Something for your dens to work on.

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.

The Council is planning a special fall recruiting event for middle school age boys. This event will be a weekend in the woods of Camp Durant. We are looking for adults and senior youth from various units to staff this event. You will be asked to pick up interested middle school boys and take them to camp. There they will experience all that Scouting has to offer. If you are interested in volunteering for this event and expanding your Troop, contact Richard Becker.

Join the Brothers of Kato Hochuli Chapter of Occoneechee Lodge 104 of the Order of the Arrow in Calling Out members of Falls District Troops nominated as Ordeal candidates.

All troops and family members are invited to Asbury United Methodist Church Amphitheater at 7:30pm, Monday, May 2nd. All current Arrowmen are to wear their sashes.

District-wide, we are aiming for 67% of Boy and Varsity Scouts registered for a summer camp program by June 30th.

We can do it... register your unit today!

The week-long Venturing Vortex camp originally scheduled for June 12th - 17th has been moved to June 19th - 24th. Venturing Vortex is open to all venturers and explorers. Check out the 60 second spot to see what's in store this year!

Hope to see you there!

Reportedly if we get 1500 registrations from the area, they will arrange to show the "Down and Derby" movie at a local theater. I would think it might be too late for that, but the website still has the link/instructions active: http://www.downandderby.com/theater.html

I've CC'ed the Falls District executive and the Falls District Pack leaders, in case others want to put forth the effort into getting the movie back into this area.

For the benefit of those outside Pack 314 who haven't been part of our prior discussion on this, I've seen the movie with my son and highly recommend it for all Scout parents and Scouts. It's not "the greatest motion picture ever made", but parts of it are "hilarious" and the subject matter is obviously something we can all relate to and enjoy. The overall message it sends is perfect.

I thought the theater in Durham was quite a hike...but in comparison to the money one would spend on gas to go see it in the remaining theaters listed, that ride was nothing.

I've registered via the "REGISTER NOW" link on the link above, so we're down to 1499 needed registrations now at the very least. Actually I "just" registered my son using his e-mail address, so make that 1498 (heh). We'd go see it again for sure if it were in Raleigh (the kid keeps making references to "Big Jimmy" and his "Big Rig" and laughing about it, so I know he'd be in for another viewing). So now the question is will "you" make it 1497 to go?

Being that we've got over 15,000 Scouts in the Occoneechee Council, a mere 10% of that number would put us over the 1,500 mark.

Please let your parents know that Week 2 of Wake County Day Camp is full; there is no more room for youth that week! There are plenty openings in both Weeks 1 & 3 for youth.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me!

The 2005-2006 Falls District calendar - for those who want to print the complete Falls District calendar or who want to incorporate the calendar on their own unit's web site - is available as a PDF below.

Way to go cubs! You all did very well this year! The winners were:

Speed

Craftmanship

Originality

It is time to start thinking of recruiting. The Wake County Team will be rolling out the Fall Join Scout Night plan on June 7 at the Harrell Youth Center located at the NC State Fairgrounds. A representative from every Unit is highly encouraged to attend this event. Be the first to know the plan on fall recruiting and how you can be successful. The units that attended this event last year were the most successful in the fall. Please RSVP to me with your contact's name, phone number, email, and RSVP.

Order of the Arrow Chapter Kato Hochuli would like to volunteer its services to any Troops interested in a fire building demonstration. Bring the spirit of an Order of the Arrow camp fire display to your Troop for a meeting-to-remember!

Contact Michael Mavretic to schedule.

Congratulations to everyone in the Falls District!

Thanks to your hard work and generosity we have reached and exceeded our goal. Special thanks goes to the various unit chairs, we coordinated the work and made that campaign a success. Dallas Brickhouse led the Family Campaign to another record year. We had a new campaign called Pacesetter and Tommy Stone hit and exceeded all marks for that campaign. Mike Burkitt led the Community Campaign to achieve goal for the first time ever!

The Council Victory Celebration is scheduled for June 9th at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences starting at 6:30 p.m. All Unit FOS Chair, FOS Presenters, the various District FOS Chairs and their spouses are invited. Please RSVP to Laurie Gillie by June 2nd.

ADVANCE, Issue 02

Update! Space is still available! Sign up now if you would like to attend!

Scouts and Venturers, now's the time to start thinking about the Double H High Adventure Base in 2006! The Double H High Adventure Base (located in Datil, New Mexico) is the newest Adventure of the Boy Scouts of America. The Double H will provide you and your crew with a rugged backpacking experience unlike any you have done before!

Your crew will have a chance to hike through canyons, navigate cross country with a GPS, and watch prize bull elk. Base camp is located at over 7,000 feet! Significant elevation changes will occur while hiking through the open ponderosa forest and participating in the exciting programs such as astronomy, Leave-No-Trace, challenge/team building, and much more!

We've topped 400 registrations for our upcoming Cub Scout Day Camp, but we're looking to exceed our 600 goal. If you're not yet registered, contact me today!

Are our records accurate? We want to make sure they are, and we need your help!

The spreadsheet below allows you to list all the training, awards, and recognition members of your unit have received. Please complete the spreadsheet (instructions are contained within the spreadsheet) and return to me.

Mid-year numbers are in. Check it out!

Attention Scouters! Do you like to be in the action? Do you like to write? If so, a turn as a District Journalist is right for you!

Be there as news that affects our District unfolds. Go on assignment to deliver the scoop! We're seeking motivated Scouters to cover District Roundtables, Camporees, Order of the Arrow ceremonies, and all outings in our District! Attend and follow the action, then post your story to the District web site.

This is a great way to fulfill requirements 3a, 3b, and 3c of the Journalism merit badge!

Contact Bishop Bettini today!

It's that time again! Your opportunity -- our opportunity -- to recognize deserving scouters for their service to the Scouting program and to the youth of our community.

Enclosed are nomination forms for the 2005 Falls District District Award of Merit and Distinguished Leadership Citation. Please take this opportunity to nominate scouters that have made a difference in your unit and our district. If you know of more than one scouter worthy of nomination for each award... great! Just photocopy the nomination forms and nominate as many as you like.

Read more in the attachments below... Ed Miller, Advancement and Recognitions Chairman 1125374400 rbecker@bsamail.org

There are some opportunities for Boy Scout Leader training at the Florida Sea Base in January.

If anyone is interested, the application needs to be signed by John Akerman then all monies and the application are mailed by the applicant to Sea Base. We don't take any money at the council.

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.

For our folks new to Venturing and for those who've been around a while, don't forget to participate in our Council's Venturing Yahoo! Group. All Venturers in our Council are encouraged to subscribe and participate.

Notifications for date, time and location of the Venturing Officers Association (for youth) and Commissars Group (for adults) meetings are posted through group.

There are three Council sponsored events your Cub Scout can attend. These will help you and him fully experience what Scouting is all about. They are the Cub Scout Day Camp, Cub Overnighter, and Webelos Resident Camp.

Day Camp is a chance for Cubs to sample everything they can do all year long. This is one of the few places they can earn the BB or Archery Belt Loops. Thanks to overwhelming support the second week of Day Camp (June 27 - July 1) is full. Please encourage your Cub Scouts to attend either the first or second week of Day Camp. This is an excellent opportunity of them to experience some of the fun things Cub Scouts is all about.

The Cub Scout Overnighter at Camp Durant is full. Due to the overwhelming response we are scheduling two overnighters next summer.

The Webelos Resident Camp is a three night experience for Webelos to sample what Boy Scout Resident Camp will be like when they are a little older. There will be age appropriate activities for them as will as some challenging ones. There are still openings so sign up soon.

ADVANCE, Issue 01

As your District Commissioner, I salute you, the Unit Leader. You are the "Delivery System" of the Boy Scouts of America. I recognize the vital role you play in making Scouting happen in the lives of the boys you serve. It is my desire to support you in that role and to be a Scouter friend you can call upon at any time.

I appreciate the long hours that you devote to Scouting each month. The kind of leadership you provide inspires me to what I can to be a resource to you. No, I don't have all the answers, but I am a pipeline to the best Scouting minds in our District and Council.

So, I am interested in delivering a promise to you. And it is this: I promise to be a friend in support of you and your Unit. So call me when you need me, and I will, of course, be in touch with you monthly.

So, what does the Commissioner Service in your district do to your unit?

So, who am I? I am your friend and support network through the District and through the Council. Call me, because, I will be calling you to ask your permission to come and visit your unit once in a while.

Thank you for what you do in Scouting.

Yours in Scouting

Jim Cumming
District Commissioner

Scouters,

Please bookmark our new district web site, available at:

http://www.fallsdistrict.org/

On our site, you will find:

• District information affects your unit: follow the main menu (at the top of the page) to Cub Scouting, Boy Scouting, and Venturing & Sea Scouting specific information.
• A calendar of events: on the home page, events that affect everyong. On unit type and function group pages, only events that affect those areas.
• Falls in Focus: addressing issues that affect your unit's membership, finances, program activities, and training.
• Syndicated news: use our RSS feed to pull District news directly to your desktop.

Help us help you!

We need to know what works best for your unit. Let us know if any of these tools would benefit your unit:

• Newsletters, Alerts, and Bulletins emailed directly to you: signup online.
• Online forums where you can dialogue with other units
• A dedicated email inbox for your unit, eg: pack123@fallsdistrict.org, troop123@fallsdistrict.org, crew123@fallsdistrict.org, ship123@fallsdistrict.org.

Thank you for all you do to make Scouting in our District a success!

Please contact me if you have any questions or suggestions on how the District web site can help your unit grow and excel!

Sincerely,

Bishop Bettini, Webmaster

webmaster@fallsdistrict.org

http://www.fallsdistrict.org/

The leadership training philosophy of the Boy Scouts of America is to provide adult leaders with fundamental information about the aims and purposes of the movement, as well as specifics about their particular roles in Scouting.

A trained leader is knowledgeable and confident in the role being performed. The knowledge and confidence of a trained leader are quickly sensed by Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Varsity Scouts, or Venturers and are a positive influence on their lives.

Four Levels of Training

Trainers should view training from an overall perspective and not limit their vision to the particular course they are conducting. There is no way that leaders can accumulate all the information and ideas they need to do an effective job in a few hours of training. It would be unfortunate indeed if any leader left a training course thinking: "Is that all there is?" Leaders and instructors alike should have a clear understanding that leadership training is a process that continues as long as an individual is actively involved in the program. One of our aims is to inform leaders of the opportunities available:

1. Orientation/Fast Start Training

Fast Start training is designed to be used at the point of recruiting, to get a new leader off to a fast start. The Fast Start counselor delivers the appropriate video and viewer guide to the new leader. Fast Start training can also be used as parents' and chartered organization leaders' first exposure to Cub Scouting, Boy Scouting, Varsity Scouting, or Venturing. Its purpose is to acquaint families, new leaders, and others with the program of the Boy Scouts of America and give specific information about the program phase involved. Fast Start should motivate leaders to complete basic training.

Some councils also make Fast Start training available as an interactive computer-based training on their Internet Web sites.

2. Basic Training

New Leader Essentials is the initial training for adult leaders serving youth in units. Through a series of lively presentations, the 90-minute training presents an overview of the core elements of Scouting, including the organization's mission, aims, and methods. It also provides new leaders with a look at the resources available to them through the Boy Scouts of America, and a clear understanding of Scouting's expectations of its adult leadership.

Who attends New Leader Essentials? All new adult leaders of Tiger Cubs, Cub Scouts, Webelos Scouts, Boy Scouts, Varsity Scouts, or Venturers should attend.

Upon completion of New Leader Essentials, volunteer leaders take part in leader-specific training to prepare them for the opportunities and responsibilities relating to their leadership positions with the Cub Scout program, the Boy Scout program, or the Venturing program. Leader-specific training is also an opportunity for new leaders to get answers to questions they may have about their roles and about the BSA in general. A Scout leader needs to attend New Leader Essentials only once.

Flexible delivery is a key part of the Basic Leader Training design. As group training, New Leader Essentials (1-1/2 hours) and the five Cub Scouting specifics (2-1/2 to three hours each) can be delivered as a half-day training, two evening sessions, or a variety of other combinations. Whenever possible, Cub Scout, Boy Scout, and Venturing leaders should be included in New Leader Essentials.

3. Supplemental Training

This includes a variety of courses given on a district, council, area, regional, or national basis. They are designed to give additional information on specific areas of Cub Scouting, Boy Scouting, Varsity Scouting, and Venturing.

Some of the methods touched upon in basic training are treated in greater depth in supplemental training courses. Some courses are held on a regular basis as a continuing source of information. Examples of supplemental training courses are Cub Scout leader Pow Wows, University of Scouting, and crew leader workshops. Supplemental training is also offered in conferences at the Philmont Training Center.

Since supplemental training is intended to enrich the leaders' experience, there are no prerequisites.

4. Advanced Training

Leaders desiring a deeper dedicated involvement in the program, and who are otherwise qualified, will find advanced training highly rewarding. Wood Badge serves as the advanced training program for Cub Scouting, Boy Scouting, Varsity Scouting, and Venturing.

Successful completion of basic training is a prerequisite for advanced training.

Basic Adult Leader Outdoor Orientation.

Cub Scout Packs may conduct pack campouts (overnight activities), with a council approved local tour permit and under the leadership of BALOO trained Cub Scout Leaders. Successful completion of this training course will result in an increased level of confidence and willingness to plan an age-appropriate pack overnighter. BALOO training is the first step in the BSA outdoor training program, and does not replace any existing training, nor should it be merged with any other training course.

I wanted to thank you all for your continuing commitment to training in your Unit!

Right now, I am compiling and confirming statistics on our trained leaders and will have those posted soon!

Remember, it's been said that to succeed in Scouting, three principles must be emphasized: training, training, and training!

In this issue of the Falls District newsletter:

• Getting the most out of this summer
• Calling all Kernels. Popcorn 2005 is upon us
• Tour Permits: What you need to know
• New square knot available for volunteer unit organizers

We are now back online, after a summer of down time. Thank you for your patience.

For those of you Information Technology (IT) people out there, I strongly urge you to stay away from rackforce.com. They previously hosted this site, and they managed to not only lose the primary server, but also the backups.

As a result, data stretching back several months has been lost. Our apologies for this inconvenience. We're now hosted on donated space with ideacode, Inc. and their hosted services division.

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!

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!

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!

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. Ivan Waldorf 1199163600 kmontgom@bsamail.org

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! Kristy Montgomery 1199250000 NESA104@NC.RR.COM 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! Dave Pederson 1201410000 kmontgom@bsamail.org

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

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

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

What is the best way to recognize Unit leaders in your unit?

The District Committee is accepting nominations for the Scout Leader of the Year, Cub Leader of the Year and Commissioner of the Year. This is a good opportunity for you to submit your recommendation for your leader to be awarded the Falls District Leader of the Year Award. The nomination deadline is Friday November 7, 2008 and the presentation will be at the District Dinner on Thursday December 4, 2008. Take the time to recognize the deserving leaders in your unit. The form for this award is the ScouterOfDistinction.pdf file below.

It is time to nominate worthy Scouters for the 2008 Scouter of Distinction Award. This is a Falls District award for outstanding performance in any registered Scouting Position. The nomination deadline is Friday November 7, 2008 and the presentation will be at the District Dinner on Thursday December 4, 2008. Take the time to recognize the volunteers in your unit. Details on requirements are included on the form; the nomination form for this award is the ScouterOfDistinction.pdf file below.

Nominations are being solicited for the Falls District Award of Merit for 2008. This is an Occoneechee Council Award for a registered Scouter who has rendered noteworthy service to youths that is beyond the normal expectation for the Scouter's registered position. The nomination deadline is Friday November 7, 2008 and the presentation will be at the District Dinner on Thursday December 4, 2008. Take the time to recognize the deserving leaders in your unit. The form for this award is the LdrOrCommOfTheYear.pdf file below.