Table of Contents
Friends of Scouting
Tidewater Council has a 2020 Friends of Scouting goal to raise $375,000 by June 4. Reaching this goal will enable us to reduce or eliminate the program fee, making Scouting more accessible for our families.
Progress as of March 1, 2020:
Each district shares a portion of the overall goal.
District progress as of March 1, 2020:
Upcoming Events
Pinewood Derby
Packs, districts, and the council each are planning their Pinewood Derbies. The 2020 rules are finalized and the Scout Shop is fully stocked with car kits. Are you ready for the races?
Albemarle District Pinewood Derby: March 7
All racers of each rank from every pack in Albemarle District are eligible to race. Arrow of Light (AOL) Scouts who have just bridged to a troop are still eligible. There will also be an open class of Family Fun Run races after the qualified racers. The leader’s guide is available online and registration is open on Tentaroo.
Three Rivers District Pinewood Derby: March 14
Three Rivers Cub Scout Packs, your top three racers at each rank level are welcomed and encouraged to show off their cars at Chesapeake Square Mall. Weigh-in starts at 8:30 AM for all racers. There will be a table for each rank to check-in their cars. The opening ceremony will be at 9:30 AM, and racing will begin immediately afterwards. Registration is in Black Pug. The cost is $8.50 per racer. Contact Paul Hunter for more information and to volunteer to help. The rules are available online and the Leader’s Guide is coming soon.
Bayside District Pinewood Derby: March 14
Bayside unit qualifying races are going on now. Cars are being tuned up for the big race at St. Pius X Catholic School. Unit leaders can register the top three youth per rank on Tentaroo. For check-in times, please download the Racer Guide.
Register online by March 10.
Tidewater Council Pinewood Derby: April 4
Save the date for the council race on April 4 at Pembroke Mall. The top three racers per rank at each district derby will be automatically entered.
Adult Pintwood Derby: April 18
Join us for the second annual Adult Pintwood Derby at Big Ugly Brewing in Chesapeake, hosted by the Rovers. This year, we’ll be raising funds for local Scouting and offering teams!
(This is a 21+ event. No uniforms.)
District Recognition Events
Three Rivers District Awards: March 12
Three Rivers district will recognize outstanding volunteers at March Roundtable. Join us at 7 PM at Deep Creek United Methodist Church, 141 N. George Washington Highway, Chesapeake, VA.
Princess Anne District Volunteer Recognition and Awards Dinner: March 14
All Princess Anne district volunteers are invited to attend the Volunteer Recognition and Awards Dinner at Memorial United Methodist Church, 804 Gammon Road at 6 PM. Support and celebrate volunteer leaders who will be awarded District Award of Merit, Scoutmaster of the Year, Cubmaster of the Year, and much more.
Bayside District Recognition Event: March 28
The Bayside district will gather for breakfast at St. John’s Lutheran Church at 8:30 AM to recognize the outstanding volunteers of the district. Awards will include the District Award of Merit, Cubmaster of the Year, Scoutmaster of the Year, Den Leader of the Year, and many more.
Albemarle District Volunteer Appreciation Dinner: March 28
Join the Albemarle district for dinner at Pilmoor United Methodist Church at 5 PM. Bring the whole family and celebrate outstanding district volunteers.
Council Sports Breakfast
March 18
Join us for the annual Council Sports Breakfast. Keynote speaker Kevin Greene is an Eagle Scout, 5-time NFL Pro Bowler, a member of the NFL’s All-Decade Team of the 1990’s, and a veteran of the U.S. Army Reserve.
Contact Shannon Foster to RSVP or learn how to be a table host.
Council Banquet and Legends Dinner
March 31
Celebrate outstanding Scout volunteers and enjoy a delicious meal prepared by the OA Cook Crew! The annual Council Banquet and Legends Dinner will honor the 2020 Silver Beavers, 2020 Living Legends, Venturing Leadership Award recipients, Sea Scout Leadership Award recipients, Council Alumnus of the Year, and more. Join us at 6 PM on Tuesday, March 31 at the Norfolk Masonic Temple.
2020 Silver Beavers
Jon Cooper
B.G. Lee
Lisa Miller
John Scheib
2020 Living Legends of Tidewater Council
Jeanne Blair
Anne Bussiere
Mike Coley
Clarence Harrison
Robert Johnson MD
John Klemenc
Dave Lannetti
Byron McPherson
Don Schultz
Dennis Stewart
Three Rivers District Camporee
April 3 - 5
“Learn Today, Lead Tomorrow” at Pipsico Scout Reservation, Camp Lions. In the Scouting tradition of promoting camping and the Scout motto of “Be Prepared,” this camporee will focus on Scouting skills acquired in the journey to the rank of First Class Scout. The skills learned in this journey enable a Scout to be prepared to take on life’s challenges and make wise decisions. Skill stations are personal fitness, first aid, orienteering, pioneering, cooking, and flag ceremonies. Bring your troop and build your teams. Youth and adults are $17 each. Sign up in Black Pug today.
Backpack to Retention
April 18 and April 22
Calling all Cub Scout leaders! You are invited to attend a training session that will give you the tools to lead a high-performing, successful pack!
Learn about the NEW improved fall recruiting plan. We’ll show you how to recruit Cub Scouts in a more effective way and help you prepare for the membership growth. You’ll also get tips for calendar planning, budgeting, product sales, leader training, and more!
This training is absolutely FREE, but registration is requested. Register online.
Wood Badge
May 1-3 and May 30-31
Are you ready to take the new revised Wood Badge course? Wood Badge is a national leadership and team development experience open to all Scout leaders. Simply stated, Wood Badge is “Leadership for Scouting, Leadership for America.” It is a 5-day, hands-on, intense learning experience. Wood Badge uses the same contemporary leadership concepts utilized in corporate America and leading government organizations, applied to Scouting’s values-based movement. Participants apply skills they learn through their shared participation as a member of a successful, working, high-performance team.
Tidewater Council’s 2020 Wood Badge course will be held at Pipsico Scout Reservation on May 1-3 (Friday-Sunday) and May 30-31 (Saturday-Sunday). The $245 course cost includes meals for the first weekend, closing luncheon, course materials, hat, and t-shirt. Space is limited to the first 48 individuals who reserve their spot with a $100 deposit. Late fees apply if the full balance is not paid by March 23.
There are only 17 spots left and they are going fast!
Eagle Scout Recognition Dinner
May 14
Congratulations to the 150 youth who attained the rank of Eagle Scout in 2019. Tidewater Council will celebrate their achievements at the annual Eagle recognition event on May 14 at 7 PM at St. Gregory the Great Catholic Church in Virginia Beach. Registration information is coming soon.
Day Camps
June and July
All Cub Scouts are invited to attend day camp this summer! There will be six camps throughout the council area.
Each day camp is a full week of adventure. Staffed by a team of volunteers, day camp activities include sports and games, academics, STEM and science activities, nature exploration, crafts, marksmanship, and skits and songs. Registration is coming soon on Black Pug.
News
New Field Assistant Scout Executive Bill Lawrence
Please join us in welcoming our new Assistant Scout Executive, Bill Lawrence!
From his first campout as a new Boy Scout in 1982, through his professional Scouting career, all the way to the present, Bill has been motivated by one central question:
“How do I leave things better than I found them?”
As a professional with the Boy Scouts of America, Bill has dedicated his career and life to bringing more good people and resources to a program that means so much to us all. For the last 23 years, he has served and learned from volunteers in six different councils throughout the United States. During that time, Bill has grown membership, revenue, and program quality in every place he has served. In the process, he been involved in every program aspect of Scouting, including COPE Director, Summer Camp Director, Jamboree, Philmont, Day Camp, and advising the Council/District Commissioner Corps, just to name a few.
Bill is extremely excited about coming to the Tidewater Council to serve the volunteers and staff as the Assistant Scout Executive. In that role, he will be helping, mentoring, and guiding the field staff to grow Scouting and better serve the Scouts and Scouters of the Tidewater Council. His focus areas in that mission will be membership, revenue, and unit service. Of course, Bill will also serve as a resource for any Scout or Scouter in the Council.
His family is a Scouting family, where Christa, his wife of 18 years, is a Den Leader and Pack Popcorn Kernel. Bill has a twelve-year-old son named Jensen, who just earned his First Class Rank, swims competitively, and plays the viola. His nine-year-old daughter, Emiri, is a Wolf Cub Scout who swims, likes to read, and constantly makes things.
Bill grew up in hollers of southeastern Ohio and received his undergraduate degree from the University of Rio Grande in Rio Grande, Ohio. When he is not Scouting and keeping up with his busy family, he likes to trail run, mountain bike, and read books.
Welcome Bill!
New Ranger Evan Sommerfeld
Welcome to our new Ranger, Evan Sommerfeld. Evan will join us on March 16, 2020.
Evan comes to Tidewater Council from Spring Hill, Florida, where he has been serving as the Executive Director of a non-profit that helps local homeless and impoverished members of the community with a variety of essential programs and services. Evan is an Eagle Scout, Arrowman, Wood Badger (Fox), and has worked at Scout camps in England, Germany, and Virginia. He served on the Tidewater Council staff from 2009-2017. During that time, his primary duties included the management of camping operations at the Pipsico Scout Reservation, where he also lived with his family (Ranger Jenny and twin daughters). Evan and Jenny have been married for 18 years, and they have 6-year-old twin daughters who are working towards their Lion rank. We are excited to work together with Evan in our shared vision for improvements to Pipsico in the coming years.
Thank you to the search committee who led a difficult search with many highly qualified candidates.
NRA Foundation Grants
We are pleased to announce that the NRA Foundation has awarded Tidewater Council, Boy Scouts of America grants totaling $26,900 to fund youth shooting sports education.
Scout Shop
Shop Local! The Tidewater Council Scout Shop is the only place where you can purchase official BSA merchandise and have the proceeds stay in our Scouting community.
The most “constant” thing about the month of March is CHANGE, and it’s not just the weather. Arrow of Light Scouts begin a new journey of many changes as they move to troops. Some of those changes involve uniforms, which are undergoing a change of their own.
NEW PANTS/SHORTS – BSA made the decision this past year to phase out both the canvas pants/shorts and the microfiber pant/shorts. This doesn’t mean everyone must purchase new ones. The motto: “Once a uniform, always a uniform” continues to be true. However, as we sell out of the canvas pants/short and microfiber pants/shorts, they will not be replaced, and BSA has already sold out of several sizes in both.
WHAT’S NEW? The new fabric is a cotton/polyester blend with 2% spandex and will replace the canvas and microfiber. It is the same fabric as the girls’ and women’s roll-up pants, lightweight and cool with some ability to stretch. The boys’ and men’s sizes will offer long pants that zip off at the knee and shorts. The girls’ and women’s uniforms will remain the same. We hope to have pants and shorts with the new fabric in stock by mid-March, but this is only an estimate. In the meantime, we may be out of stock in some sizes, so we appreciate patience during this transition and apologize for any inconvenience.
With Pinewood Derbies winding down, the cars can easily be misplaced and forgotten. Our best solution is the Pinewood Derby display case. The hard plastic (polystyrene) cover makes it a safe way to protect the car, and the low price of $9.99 makes it an inexpensive way to preserve fun memories whether it’s the first car raced, the last one, or somewhere in between. The rectangular design provides an easy way to stack several cars for display. Come in and get a few!
2020 Scout Requirements books are in stock and well worth the price ($5.99), with requirements for all ranks, merit badges, Eagle palms, and other advancements under one cover. We have a handy display at the front counter.
Did your unit participate in Scouting for Food? We have a few different patches available in the Scout Shop and can easily order more. Just put your order in and we can have it the following week. Prices are $1.49 and $1.79, depending on the patch. These patches are located at the front display case.
FLAGS for flag retirement ceremonies are in good supply here, so don’t hesitate to pick some up.
As always, we offer shipping by USPS upon request. Simply call (757-497-2688) or email polly.fugate@scouting.org. We accept VISA and Mastercard and will ship your order with only the cost of merchandise and shipping (no handling fees charged).
Our next holiday closing will be for Easter weekend, when we will close Friday, April 10 and Saturday, April 11. We will reopen for regular hours on Monday April 13.
Camp Cards and Nuts
Camp Cards
We are pleased to announce a new unit fundraiser! The 2020 Camp Card Sale is an absolutely RISK-FREE fundraiser that helps Scouts earn their way to the adventures of Scouting.
Camp Cards are cards that offer valuable discounts to local retailers, including Ocean Breeze Waterpark, Tractor Supply, Cinema Cafe, and more. Scouts sell the cards to family, friends, neighbors, and community members. Units earn 50% commission ($5 per card sold).
There will be three orientation and kick-off opportunities during the last week of March. Sales dates will be April 1 – June 4.
Click on the link below to sign up to participate. Contact Susan Miley-Petrehn for more information.
Nuts for Camping
Tidewater Council partnered with Whitley’s Peanut Factory to go “Nuts for Camping,” offering ten products for Scouting units.
- Sales brochures are available in the Scout Shop lobby and at district Roundtables.
- There will be two take orders. The first order deadline date is Monday, March 23 and the second deadline date is Monday, April 20.
- All orders are prepaid. Units drop their orders off by/before the deadline dates with payment.
- Delivery will be approximately one week after the order deadline. We will call the unit contact on the order form when the order is available for pick up at the Scout Shop.
- We will not accept returns.
- Nuts for Camping offers units a flat 40% commission for all nut products sold.
- Units are responsible for their own incentive plans.
- Nuts for Camping, as any Boy Scouts of America unit earning opportunity, is a unit fundraiser. Families may not operate outside of their unit for fundraising.
National Scout Jamboree
Character is created when you achieve more than you thought possible.
Young people can achieve more than they believe possible. Scouting uniquely prepares its members to redefine their boundaries, push past them, and emerge from the experience with the confidence that, no matter the challenge, they can meet it.
Participants in the 2021 National Jamboree will learn that perceived limits are self-imposed, and no future is out of reach for a group of committed people who are prepared to face the challenge.
The 2021 National Scout Jamboree will be held July 21-30, 2021 at the Summit Bechtel Reserve in West Virginia. Registration is now live at jamboree.scouting.org and payments are made to the council office. Information on the council contingent can be found online. Contact TWCNSJ2021@gmail.com for a presentation at your unit.
BSA Online System Access Extended to Accommodate Rechartering
To help ensure units have full access to BSA online systems while recharters are processed, the National Council has extended the grace period for units to continue accessing online systems for an additional 30 days. This includes Scoutbook, Internet Advancement, Application Manager, my.Scouting Tools, and Den Leader Experience.
Note: On May 31, 2020, Scoutbook and my.Scouting access will be reset to 60 days to remain consistent with other platforms. Additionally, there may be some features that do not perform as usual during this extension. These issues will be reviewed and acted upon, as appropriate, during the next several months. For more information, please contact Member Care at 972-580-2489.
Black Pug
Registration for events may soon become a lot easier!
Soon you will be able to try out a new online event registration system! We are evaluating Black Pug for possible full implementation – including online reservations for council camp facilities. Black Pug offers a user-friendly web interface, an improved event calendar, better reports for event chairs and units, as well as full compatibility on smart phones and tablets.
Check out the system at https://scoutingevent.com/596. Click on the orange support bar on the lower right for a library of helpful tutorial videos.
Over the next few months, we will be testing selected events in this system and some will remain in Tentaroo until the evaluation is complete. Be sure to check the council calendar to find the right registration link. You can try out Black Pug today by registering now for the Council Banquet & Legends Dinner, Three Rivers Camporee, or Three Rivers Pinewood Derby. We’ll be adding more events to test the system soon and we’ll keep you informed in the EK and on social media.
Let us know what you think by sending us an email.
Order of the Arrow
Annual Dues
Do you wear an OA pocket flap on your uniform? It is time to pay your OA Dues for 2020. It is easy to do on Tentaroo! Log into Tentaroo, select Order of the Arrow 2020, and select OA Dues. As of February 1, the annual dues are $17.
Service and Ordeal Weekends
While you are in Tentaroo, you can also register for the March, May, and August Service and Ordeal weekends. The Ordeal and Brotherhood fees are listed as classes that you can select and pay for within the event. Don’t delay, register today. We want to know who is planning to attend so we can be prepared.
Unit OA Elections
Give every Scout who has reached the rank of First Class and above the opportunity to serve. Talk to your unit’s OA Representative about scheduling a visit and election. Encourage members to attend their monthly Chapter meetings.
Journey to Excellence
Journey to Excellence (JTE) is intended to help the unit Key 3 as a planning tool and year-round checklist of activities. It blends many existing BSA programs to help the unit plan a successful year of fun and excitement.
There are resource available online to help your unit, including guidebooks, scorecards, and workbooks. Your unit commissioner also is a great resource to assist you in person.
Campmaster Core
We are looking for folks who wish to join the Pipsico Campmaster Core. These are individuals or couples who wish to be weekend hosts to units visiting Pipsico. There is an application and interview process, followed by a weekend training course later this spring. Campmasters work in conjunction with the Camp Ranger on the Reservation. They arrive prior to our guests so that they can welcome them, get them checked into the correct sites, be available throughout the weekend, and do a check-out upon departure. The Campmaster quarters is the Bill Hill house, just inside Camp Kiwanis. If you are interested and wish to find out more, please contact Kathy Lull at rogue.123@cox.net.
Scout Days at Ocean Breeze Waterpark
Ocean Breeze Waterpark has announced new flexible Boy Scout Days! Discounted tickets now can be used during a choice of Scout Days, selected dates from May 16 – June 14. Unit leaders register their pack or troop online. Once registered, Ocean Breeze will send the unit leader a troop-exclusive access code to share with the Scout families. This access code can be used on the Ocean Breeze website to purchase discounted admission, meal vouchers, and patches.
Reserve your unit’s date by April 30 to lock in admission for 50% off.
Help Needed
Service Projects at Pipsico
Is your unit looking for a great service project? Pipsico Scout Reservation has some projects that would be best accomplished during the winter months, while the vegetation and wildlife are dormant.
Camp Lions Chapel
Help refurbish the Camp Lions Chapel. Install new benches and perform terracing and groundskeeping. More information is available online or by contacting Ron Misfeldt at 757-646-1384.
Additional Opportunities
We are looking for adults who are willing to take the lead and coordinate the work parties to accomplish a number of service projects. Large-scale projects will be posted on PipsicoBSA.com under the Ranger’s Corner tab. Larger projects will require coordinated work groups. Contact Ron Misfeldt at 757-646-1384 for more information. We look forward to seeing you at Pipsico!
Summer Camp Staff
What will you be doing this summer? Make new friends, learn new skills, enjoy the great outdoors, eat really good food, earn a little money (or get service hours), and develop your leadership skills. Join the staff at Pipsico and be part of an awesome team. We are looking for self-motivated folks who can work independently and handle personal responsibility.
We are interviewing for all program areas, including Administration, Scoutcraft, Handicraft, Climbing, Aquatics (Lifeguards), Shooting Sports, Huskanaw, and Kitchen Crew.
Know someone who is looking for an internship for school or work? Encourage them to apply!
For more information, contact Kirsten Misfeldt.
Interviews
Interviews and information will be conducted at the Crew 596 meeting on March 26 (6:30 PM – 8:30 PM) at Zino’s Cafe, 850 Old George Washington Highway, Chesapeake.
Please email Kirsten Misfeldt to set an appointment.
Scouts in Action
Pack 362 made over 360 sandwiches in 20 minutes for St. Columba Ecumenical Ministries in Norfolk. Great job, Scouts!
On February 5, Virginia Beach Mayor Bobby Dyer took time out his busy schedule to attend Troop 471’s Scouts BSA meeting. The mayor gave an inspiring talk for the Scouts and parents at Salem United Methodist Church, and then bravely opened the floor to questions from the Scouts. The questions covered a broad range of topics, from current events and politics to memories of his youth and service in the USMC.
Scoutmaster Norm Aurland said, “It’s always nice to go to the City Council meetings, but when you can bring him on your turf for 100% of your Scouts, it’s a great opportunity.”
Mayor Dyer spent over an hour with the Scouts, and then confessed that he needed to excuse himself to go celebrate his anniversary with his wife!
Scouts from Troop 499 and Troop 164 volunteered with VFW Post 392’s Retirement for Flags.
Members of Three Rivers Troop 824 and their Lava Llamas patrol took on the challenge and escaped the Klondike in first place!
Crew 824 did an awesome job running the Tidewater Council Klondike Derby as well!
Congratulations to Venturing Crew 303, which placed third in the Eskimo division of the Del-Mar-Va Council 2020 Klondike Derby! Crew 303 chose the “Northern Lights” theme, and crew member Katie designed the patch. The Venturers enjoyed competing in archery, team building, cooking skills, shelter building, blind bear event, dead horse lift, rifle shooting, knots, and orienteering. Crew 303 was asked to design the patch for next year’s event too!
Don Roberts and WAVY-TV did a story about some of the area’s first African America Eagle Scouts. Check out the story here.
Thank you to David Byler and Byler Construction for the improvements they are making to the Mary Jayne Breeden Council Service Center!
We want to hear from you! Send stories, photos, and videos of your Scouts in action to alison.harrison@scouting.org (with parental permission, of course).
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