Tamanend

District

August 2025

WASHINGTON CROSSING COUNCIL

Commissioner’s Connection: Set Your Goals

Your unit surely has a fun, exciting summer for our Scouts, but many units will also transition their leadership during these summer months. This creates a great opportunity to make sure your unit Key 3 (Chartered Organization Rep, Committee Chair, and Scoutmaster/Cubmaster/Advisor) and the rest of your unit leadership are aligned on your unit’s goals for the year. Whether it’s setting up a successful fall recruitment campaign, helping Scouts advance in rank, or planning a fun outdoor activity, setting goals is the first step in delivering a quality Scouting program.

Even if there isn’t a leadership change, it is always a good idea for the unit leadership to revisit goals so they can chart progress. This way, you can make course corrections over the summer to help ensure the second half of the year is set up for success! How can you be sure your unit hits goals for the year?

• Make goals SMART Goals: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely. If a goal does not follow this format, rewrite it so it does. Here are some examples: Rather than set a goal to “grow membership,” a better goal might be “Recruit 10 new Cub Scouts to our pack’s Lion den during fall recruitment” or Rather than set a goal to “get adult leaders trained,” a better goal might be “Ensure 75% of registered but untrained adult leaders complete position-specific training in the next three months.”
• Focus on a few areas. A good rule of thumb is to set two or three goals in a given year. It is hard to improve every area of your program. Stay focused on a few key areas to help guide your whole leadership team. (Your commissioner team can help you to focus on the important areas for your unit.)
• Make sure your goals can be accomplished in less than a year. You can have a long-term vision of what you want your unit to look like in a few years; make your goals the steps to get there.
• Develop an action plan to obtain goals. Creating SMART goals should make this easier since you know how to measure your success. Get the buy-in from your adult leadership team and keep the goals top-of-mind.
• When you reach a goal, celebrate! Then, build on the success by setting a new goal. Rinse and repeat for each goal.

Your commissioner staff is here for you! If you have a specific commissioner assigned and you have your SMART goals set, feel free to discuss these SMART goals with your commissioner for additional input and support. If you do not have a specific commissioner assigned, feel free to reach out to any of our commissioners, District Commissioner Joe Donahue, Assistant District Commissioner Jim Rugarber, or our Assistant Scout Executive Alex Fritz. As commissioners, we can help track your goals, connect you with the right resources to help you meet your goals.

Your commissioner team is committed to making sure your unit gets the support it needs to keep delivering on the promise of Scouting. We can’t wait to see what goals your unit sets out to accomplish this year!

Yours in Scouting,

Joe Donahue

District Commissioner

Popcorn Update

Pick-Up & Online Sales

Popcorn order pick-up is happening Friday, August 22—mark your calendars!

Not participating in the popcorn sale this year but still want to raise funds for your unit? Contact Alex Fritz to learn how Online-Only Sales can help your Scouts earn money with no inventory to manage.

Merit Badge Pamphlets Can Now be Downloaded for FREE!

All merit badge pamphlets can now be downloaded for free. Click on the Merit Badge information button below for direct access. Always check for the most recent revision.

The Merit Badge program is covered in detail in the 2025 Guide to Advancement, Section 7, click button below. Leaders and merit badge counselors need to be knowledgeable of how the program works to fully support Scouts.

If you want to learn more about being a merit badge counselor, check out the Counselor Information section through the Merit Badge Information button below.

Any questions, contact District Advancement Chair, Tom DeShields

Reminder: The Newest Tool to Help Den Leaders is Now Here! 

The Den Meeting Deck makes planning a den meeting fun, simple, and easy. There is a deck for each badge of rank and contains all the activities needed to earn all six required Adventures and four or five elective Adventures. 

Be sure to stop by the WCC Scout Shop to purchase your Den Meeting Deck!

Rifle Merit Badge

Rifle Merit Badge: complete form below and submit $20 fee to register. Must attend all 4 sessions.

Time:

12-4pm (please arrive by 1:45)

Location:

Ockanickon Scout Reservation

Dates:

September 7

October 5

November 2

December 7 

Air Rifle Competition

Air Rifle Competition: walk-in registration, $5 paid at the door. Do not complete registration form below.

Time:

12:30-4:30pm (arrive no later than 3pm)

Location:

Ockanickon Scout Reservation Foster Hall

Dates:

September 7

October 5

November 2

December 7

The weekend COPE & Climbing program offers the opportunity for your Troop, Crew, Ship or Post to experience a team building program like no other. Low COPE consists of warm-up activities and initiative games in the field before moving on to the Low COPE course. This course includes 12 elements low to the ground, ranging from the Archimedes Bridge to the 12-foot Wall. Adults are invited to participate.

Upcoming dates:

September 13-14

October 4-5 & 18-19

November 8-9

Join us for "Invention Convention"

STEM and Scouting collide at the Fall 2025 Cub-a-rama! "Invention Convention" invites Cub Scouts and their families to spend the day at Kuser Park playing the part of a mad scientist. Cub Scouts will design and build their own inventions, make crafts, play games, and participate in range & target activities!

When:

Saturday, September 27

9am to 3pm

Where:

Kuser Park, 390 Newkirk Ave,

Hamilton, NJ 08610

Cost: $20/Cub Scout, $10/Adult

Can We Count on You to Lend a Hand?

We are in need of Scouts BSA, Venturers, Sea Scouts, and Scouters alike to help run stations, staffing the medical tent, checking Packs in, and helping Cub Scouts and their families throughout the event. If you and/or your unit can pitch in, please reach out to Mercer Area District Executive Kevin Ott

New for this year: Event location, pushcarts can be filled with any rank Cubs, and the entire Pack can participate!

Range & Target Activities

Throughout the year, The Council's Range & Target Committee offers several different activities for Cub Scouts. For all activities, an adult is required to be present to satisfy the 1-to-1 adult participant ratio.

Archery Adventure

October 5

Slingshot Adventure

November 2

BB Gun Adventure

December 7

The annual Klondike Derby hosted by the Mercer Area/Tamanend Districts will be held Lake Side! Join your fellow Scouts in this skills-based competition as your sled will race around Camp in challenging activities that could include Pioneering, Orienteering, Cooking, Emergency Preparedness, Fire Building and First Aid to name a few. Is your Unit ready to have fun and demonstrate that you are Prepared? Come and join the fun, can not wait to see you all there!

Date:

Sunday, January 25

Location:

Ockanickon Scout Reservation

5787 State Park Road

Pipersville, PA 18947

Summer Camp Highlights At OSR!

The 2025 Ockanickon Summer Camp season concluded with 1,858 campers earning 6,849 total merit badges. The top three badges completed were fingerprinting, swimming, and Citizenship in the World. Adult leaders also worked on some adult awards including Napping, Coffee Drinking, Dutch Oven Cooking and AP Art Merit Badges. 

Patrols competed in the Tuesday night “Trials of Hercules” carnival with events such as capturing Cerberus, slaying the Nemean Lion, and capturing the Ceryneian Hind. 

2026 Reservations

Troops can start planning now for Summer Camp 2026 at Ockanickon! With over 80 merit badges to choose from, every troop should consider OSR as a summer camp option. Troop deposits are now being accepted!

The theme for 2026 will be based on America’s 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. 

Troops can choose from six different sessions:

June 21 – 27

June 28 – July 4

July 5 –11

July 12 – 18

July 19 – 25

July 26 – August 1

Troops that sign-up with a $150 deposit by September 30 will lock-in a special discounted rate guarantee allowing Scouts & families to have until April 30 (two extra months) to qualify for the deepest discounts in camp pricing.

Don't miss out on some great Scouting events beyond your district!

• Eastern State Penitentiary - Saturday, November 15 (in-person) & Sunday, December 7 (virtual)
• 2025 Trenton Thunder Green Scout Initiative
• 2025 Jubilee Pilgrims of Hope
• 2026 National Jamboree - July 22-31

Our Council newsletter is full of information. From training courses, volunteer opportunities, membership, popcorn updates, special events and so much more! Stay informed, click link below to access our Council newsletter.

District Committee Meeting: August 28

Commissioner Meeting: September 10

Roundtable: September 10

Scout Shop will be closed Monday, September 1 in observance of Labor Day and all Mondays through Labor Day!