| | | | | | | | | | Is your unit looking to earn a discount on a Bay-Lakes Council property rental? Be sure to sign up for a Family Friends of Scouting presentation to be eligible! Contact Bobbi Gordon if you have any questions. | | | | | | | | Help us Recruit More Kids! | | | | Please support Wisconsin Assembly Bill 592 and Senate Bill 549 by contacting your local State Senator or Representative within your districts. The purpose of these are to ensure that the Boy Scouts of America and other federally-chartered youth membership organizations are able to meet directly with students at least once during the school year during non instructional times, ideally lunchtime. Legislation similar to this has passed already in twelve states across the country. The Scouting program helps develop our community’s youth into responsible adults with so many values.
Here’s a link to the Senate Education Committee video with our Bill. Skip to the 5 minute mark and it plays until the 1 hour 12 minute mark. Here is a link to the copy of the Senate Bill 549. How can you help? Please consider reaching out to your local Senator and ask them to support this bill. Here is a link to who is your WI Senator or Rep. A special thanks goes out to Senator Rachel Cabral-Guevara and Lucia Cronin for keeping this bill alive. | | | | | | | | DO NOT MISS THIS ONE! The 50th Winter Amidships will take place on February 24, 2024, and is limited to 100 participants. Youth must be 14+ or 13 and have completed the 8th grade. Register early to reserve your unit's spot. You can always edit your registration to add more participants.
This one day event will include activities such as a compass relay, knots, life jacket relay, first aid, international code flags, obstacle course, scooter relay, heaving line, bowling, tug-of-war, happy feet relay, and surprise events. The cost includes all events, dinner, an awards presentation, dance, and event patch. Please read the 2024 Program Packet prior to registering. | | | | | | | | Again this year, Bay-Lakes Council is teaming up with Terra Verde Organic Coffee for our Spring fundraiser. We will be offering 5 different 12 ounce ground coffee flavors in the sale. Your unit can earn 30% commission and use these funds to support activities and Scout outings, such as funding your way to summer camp! Contact Kallee Kissling if you have any questions. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Hey Scouters! Chris Weber with Scouting for Food back with another update. I am pleased to say registration is now live for our Scouting for Food Drive which will take place April 20th & 27th.
Please, register and let us know that your unit is up to the challenge of supporting our Council’s largest community service project. In doing so, it allows our district volunteers to plan more efficiently as we aim to truly, BE PREPARED. Upon registration, you will receive an invitation email to our Scouting for Food Unit Coordinator meeting on March 21st at 6:30 PM CT via Zoom. Participating units will not want to miss this important informational meeting. We will be covering everything from safety procedures, community coverage, reporting food totals, service hours, patches, and more.
| | | | | | | | We are excited to bring back for a second year, the Bay-Lakes Council Golf Classic to The Bull at Pinehurst Farms in Sheboygan Falls, on Thursday, May 16, 2024. Please consider sponsoring with a foursome, non-playing sponsorship, donating an item or gift certificate for our silent auction, or a cash gift to support local Scouting. If you are looking forward to getting out and enjoying spring, this is a great event for your business to support Scouting.
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We don’t talk about it much, but I would bet we all see it. Many people have reset their priorities, perhaps as a result of the global pandemic and the isolation it necessitated. Family time is more important, more people want to work remotely, technology has become a greater part of our lives and our kids seem to want more time online than in person with friends. Organizations and community events that depend upon volunteer support are having more difficulty recruiting the help they need. Businesses all around us have Help Wanted postings and every volunteer driven organization is out asking for help. Our Council and more importantly our youth need help now.
| | | | | | | | Join us in congratulating this recent Bay-Lakes Council Eagle Scout:
Jasper Stone, Troop 817, Grafton, WI, Kettle Country District | | Jasper Stone, a member of Troop 817, chartered by the parents of Troop of 817 in Grafton, WI, completed his Eagle Board of Review on January 15, 2024.
For his project, in Jasper’s own words,
“My Eagle Scout project was designing and building a STEM lab called a Maker Space for my K-8 alma mater, St. Joseph Parish School in Grafton. I transformed an empty, unused space into a modern lab where students can design, create, build, and code. This involved cleaning and painting the room with vibrant colors and stocking it with equipment and supplies. I would not have been able to complete this project without the support from my family, Troop, school, and community. They donated their time and money to make this project a success. Now, the school uses this space as a classroom serving their K3-8th grade students. One feature of the space that is especially popular is the LEGO wall.”
His unit leader is Mike Rose. Jasper’s Eagle Court of Honor is scheduled for March 9, 2024. | | We feature those Eagles who submit their Eagle Board of Review news.
Please send an email to Warren Kraft or use our Submit A Story Link and help us continue to tell the great stories of Scouting. | | | | | | It is scholarship application time for Eagle Scouts! Bay-Lakes Council offers scholarships to Eagle Scouts. The Donald D. and M. Marie Belcher Charitable Foundation established a special fund for Eagle Scouts who have plans to attend a four-year college or university of their choice following high school graduation. Make sure you download and complete an application. Deadline to apply is March 31, 2024. Details and application can be found here.
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Growing up, Dad awakened us kids at 5:30 A.M. on space launch days, and that introduced the wonders of the sky. Before the village installed a street light at the corner of our driveway, my parents let me sit on the front porch one chilly night to watch a total lunar eclipse. That final sliver of light flickered in the breeze. But watching a solar eclipse was much trickier because you cannot/should not look directly at the sun. About five years ago, I used my phone camera to record a picture of it and saved my eyes.
A total eclipse is coming April 8 and you can earn a special emblem that even glows in the dark. Plus a full patch set is available. And who doesn't like patches? Scouting magazine lists the five requirements in detail: (1) Locate a suitable viewing location; (2) Describe how to safely view the eclipse; (3) Discuss with your group what you saw and felt during the eclipse; (4) A special activity for Cubs, Scouts or Venturers and Sea Scouts; and, (5) Ask your unit leader to purchase the BSA Total Solar Eclipse 2024 Emblem. More details can be found here. Because of where we live, many of us see few stars at night. What a difference when we are at camp and the sky is overloaded with shiny objects. Come April 8, however, we have the chance to see this eclipse as it will pass right over North America over a period of about four hours starting at right around noon Central time. Read the tips for safe viewing. Best of all, Dad won't have to awaken you at 5:30 A.M. See you on the trail!
Warren Kraft Program Development, Bay-Lakes Council #635 | | | | | | | | | | | | 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. | | | | | | | |
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