TROOP & PACK LEADER S CHECK-IN PACKET

IRON HORSE DISTRICT S WEBELOS OUTDOOR WEEKEND 2014 TROOP & PACK LEADER S CHECK-IN PACKET September 26-28, 2014 Camp James Ray 71 Camp James Ray Rd Pottsboro, TX 75076 (903) 786-2591

LEADER INFORMATION A. LEADER MEETING Attention, all Boy Scout Troops!! The designated Adult and Scout Leaders at your campsite (preferably the Scoutmaster, SPL, and your Troop s Event Staff member) must attend the Leaders Meeting at the cracker barrel at 10:00pm on Friday. At that time, any questions on check-in materials received or on the schedule of activities may be discussed. Additional information on activities or schedule changes will also be presented at that time. B. OPENING We will have a opening ceremony including flag raising and invocation at 9:30am on Saturday. There will be quick announcements, a sport s report and a weather report. Please bring your Troop and U.S. Flags to make this opening even more dramatic! All Scouts should be in their full BSA Uniform at the opening ceremony Attention, all Webelos Leaders!! Your Webelos Patrols will be joined with several patrols from other Packs and will travel round robin from one station to another. The Webelos will leave for their first station after the opening ceremony at 9:30am. Be sure they have water, sun or rain protection (as needed), a hat, and their Webelos Scout book. Please see the schedule for the times that EVERYONE should be in their full BSA uniform. The Packs are encouraged to bring their Patrol, Unit, or American flags to the opening ceremony as well. They can be returned to your campsite with the Scout s Webelos shirts after the ceremony. This year you are invited to come up FRIDAY night if you wish to visit the Troop Campsites and to talk to the Scouts and Scout Leaders on how you can transition from Webelos to Boy Scouts as seamlessly as possible.

C. EVENT SCHEDULE (tentative final distributed at check in) Saturday, September 27 th : 8:30am to 9:30am Check-in and Registration 9:30am to 10:00am Opening Flag Ceremony Official BSA Uniform 10:15am to 12:15pm Activity Sessions (30 minutes long, 3 stations) 12:15pm to 2:15pm Lunch and Campsite setup 2:15pm to 4:15pm Activity Sessions (35 minutes long, 4 stations) 4:15pm to 5:00pm Afternoon Open Activities/Entertainment 5:00pm to 5:15pm Evening Flag Ceremony Official BSA Uniform 5:15pm to 7:45pm Dinner at Campsites 8:00pm to 9:30pm Campfire (8:30pm) & Cracker Barrel (10pm) 11:00pm TAPS Scouts in tents and quiet Sunday, September 30 th : 7:00am to 9:00am Reveille & Breakfast 9:00am to 9:30am Opening Flag Ceremony/Awards Official BSA Uniform 9:30am to 10:00am Interfaith Worship Official BSA Uniform 10:00am Closing Flag Ceremony Official BSA Uniform 11:00am Break Camp, Inspections & Checkout D. Skit Auditions & Sign Up Everyone out of camp and on their way home by 11:00am!! Auditions for Patrols wishing to present a skit and/or song at the Campfire will be at the Staff HQ starting at 6:00pm Saturday. Patrols and Dens that participate will receive special recognition at our Sunday flag ceremony. We are looking for adult Scouter skits also! E. MAIN CAMPFIRE We anticipate another spectacular campfire Saturday evening. We will meet at the flag pole at 8:15pm and move to the Council ring together. We are requesting that every Troop bring at least one lantern to help light the way and to be used for illuminating the camp fire program. Please mark your lantern so it will not be confused with another Troop. There will also be plenty of skits and songs, so bring a chair and be prepared for a good time! We will not present awards on Saturday night to keep the camp fire program from running late. F. SUNDAY SERVICE Religious services will be held Sunday morning at 9:30am immediately after the Flag Ceremony. At the Council Ring a printed program will be provided.

Webelos Outdoor Weekend 2014 WEBELOS PROGRAM Advancement requirements completed during this event are the responsibility of each Webelos Leader to sign off. We will set up the program as a round robin event with the Boy Scout Troops in charge of their particular event. Each Den will move from event to event, participate or compete, and then move to their next scheduled stop. It will be necessary for a minimum of 2 Webelos adult leaders to travel with each Webelos Patrol at all times. Some of the events the Boy Scout Troops have planned so far are: Archery Packing for campouts Slingshots Radio Cooking Flag Retirement First Aid & Fire Safety Tomahawk Throw Registration and Check-In Guidelines Arrive at Camp James Ray parking lot before 8:30am Send one adult leader to the Registration/Check-in at the Fry Center. Packs who have preregistered will receive express service! Receive your Camp Pass. Combine all Pack equipment and personal gear into one or two vehicles. (ALL vehicles must park and remain in the main parking area unless there is a medical requirement). Place your Camp Pass in the window of your vehicle and move into your campsite and unload it. Return immediately to the parking area and return your Camp Pass to Registration or to another vehicle if necessary. Please note that in accordance with BSA policy, no one will be allowed to ride in the back of an open vehicle, pickup or trailer. Unload all gear and return ALL vehicles to the parking area. Only emergency vehicles will be permitted to remain in Camp. Send your Webelos and at least two adult leaders to the 9:30am flag ceremony at the parade field next to the dining hall. Be sure they are prepared for any weather, have water and are in full uniform. The other adults may begin to set up your campsite or they can wait until lunch (12:15pm to 2:15pm) to set up camp with the Webelos at that time. Please follow all directions of all Staff and Security/Traffic Coordinators. This will facilitate your check in and getting to your campsite. Any last moment changes or updates will be given out during Check In.

GENERAL INFORMATION 1. MEMBERSHIP All participants of the Webelos Outdoor Weekend event must be registered members of the Boy Scouts of America. Each Den Leader and/or Pack Leader shall present a roster at check-in of all Webelos Scouts attending. Each participating Boy Scout Troop shall present a roster at check-in of all registered Scouts as well. There is no family camping at Camp James Ray, so please, no siblings may camp overnight. They may accompany an adult during the day but only with the direct permission of the Camping Event Chairman. 2. TWO-DEEP LEADERSHIP All units attending the Webelos Outdoor Weekend must comply with the BSA policy requiring that two registered adult leaders or adult and a parent of a participating Scout, one of whom must be at least 21 years of age or older, are required for all trips and outings. In addition, there must be a ratio of no more than 5 Webelos per adult. 3. SITE LOCATION Camp James Ray is a Circle Ten Council approved camp located in Pottsboro. We are responsible for any damage to this facility so please follow all rules so we may leave it in better condition than when we arrived. 4. OFF-LIMIT AREAS Some portions of Camp James Ray will be considered OFF-LIMITS and are to be avoided by everyone. These areas will be clearly stated during our Saturday morning meeting. Anyone found in these areas may be asked to leave the Camp. 5. ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES/TOBACCO PRODUCTS Alcoholic beverages are NOT permitted at Scouting functions. Anyone found possessing or consuming alcoholic beverages will be required to leave the Camp. The use of any tobacco product is discouraged at any time at a BSA event. 6. NON-SCOUTING EQUIPMENT Guns, sheath knives and other such equipment not accepted by Scouting are prohibited. Any equipment of this kind will be confiscated and returned to adult leader upon check-out. Fireworks are prohibited as well. Cell-phones, Ipods, GameBoys, DSI, PSP, portable games of any type, radios, or any electronic games are best left at home and are not part of the camping experience. 7. CRITTERS AND PLANTS Be prepared to defend yourselves against mosquitoes, chiggers, and ticks. Be careful to avoid any fire ants, snakes and poison ivy. Bring your personal first aid kits for temporary treatment. All Dens should have a large, properly labeled and visible First Aid kit available in their campsites at all times during the Campout. 8. WEATHER Everyone must be fully prepared for conditions at this time of year. Temperature ranges over the weekends could be quite cold to quite warm (this is Texas!). Scouts are encouraged to bring necessary clothing to be as comfortable as possible at both of these extremes. Appropriate personal rain protection is also an excellent idea, as it has been known to (occasionally) rain during scouting events in the past. To help with this, we will prepare a Weather Rock station to help us forecast the weather!

9. FIRST AID There will be a First Aid station staffed 24 hours per day for any Scout or Scouter needing assistance. The First Aid Station will be centrally located and marked with a Red Cross Flag. Please be sure to advise your patrol members of its location, to be announced at the Friday Night Cracker Barrel and the Saturday morning Flag ceremony. 10. EMERGENCY CONTACT INFORMATION In cases of emergency, the telephone number for Camp James Ray is: Camp James Ray 71 Camp James Ray Rd Pottsboro, TX 75076 (903) 786-2591 Your Iron Horse District Contact will be Clint Tennill at 214-850-1745

CAMPING 1. CAMPSITES Each Den will be assigned a campsite adequate for the number of Scouts indicated on your Den Registration form. Last minute additions to your Den Roster may result in overcrowding of campsites so please to have an accurate attendance count for registration. 2. COOKING AND SANITATION Each Den and Patrol will cook by the Patrol Method, and must furnish its own food, ice, stove fuel, wood or charcoal. There may be a Burn Ban at Camp James Ray. If that is the case, the only campfire permitted will be the one built by the WEBELOS OUTDOOR WEEKEND staff on Saturday Evening. You will have to cook off the ground in this event. Be Prepared! All Patrols/Teams/Dens are encouraged to use charcoal or stoves (liquid or propane). BSA rules for handling of liquid or gas fuels should be followed (Guide to Safe Scouting). 3. GARBAGE There will be a dumpster available for your trash next to the Dining Hall where you can leave on Sunday as you depart. You will be responsible for the cleanup of your campsite and camping area. 4. AMPSITE INSPECTION Each campsite will be inspected and rated during daylight hours on Saturday. A checklist for this inspection will be included in your Check-In Packet at registration. This is for your Unit s information and is not for competition. We will use BSA s Low Impact Camping Guidelines. 5. FIRE SAFETY Each patrol is to provide its own chemical fire extinguisher per Den or Patrol cooking area. You do not need cans of dirt or water available. 6. WATER Abundant fresh water is available at Camp James Ray; HOWEVER, it may be several hundred yards from your Camping areas. All Dens should bring their own water and containers to transport the water to their campsites as needed. 7. VEHICLES AND PARKING No motorized vehicles are to be parked in the campsites at any time. Good road access will allow all equipment to be unloaded as quickly as possible at the campsite, and the vehicles moved to the designated parking area to allow everyone a chance to approach their campsite. Unauthorized vehicles will be towed. Owners will be skinned and tanned. Only properly marked Medical or Handicapped vehicles will be permitted in camp.

Webelos Outdoor Weekend 2014 PACK LEADERS HOW TO FOR 2014 WEBELOS OUTDOOR WEEKEND Remind your parents that Webelos Outdoor Weekend 2014 is an exciting overnight campout, especially put together for the Webelos and their parents. Plus, it is a great way to complete the camping requirements, as well as portions of various activity pins. Your boys will get a taste of Boy Scouting as they Discover Scouting. You as an adult, will also get a chance to learn new skills that are used by the Boy Scouts so you are better prepared when your son crosses over into scouting! It s really quite simple!. Here are a few pointers to make your 2014 Webelos Outdoor Weekend a success: 1. Read through this packet. If you have any questions, call Clint Tennill at 214-850-1745 or email at clint_tennill@msn.com. 2. Make copies of the Menu Packet and Equipment List if you want to distribute them to your Webelos Den Leaders at your Pack Committee Meeting or Pack Night. 3. Make a presentation at your Committee or Pack meeting to your Leaders. Explain that this is a good way to get a head start on their Webelos Outdoor Program. (Requirement #5 for Arrow of Light for starters). 4. Once you have a commitment from the individual families, turn in a Pack Registration with your registration check with the check. You will need to have a roster of all those in attendance at check-in. Every unit should have a Class 1 medical form for every Webelos and/or Boy Scout handy in case of an accident. 5. Use the Pack Attendance Roster to keep track of who is coming and who has already paid. Once you have your final list of the attendees, make a copy of your roster for your records and turn the other in at check-in. 6. Once you have some interested families, set up a parents meeting to cover the equipment list for the Pack, the personal equipment list and your menu. Be sure that the parents are aware that there are costs other than the registration fee for the event. Figure out a menu, calculate approximate costs and decide on when final payment for foodstuffs will be made. Have a duty roster, that way there are no misunderstandings as to who is responsible for what and when. Decide to arrive as group or individually. Have a plan. 7. Make a deadline and stick to it. Make sure you get registered in advance. Walk up registration is accepted but we cannot guarantee that there will be patches for every scout. Make sure you register on the Circle Ten Council Campmaster website.

Webelos Outdoor Weekend 2014 SUGGESTED EQUIPMENT LIST This is a suggested equipment list to help your units get started for 2014: PERSONAL GEAR: Tent 2 drop cloths (any kind of plastic) 1 for under tent and 1 for inside floor of tent Sleeping bag (pillow optional) Foam pad or air mattress (optional for under sleeping bag) Flashlight with extra batteries Personal mess kit (cup, plate and utensils) Camp chair Webelos Book Toiletries Insect repellant Sun screen Toilet paper Canteen or water bottle Uniform Shirt and Neckerchief (for flags, religious service and campfire) Personal clothes Rain Gear just in case Extra sweatshirt or light jacket Class 1 Medical Form for each Scout PACK GEAR: Dining Fly (due to the probability of more than one unit sharing a campsite, it may be necessary to set up only one fly per campsite.) Portable Grill Charcoal, charcoal chimney and matches PLEASE DO NOT USE LIGHTER FLUID! Fire Extinguisher, one per cooking area. Garbage bags Lantern (preferably battery for Webelos) Cooking gear Portable tables if you have them (there are never enough at the sites) Wagons or carts (if you have to pack your gear in)

Webelos Outdoor Weekend 2014 PACK ATTENDANCE ROSTER Please keep one copy for your records and turn one copy in at check-in PACK # Contact Name Patrol Name: Cell Phone: E-mail address (Someone we can call who will be at camp) # of # of Total # Total Family Name Adults Scouts Attending Paid EX: Adams Family 1 2 3 $10* Total *Registration $10.00 per Scout or Scouter.

Webelos Outdoor Weekend 2014 PATROL MENU PLANNING SHEET PATROL/DEN PACK/TROOP 1 ST 2 ND Day Sat Date 09/21 Day Sun Date 09/22 BREAKFAST Main item Meat Bread Fruit Drink Other LUNCH Main item Vegetable Bread Fruit Drink Dessert Other SUPPER Main item Vegetable Bread Fruit Drink Dessert Other Other PATROL DUTY ROSTER FRI SUPPER SAT BRKFST LUNCH SAT SUPPER SUN BRKFST Head Assistant Fire Water Kitchen Asst Kit Cook Cook Man Man Clean-Up Clean-UP

Iron Horse District Webelos Outdoor Weekend CAMPSITE INSPECTION Troop: Patrol: Possible Points 20 ALL motor vehicles moved to parking lot? 15 American Flag properly displayed at Campsite? 15 Troop Flag properly displayed at Campsite? 5 Unit site perimeter properly marked 10 Entire Campsite free of litter? 10 Patrol boxes off of the ground? 10 First Aid Kit available and ready in case of emergencies? 10 Troop cooking gear properly stored and clean when not in use? (Equipment inside Patrol boxes may be checked for cleanliness) 10 Patrol food properly stored and a Troop or Patrol menu posted? (A menu must be posted by Troop or Patrol, but the Troop must be consistent throughout the Campsite) 10 Cooking area proper distance from tents/fire extinguishers? 5 Hand washing basin available for cooks? 10 Wash stations for mess kits and cooking utensils 10 Adequate water supply evident? 10 Charcoal/Liquid Fuel safely and properly stored? 10 Tents pitched orderly by Patrol and ready for rain? 10 Personal gear clean and properly stored? 10 Troop or Patrol Duty Roster posted in Campsite? 10 Troop or Patrol Membership Roster posted in Campsite? 10 Garbage in bags or cans and protected from animals? 10 Recyclable items in separate disposal for return 10 Compostable garbage collected for return 10 Scoutcraft projects visible? 5 Bonus Campsite Hospitality Offered? Special Merit Total (230 max) Points awarded

Webelos Outdoor Weekend IRON HORSE DISTRICT CIRCLE 10 COUNCIL Dear Parents of Webelos Scouts, Troop Questions for Webelos Parents This event is designed for the Webelos to experience Boy Scouting first hand. It is also the opportunity for you, the parent, to interview prospective Boy Scout Troops to join once it is time for your Webelos Scout to cross over into Boy Scouting. Choosing the right Boy Scout troop for you is an individual decision. Troops vary in their focus and the personalities in each troop differ. You need to think about what will make scouting a fun, rewarding experience for you and then find a troop that appears to best fulfill your needs. If you're a Webelos scout, having completed five years of Cub Scouts, you may feel that you've experienced all there is in the program. But Boy Scouts is a very different program full of new experiences. Make a commitment to try it for a year to observe the differences and then decide if you want to continue on or not. A boy needs to visit at least one troop meeting before joining Boy Scouts. You really should visit several troops to learn the uniqueness of each. Select a troop that fits the needs of your family. When you visit troops, try to get answers to these important questions to help you decide on a home troop: How many registered scouts? (30-50 is generally recognized as a good troop size, but there are many larger and smaller troops) How many of those registered scouts are active? (some troops have lots of names on the roster, but the scouts don't participate. Count how many are at the meeting you visit and if it doesn't match what you are told, visit again before deciding to join.) How many assistant Scoutmasters, Committee members, other troop positions? (a strong troop committee supports the plans created by the scouts. Assistant Scoutmasters are needed to support scout advancement and troop events. One assistant Scoutmaster for every 8-10 scouts is good.) What would a chart of the age distribution of the 'active' scouts look like? (a few older and lots of 11-12 year olds indicates a troop that is either recently growing or is having problems keeping scouts active. More older scouts indicates there's something for them to stay for.) How many scouts have earned Eagle in the past few years and how many are still active in the troop? (often scouts reach Eagle and stop participating. Hearing that scouts stay in the troop until the age out at 18 indicates a strong program.) How are the patrols organized? (new scouts should be kept together to start, but then either continue on as their own patrol or get integrated into existing multi-age patrols.) What goes on in troop meetings? (you should see this when you visit. Some troops spend most troop meetings doing merit badge work - this is not the BSA model for merit badges. Some troops run around in chaos at meetings. The agenda for each meeting should be prepared and run by the Senior Patrol Leader. Meetings should have an opening, time for scout skills, fun time, planning for events, a scoutmaster minute, and closing. The key thing is that you should see the troop being run by the scouts, not the scoutmaster or other adults - even if it seems inefficient.) What service projects does the troop do? (service is a key part of scouting. There should be many opportunities for service throughout the year.)

How is the rank advancement managed? (There should be support in place for new scouts to advance up to First Class. The most important thing you should hear is that the troop has good Troop Guides for the new scouts. These are helpful scouts in a leadership position tasked with guiding new scouts in their first year. Some troops force-feed advancement up to First Class in a new scout's first year while others let the scout flounder with no direction - both tend to lose scouts.) How are Merit Badges managed? (the BSA merit badge program is intended for scouts to seek out and complete merit badges that interest them, as well as 12 required badges for Eagle rank. A troop that schedules merit badges and scouts just attend similar to school is not following the program. A troop that spends their troop meeting time on merit badges is not following the program. Scouts need to take responsibility to select merit badges and complete them with a merit badge counselor advising and guiding them.) How is troop leadership managed? (The troop should really be 'boy-led'. Every troop will say it is 'boyrun' or 'boy-led', but you need to see if that is true. Who is in front of the troop? Who is corraling the scouts to start the next activity? Who is teaching? What are the older scouts doing? These should all be scouts in leadership roles. A Senior Patrol Leader runs the meetings with assistance from his Assistant Senior Patrol Leader. Every patrol has a Patrol Leader responsible for leading his group of 5-9 scouts. These scouts should meet every month to plan upcoming activities. There should be an annual scheduling session where the scouts plan campouts, high adventure trips, and other events for the future.) When and how often does the troop meet? (A troop should have an outing scheduled for every month. Troop meetings should occur on a regular schedule at least twice a month, and preferably three times. Troops should not stop meeting for the summer. How is family communication handled? (email, phone trees, web site - depending on the type of communication and your preferences, any can work. A troop roster should be kept updated and distributed to all scouts.) What camping has the troop done and is planned? (This is probably the big question that will effect your choice since you can relate to the answer with no prior BSA background. There should be a wide range of outing themes, not the same 12 events every year. There should be a week-long summer camp, and an outing every month.) What high adventure trips have been done recently and are planned? (many troops will rattle off Philmont, Seabase, Northern Tier, and National Jamboree as their high adventures - these are all great trips, but they are very expensive and pretty much a pre-packaged deal. If a troop tells you their scouts are planning a trek in the Rockies, or whitewater rafting, or hiking the Grand Canyon, or some other self-directed high adventure, that shows a broader view of scouting. Ask if the scouts or adults are planning those outings - scouts CAN do pretty much all of it, with just guidance as needed.) What participation and training is expected of parents? (You should expect that parents are needed to make the troop's plans succeed. The most important thing a parent can do is ask the scout how a meeting or outing was and to support him in scouting. Many troops would like each family to help with transportation to 2 or 3 campouts each year, some require less. You should hear that adults are required to complete Youth Protection Training before interacting with the scouts. Troops also need a few adults to take on troop roles each year, such as Asst. Scoutmaster or Committee member - these are required to offer a complete scouting program. They should be expected to complete training for their position.) What fundraising is done? How are the funds managed? Does each scout have his own account? What equipment is provided by the troop and the scout? How often are Roundtables attended and by who? (district roundtable meetings should be held each month and the adult troop leaders should attend to find out district and council information.) What district and council events has the troop attended recently or planning to attend? How will new scouts learn what to do as Boy Scouts? How much will a year of scouting cost? How are conflicts between scouting and sports/theater/music/... handled?