Programs Archives - Hawk Mountain Council, BSA

Geo-Fencing

As part of our Fall 2019 Membership Drive, Hawk Mountain Council will be implementing geo-fencing to help promote your signup night on social media.

Not familiar with geo-fencing? Put simply, it’s a method to help make advertisements more localized and allows smaller organizations to compete in smaller markets. Our national office partnered with National Capitol Area Council of Maryland, Virginia, and D.C. last year to test the program and had some impressive results: packs who participated in geo-fencing saw an increase in Scouts, while those who chose not to saw a decrease.

Additional information can be found in this YouTube video from Northern New Jersey Council.

Hawk Mountain Council will geo-fence all September signup nights and is offering each pack an extra geo-fenced event at no cost to the unit for 14 days before the start of the event (example: if your event is on September 18, we would launch your ad on September 4).

All that we need you to do is complete the Google Form linked below so that we can set up your event.

Please submit this form at least two weeks before your event so we can provide the maximum amount of ad-time

Complete and submit the geo-fencing form here.

Places to go with your Scouts

Have you and your committee been stuck trying to pick out somewhere to take your pack or your den?

Is that Patrol Leader’s Council stumped for ideas on an outing?

Or maybe you just need some ideas of places to take your family for a vacation or a long weekend.

Take a peek through this list of 149 locations that are good for your unit (or family) to visit. The criteria being that it had to be in Pennsylvania, specifically the eastern portion of the state (using Harrisburg and State College as general guidelines), similar to WFMZ’s “One Tank Trips” feature.
The three lists below are the same, but are sorted differently: by the name of the location, by the county where the location is found, and by the general category that the location falls under. Feel free to download whichever you prefer. The location categories are located at the bottom of the page.

[Read more…]

Order of the Arrow – September Service Weekend

September 13 – 15, 2019

This is the first year we will be using electronic registration only for Candidates as well as current members. Please be sure to select the correct option when registering. If you have any questions about what to select, please contact the persons listed on the Resources Tab. Please register on time so we can plan food and sleeping arrangements! Check-in opens at 7pm Friday night at the Welcome Center. Med A-B Required

You can register now through September 6 2019
Late period rates apply beginning August 30 2019

Costs:
Ordeal Candidates
Youth Ordeal Candidate $45.00 – No late fee.
Adult Ordeal Candidate $45.00 – No late fee.

Members:
Full Weekend $25.00 – Late Fee $30.00
Full Weekend + Brotherhood $47.00 – Late Fee $52.00

Online Registration

Online registration is available now for new youth members. Click on the button below to find a unit and register online today.

STEM Scouts

STEM Scouts is a national pilot program from the Boy Scouts of America, focused on fun ways for girls and boys, grades 3 – 12, to learn more about science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Using hands-on activities, STEM Scouts also encourages young minds’ natural curiosity and helps build interest in the STEM-related careers that are crucial to our future economy.

The Hawk Mountain Council is home to 17 STEM Labs in Berks and Schuylkill Counties.

To learn more about STEM Scouts including where to find a Lab near you, Click Here.

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

Order of the Arrow

The Order of the Arrow is a recognized official program activity of the Boy Scouts of America, intended to recognize those scouts who best exemplify the Scout virtues of cheerful service, camping, and leadership.

Founded in 1915 by Dr. E. Urner Goodman and Carroll A. Edson at the Treasure Island Camp of the Philadelphia Council, just seven years after British General Sir Robert Baden-Powell invented scouting in the United Kingdom, the Order of the Arrow is the uniquely American “honor society of scouting”.

Kittatinny Lodge 5

Kittatinny Lodge 5, Order of the Arrow, is a service organization registered with Hawk Mountain Council, Boy Scouts of America, in Reading, Pennsylvania and the surrounding area, serving Berks, Schuylkill, and a small portion of Carbon Counties. Kittatinny Lodge 5 also provides cheerful service to Hawk Mountain Scout Reservation, the council’s camp.

Scouting’s National Honor Society

Purpose

The purpose of the Order of the Arrow is fourfold:

To recognize those Scout campers who best exemplify the Scout Oath and Law in their daily lives
To develop and maintain camping traditions and spirit
To promote Scout camping
To crystallize the Scout habit of helpfulness into a life purpose of leadership in cheerful service to others

History

The Order of the Arrow (OA) was founded by Dr. E. Urner Goodman and Carroll A. Edson in 1915 at the Treasure Island Camp of the Philadelphia Council, Boy Scouts of America. It became an official program experiment in 1922 and was approved as part of the Scouting program in 1934.

In 1948 the OA, recognized as the BSA’s national brotherhood of honor campers, became an official part of the national camping program of the Boy Scouts of America.

Membership

The OA has more than 176,000 members located in lodges affiliated with approximately 327 BSA local councils.

Lodges

Each local Boy Scout council is encouraged to have an Order of the Arrow lodge. Each lodge is granted a charter from the National Council, BSA, upon annual application. The OA lodge helps the local council provide a quality Scouting program through recognition of Scouting spirit and performance, development of youth leadership and service, promotion of Scout camping and outdoor programs, and enhancement of membership tenure.

Sections

An Order of the Arrow section consists of lodges within a geographic area of the region. Once every year, representatives of lodges in the section come together for a conclave to share in fellowship, skills, and training. All of the elected section chiefs form the conference committee for a national Order of the Arrow event, which is held under the guidance of the national Order of the Arrow Committee.

Leadership

Region Leadership

The regional chief is the youth leader of the region elected by the section chiefs for a term of office specified by the national Order of the Arrow Committee, which coincides with the term of national chief and vice chief. This election is held in conjunction with called meetings of the section chiefs to elect the national chief and vice chief, as well as to plan a national Order of the Arrow event.

The regional Order of the Arrow chairman is an adult appointed by the regional director. The professional adviser for the region is a staff member assigned to the position by the region director.

National Leadership

The national chief and vice chief are Arrowmen selected by the section chiefs, who form the national Order of the Arrow conference committee. They serve as members of the national Order of the Arrow Committee, representing the youth on national OA policy. They also serve as the presiding officers for the national OA event. Their term of office is specified by the national committee. They are advised in their responsibilities by the national committee chairman and director of the Order of the Arrow.

The national OA committee chairman is appointed by the chairman of the national Boy Scout Committee. The professional adviser is the director of the Order of the Arrow, a member of the national Boy Scout Division staff.

Purpose and Mission

Purpose of the Order

To recognize those campers — Scouts and Scouters — who best exemplify the Scout Oath and Law in their daily lives, and by such recognition cause other campers to conduct themselves in such manner as to warrant recognition.

To develop and maintain camping traditions and spirit

To promote Scout camping, which reaches its greatest effectiveness as a part of the unit’s camping program, both year-round and in the summer camp, as directed by the camping committee of the council.

To crystallize the Scout habit of helpfulness into a life purpose of leadership in cheerful service to others.

Mission of the Lodge

The mission of the lodge is to achieve the purpose of the Order of the Arrow as an integral part of the Boy Scouts of America in the council through positive youth leadership under the guidance of selected capable adults.

Career Exploring

Exploring is learning for life’s career education program for young men and women who are at least 14 (and have completed 8th grade) and not yet 21 years old. Adults are selected by the participating organization for involvement in the program. Color, race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, ethnic background, economic status, and citizenship are not criteria for participation.

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Venturing

What is Venturing

You love exploring your passions, making new friends, and discovering the world. You’re always looking for an adventure. Rappelling a cliff. Perfecting your shot. Designing a robot. Kayaking into the sunset. Exploring your faith. Volunteering at an animal shelter. The choice is yours! Each activity provides an opportunity to shine and learn more about yourself and the world around you. Venturing is youth-led and youth-inspired. You’ll acquire life skills and gain experiences that will prove to be valuable regardless of where your future takes you, all while having a blast: leadership, event-planning, organization, communication, responsibility – the list goes on!

Join Venturing

Venture Crews are located in neighborhoods across the two county area.

Find a Crew Near You

Learn More

Cub Scouting

Cub Scouting is fun for the whole family. In Scouting, boys and girls start with their best right now selves and grow into their very best future selves. It’s fun, hands-on learning and achievement that puts kids in the middle of the action and prepares them for today – and for life.

Aims and Methods

Aims and Methods: The mission of the Boy Scouts of America is to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law.

There are four aims of Scouting: citizenship, character, personal fitness, and leadership.

The methods of Cub Scouting are: living the ideals, belonging to a den, advancement, family involvement, activities, serving the community, and the uniform.

Click Here For more information on the Aims and Methods of Cub Scouting

Benefits

Benefits: Scouting works!

Over the past several years Scouting has partnered with colleges, universities, and foundations to study the impact of the program.

Learn More about the Benefits

Join Scouting

Join Scouting: Our youth grow up fast. Give your son or daughter a valuable gift by encouraging him to join Cub Scouting today. The time you invest in him today will make a difference in the person he becomes tomorrow.

Scouting in the Hawk Mountain Council is provided locally in neighborhoods across the two county area through churches, community organizations, or other groups of interested citizens. Please visit our Unit Search Tool to find Scouting near you.

Geo-Fencing

Places to go with your Scouts