Eagle Scout Project Opportunity - Real Life Church trails/campsites
We received this informaiton about an opportunity to provide service, including Eagle Scout Projects:
Real Life Church (RLC) owns 90 acres of land just outside Black Diamond adjacent to H169. We are looking for partners to begin improving and using this land in ways that will benefit folk in SE King County.
Short term we are looking to improve the system of trails and interconnect them with adjacent open space and trails. In time there will be over 50 miles of trails available with overnight campsites along the way. We also want to put in one or more campfire/amphitheatres. We would like to map and mark the trails and include botanical, woodlore and envrionmental markers and learning stops along the trails.
RLC looks at this as a gateway opportunity for youth-oriented organizations to have close and easy access to some amazing natural environments, and to partipate in the planning and building what that will look like.
If you would like to discuss this further, please call Doug Salcedo at 206-724-5595.
StartingJanuary 1, 2010, all scouting units must use the new Annual Health and Medical Record being instituted by the national Scout office for all camping events.
The current Class 1, 2, and 3 Forms may be used prior to that date.
Forquestionsabout the new form, click here.Annual Health and Medical Form(replaces Class 1, 2, and 3 health forms effective 1/1/2010).
The newest training course for all volunteers, "This Is Scouting," (replaces New Leader Essentials) is now available on the E-Learning center on MyScouting.org or the training section ofwww.seattlebsa.org.
Foothills District is gearing up to conduct its second-annual NiteHike event Sept 18th-19th, 2009. Our theme for this year’s event is “Scout vs. Wild” and will feature challenges based on emergency preparedness, wilderness survival, and “Be Prepared”.
The Nite Hike will start at dusk (9 pm) on Friday, Sept 18thand conclude around 8:00 am on Saturday, Sept 19th. We will again be hosted by Pack Forest, a University of Washington facility near Eatonville, WA.
At the NiteHike, scouts will register as patrols and hike out at dusk into the 4,000 acre forest, navigating by map and compass to stations run by troops and crews, where they’ll be confronted with team challenges that they’ll have to tackle before navigating to find the next station. The goal is to reach every station before dawn the next morning. Patrols are not required to hike all night and can check out at any point, but there will be recognition for the highest scoring Webelos den, Scout Patrol, and Venturing Crew/Varsity Team, as well as the most popular station.
The Nite Hike is open to 2ndyear Webelos, Scouts, Venturers, and Varsity Teams-- cost to participate is $10 per scout, with pre-registration strongly encouraged (no charge for adults or scouts running stations). Registration is limited to the first 300 scouts to sign up, with preference given to units that run a station, so don’t delay in signing up.
The Enumclaw Clothing Bank is in urgent need of the following items. If your pack or troop can help out, please contact LynAnn Holmes atmy_sweetpea@comcast.net
1. Hygiene kits. This can be done very simply in a pack or troop setting. I can get the list of five items in the kit to anyone is willing to do this.
2. Hanger drive: They are in desparate need of hangers. Years ago one pack did this by sending letters to stores throughout the Auburn Supermall asking them to save hangers and gave them the date that we would be picking them up. It was very cute watching the cubs go through the mall with carts and picking up all the donations. It took them only one night and a couple of suburbans and was a great service project.
3. Volunteering at the bank: They are currently open only on Tuesdays. They need help sorting and hanging clothing. This works really well for a Boy Scout working on Citizenship in the Community merit badge. They are open during the day and also for a couple of hours in the evening on Tuesday. They will not be open during the summer.
4. Sorting day: If a troop would like to come in and just spend a Saturday morning sorting the clothing in one big swoop we can arrange a time to do so. Stuff is constantly brought in and they are in a big need right now to have the stuff sorted so they can get it on the shelves. Bags of donations are beginning to pile up and take up too much space.
Service Project Opportunities
There are two regularly-updated websites that list the projects. The second webpage contains a subset of the projects listed in the first website:
Environmental Service Projects
·Green/Duwamish and Central Puget Sound Watershed Salmon Recovery webpage:http://www.govlink.org/watersheds/9/action/Volunteer.aspx-- this covers West Seattle, the Duwamish, Tukwila, Highline, Kent, Auburn, and southeastern unincorporated King County
In some cases, the agencies can organize stand-alone events for larger groups (>15 persons) of scouts. Please contact Dennis Clark (Dennis.Clark@kingcounty.gov)to discuss further if that is of interest.
Big Brothers - Big Sisters MoveBIG! Opportunities
This is a program designed for South King/Pierce Counties focused on mentoring youth by spending time with them. MoveBIG! Plans and staffs events such as flag football, dodgeball, fishing and kickball. The commitment is for just two times per month.
Auburn Parks and Recreation Department’s Game Farm Wilderness Parkis a great place for Cub Scout Day Camp and Troop or Pack Campouts and BBQs. As an organization the Foothills District of the Boy Scouts of America is adopting Game Farm Wilderness to benefit future Scouts and the Auburn community. The City of Auburn Parks Dept. has a long wish list of improvement projects that include everything from ongoing maintenance by a Pack or Troop, a one time project for Good Turn for America or a more complex Eagle Scout project. For more information on available projects or to sign up your Pack Troop or Crewcontact Mike Miller,Parks Maintenance Manager at 253-931-3027.
Vine Maple Place in Maple Valleyis an organization that brings hope, help, and housing to homeless single mothers and their children. Vine Maple Place just purchased two new properties for providing housing and has a multitude of projects for everyone from Cub Scout Dens to Eagle Scout Projects. Contact Colleen Star or Ron Starr at (425) 432-9149 orvinemapleplace@msn.comto set up a project. Checkwww.vinemapleplace.orgfor more information on Vine Maple Place.
The Lake Wilderness Arboretum(http://www.lakewildernessarboretum.org/) respectfully invites you to the followingvolunteer activities. Come and have fun with other Arboretum enthusiasts.
Branches work party: Branches works together to develop and maintain the Arboretum's gardens and grounds. Date and Time:Every Wednesday, 9:00am - noon No experience necessary. Location:Meet at Nursery
TWIGS work party: Date and Time:Every Thursday 9:00am - Noon The TWIGS volunteer group meets to propagate, pot, plant, and prepare for plant sales. Share gardening tips with other garden enthusiasts. No experience necessary. Location:Meet at Nursery
Eagle Projects at Serenity Equine Rescue in Hobart
Serenity Equine Rescue is a nonprofit facility dedicated to the rescue and rehabilitation of abused, neglected, and unwanted horses. Horses come to Serenity via Animal Control, the Humane Society, and private parties. The priorities are: Get them sound and healthy, get them up to date (worming, veterinary attention, farrier work), and get them adopted out. There is a list of current boarders, availables, and successes on the website.
Most of the daily work is done by volunteer staff, under the eye of Patricia Clark (founder and director) and Darcy Jayne (volunteer coordinator). Paid staff is limited to a single person during the week, vet visits, and the farrier. The volunteer staff tends to learn quite a bit about horsemanship along the way, and some wind up adopting horses themselves. There never seem to be enough capable volunteers.
Infastructure projects, though, remain a bit of a challenge.
Serenity has an arena, barn, and carriage house that were built two years ago. There was no preservative applied at the time, and they are starting to show the effects of weather. All three need to be treated against sun, rain, and mildew. In essence, they need a coat of deck preservative. Spray gun and ladder work, in the main. If I recall, the carriage house is 30' square, the arena is 120x70', and the barn is 120x40'. I paced them off, but that was a while back. The arena is only wood on three sides, the north-facing end is vinylized canvas. Patricia has a strong preference that the trim be painted green.
If you are looking for a good Eagle Scout Project, this may be a good fit for you. If you are interested, contact Darcy Jane or Eamon Stanley at 206-261-0126. Sundays 11-2 are the best time to reach them.
http://serenityequinerescue.com/default.aspx
The 2009 Woodbadge dates have been set as:
Foothills District is gearing up to conduct its second-annual NiteHike event Sept 18th-19th, 2009. Our theme for this year’s event is “Scout vs. Wild” and will feature challenges based on emergency preparedness, wilderness survival, and “Be Prepared”.