Great Trails Council Blog

Leave A Comment

Comments can be left for any post on the Great Trails Council Blog! 

Kid Rock comes to Boy Scouts' aid

Kid Rock 's heart is as big as his wallet, reports the OrlandoSentinel .com. Some meanie last week stole a $5,600 trailer belonging to Troop 631 of the Oviedo, Fla., Boy Scouts. The trailer contained $4,000 in camping gear that the troop planned to use on a summer camping trip. Kid (born Robert Ritchie), along with many others, donated money and goodies to the troop. "I will cut them a check for the difference and hopefully will allow the boys to make their trip," Kid Rock wrote in an e-mail to the Sentinel.

Cub Family Weekend

Entire families, not just Scouts and parents, bring along grandparents, older and younger siblings, and other relatives who enjoy the great outdoors.
The weekend will be at Chesterfield Scout Reservation. This is a 500 acre camp owned by the Great Trails Council. It features 15 campsites, a dining hall, program buildings, playing fields, a 40 acre lake and much more!
This is an overnight camping experience happening Saturday June 14th till Sunday June 15th. It runs 9am Saturday through 10am Sunday.
More Information ...

Great Trails Earns Quality Awards

The Great Trails Council recently received a 2007 Centennial Quality Council Award plaque. Pictured above (L-R) are Rick Stritzinger, Scout Executive; Joe Case, Council Commissioner; Bill Johnson, Area 1 representative; and Rich O'Brien, Council President. The Appalachian Trail District was also recognized as a 2007 Centennial Quality District.

Council Executive Board Votes On Cosolidation

The Great Trails Council Executive Board voted on April 29 in favor of the consolidation of the Great Trails Council and the Pioneer Valley Council.  The Pioneer Valley Council had previously voted to consolidate.  The next steps are information meetings for voting members of the Councils (notably, Chartered Organization Representatives) and the scheduling of a final vote.

Read more about the consolidation Study

Volunteers and Background Checks

Important Information: Some dedicated volunteers who have been consistently registered prior to April 2003 in the same position may not have ever had a criminal background check (CBC) conducted by the BSA. In the continued efforts for youth protection, the National Council will address this situation by providing a vehicle for having a CBC conducted on those volunteers. Please read the information sent to Scout Executives across the nation. The Great Trails Council and the National Council are dedicated to making this as easy as possible for everyone involved. If you have questions, please contact your D.E. or the council service center.

Richards Credits Scouts With Making Him A Leader

ROLLING STONES rocker KEITH RICHARDS has credited a stint in the Boy Scouts as a child with nurturing his leadership skills.
The guitarist quickly moved up through the ranks in the youth organization, and insists the experience honed his ability to guide others.
He tells British magazine Esquire, "I got to be patrol leader within six weeks - I just shot to the top. That was the first time I realized I might have that (leadership) possibility. I'm like, 'Hey, I'm just going to duck and dive.' "Once I had a bunch of guys together, it doesn't matter if it was the Scouts or a band, I could see my way clear to pull all their various talents together."

The above article appeared on PR-inside.com.

Participate In Our Poll

We are currently conducting a poll on the Great Trails web site to find out how our scouters feel about the possible consolidation between the Great Trails and Pioneer Valley Councils.  You can get more information by reading the Consolidation Committee reports and minutes. 
You will find these at: http://www.greattrailsbsa.org/consolidation/consolidationinfo.htm
Be sure and vote.

Not Just Another Toolbar

Maybe you've noticed the "Stay in Touch, Download Our Toolbar" link on the Great Trails web site.  There are a lot of toolbars out there on the net, but the Great Trails Toolbar is customized especially for Great Trails Scouts and Scouters.  If you are not a current user of our toolbar you are missing out on a simple tool that packs a big wallop.  Features include:

• Direct link to greattrailsbsa.org
• A Google search box that allows you search the web or just Great Trails sites
• A special 'Scout Links' menu just for Great Trails
• A special tools section with useful gadgets
• A weather link
• An Online Radio Player
• Pop-up Blocker
• A special 'Council News' link and more ...
  

Unlike many toolbars, the Great Trails toolbar has no irritating advertising and it's virus free.  It's easily removed and  easily customized  to suit your purposes, If you don't like or need a particular feature, simply remove it using toolbar options.
Download and try the Great Trails toolbar today! 

"MyScouting"

Have you created your "MyScouting" account?
Do you know what it is?

"MyScouting" is the portal for our members to access to the following resources:

• E-Learning (BSA Online Training)
• Online Advancement
• Online Re-charter

Visit MyScouting.org

Governor Patrick Will Recognize Eagle Scouts

Governor Patrick is happy to recognize the achievements of young people, especially those who have reached Eagle Scout or are the recipient of the Girl Scout Gold Award. Please e-mail the recipient’s name, troop number, date of event and where to send the letter to constituent.services@state.ma.us, by fax 617-727-9725, by U.S. Mail to Governor Deval Patrick, State House, Boston, MA 02133, or call 617-725-4005 to speak with a member of Governor Patrick’s staff.

Local BSA Unit Federal Reporting Requirement Regarding IRS Form 990-N

In August of last year, the IRS released new filing requirements for small tax-exempt organizations. In summary, the filing requirement states that any small tax-exempt organization that has annual gross revenues of $25,000 or less may be required to file an electronic notice Form 990-N with the IRS.

If you feel your unit may be affected or if you just want more information, be sure and read the following two documents:

Letter To Units Re IRS Form 990-N                 Local BSA Unit Federal Reporting

Consolidation Study Update

The Great Trails Council Consolidation Study Committee met on March 26, 2008 with the Study Committee from Pioneer Valley Council.

Read more about the consolidation Study       Download the meeting minutes

Cub Scout Commercial

Here's a great little commercial I found on YouTube

Report of the Cnsolidation Study Group

Pioneer Valley Council & Great Trails Council
Consolidation Study Group
February 6, 2008

Attending: Pioneer Valley- Steve Nelson, Joe Tutty, Phil Brodeur, Dave Southworth, Steven Schwartz and Larry Bystrand.
Great Trails Council- Rich O’Brien, Lydia Carollo, Joel Wiest, Bill Hart and Rick Stritzinger
Area 1- Bob Sirhal and Dick Trier
Northeast Region- Bill Grogg and Ron Rogers

The GTC's Consolidation study group met again with its counterparts from Pioneer Valley Council on Wednesday evening, in Northampton. This was the third meeting between the two groups, which continue to discuss the prospect of a consolidation of the two counsels. The purpose of last evening's meeting was to consider and discuss the information which has recently been exchanged between Councils. The meeting was productive, and all participants left on a positive note. The Consolidation study groups agreed to each now move forward to discussion of the merits of consolidation with their respective boards of directors.

It was agreed that the Legal Study Group begin their process of due diligence and report to each board in March.

The Great Trails Council will conduct a Board Retreat on March 12, 2008, at 5:30 at Spice Restaurant in Pittsfield to discuss the potential consolidation.

Both councils will be holding their respective Board of Directors meetings on March 19, 2008.

Please feel free to contact any of the individuals to discuss your concerns or questions.

Report of the Joint Program and Camping Study Group

Some desirable benefits to our scouts and families by council consolidation:

• Expanded options for Cub family camping, Day camps in Hampden and Hampshire counties, and additional Resident programs at CSR and HMSR.
• Improved opportunities for Venturing program and support: Powder Horn Training, Venturer president associations, summer high adventure camps at CSR and HMSR
• Larger pools for Jamboree troops and a potential for 3 troops to attend.
• More participants in Wood Badge and NYLT training.
• Inclusion in Mass-Jam for GTC scouts
• More yearly opportunities for units to attend High Adventure National programs at Philmont, Sea Base or Northern Tier as part of council contingents.

Neutral effect on most district programming

• Klondike Derbies and Camporees all done on district basis
• Occasional council-wide events are desirable (camporee or Scout Show)
• Council level recognition such as the Eagle Scout dinners and Council dinners may need to be done as Districts due to size.
• Leader training at the basic levels would be the same, perhaps improved with communication about different approaches.
• OA Lodge would need to work on more active chapter levels, and continue to support two camps.

Additional Considerations

• Distance and geography will remain a challenge and members from all over both areas will need to be recruited for council and district committees to maintain balance and representation of needs.
• Scout Camps tend to be considered the Crown Jewel of each area and support for programming needs to be carefully approached so there is cooperation and not competition. Eventual specialization could be a benefit to our scouts by providing more options.
• Advancements could be improved by electronic methods and satellite offices to provide awards in a timely manner. Eagle Boards are currently held differently-that could continue or change with time.

No show stopping negatives were identified to consolidation.