We all may be at home for the next few weeks, but that does not mean we have to stop Scouting! For the next few weeks, the Great Rivers Council will be sending out a Scouting @ Home email every Friday to all of our Scouters. This email will contain updates on a variety of online/virtual content including merit badges, competitions, and trainings; until we start meeting again.
All of these activities will be hosted by trained and qualified Scouters in their respective fields. We look forward to adding a bit of normalcy to life during this chaotic time.
#ScoutOn #Scouting@Home
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Online Merit Badge Opportunities
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The following is a list of online merit badges that will be offered over the next few weeks. They will be taught through
Zoom.
There is no cost for Scouts to register. To assure quality instruction, classes will be capped at 20 Scouts total. Once registered, Scouts will receive login information no less than 24 hours before the start of the class.
Badges will take place over 1, 2, 3, or more sessions.
For example, if Art Merit Badge is scheduled for April 20th & 22nd, that does not mean there are 2 separate classes. It means that one class of Art will be taught over 2 sessions.
Scouts must participate in all required sessions to complete the merit badge. New badges will be added to the list as they are scheduled. And remember, a Scout is Courteous. In the interest of being able to serve a large number of Scouts, please refrain from registering your Scout for every class. Conversely, if a class fills up quickly, we will do our best to schedule additional classes as soon as possible.
Click on the merit badges for more information and get registered today:
All counselors are registered members of the BSA and have completed Youth Protection Training. Two deep leadership will be enforced in all online merit badge classes. Additionally, parents are encouraged to sit alongside their Scouts for the duration of the class(es).
If you are interested in being a merit badge counselor, please contact Activities & Program Director, Thomas Yang at
thomas.yang@scouting.org
.
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Scout Skills & Rank Advancement
Did you just crossover? Checkout our Scout Skills & Advancement resources to make sure you stay on track with rank advancement. We will continue to update this weekly with videos, live trainings, articles, and more!
Need to learn how to tie knots? Download the
3D Knots App
.
3D Knots teaches you how to tie over 120 different knots, step by step. It is available for Android and Apple.
Lastly, checkout this great article from Scouting Magazine, that has videos on the 10 most important knots for Scouts
If you are interested in teaching a Scout Skill, please contact Activities & Program Director, Thomas Yang at thomas.yang@scouting.org.
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How to conduct a board of review through videoconferencing
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The board of review, like most aspects of Scouting, works best in person.
But sometimes, due to extenuating circumstances, that is not an option. That is why, as outlined in the
Guide to Advancement
, the BSA allows units to conduct boards of review by teleconferencing; using tools like Skype, Google Hangouts or Zoom.
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Wolf Adventure: Germs Alive!
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This adventure teaches
Wolf Scouts
about the importance of keeping a clean room, proper hand washing, and covering their sneezes--through fun, hands-on (and gross!) science experiments.
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Tiger Adventure: Family Stories
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Family Stories is one of the
Tiger
elective adventures. For this adventure, Tiger Cubs and their adult partners learn about their family heritage and make a family tree.
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GET READY FOR THE 30 DAY CUB SCOUT CHALLENGE
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From April 1st to April 30th, the Great Rivers Council will be commencing the 30 Day Cub Scout Challenge. It is available to all Cub Scouts! Through the challenge, Cub Scouts will keep their Scout Skills sharp and complete adventures & earn rank advancements. Complete the challenge and receive an exclusive, limited 2020 Cub Scout Challenge Patch! Click on the links below to see the requirements for each challenge.
To be eligible to earn the custom patch, you must be registered. Registration will be open from March 20th @ 4pm and end Tuesday, March 31st @ 11:55pm.
Register by clicking the button below. Good Luck and Scout On!
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Record your Scout completing the challenge and post it on your social media with #ScoutOn #Scouting@Home and tag us at @BSAGRC. You can also send your photos and videos to thomas.yang@scouting.org for a chance to be featured on our social media.
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Just joined Scouting? Earn your Bobcat! It is simple and easy! Cub Scouts must earn their Bobcat before earning any other rank (does not include Lions). Click on the link below to see the requirements:
Record your Scout completing the Bobcat requirements and post it on your social media with #ScoutOn #Scouting@Home and tag us at @BSAGRC. You can also send us your photos and videos to Program Director, Thomas Yang, at thomas.yang@scouting.org for a chance to be featured on our social media.
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Join these fun Digital Den Meetings as we continue to Scout On! Each weekly meeting will help complete items for multiple ranks and use common household items for activities to be done at home.
Hosted by Cascade Pacific Council.
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Cyber Chip Training
Haven't earned your Cyber Chip? Now is your chance! Cyber Chip is available to all Scouts, 1st-12th grade. It teaches you how to be safe online. We are doing a video training series for the Cyber Chip. Complete your training and earn the Cyber Chip patch. Videos will be uploaded to our website, social media, and Youtube. Stay tuned for the following dates:
Cub Scouts (1st-3rd & 4th-5th) - Wednesday, March 25th
Scouts BSA (6th-8th & 9th-12th) - Friday, March 27th
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1. We are excited to announce that we are preparing for a
Virtual Boy Scouts of America Chess Tournament
...more details will be released next Friday.
We strongly recommend that you have previous chess knowledge & experience before entering. You will need to either complete the
'Learn How to Read & Write Chess'
booklet (A Scout is Trustworthy) or be a USCF (United States Chess Federation) rated player to participate in the tournament.
2. We are also excited to announce the Crazy Chess Set Competition! This is a virtual unit activity. Which unit can make the craziest, most unique chess set?
Printable Chess Set
- A Printer
- Printer Paper/Cardstock (8.5x11" or 11x17")
- Cardboard or foam board
- A Pair of Scissors
- Decorating material (paint, etc.)
- Your creativity!
Simply cut the paper, trace on cardboard and cut, paint or decorate and assemble the interlocking pieces, no glue required.
Send your photos and/or videos thomas.yang@scouting.org for a chance to be featured on our social media
.
Winners will be announced May 4th.
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For any questions regarding the Cyber Chip & Chess, please contact Thomas Yang at thomas.yang@scouting.org.
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We will be hosting more online training courses and activities in the future. Stay tuned!
Did you know that BSA offers numerous online training with the BSA Learning Center, accessible at
My.Scouting.org
.
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This module will cover hazardous weather conditions that Scouts need to plan ahead and steps to take to be prepared.
Effective in 2018 new direct contact leaders must complete Hazardous Weather Training to be considered position trained. And here is one story about why this is so important.
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We are looking at making our April Roundtable to be a virtual one.
Topics may include additional resources to continue Scouting during this time, summer camp planning, and we will cover some elements of advancement.
Stay tuned for more information.
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For any questions regarding training, or if you are interested in teaching an online training course, please contact Aaro Froese at aaro.froese@scouting.org.
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The Friends of Scouting fundraising campaign allows us to provide programs, unit support, training opportunities, maintain our camp, membership assistance and so much more for our Scouts, leaders and families.
Please consider a monthly recurring gift to help us continue the mission of Scouting.
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Free videoconferencing options
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Wanting to conduct a Den or Troop meeting...consider conducting a digital meeting. Note: Each of the options below has a paid option, free options are below.
- Google Hangouts: Easy to use, no time limit, allows up to 10 participants
- Zoom: Great features, 40-minute time limit, allows up to 100 participants
- Skype: Good stability, four-hour time limit, allows up to 50 participants
- UberConference: Excellent video quality, 45-minute time limit, allows up to 10 participants
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Boy Scouts of America, Great Rivers Council
1203 Fay Street | Columbia, MO 65201
P 573.449.2561 | F 573.874.6846
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