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Raise More. Scout More.
Spend less time fundraising, and more time Scouting!
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Key Dates for the 2022 Popcorn Sale:
1st Orders Due: Thursday, Aug 5
1st Order Unit Pickup: Aug 18-19
BIG SPIN PARTY Saturday, Jan 21
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New National Membership Fee
The national membership fee for youth will be increasing to $6.25 a month beginning on August 1st, 2022 ($75 a year).
The one-time youth joining fee will remain the same at $25.
The Adult volunteer fee will remain the same at $45.
As new Scouts join your programs this fall, please make sure to collect the correct amount.
The price of Scout Life magazine has increased to $15 ($1.25 a month).
As your unit prepares for re-chartering this fall, please note that the unit charter insurance fee has increased to $100.
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Fall Recruiting is HERE!
With school about to start, it is time to think about recruiting new Scouts and their families into your Packs and Troops! To help with this, we’ve built a helpful membership recruiting webpage with tons of resources for you to use! Follow the link below to check out all the tools you can use to take your Join Scouts Night to the next level!
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Silver Beaver Award Nominations Due September 9!
The Greater Alabama Council is accepting nominations for the Silver Beaver Award.
Awarded annually by the National Court of Honor, this award recognizes Scouters of exceptional character who have rendered noteable, distinguished service to the Greater
Alabama Council.
Anyone may nominate a deserving Scouter for consideration. To submit a nomination, use the Silver Beaver Nomination Form found at https://1bsa.org/forms/ , or click on the button below, or contact your District Executive.
All nomination forms are due to Chris Laycock by the end of the business day on September 9, 2022. Nominations submitted after this date will not be considered.
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Camp Sequoyah Commemorative Belt Buckle
Last Call!
Due to popular demand, the last chance to order your commemorative belt buckle for Camp Sequoyah's 50th Anniversary has been extended until August 15! This is your last chance to order one of these fashionable and functional western-style belt buckles commemorating the Land of 1,000 Dreams! All orders must be received by the close of business on August 15, 2022. To order yours, click on the button below!
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Scouts BSA Rank Requirements Updates and Revisions
In 2021, all outdoor-related rank advancement requirements were reviewed and realigned based on guidance from the National Outdoor Ethics and Conservation Subcommittee. These adjustments will help more effectively build a Scout’s outdoor ethics knowledge and align with the information in the Scouts BSA Handbook and Fieldbook. The requirements now build in a logical way through the ranks, with Leave No Trace (LNT) and the Outdoor Code (OC) used as references throughout.
Beginning August 1, 2022, these minor modifications to the Scouts BSA requirements for the ranks of Scout through Star will take effect. Scouts may continue using the existing requirements for the rank on which they are currently working, or they may choose to use the new requirements. Scouts must use the new requirements once they advance to their next rank. On January 1, 2023, all Scouts must use only the new requirements.
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New Eagle Required Merit Badge
Beginning July 1, 2022, all Scouts BSA members will be required to earn the Citizenship In Society Merit Badge as a part of their trail to Eagle.
Developed by a team of dedicated Scouters, youth members, and professional staff, the Citizenship in Society merit badge pairs Scouts with merit badge counselors who will help guide Scouts on their journey of self-discovery and facilitate discussions as Scouts seek to further understand the diverse world we live in.
To learn more about the badge, please click on the links below.
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Annual Health & Medical Record
Fall camping season is upon us! As a reminder, ALL participants need to fully complete the Annual Health & Medical Record (AHMR) for ALL activities. And yes, the 2019 version is current. Remember- make sure that all new Scouts and their parents have access to the Health and Medical Record forms. They will need this for Cub Haunted Weekend, Cub Scout Shoot-out, and other exciting events!
Any questions? You can find the answers on the AHMR landing page or the AHMR FAQ page.
Quick AHMR Basics:
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Parts A & B - For all events/all participants less than 72 hours in duration.
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Parts A, B & C - For events/resident camps lasting 72 hours or more.
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Risk Advisory - Don’t forget the Risk Advisory for each of the High Adventure Bases. This should be reviewed with your healthcare provider at the time of your pre-participation exam.
If you have questions, contact us at [email protected].
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2023 National Scout Jamboree
July 19-28, 2023
Scouting’s flagship event is one-of-a-kind. It’s a gathering of approximately 40,000 Scouts, leaders, and staff that showcases everything that is great about the BSA and its members. Over the course of 10 summer days, once every four years, the Boy Scouts of America comes together to showcase the adventure and excitement of Scouting. The result is the national Scout Jamboree. The Jamboree will be held in July of 2023 at the Summit in beautiful West Virginia.
Scouts and Scouters will explore all kinds of adventures—stadium shows, pioneer village, Garden Ground hikes, adventure sports, patch trading, and more—in the heart of one of nature’s greatest playgrounds. With 10,000 acres at the Summit to explore, there’s no shortage of opportunities to build Scouting memories.
The jamboree is the best of Scouting rolled into 10 days of fun, friends, and adventure. You won’t want to miss out on this incredible Scouting experience!
To learn more and register your Scout, click on the button below.
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Cub Haunted Weekend 2022
Every Halloween ghosts and goblins are on the prowl at our council camps! This exciting overnight campout experience for Cub Scouts and their families is packed with events and activities! It’s fun for the entire family! Games! Crafts! Food! Hay Rides! BB-Guns! Archery! Costume Contests! Haunted Trails! Face-Painting! Campfire Programs! Haunted Houses! and so much More!
Registration is now open for Cub Haunted Weekend! Paper registration forms will be available for download in mid-August.
New in 2022- Troops, Crews, Ships, and Posts who want to volunteer and help support this annual event now have an easy way to sign-up to support either Camp Westmoreland or Camp Comer! Just follow the link below to register your unit to help out!
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Updates from the Order of the Arrow!
Congratulations to the Nunne Hi Chapter (Vulcan District) and Yuchi Chapter (Westmoreland District) ceremonies teams for earning "National Honor Team" recognition at the National Order of the Arrow Conference this past week! This is the highest honor a Ceremonies team can earn, and it is a testament to the hours of hard work that our Scouts and their coaches have poured into learning and delivering the ceremonies of the Order of the Arrow. Congratulations, guys!
August is the time to begin planning when your unit wants its 2023 Unit Election Visit conducted. Has your Troop or Crew's OA Unit Election not been done? Click on the following link for Information and guidelines on Unit Elections by clicking on this link.
Ready to register for your OA Induction Weekend? Click on the appropriate link below to sign-up and prepare for your OA journey!
To stay up-to-date on all the latest with Coosa Lodge, follow the links below!
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August 26-28, 2022: Jones Cove Canoe Trek!
Join us for the first ever Jones Cove Trek August 26-28 at Camp Jackson. This high adventure based canoe trek will take Scouts down the scenic Tennessee River for a great day of paddling, fellowship, and fun.
To register and get more information, click on the link below.
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Fish Camp 2022
September 30- October 2
It’s time to get hooked on fishing fun! Headed up by three BSA Certified Angling Instructors, this weekend-long program focuses on preparing Unit Leaders to develop and implement fishing and angling programs within their Packs, Troops, and Crews.
Scouts BSA and Venturing members, ages 11 and up, will have the chance to not only participate in these informative class sessions, but will also be able to make real progress towards earning the BSA’s Complete Angler Award. Scouts will also have the chance to earn the Fishing, Fly Fishing, and Fish & Wildlife Management Merit Badges at this event.
For more information and registration, click on the button below.
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The History Committee of Coosa Lodge Invites you to join them on the 4th Thursday of each month for a Virtual Cracker Barrel! Beginning at 8pm CT, join members of the Lodge for a brief information session focusing on some historical aspect of Scouting across North and Central Alabama and a roundtable discussion following the featured topic.
The Virtual Cracker Barrel is open for all who wish to join in. To keep track of the sessions, you can follow the History Committee online on Facebook or by joining the email list. Just click on the buttons below to get set up. The only requirement is that you bring your best Scout Spirit, and your own snacks.
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Birmingham Civil Rights Heritage Trail Program |
The Birmingham Civil Rights Heritage Trail speaks to the valor of both common people and to the spiritual leaders who spearheaded the fight against segregation and other forms of racism. The Trail winds through downtown Birmingham, marking significant locations along the 1963 Civil Rights march routes. Designed as a self-guided tour, the route directs Scouts along this historic pathway by maps at each location. There are multiple sites and routes along the trail an in the Historic Civil Rights District. Only the following 6 sites are required to achieve the award. | |
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BSA Certified Angling Instructor Course
August 12-14, 2022
Designed to help build and develop the fishing and angling program within Councils and Districts, the course is designed to give Scouters tools and ideas to get Scouts fishing. We will ignite your desire for introducing Scouts to the wonderful world of fishing. Boy’s Life recent survey found that Scouts chose fishing as the fourth most preferred outdoor activity, yet only 35% go fishing within Scouting. You can become a Fishing Advocate for your unit, district and council and utilize fishing as a good tool for Recruitment, Retention and Reactivation.
Open to adult Scouters and to youth ages 15 and up, this course focuses on providing the tools and training to equip Scouts and Scouters with the tools to support Council and District fishing and angling events and help instill a love of the outdoors and fishing in all Scouts.
Registration is hard-capped at 25 with no exceptions.
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IOLS and BALOO Training Course
September 17-18, 2022
Brierfield Iron Works
Shelby District is pleased to announce a BALOO and IOLS training course this September at the historic Brierfield Iron Works Park.
The Introduction to Outdoor Leader Skills (IOLS) course will provide you with the basic outdoor skills needed to guide an outdoor program in accordance with BSA standards. The skills taught are based on the outdoor skills found in the Scouts BSA Handbook. This course is required for all Scouts BSA leaders. IOLS is conducted from Saturday morning to Sunday afternoon.
The Basic Adult Leader Outdoor Orientation (BALOO) is required for Cub Packs to conduct outdoor overnight events. Each Pack is required to have a BALOO trained leader (two are strongly recommended) present at any overnight pack activity. Participants will be learning basic outdoor, camping, and cooking skills. Any registered adult Scouter may attend. The BALOO course is a two day course beginning Saturday morning.
BALOO participants: please note there is now an online section of BALOO. Please complete the online section before attending by visiting https://my.scouting.org/ and logging into your scout account.
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National Youth Leadership Training Course
Winter & Summer Courses 2023
Attention Scouts, Scouters, and Parents: Registration for the Winter 2023 NYLT Course is now open!
NYLT is a six day, five night course that gives Scouts BSA, Sea Scouts, Explorers and Venturers methods, skills and experiences to become better leaders in their unit. The course centers around the concepts of what a leader must be, what they must know, and what they must do – with a clear focus on how to accomplish all this.
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Wood Badge 2023
Wood Badge is advanced Scout leader training that began in 1919 by Lord Baden-Powell, founder of Scouting and Wood Badge’s first director. It came to America in 1948 and has been updated to reflect current BSA policies and programs. Incorporating the best techniques available, Wood Badge has become the most advanced leadership training course in Scouting!
Any Scouter who has attended basic training for their registered position and serves in a leadership role in Scouting or in a position that directly supports a unit can attend.
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Sons of the American Revolution Eagle Scout Scholarship Competition
All Alabama Eagle Scouts, ages 18 and younger, are invited to compete for our chapter and state society’s Eagle Scout Scholarships. Winners at the state level will go on to the national level competition in the Arthur M. & Berdena King Eagle Scout Contest. The winner at the chapter level receives cash and a medal. All participants receive a pocket patch. Awarded to the state winner is $750 and a trophy, and the national winner is awarded a $10,000 scholarship. Second and third place also receive awards.
Applications are accepted year-round, with cut off dates established at the local chapter level for processing. To apply for the award, applications must be submitted through one of the seven SAR Chapters in the GAC's Service area. For more information, click on the link buttons below for documents or to email your local chapter.
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Flag Retirement Request
As Scouts, we are trusted by our fellow citizens with properly retiring American flags. This solemn trust and responsibility isn't one that we take lightly or for granted. While Coosa Lodge of the Order of the Arrow handles a lot of flag retirements each year, we need your help in properly and respectfully retiring American flags that have been entrusted to our stewardship. To facilitate this, we have developed a request form where you or your unit can request a flag or flags that you can retire. These are available for pick-up at either the Birmingham or Huntsville offices, or you can work with your District Executive to get the flag(s) to retire.
Additionally, we have provided several informative links that you can view to plan your retirement ceremony. We strongly encourage you to read the Scouting Blog link as it contains information on the safe retirement practices for retiring modern, "all weather" flags which are made of highly combustible materials like nylon or polyester.
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Scout Day with the Atlanta United FC!
Mark August 6th on your calendars for a special Scout Day with the Atlanta United FC! Beginning at 2pm central time, the Atlanta United take the pitch against the Seattle Sounders for an exciting match. Scouts will receive a special patch to commemorate the event. In addition to an afternoon of great fun, the Atlanta United will also be donating a portion of ticket sales back the Greater Alabama Council! For details, click on the "flyer" link below, or to reserve your ticket click on the "ticket" link below. When reserving your tickets, be sure to use promo code: GA22
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Scout Day at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center
Mark your calendars for Scout Day at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, AL. on September 10, 2022! Scouts will have the chance to meet with NASA Eagle Scouts and learn about their past or current projects, discuss educational preparations, and more! Scouts will also get to design, build, and test a model space craft for scientific exploration!
To reserve your spot, follow the link below. Be sure to check out the flyer, too- it has a lot of good information on it!
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Save the Date!
Scout Day with the UAB Blazers- November 5th!
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Engineering Merit Badge
Sign up to participate in the Engineering Merit Badge Program at the Barber Museum! This program is on the move from start to finish and includes a hands-on Build-a-Bike activity, a tour of the largest motorcycle collection in the world, and a short film. With stunning views of the Barber Motorsports Road Course, vehicle exhibits, and restoration shop, the museum offers a thrilling environment in which to learn about the field of engineering.
The opportunity costs $18 per Scout, and it includes all materials needed for the program, including the Barber Museum BSA Patch. We ask that Scouts be prepared by reading the Engineering Merit Badge book prior to their troop’s scheduled visit. To show pride in your troop and demonstrate your participation as a Scout, we ask that Scouts wear their uniforms.
Reserve a spot for your Scout or their whole troop today!
The Engineering Merit Badge Program, sponsored by Yamaha and Big #1 Power Sports, will be offered at the Barber Museum on the following Saturdays, at 9:30 am. Spaces are limited, so please contact us to reserve your spot.
Register to attend our Engineering Merit Badge Program. When you arrive at the registration link close the login box to enter your information. The form on the first page is where you'll enter parent information, and the form on the second page is where you will enter the Scout's information. You can register multiple attendees/scouts at one time.
If you have questions, email the Education Department at the Barber Museum by clicking the link below.
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Guide to Safe Scouting updates for February 2022
As a a part of its commitment to ensuring a safe Scouting program for all participants, the BSA routinely reviews, revises, and updates the Guide To Safe Scouting.
The February 2022 update includes information on the BSA's Vaccine and Immunization Policy. For more information, click on the links below.
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The BSA Has Launched a New Site for Recruiting Resources and Information
It’s time to help families discover Scouting, and this new landing page has resources to share with anyone who will be recruiting. The page offers easy access to recruitment marketing materials, social planning tools, details and registration information for upcoming webinars, and much more!
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Stay up-to-date on Scout days |
One of the best parts of Scouting is the outing! We're actively building a list of Scout Days at various events near and far that you and your Scouts will love to attend! For more information, click on the Scout Day image, or the button below. | | | | | |
