Tamanend

District

September 2026

WASHINGTON CROSSING COUNCIL

Commissioner Corner

Keep It Fun!

Our Scouts join Scouting to have fun with their friends, and the Scouting program helps them have that fun. Whether it’s a sport, a camping trip, or a new craft, Scouting delivers all kinds of fun and new experiences for Scouts of all ages.

It’s just as important to have fun as adults too. While we’re the ones ultimately responsible for the successful program, in my experience, time in Scouting is more enjoyable when it’s spent doing what our Scouts do – spending time with friends and having fun. If you or your fellow volunteers are burning out, it’s time to do a reset as Scouting gets back into full swing.

Ultimately, the ways to incorporate fun for Scouters differs with each adult groups. Here are a few ways to keep adults engaged:

Have a parent/volunteer social, maybe at a Key 3 member’s home, a local restaurant, or your chartered organization.

When you work with the PLC to plan a campout, make sure there’s time for relaxation, and set the example. Except for safety, you don’t have to be “on” 100% of the time on trips.

Bring a favorite Scout-appropriate board game or card game to an event and use the opportunity to teach Scouts how to play it.

Go to a training course. Yeah, that sounds like not so much fun on the surface, but depending on the course, it’s extremely engaging and a ton of fun. Plus, you’ll learn a thing or two you can apply to Scouting or to life.

Do you do a pack or troop competition, like a Pinewood Derby or a Raingutter Regatta? Consider inviting adults to enter as well and create an adult bracket.

Cater to the needs and interests of your fellow Scouters.

Scouts stay in Scouting because they’re having fun; a parent is more likely to volunteer if they see the other parents having fun while volunteering their time.

As always, your commissioner team is here to help your unit succeed. Please reach out if we can provide any assistance.

Yours in Scouting,

Joe Donahue

Tamanend District Commissioner

District Executive Minute

America 250 Continues!

The celebration of the birth of our nation continues even though the 4th of July is clearly behind us. In response to America’s 250th Anniversary Challenge, Scouting America is promoting a Liberty in Action Patch through February 2027. Scouts, Scouters and family members alike are invited to explore the meaning of community and citizenship, take on creative challenges, and tour significant locations from colonial times. The five core requirements include 1) identifying the founding ideals in today’s life, 2) demonstrating the civic spirit in Scouting, 3) completing an activity connecting 1776 to today, 4) visiting a founding era site (preferably in our community), and 5) participating in a service project inspired by America’s founding. Specific details can be found on our national website at Liberty in Action A250 Challenge.

Washington Crossing Council has decided to facilitate your unit’s ability to achieve this one-of-a-kind patch. This fall, we are sponsoring two local camping events with stations that are designed to meet the Liberty in Action criteria. The Fall Family Camp for Cub Scouts and their families is October 3 to 4 at Lebanon Baptist Camp in Lebanon, NJ. Activities include rope bridges, Scout skills, fire building, Dutch oven cooking, archery, Frontier games and team challenges. Register now on the council website at Frontier Fall Family Camp. The Fall Camporee for Scouts BSA will be held November 13 to 15 at Macclesfield Park in Lower Makefield, PA. It will feature a Revolutionary War Reenactment, Colonial Era Camp Activities, and creating a Scouting time capsule. Registration and more information can be found on the council website at America 250 Camporee.

Don’t miss these great opportunities to complete America’s 250th Anniversary Challenge!

Thanks,

Greg House | Tamanend District Executive

greg.house@scouting.org

C: 267.393.4139

TAM Fundraiser

Bacco Centro

Date: September 15

Time: 4:00 - 8:00 pm

Location: 890 Second Street Pike

Richboro, PA 18954

Take the night off of cooking and support Scouting in the process! Visit Bacco Centro from 4-8 PM tonight and present the adjacent flier or mention that you're there to support Scouting, and a portion of your check will be donated to the Washington Crossing Council. Whether you're grabbing a quick bite for yourself before a Scout meeting or bringing the whole family, this is a great way to support Scouting and grab some delicious food!

Valid for dine in or takeout orders placed directly with the restaurant. Orders placed through third party platforms like GrubHub, DoorDash, or Uber Eats do not qualify

Roundtable Announcement

Scouts BSA Fall Camporee

Cub Scout Campouts

Fall Family Camp Registration!

Camp Skippy Information!

Bee-A-Scout Fun Day Information!

TAM Membership Update

Membership Mixer

Date: September 29

Time: 7:30 - 9:00

Location: (Mercer Area District)

Reserve Your Spot Here

New Member Coordinator

This unit role is key to turning interested families into engaged, long-term Scouts by making sure new parents are welcomed. Units with a strong New Member Coordinator see better retention, smoother onboarding, and stronger family involvement.

BeAScout Reminder

Make Sure Families Can Find You on BeAScout!

Fall recruitment is here, and BeAScout is often a family's first look at your unit! Take a few minutes to review your Unit Pin and make sure your meeting information, fees, contact information, and other details are accurate and up to date. An updated BeAScout pin makes it easier for interested families to find your unit, know what to expect, and take the next step toward joining.

Check Link Here!

Technology Announcement

Updates to Council Websites and Event Registration Platforms!

Over the next two months, our council will be transitioning our websites, online forms and event registration system over to a new product: CouncilWare. After a nine-year relationship with Tentaroo, the vendor has decided to cease operation as of October 31st. We will begin migrating fall event registrations to the new platform. Some events are already live. The goal is to have all October events through the new platform.

Our online giving forms will move to a product from Bonterra called EveryAction provided through the Scouting America national office. This change should occur by September 1st. We are still evaluating alternatives for generic forms which do not require payment processing. The last part of the project will be moving the two websites (www.wccscouting.org and www.ockanickon.org) to hosted WordPress sites. The goal is to launch by October 1st.

What can you do to prepare for the coming change? In CouncilWare, you will want to create a MyCouncil User Login – This User Login will give you access to various features in the system. It will remember your event registrations and other orders you place and will give you access to those registrations so you can make payments, manage changes and other similar items. It will also give you access to Unit and Event DashBoards if you have a specific role. If you were using Tentaroo previously, you used both unit logins and user/family logins – In CouncilWare, each person uses a single login that can make registrations for both units and individuals. There are no “unit logins”

Create your MyCouncil User Login at https://mycouncil.wccscouting.org – click Create Login – Enter your first and last name, your email address, and your password and that’s all there is to it!

Add more functionality to your User Login… After your login has been created, click the Account button in the top blue bar of MyCouncil and update your profile – Add your Scouting Member ID, phone number, address and other personal information. The system will allow you to pull this information into your registrations so you wont have to type them all out each time you register for an event.

Add Saved Registrants for even more convenience… In your profile, you can also add “Saved Registrants”. Are you a parent and have children in Scouting? Add their information as a Saved Registrant and you will be able to pull this information into registrations without having to type all the data out each time.

Unit DashBoards… Currently each unit in the council has been setup with the unit leader (i.e. Cubmaster, Scoutmaster) set as the key leader. We will be adding youth rosters shortly. The key leader will be able to add additional adults to the unit and grant permissions such as “Unit Administrator”, “Registration Manager” and “Membership Manager.” We will cover in more details in a future newsletter.

Questions? Reach out to events@wccscouting.org

PA Clearances

As a reminder, all adult leaders in PA Units must have a current copy of their PA Clearances on file at the Council office. Reports are valid for five years from the date on the report. WCC is required to “suspend” registrations for leaders with expired clearances until a current report is received in order to be in compliance with PA-15.

If you know your clearances are about to expire, you can access the necessary links to renew them at https://www.wccscouting.org/pa-act-15.

Unit Key 3 members should remind new Leaders who are registering through the online portal to submit their clearances prior to registering. If clearances are not received, the new Leaders registration will be suspended until clearances are received.

If you have questions regarding the status of your clearances please contact our Registrar, Anna Marie Pepper.

Important Information

Range & Target Activities

Throughout the year, the Council 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. Fall registration opens September 1.