From the Chief: The Presidential Visit

Scouting Family,

In the last two weeks, we have celebrated the best of Scouting at our 20th National Jamboree with nearly 40,000 participants, volunteers, staff and visitors. The 2017 National Jamboree has showcased and furthered the Scouting mission by combining adventure and leadership development to give youth life-changing experiences. Scouts from Alaska met Scouts from Alabama; Scouts from New Mexico met those from New York, and American youth met youth from 59 other countries.

Over the course of ten days, Scouts have taken part in adventures, learned new skills, made new and lasting friendships and completed over 200 community service projects that offered 100,000 hours of service to the community by young men and women eager to do the right thing for the right reasons.

These character-building experiences have not diminished in recent days at the jamboree – Scouts have continued to trade patches, climb rock walls, and share stories about the day’s adventures. But for our Scouting family at home not able to see these real moments of Scouting, we know the past few days have been overshadowed by the remarks offered by the President of the United States.

I want to extend my sincere apologies to those in our Scouting family who were offended by the political rhetoric that was inserted into the jamboree. That was never our intent. The invitation for the sitting U.S. President to visit the National Jamboree is a long-standing tradition that has been extended to the leader of our nation that has had a Jamboree during his term since 1937. It is in no way an endorsement of any person, party or policies. For years, people have called upon us to take a position on political issues, and we have steadfastly remained non-partisan and refused to comment on political matters. We sincerely regret that politics were inserted into the Scouting program.
While we live in a challenging time in a country divided along political lines, the focus of Scouting remains the same today as every day.
Trustworthiness, loyalty, kindness and bravery are just a few of the admirable traits Scouts aspire to develop – in fact, they make up the Scout Oath and Scout Law.
As part of our program’s duty to country, we teach youth to become active citizens, to participate in their government, respect the variety of perspectives and to stand up for individual rights.
Few will argue the importance of teaching values and responsibility to our youth — not only right from wrong, but specific positive values such as fairness, courage, honor and respect for others.

For all of the adventure we provide youth such as hiking, camping and zip-lining, those activities actually serve as proven pathways and opportunities to develop leadership skills and become people of character.
In a time when differences seem to separate our country, we hope the true spirit of Scouting will empower our next generation of leaders to bring people together to do good in the world.

Yours in Scouting,
Mike Surbaugh




OCC Jamboree Collectors Sets

2017 Old Colony Council – National Jamboree  “Collector’s”

This is the Old Colony Council “Collector’s Set” for the 2017 Jamboree.  Of the 100 sets made, almost all have been pre-sold to Old Colony Council Contingent members.  The sets are numbered on the back (#1 to #100), with a sticker from the company that made them.  Only a few sets will be sold online.  (The “Contingent / Trader” set has different colored borders on each patch, and they are not numbered.

This set contains the back patch and the 6 JSP’s for the troops.  There is no “staff” JSP for this Jamboree (Staff can wear any of the 6 …. their choice).  These are all ships associated with the Plymouth Colony area / Southeastern Massachusetts.  The back patch is the Mayflower.

Troop 1114 … Eleanor & Beaver

Troop 1115 … Independence

Troop 1116 … Dartmouth

Troop 1117 … Columbia Rediviva

Troop 1118 … Grand Turk

Troop 1119 … Battle at Nantasket

This will be the last jamboree set for the Old Colony Council.  The council has merged with the Mayflower Council, forming Council #251, with no name yet.

Members of the Old Colony Council (Canton, Massachusetts) belong to Tisquantum Lodge #164 / Camp Squanto / Northeast Region … patches are in mint condition.

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This set will be mailed directly from the Council Office.

100% of the money raised from the sale of this item goes to the 2017 Old Colony Council Jamboree Contingent. 

CLICK HERE TO PLACE YOUR BID ON EBAY (by clicking this link you will be leaving this site)

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE – Contingent Patches, Individual Pieces and Gold Sets via the Council’s On-line Store

 




Name My Council Contest

Knox Trail and Old Colony Councils have combined to form a new council and that new council needs a new name.   Our new council has over 10,000 active members and we are asking you to submit your creative ideas for a new council name.  The “Name My Council” Contest will run from June 22, 2017 to July 31, 2017 and submissions will be taken using the form below.  This naming contest is open to all scouts and scouters in the new council. So be creative, dig into history, explore our geography, think about how the values of scouting are exemplified in our community, and explore the beauty of nature around us.  There’s a great name for our new council out there and we think that one of you has it!

 




Eagle Palms Award Changes

Eagle Palms are bronze, gold and silver awards presented to young men who earn five, 10, 15 or more merit badges beyond the 21 required to become an Eagle Scout.

This week, the BSA has announced significant changes to the way Scouts earn Eagle Palms. The modifications take effect Aug. 1, 2017.

The changes bring Eagle Palm requirements in line with the needs of older Scouts. The National Boy Scouting Subcommittee has eliminated unnecessary obstacles, such as the Eagle Palm board of review, and expanded the definition of active participation.

But the biggest change affects young men who haven’t yet earned Eagle. Beginning Aug. 1, all earned Palms may be awarded instantly to new Eagle Scouts at their Eagle court of honor. This abolishes the wait of months or years for these young men to receive all Palms available to them.

Here’s a look at what’s changing. Below that, an in-depth guide to the new Eagle Palm requirements.

What’s changing?

  1. A new Eagle Scout can instantly receive, alongside his Eagle medal, all Eagle Palms he has earned for merit badges completed before he became an Eagle Scout. These Palms recognize additional merit badges earned before completing the Eagle board of review. Previously, an Eagle Scout needed to wait three months between each Palm — even if he earned the extra merit badges before becoming an Eagle. This meant that, under the old rules, a young man who became an Eagle Scout at 17 years and 10 months, was mathematically unable to earn any Eagle Palms.
    • Example: Glenn, a 16-year-old Life Scout, has 36 merit badges at the time of his Eagle Scout board of review — 15 more than required. Previously, he would’ve needed to wait three months after his Eagle board of review to receive his Bronze Palm, another three months for his Gold Palm and another three for his Silver Palm. Under the new rules, he can get that Silver Palm (representing 15 additional merit badges) along with his Eagle medal at his Eagle Scout court of honor. No wait required.
    • Note: After becoming an Eagle Scout and receiving the Palms already earned, additional Palms may be earned by completing the revised requirements, including the three months tenure between awarding each Palm.
  2. The three-month tenure requirement has been expanded to allow active participation in any BSA program — not just the troop and patrol.
    • This recognizes that as some Scouts get older, their Scouting participation shifts to the Order of the Arrow, summer camp staff or elsewhere.
  3. The leadership requirement has been broadened to include “accepting responsibility” as well as “demonstrating leadership.”
  4. The Eagle Palm board of review has been eliminated.
    • Eagle Palms are not ranks, so the Eagle Palm board of review was seen as an unnecessary step. A unit leader conference is deemed to be sufficient and may be conducted at any time during the tenure requirement.

Eagle Palms: the official requirements

These are effective Aug. 1, 2017.

After successfully completing your Eagle Scout board of review and being validated as an Eagle Scout by the National Service Center, you will be entitled to receive an Eagle Palm for each additional 5 merit badges you have completed before your Eagle Scout board of review. For these Palms only, it will not be necessary for you to complete any of the requirements stated below.

After becoming an Eagle Scout, you may earn additional Palms by completing the following requirements.

  1. Be active in the Boy Scouts of America for at least three months after becoming an Eagle Scout or after the last Palm was earned. **
  2. Since earning the Eagle Scout rank or your last Eagle Palm, demonstrate Scout spirit by living the Scout Oath and Scout Law. Tell how you have done your duty to God and how you have lived the Scout Oath and Scout Law in your everyday life.
  3. Continue to set a satisfactory example of accepting responsibility or demonstrating leadership ability.
  4. Earn five additional merit badges beyond those required for Eagle or last Palm. ***
  5. While an Eagle Scout, participate in a Scoutmaster conference. *

Notes

*For Varsity Scouts working on Boy Scout requirements, replace “Scoutmaster” with “Varsity Scout Coach.” For Venturers working on Boy Scout requirements, replace “Scoutmaster” with “crew Advisor.”  For Sea Scouts working on Boy Scout requirements, replace “Scoutmaster” with “Skipper.”

**Eagle Palms must be earned in sequence, and the three-month tenure requirement must be observed for each Palm.

***Merit badges earned any time since becoming a Boy Scout may be used to meet this requirement.

Eagle Palms: the official requirements, annotated

Here are those same requirements annotated.

  • The new requirements are in green. Remember, these take effect Aug. 1, 2017.
  • The old requirements are in red.
  • Notes in orange explain why each change was made. The text comes from the National Boy Scouting Subcommittee.

After successfully completing your Eagle Scout board of review and being validated as an Eagle Scout by the National Service Center, you will be entitled to receive an Eagle Palm for each additional 5 merit badges you have completed before your Eagle Scout board of review. For these Palms only, it will not be necessary for you to complete any of the requirements stated below.

By implementing this proposal, a Scout can be recognized with an Eagle Palm(s) for the extra work he has put into earning merit badges and acquiring additional education prior to earning the rank of Eagle Scout regardless of his age at the time he earns the rank of Eagle Scout. If the Eagle Scout has sufficient time remaining before his 18th birthday, he can then continue to earn additional Eagle Palms by completing the following proposed requirements.

After becoming an Eagle Scout, you may earn additional Palms by completing the following requirements.

1. Be active in the Boy Scouts of America for at least three months after becoming an Eagle Scout or after the last Palm was earned.

1. Be active in your troop and patrol for at least three months after becoming an Eagle Scout or after award of last Palm

Requirement 1 has been changed to include being active in the “Boy Scouts of America” instead of just “troop and patrol.” This allows a Scout to receive active participation time credit for programs such as the OA, Venturing, serving on camp staff, NYLT and NAYLE staff etc. In addition, participation in positive non-Scouting activities can be given consideration, as explained in topic 4.2.3.1 of the Guide to Advancement. This significantly broadens the opportunity for Scouts to stay involved in Scouting or other character-building activities and receive consideration toward earning additional Palms after earning the rank of Eagle Scout.

2. Since earning the Eagle Scout rank or your last Eagle Palm, demonstrate Scout spirit by living the Scout Oath and Scout Law. Tell how you have done your duty to God and how you have lived the Scout Oath and Scout Law in your everyday life.

Requirement 2 is unchanged.

3. Continue to set a satisfactory example of accepting responsibility or demonstrating leadership ability.

3. Make a satisfactory effort to develop and demonstrate leadership ability.

Requirement 3 has been updated to include accepting responsibility as well as demonstrating leadership ability. This is not as restrictive as the current requirement, which focuses only on leadership. It is reasonable to make this change because Scouts can achieve Eagle Scout rank by serving in a position of responsibility rather than just serving in a leadership position. Accepting responsibility or demonstrating leadership should be sufficient. If a young man demonstrates leadership, we can assume that at some point he developed it.

4. Earn five additional merit badges beyond those required for Eagle or last Palm.

Requirement 4 is unchanged.

5. While an Eagle Scout, participate in a Scoutmaster conference.

Requirement 5 is unchanged, expect for the addition of this footnote: For Varsity Scouts working on Boy Scout requirements replace “Scoutmaster” with “Varsity Scout Coach.” For Venturers working on Boy Scout requirements replace “Scoutmaster” with “crew Advisor.” For Sea Scouts working on Boy Scout requirements replace “Scoutmaster” with “Skipper.”

6. There isn’t a No. 6 under the new requirements.

6. Successfully complete your board of review for the Eagle Palm.

Requirement 6 has been eliminated. A Palm is an award to recognize achievement beyond the rank of Eagle Scout. It is not a rank itself, so it is not necessary to have a board of review. It also generates confusion, becomes a barrier to recognition because delays can result in a Scout being short of time to earn another Palm, and is one more duty for a unit advancement committee which should be devoting more attention to building advancement throughout the unit. These are Eagle Scouts; they’ve already reached the pinnacle. They represent youth with whom we have most likely already achieved our aims. Approval of the unit leader is sufficient.

The right way to wear a combination of palms

The Bronze Palm represents the first five merit badges beyond the 21 required for Eagle. The Gold Palm represents the next five (10 total), and the Silver Palm the third five (15 total).

After that, you’ll combine multiple Palms. While qualifying Eagle Scouts can wear multiple Silver Palms, they should never wear more than 1 Bronze or 1 Gold Palm. You’ll see why in this handy chart that shows the proper Palm combinations.

Total number of merit badges Number beyond minimum Palm combination
21 0 None
26 5 1 Bronze
31 10 1 Gold
36 15 1 Silver
41 20 1 Bronze, 1 Silver
46 25 1 Gold, 1 Silver
51 30 2 Silver
56 35 1 Bronze, 2 Silver
61 40 1 Gold, 2 Silver
66 45 3 Silver
71 50 1 Bronze, 3 Silver
76 55 1 Gold, 3 Silver
81 60 4 Silver
86 65 1 Bronze, 4 Silver
91 70 1 Gold, 4 Silver
96 75 5 Silver
101 80 1 Bronze, 5 Silver
106 85 1 Gold, 5 Silver
111 90 6 Silver
116 95 1 Bronze, 6 Silver
121 100 1 Gold, 6 Silver
126 105 7 Silver
131 110 1 Bronze, 7 Silver
136 115 1 Gold, 7 Silver

 

To read full article and Q&A:  Bryan on Scouting




Service Center Closure – July 3/4, 2017

The Council Service Center will be closed on Monday, July 3 and Tuesday, July 4, for the Independence Day holiday.




Scout Executive Selected to Lead Council 251

The Executive Board of Council 251 is pleased to announce that Bryan Feather has been selected to serve as the Scout Executive of Council 251 effective August 1, 2017

Bryan began his career in 1991 in Orlando, Florida as an Exploring Executive. In 1993 Bryan moved to Ft. Myers, Florida as a District Executive, District Director, Field Director and Assistant Scout Executive. In 2000, he moved to Lake Charles, Louisiana serving as the Scout Executive of the Calcasieu Area Council. His success in these roles resulted in a promotion in 2004 to his current position of Scout Executive of Westark Area Council in Fort Smith, Arkansas.

Bryan is Woodbadge trained, a Vigil Honor member of the Order of the Arrow, has served on several Parent Teacher Organizations and enjoys flying as a private pilot. Bryan is the proud father of three children and is happily married to his wife Marilyn.

Please join us in congratulating Bryan as he leads Council 251 forward into our next chapter in Scouting.

 

Sincerely,

Rob Hillman

Council President