The Mayflower Council Stay Safe CSP sold out in only a few short weeks. We have received numerous requests to purchase one. Another order for 250 has been placed. It is the same design but the border color has been changed to orange. This limited edition CSP can be yours for a donation of $20.00 per CSP. Proceeds from this CSP run will be used to cover the expenses of the personal protection equipment (PPE) purchased for the camp properties, Adventure Day Camp and the council service center.

Pre-Order yours now – before they are gone!

Mayflower Council would like to recognize Scouts and adults who are Scouting at a distance with a patch that is sure to be a collector item. Requirements for Scouts and leaders to earn this award are simple.

Guidelines:

1. Complete the requirements for the appropriate rank
2. Complete online award completion form
3. Order your patch.
   • The link to order your patch will be provided when you submit your online completion form
   • Patches are $4 each
   • Our patch design will be available soon and we think it’s so cool
4. Award is available for a limited time requirements must be completed by September 30 and patches must be ordered by October 15.
5. Contact Joe Livingston if you have questions about the award.

Continue to follow all applicable state, local, and council guidelines. We encourage you to take and post pictures of your events and post them on social media with the hashtag #mayflowerscoutsinaction #scoutingatadistance

Cub Scout Den Requirements (complete 3 out of this list)

• Attend an in person den meeting
• Plan and practice a den skit or song
• Participate in a den campfire (can’t be the same as the den meeting from above)
• Perform at least one hour of community service with your den
• Participate in a den scavenger hunt

Scouts BSA Patrol or Venture Crew Requirements (complete 3 out of this list)

• Attend an in-person patrol or crew meeting
• Plan and attend an in-person patrol or crew camping trip
• Participate in at least two hours of community service with your patrol or crew
• Go on a 5-mile hike with your patrol
• Participate in a patrol or crew scavenger hunt

Adult Leader Required

• Ensure you are 100% trained for your current position through your My.Scouting profile (for ASM, SM, and Crew Advisors if all that is missing is IOLS an in person training submit email to your local council to be notified when this training will be offered next)

Adult Leader Elective Requirements (complete 2 out of this list)

• Facilitate an in person meeting utilizing the guidelines provided at the time based on local guidelines
• Explain Scouting to a non Scouting family or to a community group of your choice
• Share through social media or a letter to the editor explaining the values of Scouting and what Scouting means to you to help spread the positive message of Scouting
• Following Youth Protection Guidelines ensure at least 1 Scout advances a rank or earns a MB (not virtual if allowed by local guidelines)

Looking for a new way to have camp this summer while staying safe from COVID?  Introducing Camp in a Box!  We have partnered with five other councils to bring you this awesome program!  Individuals or troops can sign up to be a part of this historic program!  We will have Scouts from at least 4 different states all joining in the fun.

Each Scout gets to choose up to 5 merit badges or programs from 45 different options.  For the low price of $135, we will ship you a box of everything that you’ll need for the week including camp swag, program materials, and more to be ready for the action!  This is sure to be Not Your Typical Summer Camp!  Click here to download the Camp Guide.

Click here to sign up today!

Dear Scouting Family:

It is with great disappointment that the Mayflower Council announces that the Commonwealth of Massachusetts will not allow resident camp programs to be conducted before the summer of 2021. As we stated from the initial decision to move forward, we would only do so if we could conduct a safe program, within the guidelines of national, state, and local authorities. Based on this latest information, we will not be able to provide a resident camp experience to our Scouts this summer.

We appreciate your continued patience and understanding over the past 7 weeks, as we pursued all available options and program modifications to offer a safe resident camp experience during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our staff was looking forward to greeting you and bringing you another year of fun, but this will have to wait until next year. All along, our first priority has been the health and safety of our Scouts, their parents, our leaders, staff and all their extended families and communities.

While this news is disappointing, we are providing a Scouts BSA virtual camp option offering each Scout the opportunity to choose up to 5 merit badges or programs from 45 different options.  Plus, we will ship you a box of everything that you’ll need for the week including camp swag, program materials, and more to be ready for the action! Click here for all the information and to sign-up.

We will be issuing full refunds to each troop by the end of the month and there is no need to contact the council service center for the refund of the camp fees paid. We ask for your patience as we work through processing all of the refunds. Check our council COVID-19 website for additional updates.

This decision by the Commonwealth does not affect our ability to operate our Cub Scout Adventure Day Camp at Camp Resolute. We are continuing with our plans to offer that program for our Cub Scouts.

We know you are eager to get back to our camps, which is why we have already begun planning bigger and better resident camp programs for next year.

Take care and be well,

Mike Rotar
Council President

Joshua Paulin
Council Commissioner

Bryan Feather
Scout Executive / CEO

Dear Scouting Families,

Families today have many options, but Scouting continues to stand out as a safe and fun atmosphere where a kid can be a kid all while preparing them to become an even better adult.

As we look toward the future of Scouting, the Mayflower Council is committed to providing a  wholesome and cost-effective Scouting experience.

Our activity fee is being increased out of necessity to support critical safety components of our organization like youth protection resources, criminal background checks, technology upgrades and insurance coverage rates which have risen substantially over the past few years.

The Mayflower Council staff and board volunteers have worked tirelessly to keep the cost of Scouting as low as possible for our families. Our council is fiscally sound; however, it is crucial that we continuously review our financial structure in order to guarantee the longevity of our local programs.

Over the past three years, our council has maintained the activity fee and subsidized rising core costs – the greatest being insurance coverage – to keep fees as low as possible. Unfortunately, it is no longer possible to subsidize these costs at past levels.

Additionally, COVID-19 coupled with the challenges created by a National BSA bankruptcy, has required our council to consider how these external factors will impact Scouting in the MetroWest and South Shore.

As a result, the Mayflower Council has been forced to make dramatic changes to expenses because of the decreases in our traditional revenue sources.

ACTIONS & TRENDS

• Family participation in our annual Investment in Character fundraising campaign has fallen from 16% to only 5%.
• Due to COVID-19 camp restrictions we have absorbed $406,000 in camp loss of revenue
• We have reduced our expenses by 31%
• The Mayflower Council Staff has been reduced by 10%

The decision to increase our activity fee was not made lightly, but it is necessary to fulfill our promise and continue to offer the level of Scouting our families are accustomed to without any decline in service. Many factors went into increasing the council activity fee and it was imperative that the information was conveyed in a timely manner to our units and families.

The activity fee will allow the Mayflower Council to provide:

• Medical and accident insurance coverage as well as local liability insurance for all registered members.
• Free tent camping at Camp Resolute, Camp Squanto and Nobscot Scout Reservation.
• Camp fees that are as low as possible while enhancing camp properties.
• Free required training course for adult leaders.

For a comprehensive list of how the Mayflower Council supports units and Scouting families click here.

After careful consideration, and approval by the Mayflower Council Executive Board, beginning on August 1, 2020, the activity fee will be increased from $30 to $36 per youth member (50 cents per month) in Cub Scouting, Scouts BSA, Venturing and Exploring. (the previous activity fee excluded Lions, 18 – 21 year old Venturers and Explorers.) The fee will not apply to adult members and will be prorated on a monthly basis. The new fee will not apply to existing members until their unit recharters for 2021.

One hundred percent of the recently increased annual National registration fee goes to the National Boy Scouts of America Council to support Scouting for you. Including: Scoutbook; Youth Protection Training; liability insurance; program development and much more.

If you have questions on the council activity fee or the National BSA membership fee, please do not hesitate to reach out to your district executive or email us at communication@mayflowerbsa.org.

We thank you for your commitment to Scouting in the Mayflower Council and urge you to continue to be an advocate for Scouting as our programs are preparing thousands of youth across the MetroWest and the South Shore of Massachusetts, for life.

Yours in Scouting,

Mike Rotar
Council President

Josh Paulin
Council Commissioner

Bryan Feather
Scout Executive / CEO

That’s right! We’re happy to announce the New England Scout Shop in the Brickyard Square Plaza located in Southborough has reopened with modified operating hours to help further your Scouting adventure! Over the last several weeks, we have been working hard to implement enhanced safety measures that make yours and our team members safety the top priority!

Effective today, you’ll notice the following changes upon entering our location:

• Hand sanitizer is available for customer use in all Scout Shops.
• We’ve implemented rigorous cleaning routines throughout the day and have temporarily closed fitting rooms.
• Prior to beginning every shift, all team members must complete an Employee Health Screening to ensure they are ready and able to work safely.
• Every team member is provided with facial coverings to use during their shifts and are asked to frequently wash their hands.
• Social distancing markers are placed in every Scout Shop.
• All product returns are being disinfected or quarantined for five business days before returning to the salesfloor.
• We have updated our payment systems to need fewer signatures and to accept contactless pay to include Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay.
• Plexiglass sneeze guards are installed at checkout points, in areas of the country where required.
• Limited occupancy regulations will be in place in compliance with state and local requirements.

While not mandatory in every Scout Shop, we respectfully request you to follow social distancing and safety protocols recommended by public health officials, including wearing a facial covering when visiting our stores to help protect yourself and our team members.

Now that we have re-opened, we are very excited to announce that we’ve redesigned our in-store shopping experience with your safety and convenience as our main goal.

Effective today, you can purchase any of our 600 Cub Scouts and Scouts BSA Advancement related products online, and have the order gathered, bagged, and set aside for you to either pickup in-store, contactless curbside, or have the items shipped directly to you!

Click on the image below to check it out.

Looking ahead, we will continue to evaluate and modify our safety measures and in-store experience with you and our team members in mind. In the meantime, we’re taking this seriously so we can get it right. We cannot wait to welcome you and our Scouting community back to our Scout Shop!

Remember, every purchase made in our store supports the future of local Scouting.

Come celebrate Mayflower Council’s Class of 2019 Eagles Scouts

Thursday, June 18, 7:00pm!

This event is an opportunity to recognize all of our 2019 Eagle Scout’s achievement along with other fellow Eagles. Parents, family & friends are welcome to attend.   Join us tonight at 7:00 pm for the first ever virtual Eagle Scout recognition. We will also congratulate our Outstanding Eagle’s, VFW Scholarship winner, and announce the Glenn & Melinda Adams National Eagle Scout Association award winner. You can view us live on the the Mayflower Council facebook page or on the Mayflower Council YouTube channel.

Click on the image below to down load the event program book.

Join the National Recruiting Webinars happening this summer. These regular, one-hour sessions will cover topics important to recruiting in 2020, including geofencing, BeAScout.org, Zoom 101, online registration, and much more. Plus, the hosts will answer your questions. Mark your calendars.

Register today!

Schedule:

June 24 – 8:00 pm:  National Recruiting Webinar – Virtual Recruitment Events, Working with Schools

July 9 – 8:00 pm: National Recruiting Webinar, Tech Edition – BeAScout.org, Invitation Manager

July 16 – 8:00 pm: National Recruiting Webinar – Scoutbook 101, “Who’s Zooming Who?”

July 23 – 8:00 pm: National Recruiting Webinar – Geofencing, Search, Social Media, Peer-to-Peer Recruiting

August 6 – 8:00 pm: National Recruiting Webinar – Local PR How-to’s Print, Digital, Video

August 20 – 8:00 pm: National Recruiting Webinar – It’s Not Too Late: Five Things You Should be Doing Now