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Show Pride in our Uniform
By Doug Zubka, Pathfinder Vice-Chairman of Training
As I grow in the Pathfinder District, new things become evident. The most recent of these is the push for new scouts. The program is thinning and that means less boys! As I have noticed also through recent events, that Scouting is not as readily apparent in today's communities. When we get a piece in the news, it is usually an uncomplimentary piece. As a matter of fact, I have been told, "Oh, your such a Boy Scout!" when someone disagreed with me. Times have seriously changed. For proof of that just watch what your kids are watching on TV and ask yourself if your parents would have allowed you to watch the same.
If we are to get Scouts from the community, then we must first bring Scouting back to the community. It is simple really. If you are attending a public function, (ie your son's band concert) wear your Scout uniform. If you go to a high school sporting event, wear your Scout uniform. If you are going to a public (non-political) meeting, wear your Scout uniform.
When you are out in uniform, watch those around you. Tweek your ear and listen for the comments. People notice! The more they notice, the more receptive they will be. Wear it and they will come. It is but an incremental step, but it's a step in the right direction. I challenge each of us to try to wear out at least one of our shirts and see if this doesn't work. There is not a cheaper form of advertising!!!
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Recommend Dinner and a Movie?
By Ray Okigawa, District Chairman
How many of us have eaten at a good restaurant or watched a good movie or television show and recommended the restaurant/movie/television show to someone else? I have heard people recommend restaurants and hotels to total strangers!
When was the last time you recommended the Scouting program to someone and told your friend to enroll their children in Scouting?
If you take a good look at what you're recommending to people, most of those recommendations will not make a bit of difference in the overall quality of that person's life. If that person enjoys the restaurant and recommends it to someone else, the one who comes out ahead is the restaurant owner.
When you recommend Scouting to someone, that someone's son or daughter has a chance to learn outdoor and leadership skills and experience a variety of activities that are probably not available anywhere outside of the Scouting program at any price. Non-Scouting summer camps and outdoor leadership skills programs may offer some parts, but not the whole complete package. The Scouting program has much more than its fair share of great leaders. When you recommend Scouting, you're giving someone a chance to learn skills that will be useful all through life! For me, it is more personally satisfying to help a youth become an effective leader than to make a restaurant owner a little wealthier.
Lets get our priorities straight and remember to include Scouting when you tell someone to try something out!
Keep up the Maintenance on your unit
By Bill McGovern, District Commissioner
Most of us are dependant on having a reliable car at our disposal. No, I'm not trying to sell you a little gem that's only been driven to church on Sundays. A lot goes in to making a car reliable, though. When everything is working properly, we can depend on it to do just what it was designed to do. We might even find the experience enjoyable, if we think about it at all.
On the other hand, our wonderful car can just as easily fall into disrepair. Skip the oil changes and tune-ups and the engine will deteriorate much faster than it was designed to.
In a way, the Scouting program is just like that car. When it's running just right, it's really a sight to see. Those motivated scouts looking sharp in their uniforms would make any leader or parent proud. A well-tuned program tracks straight, even when it does hit a bump or two. Well-trained leaders skillfully guide the unit along the way, just like it was designed to do. Deprive the program of any of the essentials, and the unit suffers. It may not be obvious at first, but a program that's not being well maintained will show the signs after a while, falling membership, unmotivated leaders, bored scouts, boys who are missing out on what should be the time of their lives.
The essentials include well-trained adult and junior leaders, and well-planned programs that include opportunities for the scouts to learn the skills they need and have the fun and adventure they want. The unit will give back to its charter partner and to the community. The scouts and leaders should be proud to wear their uniforms properly, just-out-of –the-showroom clean! The scouts should have plenty of opportunity to grow their skills as team members and as leaders. They should learn, through the examples set by their leaders and fellow scouts, to live the Scout Oath and the Scout Law in their daily lives. We have to continuously recruit new members and leaders into our Packs, Troops and Crews. The scouts should camp often. From Cub Scouts on through Venturing, camping is the high-octane fuel that keeps our scouts accelerating through the program. We have to be diligent in maintaining our units. Skipping any of the essentials will inevitably lead to disrepair.
So keep up the maintenance on your units. Keep it running smoothly. Just like that car, it's a lot easier when you properly take care of any problems early. And just like that car, if you need professional help, it's always there, and the price is just right! Let's polish up that Pack, Troop and Crew. Roll it out for your neighbors and community to see. You can bet their eyes will light up when they see you. And, my, doesn't that make you proud!
Meeting Locations:
District Committee and District Commissioners Meetings will be held at the Dunbar Lakes Clubhouse located at 720 Dunbar Lane in Schaumburg (just off of Lakeland Drive west of Plum Grove Road).
Roundtable and OA Chapter Meetings will be held at the LDS Church located at 1320 West Schaumburg Road in Schaumburg (East of Springinsguth).
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June Calendar (Summer Camping Experiences Start)
2 6:30 PM District Commissioners Meeting
7:30 PM District Committee Meeting
9 7:30 PM PROGRAM KICKOFF MEETING
7:30 PM OA Chapter Meeting
July Calendar (Summer Camps all Month)
9 Scout Night with the Schaumburg Flyers, Game #1
29 Scout Night with the Schaumburg Flyers, Game #2
August Calendar
4 6:30 PM District Commissioners Meeting
7:30 PM District Committee Meeting
11 7:30 PM Roundtable/Fall Membership Kickoff
8:00 PM OA Chapter Meeting
Boy Scout Camporee Report
Camporee was a great success! The weather was perfect (i.e. dry) although at tad cool at night (37 on Friday night and 38 Saturday night). One of the highlights of the Camporee was the hovercraft exhibit. Full size hovercrafts were tooling around a field. A small remote control hovercraft went zipping around another field and over ramps. Scout/ers could pedal a human powered hovercraft and lift themselves off the ground. Everyone enjoyed watching the rockets take off and get eaten by trees. Events include bottle rockets, astronomy, solar system chaos, bean bag, a surprise site. It couldn't have worked out better. Thanks to all the leaders/parents who made the sites so much fun and helped out with their Scouts. Thank you to Steve Ignots, Ed Cuny and all the rest of the Camporee Committee for putting on a excellent event.
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