Summer COVID-19 Update

Dear Scouting Families and Volunteers,

As we have shared in our past communications, we continue to wish you, your family, and our Scouting community well during this unprecedented time. The health and safety of our communities are of the utmost importance, and we encourage you to be safe and stay well.

To make sure you have all of the latest information on the status of the Hawk Mountain Council, we are holding a Summer COVID-19 update.

This is a Zoom call and for security, we ask you to register and you will receive the login information via an automatic response. You will also have the opportunity to submit a question when your register.

Wednesday, July 1, 2020

7:00 pm

Yours in Scouting,

Jerry Blecker, Council President

Matt Hensinger, Council Commissioner

Jim Milham, Scout Executive

STEM BRIDGE ENGINEERING KITS

Get Your Bridge Building Design On!

Each Limited-Edition Kit comes with a lab notebook that will guide you through 6 different bridge builds. You will learn the basic engineering building blocks of Beam, Arch, Suspension, and Truss Bridges! You’ll also have two creative free-standing bridge builds. The builds are not cookie-cutter, you design, draft, and build your own design.

Each kit will be mailed directly to your house. One kit has enough materials for one individual. Builds are designed for boys and girls in grades 3 – 7.

Zoom meetings will be available to go over each build to share your designs, successes, and failures. One of the Zoom meetings will be hosted by a local engineer to provide insight into their career. Zoom meeting dates and times will be included with the kit.

Kits cost $100 and registration is open NOW and will close at midnight on Wednesday, July 15.

The first zoom meeting will be Wednesday, July 29, so complete your first bridge by then.

Register Today.

Secure the Adventure Fund

SECURE THE ADVENTURE FUND

WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE DO

More than 6,000 families across Berks, Schuylkill, and the Panther Valley School District are counting on Scouting to help instill character, develop skills, leadership, and build resilience in their sons and daughters. Throughout the past 110 years, the Hawk Mountain Council has never wavered in its mission to empower young people to be contributing citizens of the community. Our commitment is to ensure that every boy or girl who wants to be a Scout can join, regardless of their economic circumstances or geography.

THE CORONAVIRUS AND SCOUTING

CORONAVIRUS has robbed many young people of both their sense of control and connection to their peers and mentors as schools, athletic organizations and community centers have suspended programs. Yet, Scouting’s programs continue. Seemingly overnight, HMC helped volunteers shift weekly meetings to online sessions, organized free virtual merit badge programs and live Online Cub Scout Adventures and helped kindle the bonds of friendship and community around virtual campfire programs. [Read more…]

Virtual Scouting Hub

Face-to-face meetings may be on hold, but Scouting continues, and great ideas for units can be found here at the “Virtual Scouting” Hub.

211 is a free, confidential, non-emergency, 24-hour information and referral service that connects people in Berks County with local community resources and health and human services. Dial 211, visit pa211east.org/Berks or text your zip code to 898211.

New – STEM Scouting Activities

Learn new STEM skills with the new Limited Edition STEM Scouts Bridge Engineering Kit.

Learn More and Register

Activities for All Scouts

Cyber Chip: As Scouts do more and more activities online, the Cyber Chip moves to the top of the “must do” list. The Cyber Chip activities include developmentally appropriate online safety lessons and activities.

Emergency Preparedness Award : Activities are broken out for each Cub rank and each Scouting program, including Venturers, Sea Scouts, and adults! (That means adults can earn this, too!)

BSA Crime Prevention Award: Although the site explaining this award has not been updated for awhile, the award is still available to Scouts of all levels!

Cub Scout Resources

2020 Super Cub “Around the House” Passport

Hawk Mountain Council is pleased to announce a variant of the Super Cub Summer Passport, the 2020 Super Cub “Around the House” Passport. All participants will receive a special patch once they complete and turn in the passport.

We encourage you to begin working on the Passport as soon as you can! Many of the activities referenced can be found here on this page, talking to other members of your Pack, or by doing some online searches!

Click here to download your “Around the House” Passport!

30-Day Challenge calendars for each Cub rank

Cub Scout Preview Adventure: Protect Yourself
Cub Scout Preview Adventure: Yo Yo

Live Animal Cams

Cub Scouting Activity Videos

“Lava Lamp” – way to teach about different liquid densities with household materials
Cup Gliders
“Never Ending” Fountain
Foam Plate Gliders
Harmonica – “Air of the Wolf” Achievement
Balloon Rocket – “Air of the Wolf” Achievement
Armpit Fudge
Cub Scout Knots (many different ones, 40 minute video!)
Quick video to teach Cub Scouts the Scout Oath
“Akela’s Corner” – ~10 minute video that covers a few different aspects

(NOTE: These videos were not created by Hawk Mountain Council, BSA or Boy Scouts of America)

Cub Scout Activities you can do from home

Scouts BSA Resources

Requirements for all merit badges can be accessed on Scouting.org!

Council Led Virtual Merit Badge Classes – COMING END OF JUNE

12 Merit Badges you can start from home (Online Videos)

(NOTE: These videos were not created by Hawk Mountain Council, BSA or Boy Scouts of America)

Trail to 1st Class

Click the ranks below to access videos and instruction to help new Scouts learn and prepare for the challenges ahead over the coming weeks. We would like to thank Del-Ma-Va Council for allowing our Scouts to use this resource that they have created!

(NOTE: These videos were not created by Hawk Mountain Council, BSA)

STEM SCOUTING

Adult Resources and Training

Put down the streaming remote! Pick up your laptop or tablet…My.Scouting is always open! Adult Scouting volunteers and leaders can always find training modules online, including Youth Protection Training, position-specific modules, hazardous weather refreshers, safety afloat, and more!

Are you fully trained in your position? No? take this time to be fully trained.

You are fully trained? Then take this time to be cross trained!

Online Merit Badge Counselor Training

Are you an active leader in the Scouts BSA program who also serves as a Merit Badge Counselor? Have you wanted to become a new Merit Badge Counselor? All merit badge counselors are required to complete training for their position.

New Leaders

New leaders who are new to the Scouts BSA program and wish to serve as a merit badge counselor are asked to complete the online training at my.scouting.org which includes an introduction to Scouts BSA.

Experienced Leaders

Hawk Mountain Council recognizes that some leaders are very experienced with the operation of a Scouts BSA troop and also serve as merit badge counselors. We have prepared an online training that meets the national training requirements for Merit Badge Counselors for those who are already experienced and familiar with the Scouts BSA program. Complete this training by watching the video below and then reporting it to the training committee as directed at the conclusion of the video.

Become a Merit Badge Counselor

What expertise do you have to share with Scouts? Check out the list of merit badges and their requirements. To become a merit badge counselor or to change your list of badges offered, complete the merit badge counselor application and a new adult application (using position code 42).

Council Key 3 Fireside Chat Videos

This month we had two Council Key 3 Fireside Chats to update our Scouting family on the happenings of the Hawk Mountain Council. We are glad so many of our volunteers and parents were able to join us.

If you missed the calls you can click either of the links below to watch the video from the call.

April 8th
April 15th
June 4th

Video Conferencing Information

Video Conferencing is a great way to stay connected with your units! This Bryan on Scouting article has links to Webex, Zoom, and Google. It offers an example of a Troop to the east of us that is up and running with remote meetings using Webex.

Cyber-security – Zoom Safety Guidelines

ScoutShare

This website is a great resource for Scouting Leaders! This website is not a Hawk Mountain Council Website.

100th Anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution granting women the right to vote.

This year, we celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution granting the women of this country the right to vote. The Berks Women’s History Alliance in partnership with Berks History Center has a framework to provide resources, exhibits and educational events/programs to celebrate 100 years of women having the right to vote.

The Alliance plans to host a culminating celebratory event on August 26, 2020 at the Doubletree (Reading) with Honorable Kathy Boockvar, Secretary of the Commonwealth of PA.

Here are some links to resources:

Important Update On The Coronavirus (COVID-19)

UPDATED INFORMATION – PLEASE FULLY READ!

May 11 @ 5 PM – New information!

Dear Scouting Families and Volunteers,

First and foremost, we wish you, your family, and your Scouting community well during this unprecedented time. The health and safety of our communities are of the utmost importance, and we encourage you to be safe and stay well.

As discussed in past communications, the Hawk Mountain Council Leadership Team continues to monitor the novel Coronavirus (Covid-19) at the local, state and federal levels. Gov. Wolf has ordered all non-essential stores in Pennsylvania to remain closed and has only allowed life-sustaining businesses to remain open. [Read more…]

Silver Beaver Dinner and Celebration

The Silver Beaver Award is the Council level distinguished service award. It is awarded to volunteers who implement the Scouting program and perform community service through hard work, self-sacrifice, dedication, and many years of service. The 2020 Hawk Mountain Council Silver Beaver Award recipients are:

Jim Kohler – Frontier District

Walt Sheehan – Cacoosing District

Ed Stock – Council Executive Board

Terry Troutman – Black Rock District

A dinner and award ceremony will be held on November 8, 2020, beginning at 3:00 pm at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, 1741 Papermill Road, Reading. This will be held in conjunction with our Gathering of Eagles Event.

Silver Beaver Registration Form.

The dinner cost is $60.00 per person. Make checks payable to the Hawk Mountain Council, BSA, and return to the Council Office, 5027 Pottsville Pike Road, Reading, PA 19605, fax to 610-926-4965, or email to Cole Mitchell at Cole.Mitchell@scouting.org. RSVPs by October 30, 2020.

Jamboree 2021

2021 National Scout Jamboree – July 21 – 30, 2021
Scouting’s flagship event is one-of-a-kind! It’s a gathering of approximately 35,000 Scouts, leaders, and staff that showcases everything that is great about the BSA and its members. Held every four years, the Jamboree is an amazing opportunity for participants, volunteers, and visitors to experience the best of Scouting, all in one place. Features include; one of the longest zip line courses in North America, a world-class skate park, ATV offerings, treetop canopy tours, rock climbing, patch trading, stadium shows, and much more!

[Read more…]

Scouts BSA?

What is Scouts BSA

Scouts BSA is the traditional Scouting experience for youth in the fifth grade through high school. Service, community engagement and leadership development become increasingly important parts of the program as youth lead their own activities and work their way toward earning Scouting’s highest rank, Eagle Scout.

Join Scouts BSA

Scouts BSA has a lot to offer, but don’t let the number of merit badges scare you away. With exposure to a uniquely hands-on learning experience and the opportunity to earn merit badges reflecting each Scout’s budding interests, youth unlock a world of discovery around them and forge a path for the future.

Find a Scouts BSA Unit

Camping at Hawk Mountain Scout Reservation

The Hawk Mountain Scout Reservation is a 700-acre tract of land dedicated to offering Scouts the chance to experience the beauty of the outdoors. We serve over 2,000 Boy Scouts each summer. We are proud to be involved with the Forest Stewardship Program through the state of Pennsylvania.

Camping is the great outdoor adventure of Scouting. The most crucial element of camping is that each Scout should have the opportunity that the Boy Scout Handbook promises.

Hawk Mountain Scout Reservation offers long-term camping (6 nights) to Boy Scouts from the Hawk Mountain Council as well as other visiting Councils. Our Camp operates 7 weeks during the summer with 20 Campsites available to Troops. The Scouts sleep in platform tents on canvas cots. We offer a variety of programs, merit badges and, of course, a well-stocked Scout Shop.