Conservation Good Turn

The purpose of this award is to encourage Packs, Troops, Teams, and Crews to join with conservation or environmental organizations (federal, state, county, local, or private) to carry out a Conservation Good Turn in their home communities. 

The award is earned by any youth and adult members.

Once a unit has completed a meaningful conservation project, unit leadership fills out an application form and submits it to Council.  

Participants earn a Conservation Good Turn patch (00149) and the unit receives a Conservation Good Turn Award certificate (21-389).  The patch is a temporary patch and is worn centered on the right pocket of the uniform.

Conservation Good Turn Info

http://scouting.org/scoutsource/BoyScouts/Resources/Conservation%20Good%20Turn.aspx

http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/Awards_Central/ConservationGoodTurnAward.aspx

Insignia: www.scouting.org/scoutsource/Media/InsigniaGuide/06F.aspx

Conservation Good Turn Certificate Application

http://www.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/GTFApplication.pdf

Red Cedar District – Area County Parks

http://www.mycountyparks.com/county/Linn/Parks.aspx

http://www.mycountyparks.com/county/Benton/Parks.aspx

Wickiup Hill Learning Center

http://www.mycountyparks.com/county/Linn/Park/Wickiup-Hill-Learning-Center-Area.aspx

Wickiup Hill is likely the best Linn County site for Cub Scouts, as it is designed with young children in mind.

Removing invasive garlic mustard is an on-going project in many sites in Iowa, including at Wickiup Hill.

Garlic Mustard photos and explanation of threat

http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/fact/alpe1.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alliaria_petiolata

City of Cedar Rapids – Parks

http://www.cedar-rapids.org/resident-resources/parks-recreation/parks/pages/default.aspx

Please contact the Parks Department first, rather than just showing up and cleaning a park.

• The City will provide black garbage bags at the site and will pick up the bags afterwards if they are left in an agreed-upon location, especially for Saturday projects.
• Parks staff will be able to match their project needs to your Pack’s range of ages and number of participants.
• The Parks Department tracks the number of volunteer hours each year served in city parks, for their records.
• If any park neighbors call about your Pack’s “suspicious behavior” in the park, the Parks Department will have a record of your presence.

Indian Creek Nature Center

http://www.indiancreeknaturecenter.org/

Contact Jean Wiedenheft, who will have a wish list of ICNC projects available.  She can discuss your Pack’s abilities and match them to a project.  She is also open to ideas your Scouts have in mind

NEW! Guide to Advancement 2011

Click here to view BSA's Guide to Advancement 2011:
http://scouting.org/filestore/pdf/33088.pdf

Chock full of everything a leader needs to know from Tiger through Eagle and on to Sea Scouts and Venturing, this publication is a must have for every leader.

Click here to download your own copy:

https://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=batch_download&send_id=1248434208&email=aa3b5cf4b81427d26dabf4562825f940

Merit Badge Counselors

Merit Badge Counselors are an important piece of the Boy Scout puzzle.  They bring extra knowledge to the merit badge, they widen the Scout's circle of adults.

http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/BoyScouts/AdvancementandAwards/MeritBadges.aspx

http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/BoyScouts/TrainingModules/MeritBadgeCounselorInstructorsGuide.aspx

http://www.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/18-125.pdf

http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/BoyScouts/GuideforMeritBadgeCounselors.aspx

http://www.meritbadge.com/info/policy1.htm

http://meritbadge.org/wiki/index.php/Merit_Badge_Counselor

http://meritbadge.org/wiki/index.php/Merit_Badge_Counselor_Orientation

http://meritbadge.org/wiki/index.php/Merit_Badge_Counselor_Information_Form

http://www.scoutmaster.org/usscouts/boyscouts/MBC_Training.asp

http://scoutmaster.org/usscouts/boyscouts/mbcounseling.asp

http://macscouter.com/Scoutmaster/MBC_TRN.asp

Activity Badge Counselors

Twenty Activity Badges can look daunting to a Webelos Den Leader, but he or she does not have to go it alone.  Activity Badge counselors are people or programs that are available to help instruct the Webelos Scouts and to widen their circle of knowledgeable adults.

http://meritbadge.org/wiki/index.php/Activity_Badge_Counselor

• Wickiup Hill Outdoor Learning Center
• Ushers Ferry Historic Village
• Cedar Rapids Parks and Recreation
• The Iowa Children's Museum
• Indian Creek Nature Center
• Science Station

Instant Recognitions

When a Cub Scout is working towards his rank, the BSA program includes incentives along the way to encourage the Cub to keep at it.

http://www.boyscouttrail.com/cub-scouts/progress_towards_ranks.asp

http://cubscoutpack.com/Immediate_Recognition_Ceremony

http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/Media/InsigniaGuide/05B.aspx

Special Eagle rank badge for 2012

After the popularity of the rank badges during the BSA centennial, National is releasing special Eagle rank badge for those earning the rank in 2012, the centennial of the Eagle.

http://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/2011/10/14/special-badge-for-scouts-who-earn-eagle-in-2012/

SCOUTStrong Challenge

Are you old enough, or young enough, to remember the President's Physical Fitness Challenge during your school days?  Gym classes tracked progress in categories such as sit-ups, push-ups, shuttle run, 12-minute walk/run, and pull-ups for boys and bent-arm hang for girls.

Kids today can still do that at school, but NEW this fall is a nationwide program for ALL ages, called the Presidential Active Lifestyle Award or PALA. 

The President’s Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition is promoting a healthy lifestyle by encouraging us all to get more active. To earn the PALA, kids have to engage in 60 minutes of activity, five to six days a week, for six weeks. Adults need only 30 minutes a day for the same time frame.  The minutes do not have to be all at once.  Three 10-minute walks would qualify an adult for one day.

http://www.presidentschallenge.org

Boy Scouts of America is encouraging everyone associated to participate: Scouts, Venturers, Parents, Volunteers, Council Staff, Board Members, Friends of Scouting, and BSA Alumni.

http://www.scouting.org/SCOUTStrongPALA.aspx

Choose your state and your council, then create an account to track your progress as part of your council's team. (As of now, Hawkeye Area has only two on the team, and one of them is me.)

Over 90 activities are listed within the program, including canoeing, yoga, Nintento Wii, home repairs, unicycling, and juggling, among the more traditional activities.  Participants can also track pedometer steps each day.

Those without convenient Internet access can track their progress on paper, using the form found here:

www.presidentschallenge.org/tools-resources/docs/PALA_log.pdf

 

Those looking for a greater challenge, or who already surpass these requirements are invted to try the President's Challenge program instead.

http://www.presidentschallenge.org/challenge/champions/index.shtml

Patches and more for the PALA are available for purchase.

https://www.presidentschallenge.org/shop/index.php