News

On November 1, the Boy Scouts of America launched the Citizenship in Society merit badge, its newest merit badge for youth in the Scouts BSA program (ages 11-17). In case you’ve heard rumors or seen early reports on this merit badge before its release, let us offer some clarity on what the Citizenship in Society...

Through the generosity of the Adams County Community Foundation’s Shirley Smith Youth Service Fund, prospective Eagle Scouts now have a new potential source of funding for their Eagle Scout Service Projects. Eagle Scout candidates from anywhere in the New Birth of Freedom Council can apply for up to 75% of the cost to do their...

Unfortunately, due to shipping delays, the special Rendezvous-themed Council Shoulder Patches and Lodge Flap didn’t arrive in time for the event.  But they’re here now, and we’d like to see them flying out the door as special keepsakes of that amazing weekend. There are two different versions of the special Council Shoulder Patches available.  The...

Thank you to everyone that joined us for the October 2021 Council-wide Roundtable.  We had a great meeting and we hope that all of the participants were able to get a lot of good information on how to KEEP SCOUTING and to do so safely. We shared that during the presentation we would share both...

I am pleased to welcome back Josh Nimmerichter, who will be assuming the Facilities Manager/Ranger role at Camp Tuckahoe starting October 18, 2021. In addition to his work at Tuckahoe, Josh will also oversee maintenance operations at Hidden Valley Scout Reservation. As many Scouters will recall, Josh served as Ranger at Hidden Valley from September...

Rendezvous 2021 – The Dragon’s Quest – was a memorable weekend for so many reasons.  The overwhelming attendance at Rendezvous made clear that our Council’s Scouting family was ready for outdoor activities to return.  There were 1,024 weekend-long campers at Rendezvous, along with a total of 467 Saturday-only participants.  Combined with more than 250 staff...

Join us for the University of Scouting on Saturday, January 29, 2022, from 8:15 am to 4:00 pm, at Bishop McDevitt High School at 1 Crusader Way in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.  Hosted by the New Birth of Freedom Council, it is open to all Scouters, Venturers, and older Scouts.  This training event is packed full of...

With mixed emotions, I wanted to pass along the news to our New Birth of Freedom Council family that Scott Holbrook will be retiring as the ranger at Camp Tuckahoe on January 31, 2022.  Scott has served as the ranger at Tuckahoe since August 1999, and his skills, work ethic, and love of Scouting will...

The New Birth of Freedom Council will be holding our first Council-wide Virtual Roundtable this fall on October 7 at 7:00pm.  For the 2021-22 Scouting year, we will hold a combination of virtual and in-person Roundtable meetings (see the schedule below).  The October Roundtable will feature training for the 2022 Recharter Process.  This is an...

The Delta variant is currently the predominant strain of the virus in the United States and its higher transmissibility is fueling a rapid and alarming rise in the COVID case and hospitalization rates around the country and here in south-central Pennsylvania. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has recommended that everyone, regardless of vaccination status,...