Scout Sentinel - Antelope Valley District

VOLUME 3, ISSUE 2
FEBRUARY 2015
MONTHLY
EDITION
NEWS, EVENTS
AND
OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION
RELATED
TO SCOUTS AND SCOUTING IN THE WESTERN
LOS ANGELES COUNTY
COUNCIL OF THE BOY
SCOUTS OF AMERICA
On the Web at:
www.bsa-la.org
Hyperlinks guide
you throughout
each edition!
Inside this issue:
FOS
1
International
Visit
2
Camp Emerald
Bay History
3-4
Staples Calendar
5
Friendship Fund
6
Eagle Trip
7
Ralphs, Kohl’s
& Recgarterng
8
Bruin Scouts
9
Scoutreach
10
Silver Beaver
11
Camping
Department News
12
USC B-Ball Offer
15
Venturing Awards
16
Roundtable
18
Scout Sentinel
Western Los Angeles County Council
The Official Newsletter of the W.L.A.C.C. serving the Antelope Valley, Balboa Oaks, Bill
Hart, Cahuenga, Crescent Bay, Las Colinas and Scoutreach Districts and Exploring Division
Annual Friends of Scouting Campaign Commences
The annual Friends of Scouting
Campaign got off to a great
start this month.
Staff and volunteers held a
kickoff meeting in January to
maximize the 2015 FOS campaign contributions. Friends of Scouting is a critical annual funding source for our
Council’s activities. As such, the Council encourages each family in the WLACC to
contribute this year. If each family donated even only 50 cents per week—$26.00
dollars annually—85% of the Council’s FOS District goal would be reached!! While
the Council hopes that you will consider donating more than 50 cents per week, it is
so important that every family served by the WLACC—100%—contributes to this
year’s FOS campaign in some manner. Donors who make an annual total contribution of at least $260 ($5.00 dollars per week—just over the price of a Starbucks Mocha) will receive the brand-new FOS custom
shoulder patch shown at left. To contribute to
the 2015 FOS campaign, see your unit’s FOS
coordinator. Online donations made be easily
made
at
the
following
link:
www.fos.kintera.org/wlacc
If each family within the Council gave just 50 cents per week, the FOS
Campaign would raise $286,000! With the goal being $340,000 for
this year’s FOS District Campaign, the Council hopes that each family
will participate in this important annual fundraiser!
$286K
Celebrate Scout Sunday on February 8
The Boy Scouts of America annually celebrates its founding as February 8, 1910,
based on the program started by Lord Baden Powell in England on August 1, 1907.
Scout Sunday was added to the Scout celebration in the 1940s. Scout Sunday is recognized on the Sunday preceding February 8th. The Saturday following February 8th
is Scout Sabbath. This Scouting Anniversary Day is the primary date to recognize the
contributions of young people and adults to Scouting in the United States.
Scout Sunday continued on page 6
2
The Spirit of International Scouting is Alive and Well:
Sylmar Unit Supports Mexican Scouts During Recent Visit
Troop 94 In Sylmar recently hosted a Scout Troop from Mexico. The visit involved
twenty-four Scouts and leaders from Aguas Calientes (north of Mexico City). It all
started in March of 2014. The older sister of a Webelos Scout in Pack 94 asked his Webelos Leader, Oscar Aparicio, if
he could help a Scout group from Aguas Calientes visit Southern California for ten days. The group needed an official
letter of invitation from the Boy Scouts of America to have their visas approved.
As plans proceeded, a snag arose...just two weeks before Groupo 15 was to arrive, the planned host families in Long
Beach were unable to house the group of Scouts and their leaders. Oscar jumped into action and with Troop 94
worked to arrange for the Travelodge in Sylmar to house the group.
The group flew into LAX and for nine days saw the
sights: the Griffith Park Observatory, Disneyland and
California Adventure, Zuma Beach, Universal Studios,
Magic Mountain, Dodger Stadium (with a behind the
scenes tour of the stadium). They participated in a
six-mile hike in Malibu Creek State Park with the Pack
and Troop. During a unit barbeque and at other
events, while most of the Mexican and American
Scouts were not bilingual, they communicated well—
even using smart phone apps! The final dinner, the
night before they returned to Mexico, was attended
by Congressman Tony Cardenas who addressed everyone in both Spanish and English.
Congressman Tony Cardenas (in black polo shirt), a friend to Scouting,
This unique visit is a great example of the internation- celebrated Scout Groupo 15’s visit with Pack and Troop 94 in Sylmar.
al spirit of Scouting! Recently, the Council was approached by a father who wanted his son to get involved in Scouting, but was concerned as the family planned to move
out of the country late in 2015. The father did not know that Scouting was international! Don’t miss the chance for
your unit to find penpals or even arrange your own international Scout unit visit to Central or South America or Europe
or Asia...Scouts are everywhere!
Groupo 15 and Sylmar Pack and Troop 94 Scouts posed for a group photo during the group’s recent international visit.
3
In 2015
Camp Emerald Bay will celebrate its 90th birthday! To recognize this historic milestone,
the Scout Sentinel is printing a series of articles on the history of the camp. The second installment follows:
Johnson’s Landing
In 1854, the same year
that Samuel Prentiss died,
John and James Johnson (a.k.a., the Johnson Brothers) arrived on Catalina Island. They squatted on a tract of land
west of Emerald Bay and built a ranch where the tent
camp sites of Camp Emerald Bay are located today. During
this era, squatters often moved onto the land and laid
claim by virtue of possession. Many squatters built ranchon western Catalina during the 1850's-1860's, the largest
being the cattle ranch of William Howland started in 1858.
The Johnsons’ ranching operations, with several hundred
head of sheep, cattle and horses, lasted into the 1880's. It
is their landing that became the place-name seen on maps
from the late 1800's through the present day and is
the actual location of Camp Emerald Bay.
Another early resident at Johnson's Landing was Germanborn John Behn (also spelled Benn) and his wife, Paula
Gastelum, who built a small house there around 1857.
Their daughter, Louisa Behn Stoll (1857-1935) is believed
to have been the first non-Native American child born on
Catalina Island. Paula died in 1858 and John remarried the
following year, living in the house until his death in 1868.
As might be expected, several centuries of foreign contact
and the occupation of Catalina also brought the introduction of non-indigenous animal species and plant life to the
pristine Island environment. Rattlesnakes, of all things,
were brought to Catalina by ships during the 1800's.
Goats were brought by Spanish trading ships. Cattle
brought for ranching were free to roam when ranchers
left. Wild pigs, which are partially immune to rattlesnake
venom, were introduced around 1920 as natural predators
to control the exploding snake population.
Bison were transported to (and subsequently left behind)
in 1924 by a movie crew filming a Zane Grey Western
called the Vanishing American. And the infamous Australian Eucalyptus at Emerald Bay, the largest tree on Catalina
Island, was planted around 1880, the exact circumstances
being unknown. Evidence suggests that it is actually two
trees planted in close proximity that grew together.
The Start of Scout Camping on Catalina
Westside Scouts and Troops were camping on Catalina
Island well before the Crescent Bay District Council was
organized in 1922. While information on these summer
encampments is scant at best, the earliest documentation
dates to 1917 when Scouts of Venice and Santa Monica
Troop 2 attended the Los Angeles District Council's Summer Camp at Catalina. The exact location of the three
week encampment is unclear, but it was not located in
Avalon. Venice Scouts were reported to be at summer
camp on Catalina the following summer in 1918. In July of
1920, a bicycle race in Santa Monica was postponed, in
part, because many of the entrants were at the scout summer camp on Catalina Island. Troop 2 of Santa Monica
made plans for their own Catalina trip in September 1920.
The Crescent Bay Council's first "Super Scout" dating back
to 1911, Merrit Van Sant, was the winner of the Tullis
Cup at the Catalina summer camp in 1921. Van Sant graduated from Santa Monica High School in 1918 and was considered to be the best athlete in the school's history at the
time. (The significance of the Tullis Cup is not currently
known.)
Camp Emerald Bay History continued on page 4
Click the photo below to jump to the Crescent Bay Historical Project YouTube Channel!
4
Camp Emerald Bay History continued from page 3
Crescent Bay's Search for a Summer Camp: 1922-24
Within months of the formation of the Crescent Bay District Council in 1922, new
Scout Executive Donald Monroe made it a priority to secure a permanent summer
camp location for Scouts within the Council. Topanga and Rustic Canyons were considered but Catalina Island was not on the list. An appeal was made to the public for
suggestions and property owners for offers. In the end, Temescal Canyon in Pacific
Palisades was chosen for Crescent Bay's first summer camp.
The following year, a search was on again for a permanent summer camp location. It
is not clear why the Council elected not to return to Temescal Canyon even though,
by all accounts, the Canyon Camp was a huge success. In February 1923, Donald
Monroe and Captain Horatio Seymour set out on a 250-mile trip around Southern
California in hopes of landing a new summer venue. Word of the impending donation of Camp Slauson in 1923 was briefly thought to be the answer to the Crescent
Bay Council's quest, but it was not to be. The Slauson location in Topanga Glen had
no running water, latrine facilities, swimming area or any of the other necessities
required to hold a large encampment.
Ultimately, Russell Ranch, west of Calabasas near what is now known as Westlake
Village, was selected as the summer venue for 1923. Very little is known about the
Russell Ranch Camp other than it was surrounded by oaks, with a stream running
through it. The summer camp was held jointly with San Antonio District of the Los
Angeles Metropolitan Council. It is thought Crescent Bay's decision to use the Ranch
may have been a last minute choice when it was realized that Camp Slauson was not
going to be the answer. When camp was over in 1923, the search for a permanent
summer location was on again.
The Summer of 1924 saw yet another new camp
location in Fish Canyon near Saugus in Santa Barbara County. The Camp was called Kee Koo Too Yeh
meaning "hidden waters" in an unknown Indian language. Kee Koo Too Yeh was considered a success, but the location, if the stories can be believed, proved to be fraught
with problems. Temperatures over 110 degrees in the shade (and there was no shade)
made the two and one-half mile hike into camp quite challenging if not dangerous.
Apparently, the swimming hole quickly got too dirty to swim in. If that wasn't enough,
swarming insects and lots of rattlesnakes served to convince Council leaders that they
had not yet found their permanent summer camp site. First hand accounts say when
camp was over, the Council staff was in such a hurry to get out of there they left all
Council camping equipment behind, not to be retrieved until Easter break the following year in 1925. The rescue attempt ended with a horse-drawn wagon going over the
side of a narrow canyon road, depositing all of the gear in the bottom of a steep ravine. According to Junior staff man Bill Van Slyke, the name Kee Koo Too Yeh came to
be mean "Bad Luck". As the Summer of 1925 approached, the Council was facing
their fourth new camp location in four years, not exactly what Donald Monroe
was thinking when he set out to find a permanent site in 1922.
Louisa Behn Stoll’s Grave in
Los Angeles’ Rosedale Cemetery
Coming in March: The Beginning of Camp Emerald Bay. The Scout Sentinel thanks Dr. Jeff Morley for providing this
historical information. Dr. Morley, a long-time Scouter at Camp Emerald Bay, earned his Eagle Scout Award and is the
Founding Director of the Crescent Bay Historical Project found at www.crescentbaycouncil.org.
5
The Staples Center and the Nokia Theater/LA Live provide a number
of events annually focusing on Scouts with special rates or opportunities for Scouts. Check out this year’s offerings!
6
World Friendship Fund Campaign February 1-15
Through the World Friendship Fund, voluntary contributions of Scouts and leaders are transformed into cooperative projects that help Scouting associations in
other countries to strengthen and extend their Scouting programs. The World Friendship
Fund gives the youth members of the Boy Scouts of America an opportunity to help fellow Scouts who are in need of their support. It teaches Scouts that Scouting is global.
The Fund was developed during the closing days of World War II. At that time, there was
a great need to rebuild Scouting in those nations that had been wracked by war and
were just emerging from the shadows of totalitarianism.
Since its inception, American Scouts and leaders have voluntarily donated more than $11
million to self-help activities, providing Scouts from around the world with Scouting literature, uniforms, summer camp equipment, computers and other Scouting-related supplies. Collections for the World Friendship Fund can be organized during camporees,
roundtable meetings, den and pack meetings, summer camping programs, blue and gold
banquets, or any other Scout activity.
World Friendship Fund brochures, posters, and labels are available through your local
council. A donation to the Fund can be make online via Kintera.
Valley Scout Shop Offers Marbles Belt Loop Event
Blue and Gold Dinner Supplies Also Available
The Valley Scout Shop will be having a Marbles Belt Loop Day on February 21,
2015. Space is limited...be sure to call ahead to (818) 781-1296 to reserve a
spot.
The Scout Shop also wants you to know that they have plenty of Blue and Gold
Dinner-themed supplies available. From dinner plates (paper) to arrows and
plaques for the Arrow of Light, the Scout Shop has the Blue and Gold Dinner
supplies you need to make your event memorable! Visit them at 16525 Sherman Way today (behind the Council’s Van Nuys Headquarters).
Scout Sunday continued from page 1
A Scout is
Reverent
This year Scout Sunday falls on the actual 105th Anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America on
February 8, 2015. The Las Colinas District has a special event slated to recognize Scout Sunday.
Their 3rd Annual Las Colinas District 12 Points Walk will step off at 8:00 a.m. on the 8th.
Scouts and their families are invited to celebrate Scout Sunday with a five-mile walk to various
religious institutions in the District. The purpose of the event (beyond providing a great exercise opportunity) is to promote our unity and celebrate Scout Sunday. A representative from
each institution will discuss a point of the Scout Law throughout this walk.
The starting point is Prince of Peace Church at 5700 Rudnick Avenue in Woodland Hills, CA.
91367. A $6.00 fee covers lunch AND a patch. Scouts should wear their full uniform. Please
RSVP to allow organizers to have the most accurate head count for lunch and patches. Contact Vicky Goldberg for more information and pre-registration (818) 613-2544 or via email at
vfgoldberg@yahoo.com.
7
8
Failure to Recharter Your Unit Has Serious Ramifications
If your unit has not rechartered as of today, the council will be unable to provide
some services to you. If your unit is not currently chartered or defective for 2015,
some unit services cannot be provided to you. In addition, your unit is unable to
purchase advancements and youth awards, since those are only to be provided to
currently registered units as to adhere to national policy. In order to get the service you need and be able to purchase your awards you must recharter now. To
recharter, contact your District Executive ASAP and make an appointment to finalize, turn in, and pay for your charter in full. Our phone number is (818) 7858700. Please call to make an appointment before coming in, as district executives
work in the field and do not keep office hours.
Ralphs Latest Company to Partner With Council
Ralphs Grocery Stores has partnered with the WLACC as participants in
Ralphs Community Contribution Program.
In a process similar to the previously announced Amazon Smile Program, Ralphs will donate a portion of every sale to the Council. The
more you spend at Ralphs, the greater the percentage Ralphs with donate to Scouting. For example, for monthly totals of up to $200 (per
Ralphs Card), the Council will receive 1% back. For purchases of $200$350, the percentage increases to 2%. $350-500 results in a 3% contribution to the Council and all monthly purchases of $500 or more creates a 4% contribution to the WLACC!
Enrollment in the Ralphs Community Contribution Program is easy! If you have a Ralphs Card already, simply go to
Ralphs.com, click on “Sign In” or “Register” to create an online account. Once your online account is created (this
takes less than a minute), you can add your existing Ralphs Card number or phone number. Then simply look for the
Community Rewards button. The last step is adding our organization’s unique number—80235—to the page. Save
this and you are all set!! Shoppers will continue to use their Ralphs Card as they always have. Ralphs keeps track of
your purchase history and the Council receives a quarterly check based on all Scouting families registered in the program and the percentages above.
The Council encourages our Scouting Families to enroll in this beneficialprogram as a easy way to help fund Scouting in
the Western Los Angeles County Council. Ralphs maintains an online FAQ should you have any questions.
Kohl’s
Offers
Education
Scholarships
for
Local
Volunteers
Kohl’s Department Store is offering scholarships to young volunteers in our
community. Eligible applicants must be students between the ages of 6 and
18 as of March 13, 2015 and not yet a high school graduate. Volunteer efforts
must have occurred in the last year and must have benefited people not related
to the student.
Winners will be chosen based on the benefits and outcomes of their volunteer
service and the nominators must be 21 or older (in other words Scouts cannot
nominate themselves. With hundreds of Eagle Scout service projects in the past
year, the Council encourages nominations from among your deserving youth!
Regional winners will each receive a $1,000 scholarship with national winners slated to win a $10,000 scholarship. To
nominate a qualified youth, click here .
9
Bruin Scouts Hosts 3rd
Annual College Day
After hosting a successful College Day last
spring, the Bruin Scouts at UCLA are set to
host their third annual College Day this May.
At last year’s event, over 150 local Boy and
Girl Scouts attended workshops and participated in an interactive campus tour to receive guidance and experience a day in the
life of a college student. The theme for this
year’s event is “Scouts on Campus”.
Bruin Scouts is a UCLA organization made up
of current undergraduate students who are
all united by their common background in
Scouting and service. They provide the UCLA
community a chance to interact with the
Scouting community and “pay it forward” by mentoring troops, leading service projects, and volunteering with non
Scout-affiliated entities. In addition to hosting College Day, Bruin Scouts created the Bruin Buddies program, which
pairs older Scouts with UCLA students in a one-on-one mentorship program. The Bruin Scouts provide guidance to pursuing academic, scouting, and personal goals while also forming a unique bond of friendship with the Scouts.
This year’s College Day will take place on Saturday, May 16, 2015. Registration opens on February 15th and closes on
April 24th. For more information about Bruin Scouts, College Day, or Bruin Buddies, please visit https://
bruinscouts.wordpress.com or email bruinscouts@gmail.com.
Any UCLA student regardless of their Scouting or non-Scouting background is welcome to join the Bruin Scouts. The
organization is proud to be a Network Project of the UCLA Community Service Commission. “Forever a BRUIN. Forever a SCOUT.”
Midway Mania: Coming in March to the Balboa Oaks District
Do not miss Midway Mania! That’s right, Balboa Oaks District is hosting another Merit Badge Midway at the LDS
Church in Northridge at 17101 Plummer Street (on the corner of Plummer and Amestoy, just west of Balboa Boulevard). Mark your calendars, but
more importantly remember to register early as midway classes fill
quickly!
This special event will
place on Saturday, March 28, 2015,
from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Registration/Check-in is at 8:00 a.m. The
Midway schedule with updated information is available on the District's website at: balboaoaks.bsala.org/merit_badge_midway.php.
Look for the "early" schedule. Additional merit badges will be added to
the schedule. The District recommends that interested Scouts check
monitor the District’s Midway
webpage as badges, requirements or
schedules may change. A special
lunch-time addition of the Sustainability Merit Badge will also be available. Please contact Ralph Ward at
rward4wb@yahoo.com regarding
this great opportunity to earn merit
badges!
Find the complete list of merit badges available at this event at:
balboaoaks.bsa-la.org/merit_badge_midway.php
10
Adult Leader Awards Recognition
Dinner Scheduled
Save the Date! The annual Balboa Oaks District dinner to recognize the
commitment of the District’s outstanding adult leaders will be held on
Saturday, March 14, 2015 at 6:00 p.m.
This event will be held at the Church of Latter Day Saints in Granada Hills
at 11315 White Oak Avenue, Granada Hills, 91344. The reservation
deadline is Thursday, March 5, 2015. For more information, contact Paul
Brown at (818) 601-1054.
Scoutreach 2015
2015 is starting out great for the Council’s
Scoutreach Division. They will be adding a
new unit at New Academy in Canoga Park
with twenty new Scouts. They also have a
great spokesman in 9-year old Israel Corral.
Israel attends Fenton Charter (pictured below with fellow Webelo Scout Sammy Leon) He is very motivated and already looking forward to becoming an Eagle Scout.
Scoutreach is focusing on starting new units
throughout the San Fernando Valley in February and starting a Tiger campaign which
is recruiting kindergarten boys in the reg
i
o
n
.
They are also beginning to plan the upcoming June Day Camp. If you would like to
know more about Scoutreach or are interested in sponsoring this important part of
Scouting, please contact District Director
Maricela Orendain via email at
maricela.orendain@scouting.org.
The Western Los Angeles County Council, Malibu Lodge, Order of the
Arrow, will receive $4,000 to enhance its movie-themed set design
and construction at Camp Josepho, which will give youth greater insight into the film industry.
Malibu Lodge OA Wins
National Grant
Since 1999, the National OA Committee has annually selected lodges
from each region to receive matching service grants. For 2015, sixteen lodges in councils across the nation were chosen to receive a
combined total of $50,000 dollars in matching grants via the 2015 OA
Service Grant program.
11
Congratulations to the WLACC 2014 Silver Beaver Honorees!!
Mr. Charles Byers
Mr. Ernesto Cardenas
Ms. Laurel Lofland,
Mr. Erik Mayer
Mr. Phil Schramm
Mr. J. Nicholson Thomas
Mr. Tony Tosatto
2015 Southern California Commissioner College
The inaugural Southern California Commissioner College features a complement of new leadership skills seminars from
Scouting’s continuing education syllabus, while maintaining the same great commissioner degree programs! All Scouters are welcome to join us for fellowship, training, & fun!
Classes and Educational “Tracks” to be offered include: Commissioner Basic Training (for Unit, Round Table, ADC’s and
DC’s), Continuing Education and Professional Development, Bachelor of Commissioner Science, Master of Commissioner Science and Doctor of Commissioner Science. In addition, there will be a class and laboratory on Commissioner
Tools.
A listing of courses being offered and other valuable information will be published shortly.. Watch for the launch of our
dedicated website socalcommissioner.org. For further information please contact Larry
Turner via email ljturner@turner-law.com or call (818) 386-9485.
Date:
Location:
Time:
Cost:
Saturday, March 14, 2015
Rosemead High School 9063 Mission Drive, Rosemead, CA 91770
7:00 A.M. check in/ Breakfast– Classes begin at 8:00 a.m.
Closing and Award Presentations at 4:30 p.m.
Early registration by 2/11/20115 $20.00
Online registration by 3/11/20115 $30.00
At the door
$40.00
Food, materials, special guests and more included: a steal at twice the price! Register Online here.
12
Camping Department NEWs
Camp Emerald Bay Summer Cabins Completed!
The Camp Emerald Bay construction crew has completed
four new cabins on the Old South Hill . These will be the
primary residences of the year-round staff as well as the
directors during Summer Camp programs. Two new dorm
style units were also completed on the location of the old
Ambassador building. These cabins will be staff housing during the summer, and will be an additional spot for those
coming to camp during our off-season. While the cabins are
simply numbered for the moment, a change is planned.
They may be named after previous cabins, some potential
names are the Ambassador, Moana, Plunder Inn, Cliff House, Wilson’s Warehouse, and the Four Seasons.
The two dorm-style units are two story buildings and have four rooms per floor. Each pair of rooms share a bath with a
shower. For those new to Camp Emerald Bay, the cabins are above and to the south of the dining hall. As shown in the
photo above, they have a wonderful view of the parade ground and water front area.
The four units on Old South Hill have varied floor plans and some include kitchens. They line the trail to Ranger Nate’s
house. The staff at Camp Emerald Bay are very happy to have this round of construction complete and are looking to
the new maintenance facility as well.
The 2015 WLACC Camping Guide is
available online at:
bsa-la.org/camping/2015CampingGuide(SM).pdf
Camp Emerald Bay Has a New Program Webelos Resident Week
During week ten at Camp Emerald Bay we are introducing Webelos Resident Camp! This is a great opportunity for a troop to
invite and recruit Webelos to their unit. A Webelos den can come
to camp without a troop as well. You will travel on the same boat
as all the Boy Scout troops coming to Camp Emerald Bay for the full week. Your Webelos will spend Sunday, Monday,
Tuesday, and Wednesday on the island participating in a specialized program just for an adventurous Webelos. You will
have the opportunity to eat like a Boy Scout, camp like a Boy Scout, and even participate in some of the same events as
the Boy Scouts. Don't miss out on this exciting new program at Camp Emerald Bay.
Get your brand-new custom FOS shoulder patch with an annual donation of at
least $260. FOS funds maintain and
improve our camp facilities, provides
camperships for families in financial
need and much more! Donate online at
www.fos.kintera.org/wlacc or contact
your unit’s FOS coordinator!
13
Space is Available for Summer Camp—but Do NOT Delay in Reserving Your Seat!
With respect to summer camp (at all three of our premium camps), some weeks have filled up, but it is still possible to
book a week you or your unit would like to attend. Don’t put it off any longer! We have specialized program at all our
camps. Camp Emerald Bay has a one-time OA service program, and there is an environmental trail camp program too.
The Rugged Program at Camp Emerald Bay has a few openings too. Hike, bike, canoe, or a do a hybrid of all three programs in our Rugged Explorer program. Don’t wait, sign up today. Camp Whitsett has an outstanding Webelos resident
camp, there are two sessions, and your boys will be able to earn Webelos Activity Pins. The water front will be open,
shooting sports will have Webelos activities and they will be able to do the Sentinel Peak hike. This is a great way for
troops to bond with Webelos Dens as well, if your troop invites a group of Webelos to join them at camp you will have
a chance to recruit new Boy Scouts. If you are a mountain lover, and an outdoorsman, Whitsett Sierra is the perfect
program for you and your scouts. There are a number of different style treks, we have a bike trek, backpacking trek,
and the CPT program which is a combination of biking and hiking. We also have whitewater rafting day trips, and a
horse program with multi-day rides.
Summer Camp registration is open, visit our websites or call the camping department for more information (818)9330130. The websites for our camps are as follows: campemeraldbay.org, campwhitsett.org, and campjosepho.org.
NRA Range Training Offered at Two Locations in
February and March
At Camp Josepho
BSA BB Range Officer Training & BSA
Archery Range Officer Training •
M a r c h
1 4 ,
2 0 1 5
The two Boy Scout trainings will
teach you the skills necessary and
qualification to be a range officer at a District or Council Cub Scout event. The BSA trainings will take place at Camp Josepho based on the following schedule:
Archery 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., BB 12:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m., the cost is $25.00 per or $40.00 for both.
NRA
Range
Safety
Officer
Training
•
March
15,
2015
The NRA Range Safety Officer (RSO) training includes the RSO Manual and NRA Certification. The BSA trainings will take
place at Camp Josepho with archery offered from 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., the cost is $40.00 You may attend all three
training and camp overnight at Camp Josepho for $90.00.
Please register prior to February 14, 2015. To register, Contact Jim Stotler at jim.stotler@sbcglobal.net and (661) 2534304.
At the Angeles Ranges A 2-day Range Safety Officer course is being offered at the Angeles Ranges (in Tujunga)
on February 21-22, 2015. This is a nine-hour course taught via two sessions on Saturday or Sunday. The program is
offered by a licensed NRA instructor and costs $50.00 per adult, which includes the student booklet.
There are no pre-requisites for the training. A certified Range Safety Officer
(RSO) is required at all Scout shooting sport activities. Registered adult leaders who attend will receive a certificate of completion from the NRA and can
then assist their unit (or others). Interested Scouters should contact Jim
Overman directly via email at jimover@pacbell.net.
Registered adult leaders who attend
will receive a certificate of
completion from the NRA and can
then assist their unit (or others).
14
Cub-Parent Weekends and Family Camp
WLACC’s Cub-Parent Weekend will take place four times this year at Camp Josepho. What is a Cub-Parent Weekend? One parent and one Cub Scout having
quality time together in a great outdoor setting. (A parent or legal guardian must
accompany each Scout. Additional family members may only attend Family Camp.)
Cub/Parent Weekends are held in Camp Josepho. This 110-acre camp is nestled in
the Santa Monica mountain range in Pacific Palisades. Family Camp is held in Camp
Whitsett. Both venues are great for new campers with showers, restrooms and
meals included (Saturday - Breakfast, lunch, dinner, Sunday - Breakfast, Friday dinner at Family Camp may be pre-purchased for $5.00 per person).
This is a wonderful opportunity for a scout and their parent to spend quality time together, it’s also a great way to
introduce folks to camping and Camp Josepho. A flyer for the Camp Josepho’s Cub Parent Weekend events can be
found at bsa-la.org/images/15-JO-CPW.pdf. The upcoming dates, registration and event flyers for 2015 are linked
below:
February 6-8 April 10-12 May 8-10 October 16-18
November 6-8
The next Cub-Parent Weekend at Camp Josepho is slated for February 6-8, 2015. For a flyer or to register;
visit bsa-la.doubleknot.com/event/cubparent-february-2015/1635485 and/or bsa-la.org/images/15-JO-CPW.pdf.
Additional Summer Camp Flyer Links:
Shooting Sports Camp at Camp Josepho
June 28 & July 2
Webelos Movie Camp at Camp Josepho
Session 1, July 9-12, Session 2, July 16-19
Boy Scout First Year Resident Camp at Camp Josepho
Session 1, July 9-12, Session 2, July 16-19
Boy Scout Moviemaking Experience at Camp Josepho
Session 1, July 9-12, Session 2, July 16-19
Boy Scout Robotics, Programming, & Game Design
Experience at Camp Josepho Session 1, July 9-12, Session 2, July 16-19
15
16
Venturing Leadership Awards
Venturing Leadership Award nominations for the 2014 calendar year
are being accepted. The VLA is presented to Venturing members who have made exceptional contributions to
Venturing and who exemplify the Venturing Code and the Venturing Oath. The VLA is similar to Scouting’s silver
beaver award. The nomination award form is attached.
All nominations are due by April 1,
2015 and are to be submitted to the
Western Los Angeles Council Venturing Committee: Attention Mike
Henderson (or directly to Mike Henderson at mkhende@aol.com.)
For the 2014 calendar year only, in
addition to youths, adults may
also be nominated for the Ventura
Leadership Award. This is a onetime special occurrence as adults
are not normally eligible.
The qualifications to be eligible for this
honor are as follows:
1. Be registered and involved as a Venturer for at
least one year.
2. If nominated as a youth, be a youth member when nominated.
3. Hold a leadership position or an office at the unit, district, council, area, region, or national level (as appropriate for the level of the award presented).
4. Show exceptional dedication and give outstanding leadership and service to Venturing and to Venturers (on
the level appropriate for the award).
Venturers working towards the Venturing Pathfinder Award will not have to complete the Project Management
Training as stated in requirement 2. Beginning June 1, 2015, the Project Management Training requirement will be
reinstated as a requirement for the Venturing Pathfinder Award. This training will be available at scouting.org/
Training/Youth.aspx. The Venturing Summit Awards application will be available on February 9, 2015 at scoutscouting.org/scoutsource/Venturing.aspx.
Did
You
Know?
In 1958, famed Director Steven Spielberg became a Boy Scout and fulfilled a requirement for
the Photography Merit Badge by making a nine-minute 8 mm film entitled The Last Gunfight. Years later,
Spielberg recalled to a magazine interviewer, "My dad's still-camera was broken, so I asked the Scoutmaster if I could tell a story with my father's movie camera. He said yes, and I got an idea to do a Western. I made it and got my merit badge. That was how it all started." Spielberg has stated that he portrayed a young Indiana Jones (as played by River Phoenix, above) as a Boy Scout to honor Scouting. Spielberg later helped develop the Cinematography Merit Badge, now known as the Moviemaking Merit
Badge.
17
18
District
Roundtable
Information
Have you attended a District Roundtable recently? A tremendous amount of current programming information, Scouting opportunities and other information is conveyed at each
every roundtable. See the schedule below for each district’s unique roundtable information.
Antelope Valley: February 3 & March 3, 7:30-9:00 p.m.
750 East Avenue J, Lancaster, 93535
Balboa Oaks: February 5 & March 5, 7:00-9:00 p.m.
17101 Plummer Street., Northridge, 91325
Bill Hart: February 5 & March 5, 7:30 p.m.
27405 Bouquet Canyon Road, Saugus, 91350
Crescent Bay: February 12 & March 12,
6:45 p.m. (6:00 p.m. Dinner)
3400 Sawtelle Boulevard, Los Angeles, 90066
Las Colinas: February 11 & March 11,
7:00 p.m.
4501 Deseret Avenue, Woodland Hills, 91364
Cahuenga: February 12 & March 12 , 6:45 p.m.
4832 Tujunga Avenue, North Hollywood, 91601
The Council’s Eagle Scout Alumni Association
Custom Eagle Scout has created a unique, custom-designed lapel
Alumni Pin Available pin for Eagles in our region. The cast metal pins
(shown here) are a great way to show your Eagle pride while helping Scoutreach, our Council’s effort to help at-risk youth in the region. The pins are $20.00 each...the proceeds from the sale of each pin are contributed to Scoutreach.
Purchase your pin today at the Council’s Van Nuys office. The Council’s Eagle
Scout Alumni Coordinator, David Lasher will also mail you a pin for $20.00
(including shipping). Contact David at david.lasher@scouting.org or by phone at
(818) 933-0104.
Boy Scouts of America
Western Los Angeles County Council
16525 Sherman Way, Unit C-8
Van Nuys, CA 91406
(818) 785-8700
www.bsa-la.org
The Scout Sentinel is the official monthly newsletter of the Western Los Angeles County Council, Boy Scouts of America. To provide story tips, submit photographs or request additional information, please contact the newsletter’s
editor, David Lasher at david.lasher@scouting.org or call (818) 933-0104.