Boy Scouts of America® Istrouma Area Council

August Planning Items

Pack Sign Up Events

Back to School time is back to Cub Scouting time, and your pack and dens have many routes to recruit, from Registration, Meet the Teacher or Meet and Greet days where you can have one-on-one contacts with families, to one or more fun den and pack activities (swim? bike? cookout?) that you can invite friends and classmates to attend, to School Sign Up Nights supported by your District Executive. A fun calendar of outdoor activities is the number one reason families like Cub Scouting, so… Get Out And Cub Scout! Check out the "Signup Events Tips" leveraged from the Atlanta Area Council.

Pack Parent Orientation (Alongside a Fun Event)

After your big Sign-Up Event, be sure that your Pack parents know how your Pack and Dens will operate – have a Pack orientation for all families. A best practice is to have this alongside a super fun event for the Scouts – and with food – so that every family will want to attend and get on the right path. For ideas about how to put on a great Pack Orientation, see New Parent Orientation page.

Bobcat and “First Meeting” Plans

Here’s something you might do as part of that first orientation and fun event.  What if you had an easy way where parents could have fun with their kids and share the joy of leading their Scouts as they complete the Bobcat and earn their first badge? (Psst: your returning Scouts can use a refresher too.) These are great for “getting started” meetings and activities with your Den and can let parents feel the power of their leadership skills. See Bobcat Adventure Ideas for Den Activities and Parent Participation

Advancement Resources for Leaders and Parents

Cub Scouting is full of Handbook Advancement and Adventures – 96 in all. The link below will take you to resource pages for all of those Adventures, and give you – and the parents in your Den – helpful information to be great leaders of your Scouts. That page includes resources to lead the Bobcat rank too – the first rank badge awarded a new Cub Scout, except for Lions (who work on most of Bobcat in Lion Adventures). Check out the Cub Scout Advance leveraged from the Atlanta Area Council.

Scout/Scouter Membership Renewal

Every Scout/Scouter must renew with the Boy Scouts of America annually. We are now in the beginning period of membership renewals from those that signed up last year as part of the new 12-month membership outside of the old recharter process. Key 3 leadership can review the list of members due to renew by logging into your my.scouting.org account and then follow the directions in the "Unit Pay for Member Renewal" below. Volunteers/parents should also receive an email to renew at my.scouting.org>my application>my renewal. Please see the "Infographic Membership Renewal" and communicate with your unit to renew.

Important Note: Adult members’ Youth Protection Training (YPT) must be valid past the expiration date. The system will allow members to go through the renewal process and pay the fees, but the membership will not renew if YPT is not valid at the start of the new membership period. If you have any questions, please contact your District Executive or Margaret Brown @ 225-926-2697.

Stay in the Know!

Make sure your leaders and parents know how to obtain the latest information about District and Council programs by including the following on all unit district communications:

• Council Communications: iacbsa.org
• Council Electronic Newsletter: Newsletter-Signup
• Facebook: Istrouma Area Council | Capital Service Area | Eastern Service Area