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Trail Signs
February - March 2024
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Service above self! Trail Signs newsletter is our bi-monthly newsletter.
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Please take note of upcoming Council Service Center Closings:
- February 19th - President's Day
- March 29th - Good Friday
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Join Us for a Year Full of Fun and Activities! |
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Cub Scout STEM-O-Ree
February 17, 2024
Ivy Tech Community College, 200 Daniels Way, Bloomington
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This is an awesome one-day Cub Scout activity that supplements local pack programming. Participants will have the opportunity to learn about the following STEM-related Cub Scout activities: Computers and Design, Physics, Science, Astronomy, Mathematics, Engineering, Robotics, and more. Scouts can also work on earning their NOVA Award.
This activity is designed to last all day with check in starting at 8:15 and closing at 3:15 pm. Events will be scheduled and in sequential order throughout the day.
The entire family is welcome to this fun event that gives a jump start to earning requirements towards Cub Scout advancements and will peak interest in cool technologies and arts of today!
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Eastside Merit Badge Day & Training EXPO
February 24, 2024
Ivy Tech Community College, 590 Ivy Tech Drive, Madison
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Hoosier Trails Council is hosting a Merit Badge Day AND a Leadership Training EXPO at the Madison Ivy Tech campus (590 IVY Tech Dr., Madison, IN 47250). This event is free for Hoosier Trails Council adults and youth that register by February 14, 2024. Adults and youth from outside Hoosier Trails Council or ones that are not registered before February 14th will be charged a $5 fee and are not guaranteed an event patch.
LUNCH WILL NOT BE PROVIDED, but there will be a canteen with drinks and snacks, and we will be letting scouts pre-order slices of pepperoni, sausage, and cheese pizza before 10:30 am.
We will have Adult Leader breakout sessions (Training EXPO) happening throughout the day. Session 1 starting at 9:30 am and Session 2 starting at 1:30 pm allowing adults to get their units off to classes and be back in time before they come back for lunch or leaving.
Scouts and Leaders should be scheduled for a class or helping in Eagle Quest/ merit badge class (please get preapproval). Scoutmasters, please have the scouts Blue Cards filled out with their information before you come on Saturday, and with the Scoutmaster’s signature. Please note that at least 5 merit badges offered at Merit Badge Day have requirement changes beginning on January 1, 2024.
Walk-ins and late registrations will be charged $5 fee and are not guaranteed an event patch. Scouts may not be able to get in preferred classes. Please note, Units must meet the two deep leadership there. If you have questions, please send an email to Jeff Kelley
All classes will have a limit of 20 Scouts, unless noted. We are limiting troops to only 4 Scouts per merit badge, per session to allow an equal opportunity to all. Everyone should be in the auditorium by 8:45 am. We will have a short opening before the first session begins and we will assemble again at the end of lunch before the third session (12:50-1:00 pm)
The goal is to try and complete the merit badges on this day, but many of the merit badges have prerequisites that the Scout needs to bring signed off, evidence from their parents and/ or Scoutmaster, or need to bring in the work.
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Solar Eclipse Council Camporee
April 7-8, 2024
Maumee Scout Reservation, 12975 West County Road 925 North, Norman
Mark your calendar and register today for this one-time event! Hoosier Trails Council is very excited about the upcoming solar eclipse of 2024 which we are equally set to have almost 4 minutes of totality. We are inviting units from all over the US and its going to be something that you won't want to miss. We are encouraging units to arrive Saturday as programming will officially start Sunday and continue through the time of the eclipse.
We have worked to provide Scouts with activities centered around this amazing event of April 8th, 2024. Many hours of work have gone in to planning and preparation for the big event and we expect a memorable activity. No amount of planning can ensure we have clear skies and great weather. April in Indiana is unpredictable at best. Because of that, we have tried to plan for alternate activities for program features centered around the sun. Additionally, because of the large numbers of expected participants, we have tried to plan for additional activities to help fill the downtime while waiting for the event. These will include camera obscura, making sun prints, fire building challenge, solar cooking demonstration, solar eclipse geometry and safety, cooking, fishing, hiking, and other activities.
The registration process has been streamlined and is nation-wide. We have set a limit of just 700 Scouts and adults at this event. Please make sure to go through the entire registration process. Completed unit registrations will be those people who are paid in full. Once we hit 700, there will be a waiting list. The registration will be asking a lot of specific information to help us strategically fit everyone in camp. Please make sure to review the following needed information and have it ready so your overall registration process is as easy as possible.
Registration will close March 29th. Attend the zoom meetings and review the full leader packet for the most up to date info!
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Council Gala
April 14, 2024
The Seasons Lodge, 560 State Road 46, Nashville
This year's theme is "Celebrating Success of All Sizes!"
Eagle Scouts of 2023 - District Award of Merits - Eagle Scout of the Year - Silver Beaver Awards and more!
Hoosier Trails Council will be hosting our annual Leader Recognition Gala to recognize adult leaders for outstanding service to units and the Council. This is the time where we recognize the Silver Beaver Award recipients, our highest award, along with many other awards. We will also be congratulating our 2023 Eagle Scouts for their outstanding accomplishments. Please do not miss this opportunity to come celebrate and recognize our fellow leaders for great achievement.
Pre-Registration is strongly encouraged to ensure that everyone has a meal. No refunds will be given for cancellations. In keeping with the theme, we are looking for pictures, videos, shoutouts of congratulations to highlight during our time at the Gala.
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Summer Adventures for Everyone, Maumee is Ready! |
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Maumee Scout Reservation is nestled in the northern section of the Hoosier National Forest providing an environment surrounded by pristine wilderness with a crystal-clear private lake. You may see deer, turkey, hawks, osprey, snakes, frogs, birds of all types and even bald eagles, not to mention the beautiful night sky and sunrises over Lake Tarzian. |
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This is a “don’t miss event” for all Cub Scouts (Kindergarten - 3rd Grade) that is sure to be the most enjoyable Scouting experience of the year. Spend time in our different program areas throughout camp, learning and having fun. You will have an opportunity to enjoy beautiful Lake Tarzian to fish and swim or perhaps try a kayak for the first time. Spend time in our Handicraft area to make a special project to take home or advance your Scout skills at our Scoutcraft area. Shooting Sports will be open so you can see how well you can find your target, or you can go on a beautiful hike to see all that Maumee has to offer. Bring your own tent, sleeping bags, and personal gear. All meals will be provided.
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Webelos can get a taste of what the Scouts BSA program is like by attending Resident Camp. At camp your Scouts will experience what is like to attend a Scouts BSA summer camp at Maumee Scout Reservation but is a smaller setting designed for Cub Scouts. This will include a Scouts BSA experience where your Scout will become part of a patrol, elect a patrol leader, make a patrol flag, patrol yell, and use the patrol method. We will have all our program areas open for Scouts to enjoy fishing, waterfront activities, shooting sports, Scoutcraft, nature, STEM, and much more while camping under the stars! Our staff is ready for a great time with your Webelos, teaching them the very things that will help them advance to the Scout Rank. Bring your own tent, sleeping bags, and personal gear. All meals will be provided.
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Scouts can spend time at evening programs to enjoy the best lake in Indiana, throw tomahawks, shoot rifle, do some branding, play ga-ga ball, and more. During the daytime hours Scouts can choose from over 50 merit badge offerings to work on their trek to Eagle Scout. For older Scouts that may not need any badges or just want different opportunities, we have you covered as well in our Eagle Landing and Mountain Man areas where you can try activities and partake in adventures designed specifically for the older Scouts. Summer Camp is one of the top experiences any Scout will have, enjoying a week-long adventure in the outdoors while making new friendships and deepening existing ones with other members of your Scouts BSA Troop. The memories made during camp will remain with you for the rest of your life.
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Maumee Scout Reservation provides life-changing experiences to hundreds of Scouts each summer. Programs and employment opportunities include positions in Aquatics, Eagle Quest, Shooting Sports, Nature, Handicraft, STEM and Skilled Trades, Scoutcraft, Trading Post, Dining Hall Operations and many more. If you are 14 years old or older and would like to be a part of the Maumee family helping change the lives of our Scouts and ourselves, please click on the link above and apply today!
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Webpages to Support Scouting Operations |
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We have been hard at work developing resources to broaden communications and improve the level of service provided by the council website, check them out today:
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2024 River Pass and Lodge Dues
Save big and plan to attend all the lodge activities this year! The River Pass is a onetime payment for all the events of the up-coming year. This is a great way to get a discount on activities that you already attend and it’s only $115. You will be preregistered to all the council-level events. The 2024 River Pass is now available online and can be purchased along with your annual dues which is $15 for the year. If you register for your 2024 River Pass - All Access, annual dues are included! This is a great way to save time and money. Get your River Pass today and automatically be signed up for ALL activities and events for our lodge. *This pass is not valid for section or national events*
Lodge Resources
As Scouting’s National Honor Society, the Order of the Arrow is an integral part of the council’s program. Our service, activities, adventures, and training for youth and adults are models of quality leadership development and programming that enrich and help to extend Scouting to America’s youth. Visit our page often to view new activities, leadership opportunities, calendar dates and much more. We recently welcomed our new slate of officers and you can view all this information at the links below.
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FUNDING AWESOME SCOUTING ADVENTURES |
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Scouting License Plates
These plates can be used as standard vehicle registration plates for passenger cars, recreational vehicles and trucks weighing less than 11,000 pounds. This is not a vanity plate, so special numbers or messages cannot be accommodated. Your plate selection is good until your next registration renewal. When you purchase an Indiana Boy Scout license plate, you indicate your personal support of Scouting and add financially to the Hoosier Trails Council Endowment. How can you participate? When you renew your plates, an additional fee is added on to your basic renewal fees, and that money is contributed to the Hoosier Trails Council endowment fund.
Renew Plates Online: Currently, the Bureau of Motor Vehicles offers Online Registration for your vehicle. Once you create an account, you can choose your specialized license plate. It's fast, easy and best of all - no standing in line!
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The Boy Scouts of America is the recipient of all proceeds from the sale of vehicles donated to One Car One Difference® and specifically designated by the donor to support the BSA. With your help, Scouting will continue providing youth the opportunity to try new things, give service to others, build self-confidence, and reinforce ethical standards. Use the form on the right side of the page to donate your vehicle and help us ensure the future of America's youth.
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Support the Hoosier Trails Council in Non-traditional Ways
One way in which you and your family can help support the work of our council is through registration in the Kroger Community Rewards Program! By simply buying your family’s groceries, you can help contribute to our council’s overall success. Sound easy enough? Get on board today.
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ADULT & YOUTH TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES |
Wilderness First Aid Training - American Red Cross
March 15-17, 20224
Camp Louis Ernst, 9141 N State Road 7, Dupont
This event is open to any Scout (at least 14 years old) or Scout leader who is proficient in basic first aid skills AND holds a current certification in American Red Cross CPR with AED or the equivalent.
This course is designed to teach skills necessary for providing care to victims of illness or injury in a setting where professional help is delayed. The successful completion of the course is dependent on a working confident knowledge of basic first aid skills. Time does not permit the teaching of these basic skills during the advanced course.
Whether you are a Scout, an outdoor enthusiast or you work in a remote environment, our Wilderness and Remote First Aid Course gives you the skills you need to respond to an emergency when help may be delayed.
YOU MUST COMPLETE THE ENTIRE COURSE IN ORDER TO BE CERTIFIED.
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Advanced Leadership Training
Hoosier Trails Council offers Wood Badge, the best advanced leadership training opportunity available in the Boy Scouts of America. Leadership in your unit continuously changes and grows from year to year and it is important to arm your new leaders with the great knowledge, techniques, discipline, and strong habits that exist in some of our most noted leaders. The Wood Badge course centers upon the concepts of servant leadership and leaving a legacy. The key elements are then taught with a clear focus on “how to.” It is all put on by experienced adult leaders with the most up-to-date resources that are provided by the BSA. If you are looking for a great opportunity for your adult leaders to learn some advanced leadership skills, this is the training they will need. Registration is open for the course, and you can sign up today!
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National Youth Leadership Training (NYLT)
July 14-19, 2024, Maumee Scout Reservation
Is your Scout ready to find the meaning of leadership – what a leader must BE, what a leader must KNOW, and HOW a leader is most effective?
In Hoosier Trails Council, Youth Course Lead, London O., Senior Patrol Leader, Ella L., and Assistant Patrol Leader, Alex K., and their youth staff will lead NYLT Troop 241 through a month in the life of a joint troop within a six-day course.
NYLT, simply put, is fun with a purpose. Participants from all over central and southern Indiana come together to form patrols of four to six members. Throughout the week, as the team builds, they learn how to incorporate modern ideas of leadership into their own leadership styles, while developing friendships and lifelong memories. NYLT delivers the concepts of leadership through presentations, activities, games, and hands-on experience, allowing the youth to understand and employ their newly-learned skills much faster.
Participants graduate with a greater confidence in their ability to communicate, teach, solve problems, and a vision of what they can do to make a difference with their troop and beyond.
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Using a Safety Moment in Scouting Activities
Safety Moments are exactly what the name implies: opportunities to prepare for an activity, review safety measures and report incidents correctly. Topics of this new series include incident reporting helps, safe use of medication in Scouting, weather-related safety, winter activity, and winter sports. Search for Safety Moments Here
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New Council Safety Webpage
This new page has been created to bring safety resources to your fingertips, so that our Scouting participants have safest adventures possible. We invite you to become familiar with this great resource: https://hoosiertrailsbsa.org/program-resources/scouting-safely/
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First Aid Kits
First-aid kits should be present wherever you might need them. That likely includes having a kit in your car, your home, your meeting location, and with your outdoor equipment for the next hike or camping trip. Since a first-aid kit is one of the essential items for Scout hiking, keeping one with your daypack is an easy way to assure you are prepared on the trail.
The contents of the kit can be as varied as the potential needs and the number of participants present, but it must always be stocked and ready for use. You should also regularly check for and replace expired items and those that need to be restocked after a trip. Have a kit that is suited to the number of participants and the length of time you’ll need it. A kit for a day hike will probably be different from the kit you would carry on a trek at Philmont Scout Ranch or a multiday boat trip at the Florida Sea Base or Northern Tier. If you’re a medical professional or trained in Wilderness First Aid, the kit may be expanded because of your knowledge and ability to safely use the items.
Not sure about what to buy and where to get it? A number of professionally prepared first-aid kits are available from ScoutStuff.org and your local Scout shop, major outdoor retailers, and the American Red Cross. Specifications are often provided as to locations where the kit might be appropriate and other considerations.
You may want to add items based on known or anticipated needs. For example, a shakedown hike with many pairs of new boots being broken in would warrant additional moleskin. Even if you want to assemble your own kit, you can use the resource list below to identify contents that are recommended.
RESOURCES
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Congratulations, Recent Eagle Scouts |
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Owen Reed Schmidt, Troop 717
Jackson David Warren, Troop 559
Clayton Ray Shock, Troop 343
Nathanael Isaac Arnold, Troop 343
Trevor Kevin Schebler, Troop 631
Zachary Evan Sturgill, Troop 529
William Miles Fennig, Troop 588
Eric Hayden Carpenter, Troop 693
Gavin Vaugh Clinger, Troop 148
Jack Kieran Boyles, Troop 693
Andrew Paul Barker. Troop 464
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