Bay-Lakes Council Scouting News: May 28, 2026

Get Your Very Own LIMITED EDITION America250 Special Council Shoulder Patch in a Framed and Matted 8x10 Print!

Contributing a $250 gift toward the Bay-Lakes Council Endowment, a generous anonymous donor, will match dollar for dollar, adding another $250, for a total of $500 invested directly into the council endowment.

An endowment gift is the gift that keeps on giving, where it is invested and a small yearly distribution is returned back to help Scouting each year. You are helping ensure Scouting continues well into the future!

Are you or your Scout looking for a summer job and learn some kitchen skills? Kampros is looking for kitchen help for summer! You can stay in camp and dining hall meals are included. We are a team of former Scouts fueling adventure for campers and staff! Join our 2026 team!

Have you taken the NEW Safeguarding Youth Training yet? Make sure you've taken it before Sunday, May 31, 2026, as that is when Youth Protection Training EXPIRES!

Youth Protection Training (YPT) has been replaced by the new Safeguarding Youth Training (SYT). This training is required for all Scouting America registered volunteers and is a joining requirement.

Here are some updates regarding the new training:

• The new 20-minute Safeguarding Youth (SYT) Refresher course is Live.
• If you have not taken the NEW SYT full 90 Minute course, you must take that first before you can take the refresher to get full SYT credit.
• If your SYT is expired for 7 days or more, you must take the full 90 minute course again.
• If you fail the course quiz on the refresher course with less than an 80% on your first attempt, you will be directed back to the full 90 minute course.

The course is available in the Volunteer Learn Center in English and Spanish.

• Safeguarding Youth Refresher

• Curso de actualización SYT

Learn more about the new Safeguarding Youth Training (SYT): https://www.scouting.org/training/youth-protection/. New refresher course: https://training.scouting.org/courses/SCO_3016.

Join us for Whitewater Weekends and experience some of the best Whitewater in Wisconsin at Gardner Dam Adventure Base!

Open to all Scouts BSA and Venturing participants 13 and older, including registered adult leaders. This introduction class is designated for anyone who has always wanted to try whitewater kayaking. The class begins indoors with basic safety instructions and then moves to the water. A team of certified instructors will assist you with outfitting the required gear. Once outfitted, you will start your experience in the pond, on flat water, learning various rescues and paddle strokes and building your confidence in whitewater boats. Lastly, you will spend time on the Wolf River practicing your skills and going through multiple types of rapids!

Lodging will be inside Wausau Homes Adventure Lodge at Gardner Dam Adventure Base, or you may choose to camp at any site on property. Our excellent cook staff will keep you nourished, starting with a cracker barrel on Friday through lunch on Sunday. A fully trained and enthusiastic volunteer staff provides all leadership, instruction, and supervision for each weekend. Bay-Lakes Council provides equipment, food, lodging, and emergency services.

Be ready to get wet! Scouts must be at least 14 (or 13 AND have finished 8th grade), have completed the BSA swimmer classification, and have a completed BSA Medical Form A/B. Each camper is also responsible for all their clothing, swimming attire (recommend sending 2 sets), towels, bedding, and personal hygiene needs. The cost is $60 for each weekend. Registration for May 29-31 closes Thursday, May 28th at Midnight!

Session Dates:

May 29-31, 2026

August 8-9, 2026 at Wausau Whitewater Park (Wausau, Wisconsin)

September 18-20, 2026

Cub Scouts! Come join us for a fun-filled fishing adventure on Saturday, June 6th!

Twin Lakes District is proud to host this event, designed as an introduction to fishing for Cub Scout age kids. Check-in will begin at 8:30am, with the event starting at 9:00am. Cub Scouts will rotate through the seven stations listed below; stations 1-6 will need to be completed before station 7 (open fishing time). Fishing gear will be available if needed. Parents are required to attend with Kindergarten and 1st grade age Scouts, but are encouraged for all ages. Parents can fish too!

Station #1 - Fishing Safety

Station #2 - Fishing Rods/Reels/Tackle/Bait

Station #3 - Fish Identification

Station #4 - BSA Angler Educator, BSA Certified Angler Instructor (CAI), and DNR Informational Handouts

Station #5 - Backyard Bass Fishing

Station #6 - How to tie fishing knots & how to place a worm on a hook

Station #7 - Fishing in Lake Winnebago

Join us for 2026 Scout Night with the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers on Sunday, June 14th at 1:10 PM at the Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium.

Milwaukee Brewers Scout Night Tuesday, August 18 vs Seattle Mariners. Scouts and their families will enjoy special ticket pricing. All Scouts that participate in the parade will receive a Milwaukee Brewers Scout Patch.

Ticket orders must be received by Tuesday, August 4, 2026. Orders placed after 7/21 subject to $3/ticket increase. To purchase tickets online, please visit THIS LINK. For groups of 15+ or for any special needs requests, please contact Ryan Blaire at (414) 902-4530 or ryan.blaire@brewers.com.

IMPORTANT - PLEASE READ! Only Scouts and adults in uniform may participate in the parade. Everyone must have their game ticket in hand. Parade details will be communicated closer to game day. For more information open the event flier.

Camp with us during the GT World Challenge Weekend and enjoy thrilling adventures and amazing experiences at Road America. Scouts will get a 3-day experience come for a day or stay all three days. Activities include walking/riding bikes around the 4 miles race circuit, outdoor movie on the big screen during sun set, explore the paddock and pits talking with race teams and drivers, hands on automotive activities, disc golfing, geocaching, grid walk and present the colors during the National Anthem, explore karting day that Saturday with go-kart races happening on the Motorplex circuit., and so much more!

Calling all Scouts… Are you ready to grow as a leader?

Are you looking for some ideas on how to run your troop better? Do you need a little spark to help you work better with your patrols? Need a better way to talk to your leaders? How about NYLT?

National Youth Leadership Training (NYLT) is a leadership course for all Scouts who are age 13+ and at least First Class rank, or members of Venturing Crews or Sea Scout Ships. It is the centerpiece of Bay-Lakes Council’s youth training opportunities. This action-packed program is designed to provide Scouts with leadership experience they can use in their home units and in other situations demanding leadership of self and others.

Scouts will return from these courses with the skills needed to lead themselves and others in Patrol Leaders Council (PLC) meetings, troop activities and outings. The benefits extend beyond Scouting, too, giving them a foundation in setting a vision, working towards goals, planning, developing a team, solving problems, resolving confl icts, values and ethics, building resilience, servant leadership – a toolbox of skills they will use at home, in school, in the workplace, and beyond.

We are fortunate to offer two NYLT options again this year:

• Our Traditional course runs at Gardner Dam from Sunday, June 28 through Friday, July 3. This six-day action-packed course is right here in Wisconsin, easily accessible for any Scout to grow their leadership skills in a fun, camp-based environment. Registration closes on May 18. All the details can be found here.

• Our Pack & Paddle course runs at Camp Hiawatha in upper Michigan from Saturday, August 8 through Sunday, August 16. Pack & Paddle offers the entire NYLT curriculum, extended over nine days and held on a backpacking and canoeing trek in the Hiawatha National Forest. Registration closes on June 30. All the details can be found here.

Both courses have limited space remaining, so please register soon to ensure a spot for your Scout.

We welcome any questions you may have. Our staff of youth and adults have been meeting and preparing, and are getting excited to welcome this year’s participants!

Paul Walheim
Course Director, NYLT Traditional
(920) 224-4287
BLCNYLT25@gmail.com

Tom Hemr
Course Director, NYLT Pack & Paddle
(248) 877-0617
tomhemr@gmail.com

Bay-Lakes Council Golf Classic was a Great Success!

Thank you to all the golfers and sponsors in making the event a great success. Over $25,000 was raised in support of Scouting programs across Eastern Wisconsin. We even had a canoe on the course and teams took full advantage.

Be sure to set your calendars for May 2027 to support or put a team together, we'd love to see you in Sheboygan Falls next year at The Bull at Pinehurst Farms!

Feedback: Have a thought or question? We'd love to hear from you. Please share your comments with us. It is easy; just reply to this email or send a message to guide@baylakesbsa.org.