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Congressional Medal of Honor recipient to be guest speaker at Scouting On Track Wounded in Viet Nam by enemy mortar fire, he continued to man a machine gun, ignored warnings to take cover, fired multiple howitzer rounds single-handedly, crossed a river under fire to rescue fellow wounded soldiers and then found another howitzer and continued to fire until he ran out of shells. 
One year later, after being promoted top sergeant, he received the Medal of Honor from President Lyndon Johnson for his heroic service under fire
NWSC's Scouting On Track Committee is pleased to announce that U. S. Army Retired Sgt. 1st Class Sammy Davis will be the guest speaker to climax the big Scout parade scheduled for Arlington Park on July 4. Following an Eagle Color Guard, Sgt. Davis will march with Scout and Community dignitaries and hundreds of Scouts in the parade, kicking off a full day of celebration in honor of the BSA's 100th Anniversary. Sgt. Davis, an ex-Scout himself, will then address the Scout participants and an estimated audience of 18,000 persons. That evening, Sgt. Davis will address attendees at the Arlington Height's Festival Days celebration from the event's main stage. (For a complete biography of Sgt. Davis click here.) The parade, the first of two major events taking place, will step off at 11:45 a.m. and will conclude in front of the Winner's Circle at 12:30 p.m. Following the parade and throughout the afternoon, Scouts and non-Scouts will be able to participate in numerous Scout and Arlington Park activities. A major highlight will be the NWSC Pinewood Derby Championship races in the 4th floor International Ballroom. All district winners are invited to compete is this annual classic. Outside, some 20 exhibits, displays and fun activities are being planned, including an Army rock climbing wall, a Monkey bridge, a Raingutter Regatta, a robotic display, pony rides and more.  All NWSC units are being requested to register for this once-in-a lifetime event and receive a FREE patch. Scout Leaders are urged to register their units now (There is NO unit registration fee) with Dee Ryan at the Council Office. Scouts, 17 and under, in full Field Uniform, will be admitted FREE. Adult Leaders may obtain advance, discounted tickets for $5.00 each by applying on-line with Arlington Park. General admission at the gate is $8.00. Click here for the registration and on-line ticket application information. Scouters interested in helping with activity ideas, promotion and unit recruiting, contact Staff Advisor Frank Chlebek at 1-847- 824-6894, fchlebek@bsamail.org or Committee Chairman Carl Laub at 1-847-255-2892, duke@nw.nwsc.org Former NWSC Scout awarded for combat heroism “During an intense firefight on 18 June 2009, he assumed an exposed position and employed automatic weapons fire as enemy rounds impacted around him.” Thus reads a portion of the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal award presented to Special Warfare Operator Second Class Robert Blomsness signed by Rear Admiral E.G.Winters, U.S. Navy, on March 25, 2010. While serving in Afghanistan as a Navy Seal, Petty Officer “Rob” Blomsness “displayed extraordinary bravery during 19 combat operations that resulted in 174 enemies killed in action,” according to the commendation. Blomsness was a Cub Scout in Signal Hill's Pack 183 and later a Scout in Troop 10. After majoring in Business at Colorado State University-Fort Collins, CO, he joined the Navy and is now serving in his 4th years as a Seal. His citation was awarded for “heroic achievement while serving as Bravo Platoon Assaulter and automatic weapons gunner for naval special warfare task unit-Trident, in direct support of Operation Enduring Freedom from May to October 2009.” The son of Jeff Blomsness, a long-time NWSC Executive Board Member and former V. P. of Special Events, “Rob” served in Iraq and in currently completing his second tour in Afghanistan. NWSC is proud to report his accomplishments and wishes “God Speed” for his safe return. 
Petty Officer Rob Blomsness dressed for work… so we may go to work. Council Banquet Honorees During ceremonies held on Friday, May 21st the Northwest Suburban Council honored eight new Silver Beaver Award recipients during the Council Banquet held at the Cotillion in Palatine. The Silver Beaver Award is the highest award presented by the National Court of Honor of the Boy Scouts of America for exceptional volunteer service within the local council. This year's honorees were Alan Amati, John Campbell, Dick Engbrecht, Brad Epstein, Bill Goffinski, Bill McLeod, Mike Tangen, and Greg Webb. Jared and Avery Epstein were presented their individual James E. West Fellow Awards for their significant contributions to the Northwest Suburban Council's endowment fund. Four local districts earned the 2009 National Centennial Quality District Award: North Woods, Pathfinder, Scoutreach/Aguila, and Learning for Life/Exploring. The Northwest Suburban Council also earned the 2009 National Centennial Quality Council Award.  Farewell, Sabrina 
Sabrina Buchberger served successfully as our NWSC Learning for Life Executive for the past two years. During her tenure, the program continued to grow in youth membership, units, financial support, and program quality. Her service area earned the National Quality District Award for both of her years of service. She further developed special funding to support the program including expansion of the on-line auction. She instituted the "Laws of Life" essay contest and awards dinner. Sabrina will be moving to New Jersey to become a Marketing Director for a major national for-profit company. Our best wishes go with her in her new pursuits.
BSA Urgent Read: REMINDER - VENTURING AGE/GRADE ELIGIBILITY CHANGES EFFECTIVE MAY 1, 2010 Don't forget about the age change for the Venturing program. This is a great opportunity to springboard some teens into summer Venturing, where they can participate in many fun adventures with their peers. This an additional recruiting avenue that is coming open for those who are prepared to seize the moment and introduce some young people to an exciting program. As a simple reminder, the National Executive Board recently approved a resolution to change the eligibility requirements for Venturing to ensure consistency among Venturing, high-adventure bases, and other core programs. The current age and grade eligibility requirement for participation in the Venturing program is 14 years of age and completion of the eighth grade. Effective May 1, 2010, the minimum age requirement will be changed to either: 14 years of age OR 13 years of age and completion of the eighth grade. The maximum age for participation remains under 21 years of age. In support of this change, a list of frequently asked questions is posted at www.scouting.org/venturing. If you have any questions, please contact Donald Shepard, Youth Development team leader at the BSA national office at 972-580-2547 or donald.shepard@scouting.org. 2010 Popcorn Sale – Units Need To Sign Up Now The exciting 2010 Popcorn sale is in its developmental stages. In order for units to plan properly it is very important that each unit secures their Unit Popcorn Chairperson now. Please don't be caught off guard going into the summer months if you don't have a Popcorn Chairperson at this point. Plan for success now by recruiting a new Chairperson, in turn this will no doubt enable your youth to have a fantastic program in 2010. All units are required to please record your Popcorn Chairperson's contact information with NWSC Finance Assistant Sue Domzalski sdomzals@bsamail.org or 847-759-2999. Mark your calendar now -- the Council Popcorn Kick-off is Wednesday August 25 held at the Northwest Suburban Council office 600 Wheeling Rd. Mt. Prospect IL 60056. All units are required to attend...plus you will receive all of your fantastic 2010 sales items and a brand new "popcorn kick-off kit". GIFTS-IN-KIND NEEDED The NWSC Office is actually the most used of our three council-owned properties. Most weeks, it is used seven days per week, and also four to five nights per week. Jokingly, we say that there is really no need for light switches as the office is usually open enough that there is hardly time or need to turn off the lights. With this type of usage, the NWSC Office gets a lot of wear and tear. We also use items that you would use in your own home and/or office. With the flow of human traffic in and out of the office, we use a lot of expendable items. You might have some of these items available to you and could donate them for use, rather than us having to raise the money and then actually purchase the items. Below is a partial list that we could use: Reams of standard white copy paper (8.5 X 11) Reams of colored copy paper (8.5 X 11) in yellow, blue, green, tan, and orange Oversized manila envelopes Paper clips - standard size Dry erase markers and erasers Ink pens - blue or black ink Liquid hand soap Dishwashing liquid Paper towels Toilet paper Plastic drinking cups (12 oz.) Foam drinking cups (8 or 12 oz.) Paper or plastic plates - dinner size Paper or plastic bowls - salad/soup size Paper or plastic plates - luncheon/dessert size Plastic utensils Paper napkins Sugar packets Sweetener packets Non-dairy creamer Soft drinks (12 oz. cans) - assorted flavors Coffee for a drip method coffee maker Wooden or plastic stirrers Bottled water Flip chart pads of paper American flag (large) - flies outside 24/7 for six months Illinois flag (large) - flies outside 24/7 for six months Plastic name tag holders 
100th Anniversary National Hall of Leadership Nominations
Lorenz BauerMatthew Bauer (Scout) Richard Dunlap (deceased) Brad Epstein Bernie Fischer Tom Fortney Robert Galassi William Goffinski Linda Hayford Josh Hinson (Scout) Bruce Hoffman Patrick Hogan (Scout) Catherine Johnson Michael Koehler James Mccarty Leonard Pearson Thomas Petrik Patricia Polities Conrad Reibold (deceased) Ken Rogalski Joseph N. Schluep Susan Simmons Richard Stone Chuck Taubman Betty Wurster Timothy Wziontka Daniel Zundel (Scout) Congratulations to all on your nomination to the BSA National Hall of Leadership for the extraordinary difference you have made in the lives of others through your leadership |
Learning for Life
Smoke Signals “Smoke Signals” lists only Council-level events and dates. For district activities, please refer to the district news pages.
June
July
August Sean Milner Troop 570 Keith Cercone Troop 228 Gregory Franzen Troop 23 John Koehler Troop 168 Ryan Swing Troop 107 Jacob Kuntz Troop 468 Alexander Lee Troop 265 Gregory Frech Troop 964 Christian Brandon Troop 140 Roberto Diaz Troop 335 Planning Your Pack, Troop, or Venturing Crew's 2010-2011 Program It is hard to believe that it is time to start planning your unit's 2010-2011 program year! Most Cub Scout Packs, Boy Scout Troops, and Venturing Crews plan the upcoming school year's program during June, and if your unit is not doing this, it should be. If you plan your unit's activities now, When putting your plan together, include: A written planned annual program will make it much easier to recruit both new youth and their parents, and recruiting new parent leaders will be easier if you show that you are organized and have already put a plan together for the year. Have a fun and safe summer! Ray Okigawa Council Vice President, Membership Distinguished Citizens' Banquet SAVE THE DATE Mark your calendars for evening of October 6th, 2010 at Stonegate Banquets in Hoffman Estates. This will be our annual Distinguished Citizens' Banquet wherein we'll honor several honorees this year along with celebrating our 100th anniversary. Northwest Suburban Scout Shop  Trading Post Tidbits Patches commemorating Scouting's 100th Anniversary are now available at your Tradin Post. New Cub Scout Leader books arrive Updated Cub Scout Leader books, filled with new program information and helpful hints, are now available at your Tradin Post. All are aimed at increasing Cub membership, retention, advancement and aiding in meeting presentations.  Giving a whole new look and approach to the Cub Program are the Cub Scout Roundtable Guide, Cub Scout Specialty Training Guide, Den and Pack Ceremonies Guide, Webelos Leader Guide, Cub Scout Leader Guide and the Cub Scout Meeting Resource Guide, which replaces the Program Helps program.  The Cub Scout Meeting Resource book, for example, contains monthly themes representing core values that will be repeated on an annual basis:  Sept. -- Cooperation; Oct. -- Responsibility Nov. -- Citizenship; Dec. -- Respect Jan. -- Positive Attitude; Feb. -- Resourcefulness Mar. -- Compassion; April -- Faith May -- Health & Fitness; June -- Perseverance July -- Courage; Aug. -- Honesty Please note, the handbooks for the boys HAVE NOT CHANGED. |