Heron News FlashVolume 5, Issue 5May, 2009

UPCOMING EVENTS5/14 Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Venturing

Roundtables & Varsity Huddle

5/14 OA Chapter Meeting

5/14 Merit Badge Clinic—Family Life

5/15-17 OA Ordeal—Pigott

5/15-17 Spring Camporee

5/16 OA Brotherhood Ceremony—Pigott

5/21 Commissioners’ Meeting

5/23 Venturing Leader Specific Training

5/25 Council Service Center and Scout Shop Closed

5/28 48th Annual Eagle Recognition Banquet

6/4 District Committee Meeting6/5 Scout Night with Mariners

6/5-7 OA Ordeal—Parsons

6/6 OA Brotherhood Ceremony—Parsons

6/6 Soccer and Scouting Spring Tournament

6/11 Cub Scouts & Boy Scouts Roundtables

6/11 Venturing & Varsity Chili Cook-Off

6/11 OA Chapter Meeting

6/11 Merit Badge Clinic—Personal Fitness

6/13 Merit Badge Clinic—Communications

6/18 Commissioners’ Meeting

6/19-20 OA Fellowship—Pigott

6/20 OA Brotherhood Ceremony—Pigott

6/26-27 11 Year Old Camp—Parson

6/28-7/3

NYLT

6/30 Popcorn Early Bird Sign-Up Deadline

7/3 Council Service Center Closed

7/3-4 11 Year Old Camp—Brinkley

7/4 Scout Shop Closed

7/13-16 Cub Day Camp—Twilight Session

7/14-17 Cub Day Camp—Day Session

7/15-17 Emergency Service Training

7/19-25 Catholic Boy Scout Week—Pigott7/21 Council Golf Tournament &

Auction

8/20-23 WashJam 2009

8/23-28 Master LNT Educator Course

8/27 Council Coordinated Meeting

8/29 Popcorn Kick-Off

The Chair’s MinuteHopefully the snow season has abated and we can focus on spring (or maybe not, I woke up to snow this morning and the school calendar reads “Spring Break.”). It is that time of the year when the boys can get outside to run, hike, throw stuff (hopefully at a target), and camp. One of the unique features of the Boy Scout program is our focus on the great outdoors. We are fortunate to live in a spectacular part of the coun-try. Hiking trails and camping areas are abundant. You can drive 5 miles, 50 miles, or 100 miles and find amaz-ing country. Boy Scouts encourages units to take advantage of the hiking trails and camping opportunities in our area. Hiking opportunities are plentiful from the Redmond Water-shed hiking trails to trails in the Rain-ier National Park to the Mt. Baker National Forest. Camping can be as simple as Tolt MacDonald Park or Barclay Lake or the Pacific Crest Trail.

For hiking check out www.trails.comor a hiking book at your local library. There are numerous hikes available with various degrees of difficultly. It is a great way to get the boys out see-ing the area we live in, and using some of their skills that they have been working on. Unsure of where to go for a new camping adventure? See http://www.parks.wa.gov/parks/. This is a map of the state parks and camping areas.

Our youth join Boy Scouts to learn and practice what they learn. We have an amazing program that teaches basic positive values, life skills, leadership, and provides an opportunity to get outdoors. Take advantage!

District Commissioners’ Meeting This Month

Next meeting is: Thursday, May 21st, 7:00 p.m. and June’s meeting will be June 18th. Meetings are held

Our New Eagle ScoutsWhat's It Worth

The Eagle Badge. The highest rank a Scout can earn. What is it worth? Well, in dollars and cents it is worth about $7.50. Probably two and a half dollars in silver, twenty five cents worth of ribbon, and the rest of it in manufacturing and handling costs. But, what is it really worth to you?

Think back to the time when you first became a Scout. Remember the Scout skills that you learned for each rank? And the re-dedication to the Scout Oath and Law each time you ad-vanced. Think of the service that you have given to your troop and to other people. Is your Eagle badge worth seven fifty? Of course not! Your Eagle badge is priceless. It represents every-thing that you have learned, every-thing that you have done, to be pre-pared, to help others, and to help your-self. So now you stand on the peak of the mountain. An Eagle Scout, now look ahead, look sharp. Way out there in the mist is another mountain, and there below is the trail to your future. It may be a long trail, or a short one, but it leads to that mountain far away. As you walk down the trail, and as the years roll by, and finally reach the end, we all hope that you can look back on the trail of life and be able and proud to say, "I have done my best."

Congratulations to our newest Eagle Scouts:

Evan Clarke ColeJustin David LeeRyan YoungersChristopher LaneTom Bawel

at Lake Washington United Methodist Church, 7525 132nd Ave NE, Kirkland. Please come as we are gathering topics for next year’s meeting. Our June meeting will be more a picnic celebra-tion.

Volume 5, Issue 5 Page 2

New Medical FormNational Scout office has instituted a new annual health and medical form, which will be mandatory beginning January 1, 2010. Until that time, you may use the current Class 1, 2 and 3 forms for your camping activities, which is available on Council website, seattlebsa.org, under Camping Forms. For more information about the new form, click http://www.scouting.org/HealthandSafety/Resources/MedicalFormFAQs.aspx

A major change is that there is no age difference anymore as to which form to use. A health history is still suffi-cient for typical activities lasting less than 72 hours (Parts A and C of the new form—similar to the old Class 1 form). For activities lasting longer than 72 hours, a medical evaluation by a health-care provider is now required annually (Part B). For high-adventure activities for which medical care may be delayed, restrictions based on stan-dardized height/weight ratios are now mandatory.

2009 Wood Badge TrainingScout Training for Real Life

Fall Course: September 11-13 and 25-27 (Friday-Sunday)

Course Director: Bruce Anderson, 206.842.8416 or brucea@cutler-anderson.com

Wood Badge is a leader-ship course designed for all adult Scouters who have finished their basic level of training. Partici-pants take part in presentations, dis-cussion, and activities that explore a wide range of leadership philoso-phies and tools, as well as personal and team development. Participants learn to apply appropriate leadership strategies to enable them to reach their highest level of performance.

For further information contact the course director.

Camp Staff OpportunitiesIf you’d like to experience the energy and excitement of camp working as camp staff, we'd like to hear from you! For further infor-mation, visit the Coun-cil website, www.seattlebsa.org and select Camp Staff Opportunities under the Coun-cil Camping tab.

Fall 2009 Popcorn SignupsPay for your whole year of Scouting with just one fundraiser: POPCORN!The 2009 pack, troop, team, crew, and post popcorn fundraiser will be taking place in the fall, but now is the time to sign up to sell. Brand new this year, Scouting groups can earn commissions up to 40% of all popcorn sales!! Not to mention the many great prizes, Scholarship program, and a $1,500 Club party! In 2008, commissions of $493,901 were paid to Chief Seattle Council units to fund their adven-tures.

If you would like to learn more about the popcorn fundraiser, talk with your District Kernel at your May Roundtable, or visit the popcorn webpage. Be sure to sign up to par-ticipate in the popcorn sale before June 30th to earn the 5% Early Bird bonus commission. Go to the council website to sign up now! Sammamish Trails Popcorn website is:http://groups.google.com/group/sammamishtrailspopcornIf you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Ross Comer, Sammamish Trails District Popcorn Kernel, rossc@microsoft.com.

2009 Friends of ScoutingA big THANK YOU to everyone who participated in this year’s Friends of Scouting campaign! The district is nearing its goals and couldn’t have done it without all the help from our presenters and those who did follow-up with families. Most units are ei-ther at or far ahead of their goal. To date, we have raised $95,576 of our overall goal of $160,000. If you have additional gifts, please continue to collect and mail them in, and don’t forget those Microsoft volunteer hours! We receive $17 for every hour that Microsoft employees volunteer and report to their company. Instruc-tions are available at http://www.seattlebsa.org/microsoftmatch.htm. Thanks again for all of your effort and support!

Preserve America’s WaterwaysIn honor of the 100th Anniversary of Scouting a national initiative has been adopted called Preserve Amer-ica's Waterways. There are a number of projects in Washington State that need Scout participation!Please visit www.pawaterways.organd select "find a project". Once you select WA many projects will be listed that need immediate help. You are encouraged to forward this email to others who you feel could initiate some excitement and support of this initiative. Our partners have worked very hard to offer these projects and now we need Scout involvement.

All participation is appreciated!

2009 Vigil Honor ClassThe Vigil Honor is a high mark of distinction and recognition reserved for those Order of the Arrow mem-bers who, by reason of exceptional service, personal effort, and unselfish interest, have made distinguished contributions beyond the immediate responsibilities of their position or office to one or more of the following: T'Kope Kwiskwis Lodge, the Order of the Arrow, Scout-ing, or our Council's Camps.

Please congratulate Jordan Thompson from our district for accomplishing this feat.

He will be recognized at the June or-deal.

Volume 5, Issue 5 Page 3

WashJam 2009Save the dates: Aug 20-23, '09 for the

Scouting Event of the Year.Co-sponsored by the Chief Seattle Council and Pacific Harbors Council, WashJam will attract

youth and leaders from all over the Puget Sound region and features en-tertaining activities and unforgettable shows for Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts, and Venturers.

Scouts and Leaders will set up camp on the grounds of Fort Lewis and cooking will be done by patrols in traditional jamboree style. Nearly 4,000 attended the first event of this kind in 2004 and we anticipate even more participants this time around. The WashJam 2009 theme, "Celebrate the Adventure," coincides with the theme of the BSA centennial, and this event will kick off more than a year of special events celebrating this his-torical milestone.

Here's a sampling of the program planned for WashJam 2009:

Cub Scouts: Huge Cub World with all sorts of activities, plus outdoor adventures, archery, BB guns

Boy Scouts: Cooking, games and challenges, low COPE and climbing wall, obstacle course, conservation, Scoutcraft, shooting sports, and much more

Rendezvous Camp: Mountain Man demonstrations and challenges, arch-ery, tomahawks, shooting, Mountain Man run, and more

Venturing: Wide variety of Ventur-ing activities, including geocache, fly fishing, and shooting sports

Shows: Friday night entertainment show and Saturday night Scouting centennial and fireworks

LDS Participation: The following statement by Elder Perrin Walker, Area Authority Seventy, provides direction for LDS units attending WashJam: "Approval has been re-ceived for participation by LDS Scout Units in WASHJAM 2009, with ac-tivities planned for Sunday in keep-

ing with the spirit of the Sabbath. To minimize travel on Sunday, LDS units will break camp after breakfast on Monday, unless otherwise di-rected by their Stake President."

Advance registration is now avail-able. By registering early, you get:

Campsite selection options Preferred seating at shows Special edition WashJam partici-pant patch And more!

For more information, reg-istration links, and the WashJam mailing list, go to www.washjam.org.

Spring into ScoutingPacks and troops, if you want to visit schools to recruit this spring, or if you just want to leave materials at schools to promote your unit, please send in your flyer, sticker, poster, and yard sign requests to Miranda motjen@seattlebsa.org, and also let me know if you need help with recruit-ing. It’s all free and a few new mem-bers can really benefit your program this spring and summer. Now is a great time to get families in Scouting!Miranda OtjenSammamish Trails Senior District Ex-ecutiveChief Seattle Council, BSA(206)902-2310http://members.doubleknot.com/Sammamish_Trails_District/index.htm

Dutch Oven CookingThe Dutch Oven Cooking Experience is on track to return in June 2010. If you would like to help staff this event, please contact Jeff Gettmann, jg_scouting@hotmail.com. We plan on having our first staff meeting in the next 4-6 weeks.

Scouting Hall of FameThe 100th Anniversary National Hall of Leadership is a one-time opportu-nity to recognize extraordinary indi-viduals for the differences they make though their leadership. It is a simple but high-impact program that dem-onstrates how leadership changes lives.

Nominees must be living Scouts, Scouters, or volunteers who have served in that role for at least one year. There are no age requirements, and adult nominees do not need to be currently registered with the BSA. All adult nominees must have served or be currently serving as a Scouting volunteer. All youth nominees must be registered members of the BSA.

From Feb. 8, 2009—our 99th anniver-sary—and continuing through Aug. 31, 2009, people will submit nomina-tions through the 100th Anniversary Web site: www.scouting.org/100years.

A total of 305 honored individuals—one national and one for each coun-cil—will be inducted into the 100th Anniversary National Hall of Leader-ship. Inductees will be given national recognition to commemorate their leadership and dedication to living out Scouting virtues in service to oth-ers.

Good Turn for America 2009Did your unit participate in a service

project last month? Did you record your service hours for Good Turn for America? If your unit’s hours have not been re-

corded, it is not too late! Please contact Activities Chair Bill Archer at billand-janeen@comcast.net. Bill will guide you through the process to get your unit’s hours recorded.

Mariners’ Scout NightFriday June 5th is Scout Night at Safco Field. The Mariners will be playing the Minnesota Twins at 7:00 PM. Special tickets prices are available for Scouts and their family and guests. Dead-line to order is June 3rd.

For more info, visit: www.mariners.com/boyscouts or look at the PDF brochure on the Council website..

Volume 5, Issue 5 Page 4

Camping ResourcesCheck out the Camping resources page on the Sammamish Trails Web-site. This is a wonderful opportunity for your scouts (and adults) to get relevant information for planning upcoming outings/camping trips/backpacking/50 Milers/canoe trips! But we need each unit to share some of it's outings by submitting them. Please ask your Outing Chair to check it out and add your pack’s, troop's, team’s or crew’s camping and hiking adventures.

It's very simple: Go to the Sammam-ish Trails website http://members.doubleknot.com/Sammamish_Trails_District/Click on CampingClick on ResourcesClick on Form submitting

Mike Gilluly, Sammamish Trails District Camping Chair

for "This is Scouting" is on-line, a DVD . No. 36118, will be available soon for areas where internet access is limited or where group presenta-tion is desired.

All Scouters are encouraged to create a MyScouting account and access this training through the MyScouting portal. Credit for this training will be recorded on the BSA registration sys-tem for each individual completing the module.

Fall NiteHikeFoothills District is gearing up to con-duct its second-annual NiteHike event Sept 18th-19th, 2009. Our

theme for this year's event is "Scout vs. Wild" and will feature challenges based on emergency prepared-ness, wilderness sur-

vival, and "Be Prepared."

The Nite Hike will start at dusk (9 pm) on Friday, Sept 18th and con-clude around 8:00 am on Saturday, Sept 19th. We will again be hosted by Pack Forest, a University of Washing-ton facility near Eatonville, WA.

At the NiteHike, Scouts will register as patrols and hike out at dusk into the 4,000 acre forest, navigating by map and compass to stations run by troops and crews, where they'll be confronted with team challenges that they'll have to tackle before navigat-ing to find the next station. The goal is to reach every station before dawn the next morning. Patrols are not re-quired to hike all night and can check out at any point, but there will be recognition for the highest scoring Webelos den, Scout Patrol, and Ven-turing Crew/Varsity Team, as well as the most popular station.

The Nite Hike is open to 2nd year Webelos, Scouts, Venturers, and Var-sity Teams-- cost to participate is $10 per Scout, with pre-registration strongly encouraged (no charge for adults or Scouts running stations). Registration is limited to the first 300 Scouts to sign up, with preference given to units that run a station, so don't delay in signing up.

For more info, go to our website: www.foothillsnitehike.org.

This is Scouting"This is Scouting" was recently added to the BSA's on-line Learning Center. This new training module replaces New Leader Essentials as a required course for Cub Scout, Boy Scout, and Venturing volunteers to earn the "Trained" leader emblem.

While the primary delivery method

Sammamish Trails District 2008 Award Recipients

District award recipients were an-nounced at the April 30 Volunteer Recognition Dinner. The Dinner this year broke attendance records with well over 230 persons attending. Bruce Salmon and his volunteers pro-vided a hearty boxed dinner, thanks to kitchen staff of Jodi Richey, Lisa Sharp, their mothers and other family members and volunteers. In addi-tion, Jordan Thomas and other Scout volunteers helped set up the room, serve and clean up dinner, and pro-vided Color Guard services. Master of Ceremonies David Wylie repeated his successful performance from last year, and kept the presentations

timely and moving along.

The focus of the evening was recogniz-ing District award recipients. The fol-lowing awards were presented:

District Award of Merit: The highest recognition that is given by the District to a registered Scouter for long-time excellence in service to youth. Tim Leavitt (Cub Scout Roundtable Coordi-nator), Pack 595; Wes Witt (District Camporee Chair) Troop 423’ and Mike Gilluly (Camping Committee Chair), Troop 550, were awarded this honor.

Blue Heron: Presented to Scouters who have done a particularly out-standing job serving District programs in the past year. Dale Rae (District Webmaster) Troop 570, Ross Comer(Popcorn Kernal and Rocket Launch Coordinator) Pack 546, Paige Norman(Publicity Coordinator, Daycamp Reg-istrar, and Redmond Derby Days pa-rade coordinator), Pack 557; Mike Buchman, Roundtable Coordinator, Troop 615; Ken Ogami (Merit Badge Weekend Instructor), Troop 577 were recipients.

Family of the Year: This award is pre-sented to the family that best exempli-fied the idea of Scouting as a program for the entire family. This year’s re-cipient is the Heaton Family: Nick, Cassie, Alyssa and Elliott, all active in Scout programs.

Scoutmaster of the Year: Presented to the Scoutmaster who reflects the best in Scouting. For the first time, this award was presented to two out-standing Scoutmasters: David Wylie, Troop 550 and Chris Garton, Troop 565.

Boy Scout Leader of the Year: Pre-sented to any registered adult volun-teer who has provided outstanding service and leadership to the unit. Mark Modawell, Troop 577, was pre-sented with this award.

Cubmaster of the Year: Presented to the Cub Master who reflects the best in Scouting. Tom Ward, Pack 556, was recognized.

Cub Scout Leader of the Year: Pre-sented to any registered adult volun-

Who is Your Unit Commissioner?

Need some help with a membership drive for your pack or your troop? Need some guidance on how to ap-proach your Chartered Organization representative with a request? Need to ask about training opportunities within the district? Your unit commis-sioner plays several roles, including friend, representative, unit "doctor," teacher, and counselor. Your unit commissioner is there to help you and your unit. For a complete list of cur-rent commissioners check out the Sam-mamish Trails website at http://members.doubleknot.com/Sammamish_Trails_District/ and se-lect “Commissioners” on the left side.

teer who has provided outstanding service and leadership to the unit. Frankie Casto, Pack 556, was pre-sented with this recognition.

District Committee Key Recipients: Recognizing 3 years of service on the District Committee, the following Scouters were recognized: Bruce Salmon, George Christ, Mike Gilluly, Alice Stenstrom, Wes Witt, Lisa Wylie, and Rachelle Fox.

Spark Plug Recipients: Each year, every unit in the District is invited to nominate an adult volunteer to re-ceive the Spark Plug award. This person provided an extra level of service to the Unit. Thanks to the following recipients who took an ex-tra effort to ensure Unit success.

RecipientTeam 500 Paul LovellTeam 533 Darren Gremmert-Team 612 David Forstrom-Team 630 Russ Christense

Crew 500 David GeeCrew 533 Scott Brimley

HanksCrew 612 Damon Barry

Troop 423 Susan WardTroop 500 Lance OlsonTroop 509 Tori BezzantTroop 533 Matt HamiltonTroop 535 Pat AndrusTroop 550 Kim WilcoxTroop 565 Bill ArcherTroop 570 Sherry DietzTroop 575 Alecia BridgwaterTroop 577 Mark WilliamsTroop 579 Bill EvansTroop 591 Will HerlanTroop 596 Lee DonnahooTroop 612 Ed BarnettTroop 615 Robert Fields

Pack 428 Susan MathewsPack 500 Elissa CruzPack 533 SiSi JuarezPack 535 Mike SmithPack 546 Lianne DillonPack 550 Steve RollerPack 556 Frankie CastoPack 557 Nancy HanPack 558 Nancy JonesPack 561 Paul GeorgePack 566 Michael Aarnieo

Volume 5, Issue 5 Page 5

Pack 567 Laurie LanePack 591 Carrie CasanasPack 596 Jeff MarksPack 597 Molly NovakPack 612 Kristalyn PetersonPack 613 Kaylene Thaler

Off Season Camping Opportunities

Did you know that you can use the Chief Seattle Council camps other times besides the council camps? Whether you are part of a religious, school, or Scouting group pleased consider using us for your next con-ference or campout. Reservations for camp usage are made with each indi-vidual camp.

The steps to take for camp rental are:1. Choose your date and call the se-

lected camp to confirm availability. (See the camp list below.)

2. Complete the BSA Rental Form and the Camp Rental Application. Submit the completed forms and payment to the selected Camp (see Camp Contacts).

The camp information are:Camp Brinkley

25600-B Monroe Log Camp RdSnohomish, WA 98290Phone: 360-568-6295

Fax: 360-568-5044E-mail: campingdept@seattlebsa.org

Camp Parsons970 Bee Mill RdBrinnon, WA 98320Phone: 360-796-4427Fax: 360-796-2039E-mail: campingdept@seattlebsa.org

Camp Pigott25600-A Monroe Log Camp RdSnohomish, WA 98290Phone: 360-568-2065Fax: 360-568-7326

E-mail: campingdept@seattlebsa.org

Camp Sheppard65301 SR 410 EEnumclaw, WA 98022Phone: 360-663-2223Fax: 360-663-2341E-mail: campingdept@seattlebsa.org

Leave No Trace Master Educator Course

When: August 23-28thWhere: Camp Sheppard/Mt. Rainier National ParkContact Info: Ray Sayah

Email: raysayah@gmail.com This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it URL: http://www.campsheppard.org

Leave No Trace Master Educator Courses are the highest level of Leave No Trace training offered. These courses are offered through The Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics, which administers Leave No Trace on an international level.

Students who successfully graduate a Master Educator course will receive a diploma and will be qualified to offer and teach two-day Leave No Trace Trainer and week-long Master Educa-tor Courses.

The Master educator course is an ex-tensive, six-day field course designed to train educators and others ways to practice and teach Leave No Trace skills and ethics. The Master Course provides participants with a compre-hensive overview of Leave No Trace techniques through practical applica-tion in a field setting.

This August, at Camp Sheppard, the Chief Seattle Council will host a Mas-

Volume 5, Issue 5 Page 6

This Course will include several days of coursework at Camp Sheppard fol-lowed by several days of field work focused on Mountaineering within Mount Rainier National Park. The Course will be held from August 23rd-28th, 2009. The price is $250.00. Use

ter Educator Course. The Course ca-pacity is only ten people and registra-tion will be limited. Candidates for the Master Educator Course should be outdoorsmen and women with a background in Leave No Trace and training.

VARSITY, VENTURING AND

OLDER SCOUTS NEWS

the registration form posted at www.campsheppard.org to sign up by June 1st!

For more information, email Course Coordinator Ray Sayah at ray-sayah@gmail.com.

WHY?The Boy Scouts of American have been offering this program for about a hundred years. Things have been learned that will help you. Your pro-gram will be better for the boys, and better and easier for you, if you take advantage of things learned over the decades. Go the training and find out how the program works best – not just what you have seen, or you re-member from your Scouting days.

Talapus Tillicum Chapter News

May 2009Fun, Accomplishments, Ser-

vice and Ordeals!

Fun -- Section Conclave -- April 24-26, Pigott. A goodly number of our TAT Arrowmen, including all our 4 new members who went through their Ordeals a few weeks ago, en-joyed a great Conclave at Pigott last month. Lots of fun and games, strong ceremonies flavor, wonderful food, fellowship, tolerable spring weather for camping, a modicum of training, …., plenty of things to enjoy!

Accomplishments – at all levelsNew Arrowmen. We’re pleased to welcome 4 new Arrowmen, 3 youth and 1 adult as follows:Benjamin Moynihan, Chad Tho-mas Troop 550Quinton Lum Troop 570Steve Lum (adult) Troop 570We’re also especially pleased that Steve’s going to be helping us with our TAT advisor tasks.

ORDER OF THE ARROW

EVERYONEProgram and Training Conference: October 17 (for ALL Scouting adults –you can get basic training here, or doz-ens of other sessions that will help you and be fun)Wood Badge is offered twice in 2010. The course takes six days over two weekends, and you go to one course or the other for all six days. Both courses in 2010 will be at Camp Parsons.Spring: April 3-May 2 and May 14-16Fall: Sept. 16-18 and Oct. 7-9

Brotherhood. Pleased to say that 4 of our Arrowmen took the opportu-nity at Conclave to step up to their Brotherhood challenge, renewing their commitment to the Order and to Scouting -- great!Vigil. We’re also delighted to an-nounce that Jordan Thomas, our immediate past Chapter Chief (2006-2008) has been selected by his peers to the 2008/2009 Vigil Honor class. Vigil is the highest level of OAmembership, in recognition of his “above and beyond service” to the Order and to Scouting. Congratula-tions, Jordan, and ….. enjoy your upcoming Vigil experience!

Service -- Camporee Staffing. TAT Arrowmen will be running the camp-fire at Conclave, a service opportu-nity we greatly enjoy. There’ll be a great program, plus…. a special opening we’re sure the participants will appreciate. PS Almost forgot to add that several of our youth Arrow-men did a fabulous job of waiter ser-

TRAININGC UB S COUT LEADERS

BALOO: October 31, ending by 3:00 so you can go trick-or-treating if you want. Cub Scout Leader Specific: Septem-ber 22

B OY S COUT LEADERS

Scoutmaster Specific (and assistant Scoutmasters): November 14Scoutmaster Specific (and assistant Scoutmasters): April 17

vice (excellently orches-trated by Jordan) at the District Recognition Dinner on April 30 – another enjoy-able task (free food helps, too, of course!).

Ordeals. There are 3 Ordeals left, two of which are in the next month (see below). The first (Pigott) clashes with Camporee (as always), but any of your candidates who are not going to Cam-poree might be well advised to take this opportunity to get their Ordeal out of the way (we had 3 or 4 do this last year). The June Ordeal (Parsons)is the last one before summer camp and the fall, so would be good to utilize to avoid “can’t get there in September” issues getting in the way.

May 15-17 PigottJune 5-7 Parsons(NOTE: Hood Canal Bridge closed, need to drive around)Sept 18-20 Parsons

Yours in service,DaveDave Prior, Talapus Tillicum Chapter Adviser, T’Kope Kwiskwis Lodge, Or-

Youth Powder HornVenture Crews: Youth Powder Horn Opportunity July 6-11!! This sum-mer, in Marin Council's Camp Tamarancho, located just north of the San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge, two crews in this pilot course (normally twelve participants) will

be comprised entirely of youth. These crews will function just like the adult crews and have the same experi-ences. Go to the Council webpage, follow the links to the Venturing

Training page. You will find more de-tails on the training, an application and instruc-tions on where to turn in your application.

Volume 5, Issue 5 Page 7

VARSITY, VENTURING AND

OLDER SCOUTS NEWS

High Adventure Summer CampAt Camp Sheppard High Adventure Base adventurers have the choice between two exciting programs. The

Basic Mountaineering Seminars include 2 days of skills instruc-tion and 4 days climb-ing the 3rd highest peak in Washington state, Mt. Little Tahoma. Ex-pect spectacular views, hands-on learning, and

challenging experiences. The Discov-ery Treks will introduce younger youth to High Adventure. These out-ings include Leave No Trace camping and cooking, orienteering instruction, cross country hiking, exploration and team building. Don't miss out on these mountaintop experiences. For more information see the Camp Sheppard High Adventure Base Page.

At Camp Parsons High Adventure Base treks will challenge young adults who are looking for an ex-cellent outdoor experience. Canoe Trek: Youth will canoe along the shores of the Hood Canal, viewing unmatched scenery and wildlife while meeting the challenges of navi-gation and planning. Hiking Trek: This expedition will provide breath-taking vistas and daunting chal-lenges, creating memories that will last a lifetime. For more information and a registration form see the Camp Parsons High Adventure Base Bro-chure. Camp Parsons High Adven-ture Registration Form.

Upcoming Venturing ActivitiesThe Council Venturing Committee has been busy planning activities for the Venturers and Sea Scouts. Here is a heads up on what is being planned:

May 14—Information Fair Venturing Roundtable—Sammamish Trails

May 14-16—Powder Horn, 2nd Wknd. (Pacific Harbor Council)

May 23—Venturing Leader Specific Training—Eastside

June 9—Council Venturing Commit-tee Meeting

July 6-11—Youth Powder HornAug. 10-15 - Kodiak will be of-

fered. There will be 2 types offered:1. A kayaking stint through the San

Juans.2. A hiking/biking stint through

the San Juans.More detail will follow

Aug. 20-23 - WashJam - There will be a separate Venturing area where only Venturers can participate. The activities planned are - Discover Scuba pool, pistol shooting, fly fish-ing, archery, GeoCatching (with GPS), E. Prep and 1st Aid, Fitness (requirements in the Quest pro-gram), water activities and Living History.

Sept. 11-12—Venturing Leadership Skills Course

Please put these on your calendar as possible activities for your crew.

Council Venturing CommitteeThere will be a meeting:

June 9th, 6:45pmIvar's on Pier 56, Duwamish Room

Bring District Venturing/Sea Scout information to share. Discussion on updates on next years calendar and activities for the youth to attend, and training opportunities for youth and adults for the 2009-2010 year.

Venturing Leadership Skills Course

Venturing Leadership Skills Course is an orientation for the youth on how to do their lead-ership roles within the crew. It is highly rec-ommended that all youth in the crew go through this course.

A course is being held:September 11-12 in Poulsbo, WAPlease contact Bob Taylor at: rrtaylor@telebyte.net for more infor-mation.

FREE Paddle Demo Day—REIWhen: 5/30/2009 10:00 AM

Whether you're a novice or a paddling pro, our Paddle Demo Days are a great way to try out the latest boats and ac-cessories for free! Join REI in Seattle at Stan Sayres Park, at 3808 Lake Washington Boulevard South, from 10am-4pm on Saturday, May 30th for a FREE on-the-water pad-dling demo! All the best paddling ven-dors will be there showcasing their wares, along with REI's legendary knowledgeable staff. Whether you're a paddling pro or have never pulled a stroke, we've got the gear you need to get out on the water. Here's a small sample of what you can expect:

Test boats to see how they handle Get paddling tips from our staff and

vendors Meet representatives from local pad-

dling clubs and non-profits Attend free educational how-to clin-

ics on a variety of paddling topics Enjoy the fun with the whole family!

What to BringWe'll provide the boats, personal flota-tion devices (PFDs) and paddles. All you need to bring (or wear) is any clothing you don't mind getting wet. We also suggest you bring a snack and water since these are not available in many parks.

The following items are also important when planning a day on the water: Lightweight windbreaker and sun

hat Fleece top (just in case!) Sandals and paddling footwear Sunglasses Sunscreen Dry change of clothes

All Demo Days attendees will receive a coupon good for 15% off the purchase of one full-price boat including kayaks, canoes, inflatable boats and stand-up paddle boards. And you?ll save 20% on PFDs and paddles with your boat purchase.

Contact: Seattle REI Customer Service at 206-223-1944 for questions or infor-mation. Cost: Free

Volume 5, Issue 5 Page 8

VARSITY, VENTURING AND

OLDER SCOUTS NEWS

BOY SCOUT NEWSRoundtableAt every Boy Scout break session, we will cover various topics of interest to the group. During the September meeting we brainstormed and came up with topics to discuss. Here are the upcoming topics as voted on by the group for the 2008-2009 year:

May – Scout Master Conference / Board of Review forum

June – picnic and final cooking/food prep, Dutch oven cooking, etc.

Also at each meeting, we will have a volunteers present the following:

My Favorite Meal: Food prep and cooking for backpacking

My Favorite Outing: Sharing one of your troop's memorable outing destinations. You can even post them on our web site! Click on the link to the left to go to our "Camping Resources" page.

For questions or information contact Chris Garton at chrisgarton@yahoo.com

Merit Badge WeekendSAVE THE DATE! Merit Badge Weekend is moving to the Fall start-ing this year. The event will be Octo-ber 23-25. Make sure to include this in your Troop Calendar planning! We are planning on some great new merit badges, including Muzzle Loading and Woodworking.

need to be in band or choir or play an instrument to participate. Any-one is welcome!

Cost: FREE! Music Merit Badge Counselors: We

could use a few more Music Merit Badge Counselors to help sign Blue Cards at the end of the pro-gram. The UW students will run the class, but we need BSA Music Counselors to sign the Blue Cards.

Details: Lunch will not be provided, so either eat before you come or bring a sack lunch. Water and snacks will be provided.

Contact: E-mail Sydney Anderson at selyse@u.washington.edu if you would like to attend. Send your name, age and how you would like to be contacted with more details (either phone number or e-mail address).

Sign up deadline is May 20th!

2010 National JamboreeCelebrating the Adventure -

Continuing the Journey

July 19 - August 3, 2010

We have reached the 180 scout minimum for sign-ups. Thank you for your help. We still need to re-cruit another 20 or so scouts as alter-nates. This is to cover any youth that have to drop-out or decide not to go.

For more information go to Brian Len-hart at blenhart@seattlebsa.org.

Venture Leader Specific Training

WHO: Current Venturing & Sea Scout Leaders, youth and adult, & those interested in becoming in-volved with the Venturing program.

WHAT: Quality training presented by top notch instructors. (If you have taken New Leader Essentials, this will complete your training. If not you will need to go online and take This is Scouting.)

WHERE: Lake Washington United Methodist Church, 7525 132nd Ave NE, Kirkland, WA.

WHEN: Saturday, May 23, 2009. Reg-istration at 8:30 am. Course is from 9:00 am to 3:30 pm.

WHY: To provide cutting edge infor-mation about this exciting program to those adults who are involved with Venturing Crews and Sea Scout Ships, and anyone interested in learning about it.

ATTIRE: Uniforms are encouraged. Sea Scout, Venturing Green or the Boy Scout Tan/Green. Crew de-signed and approved uniforms are also welcome. Follow your crew’s rules on uniform.

Bring a Venturing Leader Manual, and/or Sea Scout Leader Manual, and a sack lunch. Register on line through the Sammamish Trails Dis-

trict calendar at www.seattlebsa.org or call Dori Ogami if you have questions at 425‐753‐0383 or email her at dkogami@earthlink.net.

Venturing Youth Protection is part of this training. If you are trained and only need to renew this portion, you

Our Next Varsity Huddle/Venturing Roundtable

Our next Varsity/ Venturing Roundta-ble will be a Chili Cook-Off

When: Thurs., June 11th, 7:30pmWhere: Rose Hill LDS Church, 7720

126th Ave NE, KirklandBring your youth and have them create a culinary masterpiece.

Summer CampCamp PigottThere is still space available at our newest Boy Scout camp, Camp Pigott! Take advantage of the great facilities and program such as the COPE course, climbing wall, up-graded shooting range, and new Adi-rondacks and shower building. For more information and to register for a great camping experience, visit our website, seattlebsa.org or call the Camping Department at 206-725-0361.

Camp ParsonsIf you have a group of 10 or less Scouts from your troop who would like to attend Camp Parsons, there are a few sessions where some spaces have opened up. Call the Camping Department at 206-725-0361 to find out what is available.

Music Merit BadgeCome to University of Washington to

earn your Music Merit Badge

When: Saturday, May 30th at 1pm Where: University of Washington

Campus, Seattle (Maps & direc-tions provided when you regis-ter)

What: Earn your merit badge with the help of UW music students

Who: Anyone who would like to earn this merit badge. You don't

BOY SCOUT NEWSMerit Badge Clinics—RedmondSaturday Merit Badge Clinic

Hosted by the LDS Redmond Stake(Open to all registered scouts of any

unit)MB Clinic will be held the 2nd Satur-day of every month at 9:00 am, unless notified (see exceptions on schedule). Open to ALL Scouts of any troop.

The Unit/Ward that is assigned is responsible for a Merit Badge Counselor with 2-deep leader-ship.

Scout uniforms should be worn by each scout, unless notified.

Scouts should bring a Blue Card FILLED OUT and SIGNED by their leader.

Only one merit badge per month will be offered; however, in most cases, a follow-up will be held a month later (unless counselor says otherwise), before the next month's featured badge begins.

If there is a follow-up or sign-off ses-sion scheduled, it will be announced at the initial clinic and by notices pre-ceding the clinic. The follow-up will begin at 8:00 am for 1 hour. Some follow-up sessions will be scheduled 3 months following the clinic to allow time for the scouts to complete a 3 month assignment.

NEW classes will begin at 9:00 am sharp and will last 2 hours unless otherwise stated. Parents not staying should return by 11:00 am to pickup their sons.

Location and address for the ClinicsLDS Union Hill building.7115 224th Ave. NERedmond, WA 98052

The Foyer Phone is 425-868-2956.(Enter the North door at the end of the building and meet in the first

room to the right after entering)

Upcoming clinics are:Jun 13 CommunicationSept 12 Personal Fitness

Volume 5, Issue 5 Page 9

Camp Catholic WeekIf you have not yet signed up for Catholic Boy Scout Week at Camp Pigott, you can do so now by clicking here. Camp dates are July 19-25. Don't miss it! Scouts may register as troops or as individuals. Lone Scouts will be assigned to a provisional troop for the week of Camp. Everyone is welcome. If you have further questions, contact Deacon Roy Harrington, the Archdioc-esan Scout Chaplain at (206) 817-8815or rharrington@ollseattle.org.

48th Annual Eagle Recognition Banquet

To celebrate and honor the accom-plishments of the current Class of

Eagle Scouts, the Chief Seattle Council is host-ing the 48th Ea-

gle Scout Recognition Banquet on Thursday, May 28, 2009, 6:00pm at The Museum of Flight.

This is also a call to ALL Eagle Scouts, young and old to attend this gathering and reconnect with local Eagles. Keynote Speaker, Scott Strauss and author Alvin Townleywill be speaking at this event. To reg-ister as a Scout or as an Eagle Scout Host, please go to the Council web-site and click on the links.

Emergency Service TrainingTroop 835 is hosting an Emergency

Services TrainingJuly 15-17

Buck CreekStarts at 3:00 PM on the Wed 17th

Ends at 3:00 PM Friday 19thDay time: training

Evening: competition between Troops

Each Scout that passes the training earns the Emergency Preparedness merit badge and a certificate of train-ing on our rig and that Troops can then use the rig and help us out in disasters.

Cost per Scout $20 includes meals and training. Cost per leader $10 includes meals and training. Addi-tionally, participants will share the fixed cost of portable toilet rentals ($205). Each vehicle will need a na-tional Forest parking permit

Specific Training:Triage, Prepared-ness for; Pandemic, earthquake, flood, fire, mud slides, power failure, storms, basic medical services, terror-ist attacks, evacuations, networking, meal service, how to distribute sup-plies, emergency kits, what to stock

for your family and your community, communications, and how to work with other agencies. When state work-ers go to get training on this level they pay about $300 per person.

Who: any troop in King or Pierce County. These costs are based on 20 troops. For more information and to register contact: Scoutmaster Jim Brass at (206) 277-5977 or drbrass@msn.com

Donations can be sent to: Scout Troop 835, PO Box 77, Pacific, WA 98047 or call Scoutmaster Jim Brass at 206-227-5977 to arrange a time to drop off food.

Thank you so much for your help.

National Youth Leadership Training

The National Youth Leadership Train-ing conference is an exciting combination of classroom and outdoor activities providing a challenging and re-warding learning ex-perience. Each participant will learn and put into practice leadership skills that will help him in his Scouting ac-tivities as well as in every day life. He will also find himself using these skills as an adult.

At this time NYLT is full but for fur-ther information please contact the council Camping Department at 206-725-5200 or go to the Council website.

Volume 5, Issue 5 Page 10

Merit Badge Clinic—KirklandHeld on the 2nd Thursday of the month at the same place and date as the monthly District Roundtable:

Rose Hill LDS Building7720 126th Ave NE

Kirkland, WA 980337:00pm to 8:30pm

(Scouts should bring their signed blue cards.)

Upcoming clinics are:May 14 Family LifeJune 11 Personal Fit-nessSept. 10 Communica-tions

Questions and follow-up with Eric Carter (425) 821-8598,

erichca@hotmail.com

BOY SCOUT NEWS

Cub Scout Day Camp

Resident CampShiver me timbers! It's Camp Pirates' Cove Cub Scout Resident Camp for Wolf, Bear and Webelos! Gather all your swashbucklers for three nights and four days of seafaring fun at Camp Brinkley. All six sessions are currently open, but they will fill fast. See the brochure on our website, seattlebsa.org or make reservations over the phone at 206-725-0361.

Come to the Cub Scout Day Camp Circus! Twilight is already full but there is a few spots available in the day session.

Day: July 14-17, 8:00-2:15

A Camp brochure and reg-

Mom & MeMom & Me weekend sessions at Camp Sheppard are still open but many are filling fast! Beat the rush and start planning now for a great experience ideally suited for first-time campers and their moms. For more information and a brochure, go to our website, seattlebsa.org or call 206-725-0361.

Remaining sessions are:May 16-17 Sept. 5-6 May 30-31 (Full) Sept. 12-13June 13-14 Sept. 19-20

Edited and assembled by Dori Ogami, dkogami@earthlink.net

This newsletter is sent it out electronically to mem-bers of the district. If you would like to submit an article the deadline for submission is the first Thurs-day of every month. If you would like to receive the newsletter electronically or be removed from the list please send your name, unit number and e-mail ad-dress to Dori Ogami—dkogami@earthlink.net. Thank you.

RoundtableAt every Cub Scout breakout session, we will cover various topics of inter-est to the group. Here are the topics planned for the 2008-2009 year. See you there!

May—A-Camping We Will Go/Traveler/Artist—Geo caching workshop

June—Be a Sport/Aquanaut/Geologist—Dutch Oven cooking

For questions or information contact Tim Leavitt at timl@oynx.com.

District Pinewood DerbyEvery year a race occurs in May that has many sitting on the edge of their seats! No I'm not talking about the Indianapolis 500 but the Sammamish Trails District Pinewood Derby. This year the race was held May 2nd at Rairdon's, Dodge , Chrysler, Jeep of Kirkland. Sixty-seven Scouts partici-pated representing 16 units in highly competitive heats. The results from these, heated races, was that every-one had fun, the boys were cheered on by the crowd and several Scouts took top honors. The District Cham-pions are: First Place Mychal M. of Pack 546, Second Place Nick B. of Pack 595, Third Place Sam F. of Pack

Eleven Year Old CampHeld at Camp Brinkley and Camp Par-sons this year, Eleven Year Old Camp presents an excellent opportunity for Scouts and their fathers to spend spe-cial time together and with other pa-trols. Scouts can work on advance-ments, find out how camp operates and gain leadership skills useful in their upcoming years as Boy Scouts. Look for the brochure on the Council website, seattlebsa.org under Camp Brinkley or Camp Parsons.

WANTEDBrass and Percussion Players

CUB SCOUT NEWS

American Legion Post 161 and VFW Post 2995 are looking for high school age musicians to play in their Citizen Brass Drum and Bugle Corps. Thereare no tryouts.. anyone able to play high school level music is welcome to join.

The Citizen Brass D&BC was formed to provide musical entertainment at community events, holiday celebra-tions, cultural activities and sporting events.

They use large-bore G bugles in 4 voices (soprano, mellophone, bari-tone and contrabass) which are de-signed specifically for outdoor per-formance.

Most rehearsals are at the Lake Washington VFW Post 2995, located

at 4330 148th Ave NE, Redmond, WA.

Their website at http://citizenbrass.orgwill have updated information about rehearsals and performances.

Interested Brass and percussion musi-cians contact Ronald Fuller at rgfuller@citizenbrass.org or (425) 922-0143 for more information.

559 and Fourth Place Nick H. of Pack 591. A special thanks goes to Jordan Thomas who managed the event with the guidance of Russ Norman, Vince Wanamaker and George Christ. In addition thanks goes to several Boy Scouts who came for-ward to assist in making this event was a success and one the Cub Scouts will remember. Finally we would like the thank Rairdon's Dodge, Chrysler Jeep of Kirkland in hosting this years District Pinewood Derby.

istration materials, which includes a "To Do” List for your Pack’s Day Camp Coordinator! are posted on the Chief Seat-tle Council web site.

Please contact us with any questions.Registration: Paige NormanYouth Volunteer: Steve GengoCamp Director: Patty Spear (in

charge of everything else!)