Table of Contents
Friends of Scouting
Has your unit held its 2021 Friends of Scouting presentation? It is a great opportunity to hear about some of the council’s highlights and accomplishments over the past year, and to illustrate to families how the program is funded. All units that hold a Friends of Scouting presentation will receive a special ribbon for their unit flag. Contact your district executive to schedule your presentation.
You can donate online via the donate button at the top of this page. The look of our online donation portal has changed, but, as before, all Friends of Scouting donations stay local and benefit the same Scouting program you love. You can also fill out a Friends of Scouting pledge card and email it to shannon.foster@scouting.org.
Progress as of July 14, 2021:
Each district shares a portion of the overall goal.
Progress as of July 14, 2021:
Upcoming Events
Popcorn Kernel Meet & Greet
July 17
Popcorn Kernels, drop by the Mary Jayne Breeden Council Service Center on Saturday, July 17 between 9:30 AM and 11:30 AM to meet your District Popcorn Kernels and pick up your sales flyers, sample box, and promotional items.
Popcorn Order #1 Due
July 21
Unit popcorn orders for the first delivery are due by July 21. Unit Popcorn Kernels will submit the order through the unit Scout Boss account. Need assistance? See page 19 in the Popcorn Guide or contact your District Popcorn Kernel.
District Relaunches and Roundtables
August 10-12
Join your district for its Roundtable this August for a special relaunch gathering. We’ll provide units with tips and tools for recruitment, so we can help the youth in our community Escape the Great Indoors. Refreshments will be served.
- Albemarle District: Wednesday, August 11 at 7 PM at Holy Family Catholic Church, 1453 N. Road Street, Elizabeth City, NC 27909
- Bayside District: Tuesday, August 10 at 7:15 PM at Haygood United Methodist Church, 4713 Haygood Road, Virginia Beach, VA 23455. Use the doors on the west side of the building.
- Princess Anne District: Tuesday, August 10 at 6:30 PM at Community United Methodist Church, 1072 Old Kempsville Road, Virginia Beach, VA 23464
- Three Rivers District: Thursday, August 12 at 7 PM at Deep Creek United Methodist Church, 141 George Washington Highway N., Chesapeake, VA 23323
Scout Night with the Norfolk Tides
August 13
Take me out to the ballgame!
Scouts and families are invited to join us at Harbor Park as the Norfolk Tides take on the Memphis Redbirds. Ticket vouchers are available at the Scout Shop.
Commemorative COVID patches are available to the first 400!
Adult First Aid / CPR / AED Training
August 21
The Adult First Aid/CPR/AED course incorporates the latest science and teaches students to recognize and care for a variety of first aid emergencies, such as burns, cuts, scrapes, sudden illnesses, and breathing and cardiac emergencies. Successful students will receive a certificate for Adult First Aid/CPR/AED valid for two years.
This is a blended learning course. Participants must complete the online portion of the course before taking one of the skills demonstration sessions, which will be offered at the Mary Jayne Breeden Council Service Center in Virginia Beach. There will be three sessions, each limited to eight participants.
Three Rivers Merit Badge University
September 11
Save the date for Three Rivers Merit Badge University on September 11. Merit badge offerings include Law, Communications, Citizenship in the Nation, Citizenship in the World, Nuclear Science, Metalwork, and more.
Units with volunteering merit badge counselors will have the opportunity to register first. To volunteer as a merit badge counselor, please contact Charlie Tate at 3RDistrictMBU@gmail.com or 757-214-7534, or Kirsten Misfeldt at kmisfeldt62@gmail.com or 757-323-6172, by July 24.
The event guidebook and registration are coming soon.
Pow Wow
November 13
Pow Wow is a supplemental, action-packed training event for adult Cub Scout leaders, pack committee members, chartered organization representatives, parents of Cub Scouts, and others interested in Cub Scouting. Mark your calendar for November 13 to save the date for Tidewater Council’s next Pow Wow!
News
Membership Fees
The National Council BSA has announced new membership fees that will go into effect on August 1, 2021. These fees, which are paid to the National Council, represent an increase of $3-6 per person, depending on the program.
Tidewater Council is committed to keeping local council fees at the lowered $24 rate. The council fee stays local and includes insurance costs. The council fee is due only at charter renewal.
As always, financial assistance is available.
Popcorn
Looking for a way to fund an awesome program for your Scouts? The annual Popcorn Sale is here to help!
Five Things Your Unit Should Be Doing Now
- Sign up for the sale at prpopcorn.com using Council Key 596TWC.
- Pick up your sales flyers, sample box, and promotional items on July 17 at the Popcorn Kernel Meet & Greet.
- Discuss your unit sales goal with your District Popcorn Kernel.
- Place your first unit order by July 21.
- Hold your unit kick-off before the first product delivery (estimated August 5).
Resources
Did your unit miss Popcorn Training or Popcorn 101 for new kernels? You can view recordings on our Popcorn Sale webpage.
Do you need help with any aspect of the sale? We have a great team of District Popcorn Kernels who are here to help you! You can find their contact information on the last page of the Popcorn Guide.
Scout Shop
Supplies for Summer Fun
With summer in full swing, the Scout Shop continues to supply Scouting needs, whether it’s uniforms, camping equipment, or fun activity kits!
Regatta races are always exciting outdoor events for Cub Scouts. Kits are $5.99 each and the inflatable raceways are available for $26.99. To chase away mid-summer boredom, we have various kits that keep kids busy and learning and are large enough for siblings to share the fun. Come in and check out the Kidzlab kits ($12.99), Crystal Radio kits ($10.99), the Smithsonian Eco Science lab ($12.99), the Smithsonian 30X Telescope ($14.99), and others.
Americana T-Shirts
New Americana T-shirts greet our customers on the front T-shirt rack. Navy blue with an eagle head screen print, these 100% cotton T-shirts are just $9.99, come in sizes adult small – 2XL, and you don’t have to be an Eagle to wear them.
Camping Gear
Need camping supplies? Our camping section is full, with mosquito nets, sleeping bags, mats, mess kits, and other items. A new item in the Scout Shop is the Thermacell Mosquito Repellent Lantern. A heat-activated mat releases repellent into the air, creating a 15 ft. x 15 ft. zone of mosquito protection. For lighting, it provides up to 220 lumens or as low as 55 lumens. It requires four AA batteries (not included) and sells for $39.99. With four light settings, rubber-armored, and weather-resistant, this lantern is a “must have” for any summer camp-out.
Flags
If you are doing a flag ceremony, we are still over-stocked, so just ask for flags at the front counter. For questions about in-store inventory, call us at 757-497-2688 or email polly.fugate@scouting.org.
Scout Shop Hours
For planning purposes, our next holiday closing will be September 4-6 for Labor Day.
Relaunch Scouting
Families are ready to ESCAPE THE GREAT INDOORS!
This fall, parents will be looking for things to do for their kids and the whole family! You are well aware of the character-building, learning, and fun your family experiences in Scouting. Now is the time to bring other families into your pack!
We want to give 100% of Cub Scout packs the resources to reach 100% of the school and homeschool families in our community. There are 8 steps you can take before school starts in August/September to prepare your pack for fall recruiting success:
- Complete a Membership and Leadership Inventory
- Recruit a New Member Coordinator
- Plan your program calendar for 2021-2022
- Update your BeAScout Pin
- Produce an information sheet for your pack
- Attend the District Kickoff at your August District Roundtable
- Complete a Pack Marketing Plan
- Plan an open house in a public place frequented by families
Your district executive, district membership committee member, and unit commissioner will be contacting you to help you and provide resources.
Download the 2021 Pack Relaunch Guide to help you in the process of bringing new families to your pack!
National Night Out
National Night Out is an annual neighborhood-based event that promotes camaraderie and police-community partnerships. Is your unit planning to assist with a National Night Out or to use this opportunity as a recruitment drive?
National Night Out 2021 will be held on Tuesday, August 3. To share your plan or find out if there is an event in your area, contact the membership coordinator for your district:
Albemarle: Callie Ives, pooh2tigger24@aol.com
Bayside: Liz Conner, lizconnerscoutsbsavcc@gmail.com
Princess Anne: Pam Samples, pasamp42@gmail.com
Three Rivers: Mike Ferrara, Mike1926@gmail.com
BSA Safety Moment
It is recommended to include a BSA Safety Moment during meetings to inform Scouts and parents and keep everyone safe. Numerous downloadable BSA Safety Moments are available here.
Shooting Sports
The Boy Scouts of America and the National Rifle Association (NRA) have worked together for more than 100 years to develop a strong shooting sports program. Many NRA trained men and women in BSA local councils are willing and available to work with units and youth. Too often, individual units want to go shooting with whatever guns they have at whatever location they think is safe. However, the BSA Shooting Sports program is both age-appropriate and structured with specific types of firearms and the appropriate places to shoot. Leaders and chartered organizations need to know and follow the program.
Community Service
Youth civic engagement means working to make a difference in the civic life of one’s community. It also involves developing the combination of knowledge, skills, values, and motivation to make that difference. These activities enrich the lives of youth and are socially beneficial to the community. What projects does your unit plan this summer and fall?
Service is Scouting’s greatest legacy and the primary reason that the Boy Scouts of America is the world’s premier youth organization. We currently have several opportunities for youth to give back to our communities through service. Here are some current projects needing assistance:
- Marshview Park is a little known gem in an undeveloped wetland area between Seatack and Shadowlawn. Many years ago when it was privately owned, some parts of the park were used to dump construction debris in the wetlands. Virginia Beach recently improved the trails and park facilities at this location and several groups of volunteers have started to remove some of the debris, but we need a hard working crew to get serious about finishing the job. The city will bring a dumpster as close to the site as possible, but we will need wheel barrows and strong backs to pull the debris out of the wetlands and transport it to the dumpster. We are looking for at least ten people, including leaders, for about three or four hours. There is also the potential for a unit to adopt this area as a long-term service project, as there is additional work that needs to be done, including invasive plant removal, trail maintenance, and park improvements. Contact Vince Bowhers at vince@lrnow.org or 757-773-1636.
- Rain garden project to benefit the SPCA. Contact Clay Bernick at clay@lrnow.org or 757-377-3120.
- Various projects for the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center. Contact Clay Bernick at clay@lrnow.org or 757-377-3120.
- Build two five- to six-foot wooden benches with plant boxes and complete a butterfly garden for the ViBe District Mediterranean Avenue Parklet. Contact Vince Bowhers at vince@lrnow.org or 757-773-1636.
- A few projects on the horizon for those Scouts wanting to be a part of planning, execution, and maintenance are slated for the future. A landscape project in the ViBe District, a living shoreline project in Great Neck, and a couple fall tree plantings. Contact Vince Bowhers at vince@lrnow.org or 757-773-1636.
Guide to Advancement Update
The National Council has updated the Guide to Advancement. Access the current version here.
Scouts in the News
You don’t need to be a professional with a degree in journalism to get your Scouts featured in the local newspaper, TV station, or digital media outlet. You just need the right pitch.
Journalists are looking for stories about local youth doing good things in the community. But they cannot publicize the stories if they don’t know about them. Local media want to know about unit or Eagle service projects and other notable youth activities.
Why take the time? Because it’s the ultimate win-win-win.
- Your Scouts get recognition for their hard work (and a clipping that could accompany a job résumé or college application).
- People in your community get an important reminder that Scouts are still out there doing amazing things.
- Local journalists get a ready-made, feel-good story that their audience will enjoy.
Share your stories with us by emailing alison.harrison@scouting.org and get tips for preparing your pitch from this Bryan on Scouting article.
Every Scout Deserves a Trained Leader
If you had a magic wand, would you use it to make the Scouting program better and more fun for youth so they stayed in Scouting longer, so it had a larger impact on their lives? What if the same magic wand made leadership roles easier, more rewarding, and led to better retention among adult leaders? Would using that magic wand be a top priority?
Well, such a magic wand does exist—in the form of the learning programs for leaders in the Boy Scouts of America.
Common sense tells us that training is important, and research shows the importance of trained leaders. A trained leader is knowledgeable and more confident in the role being performed. Trained leaders exhibit a knowledge and confidence that is picked up by people around them. Trained leaders impact the quality of programs, leader tenure, youth tenure, safety, and a whole lot more. A trained leader is better prepared to make the Scouting program all it can be. Take the time to complete the training for your position.
COVID-19 Assistance
Does your family need assistance due to COVID-19? Tidewater Council is a partner agency with United Way of South Hampton Roads and Albemarle Area United Way, as well as a member of the Unite Us Hampton Roads United Coordinated Network and NCCARE360. For coordinated care referrals, please contact us.
Scouts in Action
Welcome to new unit Crew 168, chartered by Moyock United Methodist Church!
Welcome to new unit Troop 5775, chartered by SonRise at Pembroke Manor Christian Church! This outstanding group of Scouts spent a week volunteering with Virginia Beach Cub Scout Day Camp!
Albemarle Troop 127 Scouts volunteered to clean up Historic Corolla Park after its Independence Day Celebration. Great job, Scouts!
Princess Anne Troop 362 celebrated its Court of Honor on July 1 and had the honor of having the Virginia Beach Mayor, Bobby Dyer, as their guest speaker. The Mayor shared his Scouting background and emphasized the importance of the Scouting program in shaping tomorrow’s leaders.
There was a change in leadership as Kurt Wentzell became Scoutmaster, replacing David Timmerman. Troop 362 Scouts received 37 merit badges, four personal awards, fifteen rank advancements, and recognized two Scouts who achieved Eagle. It was a great night for the unit.
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