Hi folks,

It has been suggested that this presidential election year would be a good time to do the Citizenship in the Nation merit badge.  I agree whole-heartedly. 

A merit badge is a lot of fun.  It can entail a lot of work.  But failure to follow this sequence can invalidate all of the work done on the badge.  Don’t blow it – follow these steps. This is written with the idea of working the merit badge at T324's troop meetings, but the general process is THE process for merit badges throughout the BSA.

1. Get a blue card from the Advancement Coordinator (Chuck) and get the Scoutmaster (Bear or Christina)  to sign it.
   
2. Talk to the Advancement Coordinator (Chuck) to get a list of counselors – subject matter experts who have specialized knowledge and are willing to help you.  (In this case, it's me (Ray).)
   
3. At a meeting in the near future, I will explain what is expected and will start helping you to meet the requirements. At this point, you should discuss any work that you have already started or completed.  In general, it’s best to wait until you’ve spoken with your counselor before starting any work.
   
4. Most of our discussions will be at the Troop Meetings. If we need to have a conversation by email, then make sure that every email is also CCed to your parent and to the Scoutmaster. If by phone, then make sure the call is made in the presence of your parent, and is done while on speaker. We will NOT use social media channels, including (but not limited to) Facebook, IM, Instagram, or anything else. If in person, it will be at a troop meeting; if a meeting outside of a troop meeting is necessary, your parent must be present, and any meeting will be in a public place.
   
5. Once you have a counselor (for this one, that's me) and understand what you need to do, get to it!  Read the pamphlet for the badge (see the end of this blog entry) and ask the counselor if you have any questions as to what you need to do. Don’t waste your time or the counselor’s time: complete all requirements exactly as directed in the pamphlet – for example, if it says, “show or demonstrate”, that’s what you need to do, you cannot just talk about it.
   
6. Contact the counselor again to be tested on each requirement to make sure that you know your stuff and can do/have done everything required.
   
7. Get the requirements initialed and the blue card signed by the counselor, and then go talk with your Scoutmaster about it.  Make a copy of the blue card for your records, and then give it to the Advancement Coordinator. 
   
8. Get your badge at the next Court of Honor!

If you wish to take this badge, go to the Troop Google Drive and download the Citizenship in the Nation Pamphlet.   I looked all through the pamphlet and saw nothing to prohibit me from scanning it and posting it, so I did.

Greeetings, all!

While we're not chasing you around for your Investment in Character/Friends of Scouting forms this year, this critical fundraiser is still happening, and now it's easier than ever.

First of all, click here to check out my fundraising page.  I'm a Valley District IC Team Captain, and this page is for Troops 324B, 324G, and Ship 324 (they set it up under my name, but the money still goes toward our units' goals and the district's goal.  We really should be shooting for at least $100 per family and preferably $300 per family - so our combined goal of $3,000 is really light, considering how mamy Scouts are in our combined units, and that even with Covid shutting things down, the council is still spending upwards of $300 per Scout.  I'd really like to see us blow past that goal completely, but I also understand that some of us are still not back to work from the Covid closures. So, every dollar helps - even if $300 or $100 isn't possible, $50 is great.  Just please get yourself on record as a Friend of Scouting.

Why do we bother? Because now - especially now, when some adults are setting bad examples for citizenship from coast to coast - we need Scouting most to teach good citizenship, problem-solving skills, and proper leadership.

Thanks,
Ray

Hi folks,

The folks who run the my.scouting.org website tend to leave obsolete/invalid training courses on their site, and I don't want anyone to fall into the trap of taking 4 modules and then finding out that they have to go back and take the correct training. I did that. So have a couple of other Scouters that I know who sent me a screen shot of some completed courses but did not get a YPT completion certificate.  I took the web folks to task for leaving the old stuff on the site, but I think that fell on deaf ears.

So, I made sure to get explicit instructions from the National Council's IT folks to be sure that you don't take a wrong turn somewhere.  After I followed these, I got my YPT certificate.

Instructions

• From the HOME page at my.scouting.org select the logo 'BSA TRAIN CENTER'
• On the next page Scroll Down to the YPT logo
• Click on the emblem
• You will see "YPT" and should see a blue button with a white + sign that says 'Add Plan'
• Click on the button – This adds the training to your personal Training Plan
• Now you need to scroll to the top of the screen and select MY LEARNING from the tabs at the top of the screen
• Scroll down that page until you see Youth Protection (training should be in alpha order)
• Select Youth Protection Training - MANDATORY
• The next screen will show all 4 modules
• Go to the first Module and select the blue button LAUNCH COURSE
  • As you complete each Module you will need to repeat the process to select the next Module, then the next Module, then the test, to complete the course.

Once you complete all Modules including the Test - scoring 75% or higher - you will receive an email with your certificate in it.

If you do not receive the email or see YPT complete when you sign onto your account within 48 hours send an email to  myscouting@scouting.org and they will research the issue.

There is only 1 version of BSAs YPT. The updated training replaces the previous Y01 (old generic YPT), Y02 (Venturing YPT), and Y03 (Exploring YPT), and is required for all BSA programs. The code for the updated YPT is Y01. (There's nothing confusing about that, right?)

If you need additional assistance, please call 972-580-2489 Monday through Friday 7am to 7pm Central time.

Also, for each activity, we will be asking you the following questions:

1. In the last 14 days, have you had contact with anyone who has tested positive or is presumed positive for COVID-19?
2. In the last 14 days, have you had contact with anyone has had influenza-like illness or been otherwise sick?
3. In the last 14 days, have you or anyone you have been in close contact with traveled on a cruise ship, internationally, or to an area that is currently under travel restrictions?

If the answer to any of the above questions is "Yes", stay home.

 4. Are you in a higher-risk category as defined by the CDC guidelines?

(If yes, we recommend you stay home. Should you choose to participate, you must understand the risks of coming to camp and that getting COVID-19 or any other communicable disease cannot be completely avoided and that it may happen.)

Now, back to our regularly-scheduled blog entry:

For this weekend's shooting sports campout, you will need the following forms completed:
If you do not have a current BSA Medical Record on file with the Troop (Mike and Joey Wells), please bring a completed Annual Health and Medical Record Parts A & B. This one does not require a physical examination by a doctor.

From Troop 324 Forms

• 324-EMERGENCY_INFORMATION.pdf (MUST COMPLETE once and provide to Mike Wells; update as necessary)
• 324-Permission_Slip_Scout.pdf (youth only)
• 324-Permission_Slip_Adult.pdf (adults only)

The permission slips must be completed for every activity. 

Handy-dandy trick - I do this, but your mileage may vary; void where prohibited:

• Complete everything not inside a box - it isn't likely to change. 
• Make 12 - 15 copies of that half-completed form..
• Put those copies back into the printer so that the back side of those copies will be printed upon next.
• Youth form: Scan each youth's health insurance card onto that side.
• Adult form: Scan your health and driving insurance cards onto that side.

Then, for every campout, you need only complete the stuff inside the boxes. Woohoo!

Summer Camp at PV

If you still owe a balance, please bring payment to Mike at tonight's meeting, 22 June, 2020.

For PV, you will need to complete the following forms. You *WILL NOT* be allowed in camp without them.  If you can get them done and and bring them to Monday's meeting, that would be great. We understand that scheduling the physical exam isn't always that easy, but you really need to get started.

DAC PV Forms are here.

From the left column: 

• Pre-Camp Health Screening - YOUTH AND ADULTS MUST COMPLETE 14 DAYS IN ADVANCE OF GOING TO CAMP.!  THAT MEANS THAT YOU HAVE TO HAVE STARTED ON THIS ON SUNDAY, JUNE 21, 2020!!!!
• BSA Medical Forms - YOUTH AND ADULTS MUST COMPLETE ALL parts INCLUDING the physical examination
• Colorado Addendum: Immunizations - MUST COMPLETE FOR ALL YOUTH
• Colorado Addendum: Additional Information - MUST COMPLETE FOR ALL YOUTH

If you need to take medications, you MUST COMPLETE these:

• Colorado Addendum: Contract to Carry
• Routine Drug Administration Chart (download and fill out if needed).

If you have dietary requirements (allergies/sensitivities, religious; NOT "I ain't eatin' that") then complete the Special Diet Request Form (do online after we hear from Mark that we're registered for our desired week.).