BSA has released a revised Tour Permit, which you should use henceforth. Thanks!

Any unit attending Philmont will be required to have Wilderness First Aid training, provided by the American Red Cross.

The last session held before Philmont is May 31st and June 1st in Raleigh. For more information, contact:

Mira L. Batchelor
Director, Health and Safety Services
Triangle Area Chapter
919-277-2802 direct
919-231-6314 fax
batchelorm@trianglearc.org
www.trianglearc.org

Basic Archery Instructor Training is a good opportunity for Troops and Crews to take advantage. The turn around is short and space is limited, so check out the attached flier and sign-up today!

2008 Wake County Service Area Day Camp registration is now open! Three weeks to choose from (although week 3 is being directed by our own Neuse River leaders) all at the same location- State Fairgrounds!
Camp dates are June 23-27, June 30-July 4, July 7-10 (4 day week). This year's theme is Oceans of Fun and promises to be just that- FUN!
Download complete packet at www.ocscouts.org. Click "Already Registered Scout" in the brown box, then click on "What's News" to see the 2008 Day Camp Packet.
*** Cub Leaders and Parents: Early registration ends April 15th! All weeks will fill up fast so get your applications and paperwork in fast! $10 late fee applies to applications received after April 15th.
*** Neuse River leaders, Boy Scouts, and Venturers are begged, pleaded, and possibly bribed to help out at camp this year! Contact directors listed below if you're interested in volunteering a day or a week!
*** Boy Scouts, Venturers, and Varsity Scouts (14 & older)- this is your opportunity to earn service hours! First come, first serve on positions in Shooting Sports, Fishing, Crafts, Den Chiefs, and more.
Week 1: Alicia Embry - aliciam4@aol.com
Week 2: CF Farmer - cffarmer@juno.com
Week 3: Greg Driver - gregoryadriver@aol.com

Calling all Cub Scouts itching to race! This year's Pinewood Derby is fast approaching!

DATE:	March 29, 2008
TIME:	Pre-Weigh In: 8:00 AM-8:30 AM Final Inspection and Weigh In 8:30 AM-10:00 AM Race Time: 10:15 AM- Finish
LOCATION:	Crabtree Valley Mall Promotional Court (in between Sears and the Food Court; enter the mall near Panera Bread)

Fill out your registration (attached) and send it in today!

Planning your yearly outing and looking for a new spot to camp? Well, check out this handy guide to camping areas local to our district!
If you find an error, or would like to make an addition, please contact me so I can add it to the master and distribute!

Attention Scouts and Scouters! Occoneechee Council will hold its first annual Photo Contest this year. Focusing on "Traditions", we encourage everyone to submit photos illustrating parts of our Scouting tradition.

More information is available at http://web.mac.com/ncphotoman/OCPhotoContest/Home.html

Youth entries due 1/15/08! Adult entries will be due 2/15/08!

Take me out to the ball game! The Durham Bulls' Scout Night is coming up in May and June, but seating is limited to the first 750 per date. Sign up early to reserve your space!

http://www.durhambulls.com/events/scout_night.html

Season's Greetings Falls District Scouters

While wishing everyone the very best of this most special season, please remember that our District Committee moved the January 2008 Roundtable to the Second Thursday this month, January 10. This is a one-time thing, the February Roundtable will be back at our regular time, the first Thursday. We will meet at St. Mark's as usual.

Cub Scout side will be Bang-up Blue and Gold's, making the most of your annual blue-ribbon affair. It will be great.

Boy Scouts will meet their new Boy Scout Roundtable Commissioner, Rocky Quiller, veteran Scout leader with six Eagle Scout sons in his family. We excited to have Rocky join the team. He has a great program planned.

Please note this one-time date change and we'll see everyone there.

I wanted to pass along the time for our Annual Falls District Dinner.
It will be held at St. Mark's United Methodist Church on Thursday December 6, 2007.
The time is at 7pm.
Your receipt will serve as your ticket. Please pay at the Occoneechee Scout Office on Atlantic Avenue in Raleigh.
It would be greatly appreciated if you will pass this information along to other Scouters in your unit and our district.

Presenting the

• District Award of Merit
• District Certificates of Appreciation
• Cub Leader of the Year
• Scout Leader of the Year
• Commissioner of the Year

Meal catered by Golden Corral.

Purchase your tickets at the council office. Your receipt is your ticket.

Cost: $12.00  if purchased by Tues, December 4
      $15.00  Dec 5, Dec 6 or at the door

Join us for an evening of food, fellowship and fun as we prepare for the holidays and celebrate another great year of Scouting in Falls District!

Have someone in mind who's performed outstandingly in Scouting? Why knot nominate them?

Use the attached form!
Deadline is Friday, November 9, 2007 @ 1pm!

Please encourage your boys who have been tapped out to make sure they go to Fall Fellowship to go through their ordeal. This is their last chance. Also, all Brothers need to come as this is election time, plus Rodney's last event with the lodge as Lodge Advisor. The Lodge Dinner in December will his celebration.
If you have any questions, please e-mail me. Our chapter has so many wonderful brothers elected, but we need their participation this Fall. The theme for Fall Fellowship in our chapter is "Star Wars". We still camp in campsite # 8 as always. Please come and join us.

Here are the two forms for scouters to nominate folks for this year's awards. Please make copies and distribute them at roundtable this Thursday. I will be at Gilwell getting ready for the start of Wood Badge, so if you could make the announcements and encourage folks to nominate and attend the dinner, that would be great.

There is a saying that says, "It's not over until the paper work is done". We need to make sure that we dot all of the "I"'s and cross all of the "T"'s. There is a lot of paperwork in scouting and we as Scouters are falling behind. Is it our fault? No, not really, there are just a lot of things that get missed, pushed under the rug or just not realized that it has to be done.

Record keeping is a must. Unless we keep accurate records and follow the proper procedures, John won't get his Eagle and young Michael won't get his Arrow of Light. We owe it to our youth to make sure that there is nothing missed. Either from Cub's to Boy Scouts, or in the everyday process of advancing our youth from one rank to the next or just running your unit.

I know that there is a lot to remember, but if you do what you need to do, one step at a time, then, none of us will have to play "catch-up" in order for something good to happen.

Please follow the instructions, follow the procedures, and, if you have questions or need any information, call your unit commissioner, or me and let's get the paperwork done properly. Let's get back to the basics. Thanks for all you do in Scouting for our Youth.

What does that term mean? As I've spent the last couple of months in the District, I've noticed that getting back to basics is something we, as Scouters, need to concentrate on. When we use the term Back to Basics as it applies to the youth, we mean a return to basic Scouting skills that the boys learn in their first year. As I mean it, it applies to a return to the basic leadership skills we need to successful deliver the program to the youth. The district staff needs to return to assisting you deliver the program to youth. We are your first and best resource.

By concentrating on some basic Scout leadership skills we can deliver a better program to the youth that we serve. What have we promised the youth? The outdoors, recognition for their achievements, and fun activities just a few of the things we promised.

Let us keep the outing in Scouting - is your unit camping? Packs, how many of your youth are attending Day Camp, Cub Weekender, or Webelos Resident Camp? Has your Pack planned a Family Camping Experience? Do you have at least 6 outdoor events planned in a year? Troops, are all your boys attending Summer Resident Camp? If they can not attend with the Troop, what arrangements have you made to ensure that all scouts are getting the most out their experience?

One of the basic tenets of the advancement system is instant recognition. Are you recognizing your youth monthly for their achievements? We have excellent Courts of Honors and many outstanding Pack meetings in the District. We have the best rates for boys achieving the Eagle rank in the Council. Are we utilizing the many available program aides that the BSA has to help us deliver the promise? The goal is for every Cub to advance on rank per year, not counting Bobcat. Boys Scouts should advance to several ranks in their first year. From Scout to First Class in one year is the goal and taught at SM Specific.

Are your boys having fun? For a Pack, you can help ensure that they are by inviting all the parents to your annual planning meeting. Troops, is the PLC planning the entire year or working around events the adults want or don't want to attend?

The district staff consists of the district committee members and the commissioner staff. We need to get back to our basics. We are here to provide you service and assistance. The advancement committee is ready to answer questions about how soon can a boy earn the Arrow of Light and cross over to Boy Scouts. If you need to know where you to go camping, call the camping committee for information. Do you need training for your leaders? We can bring training to your unit. The commissioners are there to be a mentor to your unit. Feel free to call them with any question you might have. They can not answer every question, but can find the answer and they know who to call. Is there something else you need to help your program excel? Let the district staff know, and we'll do our best to make sure you get what you need.

By working together and getting back to basics, the district staff can help you provide the best possible scouting experience to the youth in Falls District.