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Welcome to The Lamplighter, the official newsletter of Scouting America in the W. D. Boyce Council!
This edition of The Lamplighter is being sent to EVERY leader and family in the W. D. Boyce Council
Weâd love to add you to the list: Sign up for The Lamplighter now!
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Did you receive this from a friend or colleague? Subscribe here!
New to Scouting? Click here!
Miss an issue? Read here!
Have a question, idea or something you want to see in a future issue? Please email Charlie Zimmerman, Council Field Director, at charlie.zimmerman@scouting.org
| âď¸ Summer Adventures Are Calling! âď¸ | |
Cub Scout Summer Camps are sure to be the highlight of your Scoutâs summer. They might even be LIFE CHANGING! Join us for unforgettable adventures including archery, BB guns, games, Scout skills, crafts, and more!
Find a day camp near you for your Cub Scout to experience the Invention Convention! Cub Scout packs should register as a unit, and packs should provide a minimum of 1 adult walker with a ratio of 1 adult walker per 8 Cub Scouts. (âAdult walkersâ walk their group from station to station and assist the Scouts throughout the day. It's fun way to be a part of the camp experience!)
ďťżAND be sure to check out "MAD SCIENCE" - otherwise known as Cub Scout Resident Camp, our overnight camping option at Ingersoll Scout Reservation! This 4-day, 3-night camp is the perfect opportunity for Cub Scouts to work on their next rankâs adventure loops, explore the outdoors, and experience all that ISR has to offer! Activities include archery, BB-guns, slingshots, ecology and conservation, Scoutcraft, fishing, boating on Lake Roberts, pool time, climbing, den level time, campfires and themed camp activities!
Units are also encouraged to register for Cub Resident Camp as a pack. All packs must provide at least 2 adult leaders with a ratio of 1 adult leader for every 4 scouts. Tiger Scouts (those entering 1st grade in 2025) must have an parent partner
register and attend with them. Parents of Cub Scouts may also attend with their Scout as long as the pack leadership meets the outlined criteria outlined.
Click here for details on Cub Scout Summer Camp Fun!
Financial Assistance is Available for All W. D. Boyce Council Camps
Click Here to Learn More
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Scouts BSA Summer Camp at Ingersoll Scout Reservation is also bound to be a hit with every Scout ages 11-17! This summer will be an exciting time at ISR as we gear up to provide new and exciting opportunities for our Scouts BSA troops. Which raises the question:
Where are YOU Camping This Summer??
Check out the video below to see why "ISR, of course" should be your answer and click here to learn more!
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Is your Scout ready to go? Talk to your Scoutmaster or contact Collin Martis at Collin.Martis@scouting.org or 309 673-6136 ext. 128 if your troop isn't going to ISR this summer!
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Financial Assistance is Available for All W. D. Boyce Council Camps
Click Here to Learn More
| đ§A Great Summer Activity for Every Pack, Troop and Crew! | |
Looking for fun outdoor activity for your unit this summer â one with some meaning beyond just the fun? Scouting Americaâs latest conservation program is all about our rivers, lakes, streams, creeks and oceans â and you donât even need to get wet to help!
Scouting for Clean Waterways is a nationwide Scouting effort designed to keep our water clean. It started on Earth Day (April 22), and Scouts of all ages in all locations can participate. Even if you donât live near a giant body of water, chances are that some of the trash in your community will eventually end up in the water somewhere anyway.
The requirements are simple:
- Cut down on your use of disposable plastics in your everyday life.
- Beginning on Earth Day, participate in a cleanup project near a river, canal, lake, stream, swamp, beach or other waterway in your community. If there is no body of water near you, any trash pickup project will do!
- Grab a trusted adult and share details of the project on social media using the hashtag #CleanWaterScouts.
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Make sure your adult leader logs the details of the cleanup on the Debris Tracker app from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Download the app at debristracker.org
Click here to find out how your pack, troop or crew can get involved!
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The Scouting Clays Classic is a premier corporate sporting clays tournament for experienced and novice shooters. The shooting and Scouting skills competition includes: 14-station sporting clays course, white bird competition, tomahawk throw, paintball, and Scout archery.
This event financially supports Scouting programs in Central Illinois including assistance for at-risk programs, Summer Camping adventures, two Scout Service Centers, volunteer training, and development.
Join us on Friday, June 6, 8 am to 1 pm, at Oak Ridge Sportsman's Club in Mackinaw!
https://donations.scouting.org/#/council/138/event/635
| Scouts Need to Apply for National Youth Leadership Training Now!! | |
Because Our Best Scouts Deserve To Become Better Leaders!
National Youth Leadership Training (NYLT) is an exciting, action-packed program designed to provide youth members of Scouting America with the leadership skills and experience they can use in their home units and in any other situations that require leadership of self or leadership of others.
The aims of NYLT are to give each Scout participant a basic knowledge of various leadership skills while helping them relate these skills to their own troop/crew responsibilities; to give them the confidence and knowledge necessary to run their unitâs program; to provide an opportunity to share ideas and experiences with Scouts from other units; and of course, to have FUN.
This year's NYLT experience takes place July 27 - August 1 at Ingersoll Scout Reservation.
Youth must be 13 or over and APPLY NO LATER THAN APRIL 30 to be considered for this year's NYLT program.
Learn More and Have Scouts Apply Here!
https://wdboyce.org/nylt/
| Time to Gear Up for the Jamboree! | |
Weâd like to simply shout âThe Jamboree is coming next year!!â and have every Scout and their parents get VERY excited!
But you might not be familiar with what a Jamboree is, or why you and your Scout should care, let alone plan to go.
So we suggest you watch this short video with your Scout:
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Looks awesome, right? The Summit was built from the ground up with the Jamboree in mind. Miles of hiking and BMX bike trails have been carved out of the wilderness to give Scouts a feeling of high adventure, but with easy access to modern camping facilities.
And Scouts don't go into this alone. Our council will be sending a contingent of 60+ Scouts and adult leaders to the Jamboree, complete with gear and a plan to make this the best experience possible. There will even be a "shake down" campout ahead of the Jamboree so our Scouts can meet each other and get ready for the adventure together.
Bottom line: We want YOUR son or daughter to be one of these Scouts!
So letâs recap:
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Why should you Jamboree?
The National Jamboree is more than a destination. Itâs the adventure of a lifetime. And there is simply nothing else like it on the planet. You can learn more about it at jamboree.scouting.org.
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Whatâs a Jamboree? (And whatâs it not?)
Itâs not camp. National Jamboree is 360 degrees of fun, friends, and fellowship with hands-on adventure that takes you places you never thought youâd go and challenges you to try things you never thought you could.
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The National Jamboree will be held at Summit Bechtel Reserve from July 22 to 31, 2026. Registration is now open, and spots are limited. Sign up today!
Visit https://wdboyce.org/jamboree/ for more information and to sign up for one of the best experiences a Scout can have!
| Spring 2025 Recruiting Promotion EXTENDED Into May! | |
Parents of the first 100 new Scouts* who register BEFORE MAY 15 will receive a single-use discount code for Cub Scout Day Camp or Scouts BSA Summer Camp in the W. D. Boyce Council. For every 5 new Scouts* who join a unit in April and attend camp in June 2025, that unit will receive a credit in the Peoria Scout Shop.
Some limitations apply. Details can be found here:
* âNew Scoutsâ = Scouts not registered with Scouting America between October 1, 2024, and March 31, 2025.
Find our Spring Recruiting guides at https://wdboyce.org/recruiting-resources/. Youâll find new ideas, tips for making spring recruiting different than the âsame-old-same-old,â webinars, social media tips and more!
| May Merit Badge Day: Welding | |
Welding is the process of joining with a weld â joining or combining similar pieces of metal by heating them with a flame torch or an electric current, then hammering or pressing them together while they are soft. Welding plays a major role in our modern world, and mastery of the skill can lead to exciting career opportunities.
Someday, your Scout may have an opportunity to experience exciting new career paths in welding. This class is a great way to gain exposure to this unique field!
Saturday, May 31 - 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Registration ends Friday, May 16
Cost: $25.00 (After May 12: $30.00)
Location:
Jason's Welding Shop
11074 Sunset Blvd
Green Valley, Illinois 61534
Sign Up Today!
| Weâre Looking for âCounselors in Trainingâ (CITs)... NOW! | |
Do you know a Scout whoâs 14 or 15 years old and looking for something fun and rewarding to do this summer? Point their gaze towards being a CIT at Ingersoll Scout Reservation! They can come out to volunteer, help teach Scout skills, and learn the ropes of being a Summer Camp Counselor. Onsite housing is provided, and they can earn community service hours!
Details and application can be found at. https://wdboyce.org/ingersoll/staff/
Note: Must be available for Staff Training Week (June 1-7)
& at least 1 week of Scouts BSA camp (June 8 - 28)
| It may almost be summer, but it's time to be planning ahead for the fall and beyond! To aid in your unit's program planning (as well as your own), the 2025-26 W. D. Boyce Council Unit Planning Calendar is available on the newly-revamped Volunteer and Leader Resources page on our council website. You'll find a number of other program and planning aids there as well! | â° LAST CALL... For the best training experience you may ever have! | |
Wood Badge is the premier leadership course within the Scouting movement. It provides a comprehensive learning opportunity where participants to develop personal leadership abilities, build strong connections, and gain a deeper understanding of Scouting values â all while having a fun and immersive experience.
And Wood Badge is open to ALL Scouters â and is designed to meet the needs of volunteers at the unit level. That means every Cub Scout pack and Scouts BSA troop should send at least one volunteer to Wood Badge whenever itâs available. And that time is now... but time is running out!
TIME'S RUNNING OUT!
Sign up today to attend Wood Badge over two weekends, May 2-4 and May 23-25, at Ingersoll Scout Reservation. Youâll wonder why you didnât do it sooner!
https://www.scoutingevent.com/138-2025WoodBadge
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ďťżThanks for reading and for your support of Scouting!
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