As we continue our work to enhance the traditions of Scouting here in the 21st Century and augment the privacy and safety of our membership, the Mayflower Council will soon look to move most membership functions online. Long story short, the days of youth paper-based membership applications are coming to an end.
While we’re all in it for the youth of Massachusetts; however it’s great when our leaders and volunteers are recognized for their hard work.
Recently, The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks Lodge (No. 1476 Plymouth) reported Plymouth’s Michelle Mott was awarded “the Marvin M. Lewis Award” by the Elks National Scouting Committee.
Eight years ago, Mott’s son joined Pack 47 in Plymouth, Cranberry Harbors District, Old Colony Council, now part of Mayflower Council. Within the first year, Mott was serving as den leader for her son’s Tiger Den. She continued as den leader with her son for Tiger, Wolf, Bear, Webelos, and Arrow of Light rank. Mott also became more involved in Pack 47 eventually becoming the Cubmaster, serving for three years. She also volunteered on the Cranberry Harbors District Committee. For the past four years, she has been involved with the Activities Committee helping to organize District and Council events ranging from 200-750 scout attendees. Chuckwagon, Webelos Woods, Webelos Klondike and Polar Challenge are some of the many events she has helped organize.
“Although fully position trained with many awards and recognitions, Mott had planned to end her tenure as a scouting volunteer when her son crossed over into a troop,” added WickedLocal. “However, the BSA made changes that affected Mott. In 2018, girls were allowed to join Cub Scouts and form girl dens, which meant Mott was going to repeat the journey she had made with her son, Adam, except this time with her daughter, Rachel.
“During all this, Mott continued to expand her Scouting skills and training.”
Due to her hard work, Mott received the Lewis Award, which recognizes Elks members that:
For the full article from WickedLocal.com, click here. And join us in congratulating Michelle Mott for all that she does for Scouting and the Elks.If you know of a Scouter who deserves some recognition, be sure to email us here at Mayflower Council.
At their February 16 council executive board meeting, $250k was approved for a major marketing campaign to help entice new members to join Scouting in Mayflower Council. The campaign is being directed by the Council Marketing Committee and managed by Mittcom, a local marketing firm who excels at integrated campaigns unitizing social platforms. The executive board agreed to direct the funds from the council endowment fund.
Many volunteers have requested information on how to help Scouting in Ukraine. Please see the official statement from the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM) below.
WOSM recognizes one National Scout Organization per country. For Ukraine, the Member Organization is National Organization of Scouts of Ukraine (NOSU). We encourage all NSOs that any Scouting support is channeled through the mechanisms made available through WOSM.
We are aware that many other non-WOSM but Scout-like entities are active in the region, including PLAST. We are not affiliated with organizations in Ukraine besides NOSU.
In most cases, the best way to help with the unfolding humanitarian crisis is to make a financial contribution through WOSM or another reputable NGO.
To directly support Scouts’ humanitarian relief work in Ukraine and for refugees, you can donate here. Representatives on the ground know what is needed and financial contributions help them purchase the most needed and locally-appropriate supplies.
For additional and ongoing updates, please visit here.
Questions? Email International Division at the National Council.
So, it’s March. The Freeze-Out is done. The Klondike Derby is over. Meanwhile, there are only so many times you can play “Manhunt” in and around your troop, pack, or den meeting space.
Moreover, you have some Scouts who need, need, need to do something — anything — outdoors. Well Scouters, we here at your Mayflower Council have the solution. Actually, we have many solutions.
Resolute Base Camp continues this month, and runs programs into June (and returns in the fall, too).
Here are the deets:
Okay, okay. I get it. I had you at “Resolute Base Camp.”
You’re welcome!
In collaboration with the BSA National Aquatics Subcommittee, ScoutingU has released an updated version of “Safe Swim Defense” online training that is also mobile compatible. Since the inception of Scouting, learning to swim and engaging in aquatics activities have been core to the program. Safe Swim Defense training is required for any BSA unit who will participate in swimming activities. This online training ensures that adult leaders are prepared to facilitate safe swimming programs by reviewing the eight points of Safe Swim Defense. To access the updated training, log onto my.Scouting.org and search the catalog in the BSA Learn Center for “Safe Swim Defense.” For additional information regarding BSA aquatics programs, please refer to the Guide to Safe Scouting and the BSA’s Aquatics Supervision Guide.
FAQs
Q. Does Safe Swim Defense training have to be renewed?
A. Yes, adults supervising a swimming activity must have completed Safe Swim Defense training within the previous two years.
Q. Do I need to take the new version of Safe Swim Defense training if my current training is not expired?
A. No, you can complete the updated version of Safe Swim Defense when your current certification expires.
Q. Is Safe Swim Defense training available to take in person?
A. No, Safe Swim Defense is only available online. It is also mobile compatible.
In May of 2021, it was announced that 19 Cub Scout Elective Adventures would be retiring at the end of this program year (May 2022). See details here.
Elective adventures are reviewed for content and popularity. These 19 have been the least popular based on sales and advancement data. They will be archived in Scoutbook and Internet Advancement, removing the ability to mark them as completed after the retirement date of May 31, 2022. These 19 adventures are not being replaced with a new set of elective adventures.
Inventory at the Scout Shops for loops and pins is limited and will only be available while supplies last. Cub Scouts can still wear the adventure loops and pins after that date. Once it’s earned, it’s not taken away from the Cub Scout.
STEM Nova Award Impact – STEM Nova Awards that include Adventures also include an Option A and Option B to earn the award. Cub Scouts may choose to earn one of the remaining Adventures or Option A or Option B.
World Conservation Award Impact – The Wolf and Webelos rank are impacted. The Bear rank has no changes.
For Wolf Scouts who want to earn the World Conservation Award, the requirement to earn the Grow Something Elective Adventure will be replaced with the following activities:
For Webelos (including Arrow of Light) Scouts, the requirement to complete 1, 3a, and 3b of the Adventures in Science adventure will be replaced with:
Here is the complete list of adventures that will be retired on May 31, 2022:
Tiger
Wolf
Bear
Webelos/Arrow of Light
Scouters, Scouts, Friends, and Family Remain Impressed with Mayflower Council Standout…
Sometimes you just have to stop and listen. Such was the state of affairs at the annual Friends of Scouting (FOS) opening event held in January.
Newton’s Grace W., one of the first-ever young women to earn Scouting BSA’s highest honor – Eagle Scout – spoke to a packed room of loyal Scouting supporters.
Conversations paused, and tasty appetizers remained plated; young and old alike listened to White as she reminded everyone about the many merits of Scouting.
In short, Grace loves it all.
“With my troop behind me and with the motivation of the adult leaders,” began Grace, “I was able to achieve my dream of reaching Eagle.”
“But if I were to sit down and pick out one aspect of Scouting that has shaped me the most, I could not tell you,” she continued. “There have been so many parts of Scouts that have shaped me as a person.”
However, the final journey to Eagle remains omnipresent in Grace’s mind.
“The whole Eagle process, in general, was really impactful,” said Grace, who now attends college in Boston. “As you all know, every Eagle Scout that you meet they have gone through a lot to get to where they are.”
For Grace, the work toward Scouting’s ultimate goal had a hard stop, particularly as she began her work only a year and a half before her 18th birthday. But while the Scout handbook and merit badge work were daunting, it’s the Eagle service project that dominates Grace’s story.
Meanwhile, with her project set smack dab in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, White looked to make an immediate impact with her project – an outdoor classroom.
“I thought that I could benefit my community by building a safe outdoor space for students to learn,” she explained. “During the project, I learned a lot about leadership, and with my time constraints, I had to work extra hard to make sure that everything in my project was absolutely perfect.”
However, even a special Eagle service project has its defects.
“And if I’m being honest, [the project] wasn’t perfect,” admitted Grace. “But I think that’s the thing about doing these projects, especially as a young person, is that it’s not going to be perfect, but you get to learn something from it.”
And, amid her efforts, Grace learned the power of community.
“For me, I learned how nice people can be,” she emphasized. “I got a lot of help with my project; from people in my troop, my friends, and my family – everyone was so supportive, and it felt great to have that kind of people around.”
Of course, at the FOS dinner, Grace was surrounded by “that kind of people.”Moreover, you can join that fantastic crowd by lending your pledge to help Scouts like Grace reach the pinnacle of Scouting and, in turn, serve others in the process. Click here to begin.
One of the best ways to promote our programs and encourage new membership is to continuously promote our units and activities to the public. By doing so, we can create several positive outcomes if we show our units, activities, and programs off “at their best.”
Those benefits include:
On a unit level, here are some ideas and ways that you and your leadership can easily promote your programs and units within the community:
Of course, all of the above ideas take a certain level of commitment from your unit committee or leadership to make it work. So, consider asking for a volunteer or parent to help – it’s important. After all, spreading our good news will show your unit’s commitment to your community.
Eagle Scout service project brings “tactile reading” to children Watertown’s Perkins School…
They say, what goes around comes around.
And for Life Scout Jack B. of Troop 12, Plymouth Congregational Church, Framingham, coming back around led him to Watertown.
As a toddler, Jack participated in an infant-toddler program at Perkins School for the Blind.
Perkins, founded in 1829, was the first school for the blind in the US. Today the school “is the worldwide leader in education services for children and young adults who have multiple disabilities and visual impairments.”
But, according to Dara, Jack’s mom, “Perkins was kind of like a lifeline.”
According to The Boston Globe’s Grace Gilson, who profiled Jack on February 18, the Scout was “trying to think of things that were important for me, and my mom remembered the story box, and I did some research, and we realized how important they were for literacy development.”
What’s a “story box,” you ask? Well, it was one way that young Jack engaged with reading.
Gilson explained:
[A] “story box,” [is] an interactive literary tool for children with visual impairments that includes physical objects as part of the storytelling experience.
And for Jack, diagnosed with a visual impairment as an infant, initiatives like the story box were critical. Thankfully, the Scout’s vision improved in time; however, the family never let Perkins drop from sight.
So as part of Jack’s Eagle service project, he and his troop fundraised for and produced 40 story boxes. Each box includes objects important to stories like “Goodnight Moon,” “Brown Bear, Brown Bear,” and “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie.” A QR code points to audio of one of Troop 12’s Scouts reading the story aloud.
As a result, Perkins has new resources, and Jack owns a sense of accomplishment.
“I was really happy to finally give back to the full circle idea,” Jack told The Boston Globe.
If you want to read the full article, click here. To learn more about Troop 12, click here.