COUNCIL NEWS

Note: For the latest information that has been sent to unit leaders, be sure to check What's Been Mailed.

SCOUTMASTER AND ASSISTANT SCOUTMASTER LEADER SPECIFIC TRAINING

DON'T MISS THE OPPORTUNITY TO BECOME A TRAINED LEADER.........The Black Rock District and Hawk Mountain Council will be conducting Scoutmaster and Assistant Scoutmaster Leader Specific Training on September 18, 2010.  A  troop leader is considered trained upon completion of Fast Start Orientation, This is Scouting, and all four parts of Scoutmaster and Assistant Scoutmaster Leader Specific Training and Introduction to Outdoor Leader Skills. Troop committee members and Webelos leaders who plan to move into a leadership position in a troop are encouraged to complete this training as well.  Click Here to download informational flyer.

Boy Scouts of America
Forest Conservation Award Information

The purpose of this award is to make scouts more aware of the many tangible and intangible benefits received from our forests and to give them an opportunity to learn more about this valuable natural resource.

To qualify for the award, a Boy Scout must earn the Forestry merit badge plus two forestry-related merit badges. The scout will receive an 8½" x 11" parchment certificate and a multicolored shoulder patch once he qualifies for the award.

A scout can receive the award by earning the Forestry merit badge and any two of the following 13 badges:

Each council produces its own application. To expedite the processing of the applications, the following items must be included:

1. Name of Scout printed neatly or typed.
2. Complete address of where the troop meets.
3. Time and day of week they meet.
4. Scoutmaster's home phone number and mailing address
5. Completion date of the Forestry merit badge and the names and completion dates of any two of the appropriate merit badges.
6. IMPORTANT: Council approval. We like to communicate with the council rather than the individual troops. We will not approve an application that is not confirmed by the council.

Example of Forest Conservation Award Application - Adobe PDF (24 Kb)

The council should forward the application to:

DCNR - Bureau of Forestry
Division of Forest Fire Protection
P.O. Box 8552
Harrisburg, PA 17105-8552

Upon approval of the application, the patch, certificate, and a copy of the application are sent to the District Forester in charge of your troop's area. The District Forester or one of his staff will contact the scoutmaster and if time allows, present the award. If the award presentation cannot be completed in a timely fashion, the District Forester will forward the award to the scoutmaster for presentation.

Now Available For Our Family Friends Of Scouting Contributors

Mar 5, 2010

Payment in 2010 of a minimum pledge in the amount of $100.00 will get you this Friends of Scouting Special Edition Council Shoulder Patch (CSP). The CSP features a gold border and has the words “100th ANNIVERSARY” appearing on the top. It is the same size as our standard CSP. Collectors will not want to miss out on this centennial edition. Want more than one? Multiples of a $100.00 pledge and payment to the Hawk Mountain Council will do the job. This CSP will not be sold in the Trading Post.

Click HERE to view the details

PA Game Commission - Wildlife Conservation Award

February 25, 2010

The Pennsylvania Game Commission has, since 1957 made available to the Boy Scouts of America and other youth groups, a Wildlife Conservation Award. The award emblem, a blue keystone with a multicolored Ruffed Grouse and appropriately lettered in gold “Wildlife Conservation Award – Pennsylvania Game Commission”, is very attractive. Click HERE to download the flyer.

The Amazing Magi

February 25, 2010

Scouts and Scout Leaders: Make your next Den or Troop Meeting, your next Pack night, your next Blue and Gold or other occasion extra special. Make it Magical!!  Click HERE to download the flyer.

UPDATED FOR 2010 - Camp Promotional Videos Now Available On Our Site !

December 10, 2009

The new Camp Promotional Videos for Cub Scout Camping and Boy Scout Camping at Hawk Mountain Scout Reservation have been added to the hmsr.org web site.  Check them out ! 

NOTE: Boy Scout Summer Camp video updated for 2010 Camping Year Promotions and now includes information about the Boots & Paddles program !

Click a link below to go right to the video:

          Cub Scout Camp Promotional Video          Boy Scout Camp Promotional Video

Fly Tying & Fly Fishing Venture Crew Forming

May 21, 2009

Learn how to fly fish and tie flies!  Join the Berks Fly Tyers Venturing Crew.  Monthly meetings at the Berks County Ag Center for girls and boys ages 14 through 20. Click to download the Crew Information and Contact Sheet.

Norman Rockwell Museum Scouting Programs

Mar 31, 2009

If your Scout group is travelling in the Stockbridge, MA area, the Norman Rockwell Museum makes a perfect side trip. Programs are designed to deepen scouts’ knowledge and understanding of the life and work of Norman Rockwell while fulfilling selected badge requirements.

Programs can be combined to create a one-day visit or completed as separate visits. Length can also be adjusted to meet the needs of the group. After any scout tour, enjoy the Museum for as long as you like!

For full information, download the Rockwell Museum Brochure.

New Annual Health and Medical Record replaces Class 1,2, and 3 Medical Forms

Jan 1, 2009

A new Annual Health and Medical Form , valid for 12 months, has replaced the older Class 1, 2, and 3 Medical Forms.  Complete details on why this form was revised, how and when it should be used, and the actual form itself is available on the Annual Health and Medical Record page in the forms section of our web site.

Online Tour Permits Now Available

Jan 1, 2009

On January 5th  unit leaders were able to start submitting local and national tour permits electronically. This new system takes just four easy steps, and it will save the transportation and training information, so leaders can easily recall it for future permit applications.  All registered unit leaders will have access to Tour Permits from MyScouting, accessed on www.scouting.org. Councils will approve or return the permit applications using MyBSA.  The MyScouting account verifies that the owner is a BSA leader associated with a unit. Within Tour Permits, the leader has access only to his unit. This authentication replaces the physical signatures on tour permit applications. Other unit leaders are notified via e-mail when an application is submitted and approved.

The volunteer can submit both local and national applications, for either traditional units or Learning for Life posts. Once approved, each tour permit will have a unique tour ID number.

Unit leaders enter all the necessary information for the tour, and rules specific to tour permits are applied. When appropriate, helpful messages will advise the leader about any missing information. Once the tour permit has been submitted, the council will evaluate and approve it or return it for further work. Online features allow easy entry of driver information for transportation and required training supervision.

There will be automatic notification at all appropriate steps in the process to the permit creator, the tour leader, and the assistant tour leader. The unit committee chair and unit leader will also receive e-mail notifications if they have MyScouting accounts.

The online Help document explains how to complete and submit permit applications to the council. Additionally, the Guide to Safe Scouting is available on the site for easy reference; Safety First Learning for Life Guidelines is also available for Learning for Life posts. Other documents, such as the BSA Transportation Guidelines and the Pledge of Performance can also be accessed from Tour Permits.

Authorized council staff members will review and process submitted applications. The tour permit creator receives a PDF version of the approved permit via e-mail. The approved permit PDF can also be obtained from Tour Permits in MyScouting.

As a reminder, local tour permit applications are to be submitted two weeks before the tour and national applications at least one month before the tour start date.

We encourage all Scouting units from our council to use this new service to submit their local and national tour permit applications online.

I.R.S. Form 990-N and Tax Exempt Status

April 10, 2008

Click to read a letter from the National BSA Office relating to IRS Form 990-N as pertains to Scout units.