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Welcome to The Lamplighter, the official newsletter of Scouting America in the W. D. Boyce Council!
This edition of The Lamplighter is being sent to EVERY leader and family in the W. D. Boyce Council
We’d love to add you to the list: Sign up for The Lamplighter now!
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New to Scouting? Click here!
Miss an issue? Read here!
Have a question, idea or something you want to see in a future issue? Please email Charlie Zimmerman, Council Field Director, at charlie.zimmerman@scouting.org
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Why Does Wood Badge Have Its "Reputation"?
Ask a Scouter about the best training experience they’ve ever had - inside Scouting, at work or elsewhere - and many will enthusiastically tell you, “Wood Badge!” You can also identify many Wood Badge alums by the wooden beads they wear around their necks, along with neckerchiefs with a tartan patch. They might even burst into song and tell you about "working their ticket."
Wood Badge has that kind of reputation because it's considered the premier leadership training course within the Scouting movement. It provides a comprehensive learning experience that goes beyond just technical skills, allowing participants to develop personal leadership abilities, build strong connections with other Scouters, and gain a deeper understanding of Scouting values – all while having a fun and immersive experience.
Maybe no other training program has developed that wonderful mix of meaningful learning, fun and camaraderie.
What you also may not know is: Wood Badge is open to ALL registered volunteers. And it’s particularly designed to meet the needs of any volunteer at the unit level - not just the Scoutmaster or Cubmaster. That means every Cub Scout pack and Scouts BSA troop can and should send at least one volunteer to Wood Badge whenever the opportunity presents itself.
That time is now!
Sign up today to attend Wood Badge over two weekend, May 2-4 and May 23-25, at Ingersoll Scout Reservation. You won’t just be glad you did – you’ll wonder why you didn’t do it sooner!
https://www.scoutingevent.com/138-2025WoodBadge
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Plan now to attend the 2025 Council Recognition Dinner
March 15, 2025 - Metamora Fields
Join us as we celebrate recent Scouting accomplishments and recognize the newest recipients of the Silver Beaver award:
Tom Eertmoed
Graham Mullett
Kris Reuter
Roger Stien
To help us mark the 85th anniversary of Cub Scouts, your snazziest blue and gold attire is encouraged as we “put on the glitz” to celebrate in style!
Date: Saturday, March 15, 2025
Time: 6 pm (Doors open at 5:30 pm)
Location:
Metamora Fields Golf Club
801 W Progress St
Metamora, IL 61548
Attire:
From business casual to your best “glitz and glamour” style
Blue and gold encouraged!
Cost:
$45 Thru February 28 ($55 After)
Registration Closes March 6 at Midnight
Adult Volunteers + Spouses/significant others welcome
https://scoutingevent.com/138-2025CouncilDinner
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🥺 Parents: Don't Let Your Scout's Membership Expire!
Many Scouts' Renewals Are Due in March
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Scouting membership is a fixed 12-month term from the anniversary of an individual's first full-year registration (often in February or March) - regardless of when their unit renews. And Scouting families and volunteers can directly renew their memberships online!
Check your renewal status by logging into My.Scouting.org. Click on the “My Application” icon, then select “My Renewals” near the top of the page. If a membership is due to expire within the next 60 days, a “Start Renewal” button will be displayed. Just click the button to begin the process!
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More information about this process is available here:
https://www.scouting.org/renewals
Check with your unit leadership if you have any questions.
| ⛑️ Calling All Troops: Get Ready to Test Your First Aid Skills! | |
4th Annual W. D. Boyce Council First Aid Rally
Saturday, March 1, 2025 - Peoria
Come join us at the OSF Jump Trading Simulation & Education Center in Peoria for a great opportunity to practice your scouting first aid skills in “real life” situations. We are growing our stations to include severed fingers, back country falls, car accidents, allergic reactions and more. We will still have the traditional situations so practice your skills now!
Awards for the top finishers for each time slot including overall champion!
- Troops will be expected to provide their own first aid materials.
- Please plan for damage and staining as this is a messy event.
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Uniforms are not recommended!
REGISTER BEFORE FEBRUARY 24!
https://scoutingevent.com/138-20251stAidRally
| Get Your Scouts' Game On with Game Design Merit Badge | |
The Game Design merit badge is all about creating your own awesome games! Scouts dive into the world of board games, card games, sports, and video games to discover what makes them exciting.
Send your Scouts to Red Racoon Games in Bloomington on March 15 for a day of gaming fun! They get to dream up their own game, setting the rules and goals. It's like being a game inventor! This helps them become creative problem-solvers.
Plus, Scouts get to playtest their games, tweak them, and make them even better. It's all about having fun, working together, and learning that practice makes perfect.
Only 20 Spots are Available - Sign Up Today!
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Make a Difference With Our Amazon Wish List
Easily visualize the difference you'll make for Scouts by sending the W. D. Boyce Council a gift from our Council Wish List! Your generosity provides vital resources to support programs that inspire leadership, adventure, and service in youth across our community. From camping gear to program supplies, every item helps create unforgettable experiences for Scouts.
It’s easy to give and make an impact—check out the list below and share the spirit of giving today!
https://www.amazon.com/registries/gl/guest-view/51PX9JLA1QVN
| ☀️ Spring Growth Doesn't "Just Happen" | |
Sure, you're always open to new members, but spring is an especially good time to PURSUE new members. Spring recruiting helps lay the groundwork for new dens and growing patrols, identify potential new adult leaders, and lets Scouts begin the summer with new friends!
Plus, our spring and summer activities are some of the BEST recruiting tools prospective Scouts can imagine! Camporees, Cub Day Camp, Cub Resident Camp, Scouts BSA Summer Camp – these highlight some of the best things Scouting has to offer. And chances are, you’re already planning your unit’s summer activities. This is the PERFECT time to be telling prospective Scouts and their parents about the cool and valuable experiences that are right around the corner!
Our Spring Recruiting guides are available at https://wdboyce.org/recruiting-resources/. You’ll find new ideas, tips for making spring recruiting different than the “same-old-same-old,” webinars, social media tips and more.
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Round up your troop and get ready for an unforgettable Wild West adventure at the 2025 Heartland-Wotamalo Spring Camporee! Scouts from both districts will gather for a weekend packed with thrilling challenges, exciting competitions, and classic Scouting fun.
Test your skills with cowboy-themed activities. Enjoy a lively campfire program and plenty of opportunities to show your Scout spirit!
Dust off your boots, grab your hat, and join us for a weekend of adventure and camaraderie on the frontier!
April 11 - 13, 2025
Ingersoll Scout Reservation
Saddle Up and Register Your Unit Today!
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Put on Your Chef's Hat and Get Ready For
The 2025 Cro-Lo Spring Cook O Ree!
April 11 - 13
Comlara Park - Hudson, IL
Open to All Crossroads / Lowaneu District Troops
Meal Competitions: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
(Adult only Grilled Cheese competiton during lunch)
Station Competitions: Flapjack Relay, Cooking Gadgets, Meal Plan Quality, First Aid Relay, Large Cookie / Cake Decorating, Spice / Herb Identification, Fire an Egg
Demonstrations and Other Fun: Cooking Demo from a Local Chef, Backpacking Kitchen Displays, How to Eat on the Appalachian Train & Eating Trails from Philmont, Smoker Demo, Swedish Rocket Stove
More Info and Registration Here!
| Let's Talk about Why Camp Is So Important For Kids: | |
Camp is fun, right? Kids get to play, hang out, explore and just plain be kids. But with so many activities and opportunities competing for your time, attention and funds, it might be easy to write off camp as a “nice to have” or a luxury that just doesn’t fit into your family’s plans this summer.
Scout leaders and parents who’ve been to camp have a good sense of what kids can bring back from camp. But sometimes we don't do a great job really conveying how and why camp can be so impactful.
The American Camp Association has a great article on the benefits of camp. Not only can a camp experience be worth it – it can be life-changing!
READ: The Benefits of Camp
Financial Assistance is Available for All W. D. Boyce Council Camps
Click Here to Learn More
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Cub Scout Summer Camps are sure to be the highlight of your Scout’s summer. Join us for unforgettable adventures including archery, BB guns, games, Scout skills, crafts, and more!
Find a day camp near you for your Cub Scout to experience the Invention Convention! Cub Scout packs should register as a unit, and packs should provide a minimum of 1 adult walker with a ratio of 1 adult walker per 8 Cub Scouts. (“Adult walkers” walk their group from station to station and assist the Scouts throughout the day. It's fun way to be a part of the camp experience!)
AND be sure to check out Cub Scout Resident Camp, our overnight camping option at Ingersoll Scout Reservation! This 4-day, 3-night camp is the perfect opportunity for Cub Scouts to work on their next rank’s adventure loops, explore the outdoors, and experience all that ISR has to offer! Activities include archery, BB-guns, slingshots, ecology and conservation, Scoutcraft, fishing, boating on Lake Roberts, pool time, climbing, den level time, campfires and themed camp activities!
Units are also encouraged to register for Cub Resident Camp as a pack. All packs must provide at least 2 adult leaders with a ratio of 1 adult leader for every 4 scouts. Tiger Scouts (those entering 1st grade in 2024) must have an parent partner
register and attend with them. Parents of Cub Scouts may also attend with their Scout as long as the pack leadership meets the outlined criteria outlined.
Click here for details on Cub Scout Summer Camp Fun!
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Scouts BSA Summer Camp at Ingersoll Scout Reservation is also bound to be a hit with every Scout! This summer will be an exciting time at ISR as we gear up to provide new and exciting opportunities for our Scouts BSA troops. Which raises the question:
Where are YOU Camping This Summer??
Check out the video below to see why "ISR, of course" should be your answer and click here to learn more!
| Help Deliver Thrilling Activities as a Rangemaster! | |
Becoming a Rangemaster means YOU can help provide some of the most popular experiences Scouting has to offer! Just $15 – or no charge if you’re volunteering at Cub Day Camp this summer! We'd love to have you "take your best shot" and join us on the range, March 16, 9 am – 2 pm, at Ingersoll Scout Reservation
https://www.scoutingevent.com/138-2025RangemasterCourse
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Scouts Need to Apply for National Youth Leadership Training Now
Because Our Best Scouts Deserve To Become Better Leaders!
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National Youth Leadership Training (NYLT) is an exciting, action-packed program designed to provide youth members of Scouting America with the leadership skills and experience they can use in their home units and in any other situations that require leadership of self or leadership of others.
The aims of NYLT are to give each Scout participant a basic knowledge of various leadership skills while helping them relate these skills to their own troop/crew responsibilities; to give them the confidence and knowledge necessary to run their unit’s program; to provide an opportunity to share ideas and experiences with Scouts from other units; and of course, to have FUN.
This year's NYLT experience takes place July 27 - August 1 at Ingersoll Scout Reservation.
Youth must be 13 or over and APPLY NO LATER THAN MARCH 20 to be considered for this year's NYLT program.
Learn More and Have Scouts Apply Here!
https://wdboyce.org/nylt/
| Rev Your Engines for the Pinewood Derby! | |
The Pinewood Derby is one of the most storied traditions in Scouting. Cub Scouts build wooden cars with their families and race them down a gravity-driven track. It promotes character development through sportsmanship. Cub Scouts also are encouraged to be creative, take pride in their work, and learn STEM principles including mechanics, physics, and engineering.
All Cub Scouts can race in their district Pinewood Derby, where Cub Scouts from many packs come together to race for top spots. Some packs may also have their own derbies ahead of time, allowing Cub Scouts to try out their designs and race with their friends before the district event.
Official Pinewood Derby car kits are available at the Scout Shops located in Peoria and Bloomington, and also online.
Learn more and register your Cub Scout
for your district's Pinewood Derby today!
https://wdboyce.org/pwd/
| Who’s Ready for Some Outdoor Adventure? | |
We’ve got some valuable (and fun!) training for adult leaders on tap to help you get up to speed, and both will be offered at the same time, in the same place - our own Ingersoll Scout Reservation!
Basic Adult Leadership Outdoor Orientation (BALOO)
This one-and-a-half-day course is designed as an introduction to the Cub Scout outdoor program for leaders interested in adding a camping component to their Pack activities. BALOO training consists of an online pre-requisite component and an overnight, hands-on practical experience. BSA’s Cub Scout camping policies will be taught, along with the discovery of the necessary tools to help units carry out a successful camping experience. Completing this course is mandatory for at least one adult on any pack overnighter.
Intro to Outdoor Leadership Skills (IOLS)
Working as patrols, this hands-on course provides adult leaders the practical outdoor skills they need to lead Scouts in the out-of-doors. Upon completion, leaders should feel comfortable teaching Scouts the basic skills required to obtain the First Class rank. Along with Scoutmaster Specifics, this course is required of all direct contact leaders registered in Scouts BSA troops to be considered Trained.
Both of these courses will be offered on one great weekend:
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March 22-23, 2025, Ingersoll Scout Reservation – Register
| Unit Leaders: Recording Activities in Scoutbook Plus and Scoutbook | |
It's important to keep track of what your unit does throughout the year (and who did what!) both for completing your unit's Journey to Excellence scorecard and simply to appreciate just how much your unit really does! But keeping track can be a challenge if you try to do it on your own.
Thankfully, tracking the progress of unit members in the following activities is made fun and simple with the Activities module in Scutbook Plus and Scoutbook. Additionally, it allows the council to roll up data to produce reports showing just how much Scouts in Central Illinois DO!
This includes:
- Service Projects – Hours
- Campouts – Days, Nights, Frost Points
- Hikes – Miles, Elevation Change
How does Scoutbook Plus affect the process? You now record all activities in Scoutbook Plus. All Scoutbook camping, hiking, and camping logs have been moved to the new system. In Scoutbook, when you click on a Scout’s activity log, you will now be directed to Scoutbook Plus to enter activities.
You can also go directly to Scutbook Plus directly to enter activities.
Scoutbook users will record all future activities in the new system.
Check out the 3-minute video here:
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Virtual Religious Relationships Week
The Scouting America National Religious Relationships Committee presents the 2025 Virtual Religious Relationships Week (aka “Virtual Interfaith Week”). More than 40 classes and sessions are available to faith leaders, chartered organizations, volunteers, parents, and interested professionals.
Course Catalog
Registration Link (To ensure enough Zoom seats!)
Two sessions may be of particular interest:
Working with the National Service Center and Membership Growth, a specific breakout on the New Units Sales Kit applied to faith-based institutions is open on February 25th at 6pm. Following at 8:00pm is a presentation on thearda.com, a national survey and repository for religious data, and their free tools to aid in membership development.
| Local Scout Sunday Patches Available | |
Did your Scouts participate in Scout Sunday observances? This locally-exclusive patch, conceived of by late, longtime local Scouter Cliff Smith, is available for purchase from the Peoria Scout Service Center and may be ordered online here for $3 each:
Supplies are Limited - Order Here Now!
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Thanks for reading and for your support of Scouting!
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