega fraternity brother.
Jim is President of the Liberty Savings Federal Credit Union. He also serves on the Executive Board of the Hudson County Chamber of Commerce and the Executive Board of Northern New Jersey Council. He is a member of the Rotary Club of Jersey City, and the Hudson County Chapter of the American Red Cross.
In the past, Jim was Council President and Council Commissioner for the former Hudson-Liberty Council. He served on the National Community Relations Committee; and on the InterAmerican Region of the International Fellowship of Scouting Rotarians. He was one of the advisors to the Council's 2002 National Order of the Arrow Conference contingent. He has served on staff at six National Boy Scout Jamborees and at the 2002-03 World Scout Jamboree in Thailand.
Jim currently resides in Kearny with his wife Fran. He has five children and four grandchildren.
After the event, HLD District Exec Dave Banks said, "We had a great time. Jim knows a huge number of people from his contacts at the Credit Union, the Rotary Club, Scouts, and many others. They were all happy to come when John Wilson called them." Dave explained that Wilson had organized the event, adding, "He's the president of the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities in New Jersey." Dave said, "Mayor Doria said some nice things, but I don't think Jim's thank-you speech lasted more than 30 seconds. In fact, the whole affair went rather quickly. Everyone went home around 8:30."
As a fund-raiser, the dinner was quite successful, bringing in about $9,500. Dave said, "We needed to do well in order to cover the losses from the 'sunken ship,' which is what I call last spring's Comedy Cruise fund-raiser."
Dave listed some other things that made the event successful. He praised the food at Puccini's Restaurant, saying, "If you want to eat, it's the place to go. Also, having the event in Jersey City at 6:00 PM was very convenient for people leaving their offices and going straight to the dinner." •
Upcoming District First Aid Rally (Nov 15)
Upcoming District First Aid Rally (Nov 15) This is a reprint from last month's issue of Between the Shores:
Kearny Troop 2 will again host this year's First Aid Rally November 15, 2006 7:30 PM Lincoln School gym 121 Beech Street, Kearny
To Scoutmasters: This event is a great target for your weekly program. Spend some time at each meeting running your Scouts through first aid essentials, stressing that they will soon be competing against other troops in the District.
Here's how it worked in past years:
Each Scout troop selects its space on the gym floor, say, 10 feet by 10 feet. A big troop must break up into smaller patrols. 5 or 6 is a good number for each group. One Scout in each group is designated to be the SPL.
Scoutmasters and other adult leaders volunteer to act as judges. Each is assigned randomly to monitor one patrol (but not his own unit). Each judge is given an answer sheet to help him evaluate performance.
One or two adults sit at the 9-1-1 table. When it's time to "go for help," that's where to go.
First whistle: Each SPL is given a written scenario that describes a mishap resulting in one or more injuries to the "victim." He and his patrol read it and discuss. One Scout is selected to act as the victim.
Second whistle: Start! The SPL takes charge and directs his patrol in what action each Scout should take to help the victim. At some point he briefs a messenger who goes to the 9-1-1 table. The messenger describes the injuries and describes what his patrol has done so far and what it intends to do.
Third whistle: Stop! The judge goes down his answer sheet checklist to ensure that everything that should have been done, was done, and was done properly. He computes a total and turns it in to the organizers.
Typically there are 3 scenarios. The intent is to hand out awards around 9:30 PM, followed by a closing and dismissal. •
Crossing the Bridge at the Catholic Retreat (Oct 20-22)
Crossing the Bridge at the Catholic Retreat (Oct 20-22)
This year's theme was "Pontifex Maximus," which means "The Great Bridge Builder," in honor of recently-elected Pope Benedict XVI. This is one of the Latin names given to the Pope. About 400 Scouts, Cubs, Venturers, and adults attended, many camping out for the entire weekend. The Catholic Retreat weekend is organized each year by the Catholic Committee on Scouting, which chooses a theme, and organizes sessions around it. The sessions are always led by a team of Scout Chaplains assigned by the Archdiocese of Newark, with Father Vic Kennedy as the most visible among them. The sessions and homilies also reflected two secondary themes: "David and the stone that struck down Goliath" and "Faith, Hope, and Love."
David made a memorable appearance at the opening ceremony late Friday night, after Scout troops had a chance to find their assigned campsites, pitch their tents, and settle in. With everyone gathered around him, Father Vic stood next to a large block of marble, with a hammer and chisel in his hands. He recalled how Michelangelo said that he didn't create statues but instead simply chipped away the surplus stone to find the image within. He said, "That's what we do on a retreat weekend: we get rid of all the surplus distractions that keep us from being able to see the important things within. We get rid of them like this..." and he proceeded to chip away at the marble block. As it turned out, the "marble" was really made of foam blocks, which came away easily to reveal a lovely statue of a shepherd boy within. Father Vic then retold the story of how the shepherd boy David slew Goliath with a stone from his sling, and encouraged the Scouts present to think about "what giant is standing between you and what you want to become. Spend the rest of the weekend with one of these stones in your pocket as a reminder that there's a giant in your life that needs to be slain." Then he and Father Gene Fields handed each Scout a golf ball-size white stone to take back to their sites.
The stones showed up again when Father Vic gave a homily during the Saturday night Mass. "Take your stone home," he said, "and tap it with a hammer until it splits like this..." It turned out that each stone was really a geode, not much to see on the outside, but with glittering crystals on the inside. "Every person you meet has goodness on the inside, and you have to look past the outside surface to see it."
The Retreat took place at Ross Dock, situated on the shores of the Hudson River, less than a mile north of the George Washington Bridge. In line with the "Pontifex" theme, Boy Scouts spent a portion of Saturday afternoon hiking across the bridge to New York and back, while younger Cub Scouts were encouraged to try their hand at scrambling across a rope monkey bridge set up on the Ross Dock lawn.
There was a special treat for everyone late Saturday evening when the OA Dance Team performed two of their best dances followed by a surprise encore. After the spectacular Belt Dance and the even more spectacular Hoop Dance, they wowed the crowd with a Flaming Hoop Dance. Afterwards, team advisors Jose Jerez and Bill Dall were all smiles. They explained, "It's been five years since we performed with flames, and the guys were really nervous beforehand. But just look at how happy they are now." •
Pow Wow for Cub Leaders (Nov 18)
Pow Wow for Cub Leaders (Nov 18) This information was taken from the Council website:
Pow Wow: Catch the Dream The Pow Wow is a daylong event for ALL Scout leaders. It provides supplemental training and idea sharing. It is not meant to replace Fast Start, New Leader Essentials or position-specific training; but rather it complements that training with a wealth of practical information.
Pow Wow has sessions for Den Leaders, Webelos Leaders, Cubmasters, and Committee Members (and their assistants). Improve your skills, and learn some new ones! There are valuable classes for even the most experienced leader. Note to Unit Commissioners: come along and bring your unit leaders!
A complete list of sessions and the daylong schedule is available on the Council website (see below). There is no preset curriculum. Mix and match sessions from the various collections that will help you the most! All participants will receive a Pow Wow patch and handouts or notes from the sessions.
Registration fee is $20 per person and includes lunch. If you have special dietary needs, please bring a bag lunch.
Here is a sampling of the sessions being offered: Advancement American Indian Crafts Blue & Gold Dinners Boats & Spaceships Ceremonies Compass & Map Basics Cooking Basics Dealing with ADD / ADHD Den Chiefs Den Leader Survival First Aid Gear Guide Knives Knots & Lashings Games for Groups Large & Small Law & Order in your Pack / Den Leathercraft Magic Paperwork How-To Pinewood, Space Race, Raingutter Regatta Recruiting Volunteers Religious Emblems Scout Day and Resident Camp Showmanship, Skits, Songs, Stunts, Splash Small Group Games Sports & Academics Webelos Den Camping Webelos Outdoor Badges Webelos Readyman Badge Webelos Science Badges What You Need for Hiking & Camping Woodcraft
The Coast Guard Auxiliary recently made good on its offer to speak with and give safety training to any Scout or Cub unit that requests it. Six members of Flotilla 10-2, which is based on the Hackensack River in Secaucus, made a presentation to some 25 Cubs of Jersey City Pack 475. The offer was made at the HLD September Roundtable.
According to Cubmaster Bill Dietz, the presenters had no trouble in keeping the boys' attention and in getting their points across. Bill described the 3-part presentation, which started with a slide show for the entire pack showing what the Flotilla's duties are, such as patrolling the coast, assisting other ships in trouble, and helping people lost at sea. Bill said, "The big question from the kids was, 'Did you catch any pirates?'"
At this point, the Webelos went to another room to work on the Readyman badge, while the presenters addressed the younger Tigers, Wolves, and Bears, using an age-appropriate coloring book, Boating Fun - Adventure on the Water, featuring "Coastie, the Safety Boat." Topics covered were swim safety, use of PFDs (personal flotation devices, such as vests), how to place passengers in a boat to keep it balanced, and how to signal for help when you're in trouble.
The older Webelos returned for their session, which made use of a 14-page booklet, Waypoints. This session covered some of the same topics as above, but also introduced the boys to nautical terms (port, starboard, fore, aft, etc.), how boats use colored running lights at night, special considerations for jet skis, right-of-way rules, and navigation buoys. The Cubs got to try out the PFDs and to explore their pockets, which contained all manner of safety and survival gear.
For the next step, the pack will go to Bayonne to visit one of the ships docked there. Bill said, "We're working on a date now, but it will have to be after Thanksgiving." Bill was not sure if the boys will just tour the ship or if they will actually cast off and head out into New York Bay.
If you are interested in a presentation, contact Monica Valdes, the flotilla's public affairs staff officer. Monica was one of the presenters at Pack 475, and was also at the September Roundtable. UscgAuxMoni@hotmail.com •
Den Chief Training (Nov 18)
Den Chief Training (Nov 18) This information was taken from the Council website. The training session will take place during the Cub Pow Wow (see above):
Den Chiefs are Boy Scouts who are elected by their Troop to attend and assist at local Cub Meetings. The Den Chief role is fun for boys and vital for healthy Packs and Troops.
Den Chief Training is a FUN opportunity for new Den Chiefs to learn about their job and for experienced Den Chiefs to recharge their commitment with new ideas and fellowship!
WHO: Den Chiefs WHEN: Nov 18, Registration at 8:00 AM sharp! WHERE: Montclair High School, 100 Chestnut St WEAR: Scout uniform with sneakers
Official training ends around 11:30, followed by lunch. The OA Dance Team will perform during lunch. Lunch is available for an extra charge of $5.00.
Wood Badge Dining-Out (Dec 2) This information was taken from the Council website:
NORTHERN NEW JERSEY COUNCIL Fourth Annual Gilwell Dining-Out Breakfast Gathering
The idea of a "Dining-In" or "Dining-Out" was adopted many years ago by the British Army and is a long-standing tradition in regimental messes. Lt. General Robert Baden-Powell, the founder of Scouting, retired from the British Army in 1910. With a long and distinguished military career, it is almost certain that he participated in many social dining-out events, which were open to non-members, including spouses and friends.
WHEN: Dec 2 (Saturday), 8:00-11:00 AM COST: $25.00, WHERE: William Paterson University, 1600 Valley Road, Wayne, NJ
What's a Campmaster?' A Campmaster is someone who is willing to spend two or more weekends a year supporting the units that stay at Camp Turrell, No-Be-Bo-Sco, Yaw Paw, Alpine, and Camp Lewis. He must be 21 or older.
Units see the Campmaster when they check into a camp for the weekend, and again when their site is ready to be inspected for checkout. But, in between, there's much more that a Campmaster can do for a unit. Each camp has many programs, and the Campmaster is the person that can brief the unit leaders about them and also assist. Many individual Campmasters share their flair and expertise by offering programs of their own, such as dutch oven cooking, first aid, nature hikes, Totin' Chip sessions, knots, lashings, map & compass, camp stories, etc.
The Campmaster program can be a great help to the units at camp, and it can be very rewarding to the Scouter who is willing to give a few weekends of his time.
One more reason why Campmasters are needed: Question: What happens when the camp's Ranger or Caretaker is on vacation and there's no Campmaster for that weekend?
Answer: The camp is closed to units, and they are forced to shift to Plan-B!
If you're interested, contact HLD Camping Chair Rob Rodriguez: 609-341-2056, LenapeIX@hotmail.com •
Merit Badge Counselors
Merit Badge Counselors This information was extracted from the Council website:
NNJC has a new "Dean of Merit Badges," new procedures for counselors to sign up, and new procedures for unit leaders and unit advancement chairs to find out who the counselors are.
How Scouts earn a merit badge Scouts are encouraged to work on their own at home for merit badges not offered at camp. But they must work under the guidance of a registered counselor. The steps are:
1. The Scout selects a badge to work on and reviews the requirements. They are listed in a book from the Scout Shop, Boy Scout Requirements 2006, or online at a site like www.MeritBadge.com.
The Scout tells his Scoutmaster, who signals his approval by filling out and signing a blue card.
The Scoutmaster accesses the NNJC on-line database of registered counselors, selects a name or two, and gives contact information to the Scout.
The Scout contacts the counselor and arranges to meet and talk. Scouts are urged to do this with a buddy.
The Scout meets the badge's requirements to the satisfaction of the counselor, who signs the blue card as "completed."
The Scout gives the blue card back to the Scoutmaster, who records the completion and presents the badge at a ceremony.
Becoming a Merit Badge Counselor You can apply at any time, and you don't have to be affiliated with a Scout unit. There's a new 2-sided form to fill out. The front is where you list up to 10 badges you're willing to counsel, with space to state your qualifications (job, hobby, training, etc.) There are check boxes to show that you have obtained Youth Protection certification and have attended an orientation session.
The reverse side of the form is basically the same as the standard Adult Application form, but a number of fields are already filled in for you, and a banner clearly states, "No fee required to register." One mandatory field is for your Social Security Number (SSN), with this explanation given by the Council:
With the change in procedure, we can also implement the National BSA Criminal Background check and help ensure that we are meeting the guidelines of the BSA in helping to keep our Scouts safe. Please note that providing your SSN is required for the background check to be completed. The BSA National Council has hired an independent company to process background checks using public record sources, your SSN is the primary record used. All SSNs are kept in strict confidence.
The Database The database of Merit Badge Counselors is password protected, since it contains personal contact information. Scoutmasters know the password and have been instructed to treat it as sensitive. The database is maintained by Del Coonce, the Dean of Merit Badges for the Council.
Each District is encouraged to have its own "Dean." Advancement Chair Mike Pardi said, "I am looking to recruit someone, but at the moment I am doing the job myself along with my other advancement stuff."
The Council Needs Summer Camp Photos NNJC Director of Support Service Grey Rolland broadcast this message on Oct 18:
If anyone has summer camp pictures that would be a good addition to our 2007 promotional DVDs, please contact me at 201-677-1000 x13 or grolland@bsamail.org •
Please Ignore the Rumor about No-Be
Please Ignore the Rumor about No-Be Council Finance Director Ken Smith broadcast this message on Oct 17:
MEDIA UPDATE! It has been reported through a number of media outlets after an article appeared in The Express-Times that Camp No-Be-Bo-Sco has been sold to Blair Academy. This is incorrect. The Blair Academy purchased a plot of land adjacent to their property from the Girl Scouts to prevent developers from building on it. That property is NOT Camp No-Be-Bo-Sco. Camp No-Be-Bo-Sco, one of the sites used in filming the original Friday the 13th movie, continues to be a fully operational Boy Scout weekend and summer camp.
Ken Smith •
Need Turnout for OA Training Day (Oct 21)
Need Turnout for OA Training Day (Oct 21) Lodge Chief Jeff Kilroy broadcast this message on Oct 17:
Fellow Arrowmen, I need your cooperation and help.
Our Lodge will hold a Training Day on Oct 21 at the Northeast Region Museum in Rochelle Park at 31 West Passaic St. This training session is a mandatory requirement for our lodge to earn the Quality Lodge award, and I promise it will not be boring. It will instead be a hands-on interactive event that you will have fun doing. It starts at 10:00 AM and wraps up around 2:00 PM. The lodge will provide lunch FREE for all attendees.
Because our training team has invested a considerable amount of time into this Training Day, I need all of you to help support this event. Chapter Chiefs, Committee Chairs, new Arrowmen, and all Arrowmen who have an interest in our lodge should plan on attending. One of the many topics to be covered will be training of the 2007 Chapter Election Teams. We will also have training directed at running a great Conclave.
Jeff Kilroy •
A Death
A Death Bill Dall broadcast this message on Oct 23:
Steve Scheiner Dear fellow Scouters and friends, Brother Scouter Steve Scheiner from yesteryear, who taught many a Scout during his lifetime, has passed on.
Quinlan Bizub Funeral Home 515 Lexington Ave, Clifton, NJ 973-777-4332
Wake: Mon 2:00-4:00 and 7:00-9:00 Service: Tues 11:30 at the Funeral Home
Steve was with Post 147 in Secaucus in the late 70s and 80s and also Troop 112. Currently his brother John is active in Secaucus with his son. His other brother Jim is active in Cherry Hill, NJ. •
