A BIG Scouting thank you to Matt Culbertson and the many volunteers who hosted this year’s Carlisle Merit Badge College at St. Patrick’s in Carlisle. Hundreds of Boy Scouts from not only Adventure District, but throughout the New Birth of Freedom Council, even other councils, attended. Whether they came away with a completed blue card, or a partial, with some work to do, every one of those Scouts left with something.

The merit badge program as several goals embedded in it. These include exploration of careers and hobbies, personal responsibility, and interaction with adults. The two Saturdays of this very successful program provided that and much more.

Be sure to keep an eye out for next year’s dates, and register as soon as you can. Traditionally spots fill up very quickly. If you have suggestions for badges to be offered next year, or would like to volunteer, please contact Matt Culbertson at mattculbertson@comcast.net.

Gentlemen….start your, wait, there are no engines! Is your Pinewood Derby car ready?

Adventure District is holding their annual Pinewood Derby race on March 3, 2012 at the American Legion Post 101, 142 N. Hanover Street in Carlisle. Each Pack may send one Cub Scout to represent them from each of the ranks (Tiger, Wolf, Bear and Webelos). Trophies will be awarded, and each Scout will receive a special patch.

Check out the official rules here Adventure Dist 2012Pinewood Rules, and be sure to read the flyer 2012 ADVENTURE DISTRICT PINEWOOD DERBY REGISTRATION, which includes registration information. Cubs need to pre-register in order to race.

Prepare to brave the cold temperatures and prove your skills at the 2012 Adventure/Frontier District Klondike Derby!

Held at Hidden Valley Scout Reservation the weekend of February 24-26, 2012, the main portion of the program will take place on Saturday. Troops wishing to camp can do so by contacting the Camping Department (432-5232), but all cabins are full, leaving only tent sites available at this time.

Please see the Klondike Derby registration packet for more information and a registration form. Also, you will need to submit a Klondike Derby Roster when you arrive.

Registrations are being accepted until February 4, so hurry and get your Troop or patrol signed up today!

Gettysburg is being invaded! Not just by the South, but by rain. BUT the prognosticators tell me that the weather will clear, and the battle is on!

We have been receiving some inquiries as to the status of the camporee this weekend (October 14-16, 2011) due to the weather. I am happy to report that the event is ON! The staff is already on site and ready for your arrival.

See you there.

Be sure to join us on Thursday, October 13, 2011 for our next District Roundtable!

Every unit should have at least 1 representative there, as it is a packed program!

1. Recharter Training: learn about the online recharter process, and sign up for an appointment on Saturday, November 19, when your unit can submit their 2012 charter.
2. Scouting for Food: Door hangers will be distributed at the meeting, and each unit can sign up for the neighborhood they want to cover.
3. Pinewood Derby Cars: Each pack will receive a free Pinewood Derby car for every new youth they turned in during September. The cars will be at Roundtable for you to pick up.
4. Life to Eagle Seminar: Our district advancement team will be presenting this important seminar, postponed from September.

Order of the Arrow: The district chapter will be holding an election for youth officers.

See you at the Mechanicsburg Presbyterian Church, 300 E. Simpson St., Mechanicsburg at 7pm!

Fall recruitment is well underway in Adventure District!

Congratulations to Packs 168, 270 and 279, who have already recruited in the double-digits this year, with more on the way.

Several other Packs have a good number of prospects out there as a result of PTO/Back-to-School nights and open houses. Keep up the good work, and let’s get the Scouting program to as many youth as we possibly can.

If you need resources for recruiting, such as yard signs or fliers, please contact Kevin Gill at kevin.gill@scouting.org, or 717-620-4527.

This year, the council will be providing a FREE Pinewood Derby Car for each new Cub Scout recruited and registered prior to September 30, 2011. This means you need to have those applications in to the office by the end of business that day! Cars will be distributed to the unit leader at one time.

Troops and Crews: Fall is not just for Cub Scout recruiting. Is your unit hosting an open house? For assistance in hosting a successful event for prospective Scouts and Venturers, look no further than http://www.scouting.org/wordstoliveby.aspx. The National website has some terrific resources for you. Also, feel free to contact Kevin Gill or your unit Commissioner.

I hope all of you are safe and sound during this extreme weather.

Due to the flooding across much of our area, BOTH council service centers are CLOSED. The National Scout Shop in Mechanicsburg is open for now. If you choose to come shop, please call and ensure they are still open. Their direct number is 717-795-2703.

The Adventure District Roundtable scheduled for tonight is CANCELLED. Next month’s meeting will be held on 10/13/11, and the Scouting for Food door hangers will be available then.

For those of you wishing to register for the fall camporee, there are still spots available. You may register with the council office after we re-open.

Please be careful during the storms and flooding. As a fire/rescue veteran, I have seen people take unnecessary risk in situations like these. Be especially wary of high water on roadways, and removing water from basements. As was seen in Hershey yesterday, this can be very dangerous.

If you are in need of assistance, please let me know and I will try to coordinate help among our Scouting family.

Kevin Gill

kevin.gill@scouting.org

717-620-4527

All show and sell popcorn orders will be available for pickup on September 9, 2011 at GENCO Distribution Center; 700 Allen Road, Carlisle, PA (Last warehouse on the right; located off of I-81). The warehouse will be open from 2:30pm -6:00pm.

Please make arrangements for someone from your unit  to pick up product during the posted hours on 9/9/11.  Product will not be able to be left at the warehouse for alternate times or days. Be sure to bring the appropriate vehicle(s) to haul your order.

Help is needed in the morning to sort product. If you or someone you know is available, please let Kevin Gill (kevin.gill@scouting.org or 717-620-4527) know. Units who help sort will be able to take their order that morning.

The Rebels are coming! The Rebels are coming to the West Shore!

Cumberland County is rich in Civil War tradition, and this will be the focus of this year’s fall camporee.  Open to all Boy Scouts and Webelos (who camp with a Troop), Union and Confederate troops will converge on Camp Conewago, a council camp near Gettysburg on the weekend of October 14-16, 2011.

Please see the 2011 Fall Camporee Leader Guide for more information and a registration form. Be sure to indicate whether your unit wants to represent the North or South!

Reservations are DUE NOW, and will be accepted at Roundtable on September 8, 2011 at Mechanicsburg Presbyterian Church, 300 E. Simpson St., Mechanicsburg.

The Mechanicsburg Service Center will soon be undergoing extensive renovations planned to create an attractive, contemporary headquarters for the Council that will be extremely functional and reflect the high quality of local Scouting programs.

To accomplish the scope of work needed in the least time-consuming and cost-effective manner, we are planning to close the Mechanicsburg Service Center for three weeks (starting June 27 and reopening July 18) to allow workers complete access to the building. During this time when the Mechanicsburg Service Center will be closed for renovations, the Mechanicsburg Scout Shop will remain open for business for all but a few days (when work impacting the shop will occur). All day-to-day work of the Council, including support staff personnel that normally work in Mechanicsburg, will be temporarily relocated to the York Service Center during renovations.

It is important to note that the Mechanicsburg Scout Shop will be able to remain open throughout most of the renovation process.  It will close briefly when work impacting the store itself will need to occur, but those exact dates have not yet been determined.  When we’re sure of the dates the Mechanicsburg Scout Shop will need to be closed, that information will be posted on the council’s website.

For additional details on how to continue to access services provided by the council, contact members of the council staff being relocated, etc. during the closure of the Mechanicsburg Service Center, please visit this web page on the New Birth of Freedom Council website - http://newbirthoffreedom.org/mechanicsburg-service-center-renovations/.  The council’s website will be the best source of the most current information on the status of renovations throughout this entire process.

We would appreciate the assistance of all Scouting units in communicating this information to their families.  Many units have websites where this information can be posted and many units also make effective use of their own e-mail distribution lists to quickly communicate within their unit.

Thank you in advance for your understanding and patience during the renovation process.