California Inland Empire Council                      Monday Memo

Welcome to our December 12th, 2011 Monday Memo

2011 Silver Beaver Honorees

Congratulations to the following Scouting volunteers who have been selected to receive the California Empire Council's highest honor, the Silver Beaver Award.

They will be honored at the Council's Annual Volunteer Recognition Dinner on February 4, 2012. The dinner will be held at the Moreno Valley Conference and Recreation Center. You're invited to attend and help recognize these and other deserving Scouting volunteers. Special early bird table and individual ticket rates available through January 6, 2012.  Click Here for Flyer 

Message From Our Council President

I can hardly believe, it will be soon, when I fade into the sunset. But really what I want to say to all the volunteers in California Inland Empire Council is simply THANK YOU. Without you the position of president is meaningless. You do the work for that one hour a week; I know it is more like 4 or 5 hours per week if you are lucky. We do it because we want to and we do it because we like being around the other volunteers having fun while building our youth to be responsible caring adults. Have a great Holiday Season and I hope to see all of you at the Council Volunteer Recognition Dinner in February. Jim Prior P.S. Looking forward to whatever I am asked to do in 2012

Early Bird Insurance Fees are Due by December 19th

A note to all those units who participate in the Council’s Accident & Sickness Insurance program……. The low cost of $2.00 per participant will expire at the close of business on Monday, December 19th.

Beginning Tuesday, December 20th the cost will be $3.00 per youth and adult member.

Take advantage of the lower rate….. your coverage will be in effect and you will have saved $1.00 per person!! Credit card payments by phone are accepted.

If you have any questions, please contact Virginia Cottone at 909-793-2463, ext. 116 or Kevin Gustafson at ext. 139.

More information about the BSA's insurance information can be found on our Council's website. Learn More

What’s Happening at the Summit? Get a Bird’s-Eye View

In less than two years, the Summit Bechtel Reserve will open as the BSA’s new jamboree home and fifth high-adventure base. But until then, construction continues and progress is being made on the ground in West Virginia. If you doubted such an amazing place could be ready by 2013, well, you’re in for a surprise. Check out some exciting aerial photos of the site! Want more? Check out the full slideshow on Summitblog.org.
For more information on how you can participate in the 2013 National Scout Jamboree. Visit www.bsa-ciec.org/Jamboree today!

A flyover of the area offers a bird’s-eye view of the Summit Bechtel Reserve. The light areas will be in use for the 2013 National Scout Jamboree. Note: This only shows the Summit Center. Activity base camps and the rest of the property are not pictured here.	Here’s a little wider view of a Summit encampment.
This is a platform for one of the many zip lines that will let Scouts and Venturers sail through the skies at the Summit. This particular zip line is based in Action Point, also home base for mountain biking and more at the Summit.	The west side of the Summit Center, looking east. At left is the staff camp. Those gray spots are concrete pads for the shower houses and restrooms. Above that is Camp E. To the right of that are camps A and B (the fingers) and camps C and D (very top), with the arena and Action Point in between them.

Volunteers Needed to Count Bald Eagles

Release Date: Dec 7, 2011
San Bernardino, Calif., December 7, 2011 - Volunteers are needed to help the Forest Service count bald eagles for the 34th season in the San Bernardino National Forest’s annual winter bald eagle counts in the San Bernardino and San Jacinto Mountains on Saturday December 17, January 14, February 11, and March 10.

Concurrent Bald Eagle counts are held at Big Bear Lake, Lake Arrowhead, Lake Silverwood, and Lake Hemet. This year we have added Lake Perris State Park Recreation Area. Volunteers will be stationed at vantage points around the lakes, where they map and note any eagle observations during a 1-hour period on the Saturday mornings listed above. Observations will be repeated monthly for simultaneous 1-hour census/mapping efforts December through March.

“Through this method, the Forest Service has acquired information about areas eagles use and fluctuations in population numbers,” said Forest Service wildlife biologist Marc Stamer. “There’s no experience needed for volunteers and this is a wonderful opportunity to catch a glimpse of our breath-taking national symbol.”

The bald eagle counts for this winter are scheduled for the following Saturday mornings: December 17, January 14, February 11, and March 10. Mark your calendars now. No experience is needed. Volunteers should dress warmly and bring binoculars and a watch.

• Big Bear Lakearea volunteers will meet at 8:00 a.m. at the Big Bear Discovery Center on North Shore Drive. Contact Robin Eliason (reliason@fs.fed.usor 909-382-2832) for more information.
• Lake Arrowheadvolunteers will meet at 8:00 a.m. at the Sky Forest Ranger Station. Contact Robin Eliason (reliason@fs.fed.usor 909-382-2832) for more information.
• Silverwood Lake State Parkvolunteers should contact the park office for information during business hours of 8:00 am to 4:00 pm at 760-389-2281,and plan to meet at the Visitor Center at 8:00 a.m.
• Lake Hemet volunteers should plan on meeting at the Lake Hemet Grocery Store at 8:30 a.m. for instructions. Contact Ann Poopatanapong (apoopatanapong@fs.fed.usor 909-382-2935) for more information.
• Lake Perris State Park volunteers should contact the park office for information at 951-940-5600, and plan to meet at the Lake Perris Regional Indian Museum.
  For additional information about the San Bernardino National Forest, please visit: http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/sanbernardino/

Background
The San Bernardino Mountains support the largest wintering bald eagle population in Southern California. Eagles typically begin arriving in the area in late November and continue to stay in the area until early April. Numbers using the Big Bear Basin have fluctuated from lows of 6-7 to highs of 35-40 individuals.

In the early 1990s, the Forest Service conducted a research project to learn more about what areas in the mountains are important for eagle foraging, perching, and night roosting. Fifteen eagles were caught and equipped with tiny radio-transmitters that allowed us to track their movements. Through radio-tracking, we learned that some of the same individual eagles return to the San Bernardino Mountains year after year. We also determined that there is a lot of movement of eagles between the different mountain lakes and that the lakes do not have distinctive separate populations—the eagles regularly move between Silverwood, Big Bear, and Arrowhead lakes. We have also learned that some of the San Bernardino Mountains' eagles travel to Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, and Canada.

Scientists at Lake Silverwood also equipped some bald eagles with transmitters tracked by satellites. Some of those eagles were tracked all the way to Alberta and the Northwest Territories in Canada where they probably nested. That is about 2,000 miles one-way! Information regarding bald eagle migratory routes for these and other California eagles can be viewed from the University of Santa Cruz Predatory Bird Research Group’s web site at http://www2.ucsc.edu/~scpbrg/migration.htm.

Breeding populations of bald eagles in Southern California were extirpated by the late 1950s. Until reintroduction efforts began in the 1980s on Catalina Island, the southern-most nest site known in California was in Lake County. Since 2003, a pair of bald eagles has successfully fledged babies several times at Lake Hemet! Potential nesting habitat exists on National Forest lands near all of the lakes in the San Bernardino Mountains. The Forest Service will continue to monitor these areas in the spring for future nesting attempts.

The bald eagle is a success story of the Endangered Species Act – through protection under that Law, its populations have recovered from the brink of extinction. Bald Eagles are no longer considered an Endangered or Threatened species. They still have full protection under the Bald Eagle Protection Act. Captive breeding programs, reintroduction efforts, the banning of DDT, and public education have all helped in the recovery of this species.

Catching a glimpse of our breath-taking national symbol is relatively easy during winter months in Big Bear. There are some fantastic opportunities for excellent close-up photographs too. Just look in the tallest trees around the lake near open water for perching eagles. Or, if the lake is partly frozen, look for eagles perched on the ice near small groups of ducks using the open water. Stop by the Forest Service's Big Bear Discovery Center (on North Shore Drive, 1-1/2 miles west of Stanfield Cutoff) and pick up a handout on eagles.

Remember that human presence may distract or disturb the eagles - so, try to limit your movements and don't make loud noises when they're nearby. If possible, remain in your car while looking at eagles - the car may act as a blind.

Texting and Driving: It Can Wait

When you take just a minute to look at the last text message on your wireless device, consider whether it would be worth causing a serious accident, possibly one that could take a life … or several lives. When you look at it this way, there’s no text that can’t wait. To drive this point home, the BSA and AT&T have teamed up to offer Scouts and leaders the opportunity to take the “It Can Wait” pledge to not text and drive. And, by encouraging at least 10 friends to do the same, they can earn a limited-edition “Txting & Drivng” patch (while supplies last). To participate, have your Scouts go to the main BSA Facebook page and click the “It Can Wait” app in the left column. Learn more about this initiative (and watch an “It Can Wait” video) on Scouting magazine’s Bryan on Scouting blog.

2012 Tribe of Wisumahi at Boseker Scout Reservation

Plan now for your 2nd Year Webelos Scouts to attend this exciting adventure at Boseker Scout Reservation, located in beautiful Idyllwild, California. They'll experience sleeping in a teepee for the entire week! Plus they'll make Native American crafts, learn new games and much more. The program is limited to the 48 2nd-year Webelos Scouts and will be held July 29-August 4th, 2012. Registration flyers and other information will be available soon!


Get on Target at Boseker Scout Reservation

Save the Date! Target on Transition will be held July 15-21 at Boseker Scout Reservation. We're looking for volunteers to help run this great program for new Boy Scouts and graduating Webelos Scouts. Please email Jenney Diuguid if you're interested in helping out with this fun program.

2011 Lunar Eclipse

Approximately 50 scouts from 10 troops and packs attended the Sunrise District Lunar Eclipse outing. Boy Scouts earned the Astronomy Merit badge and Cub Scouts earned their Astronomy belt loop and Astronomy Pin. Everyone learned about Eclipses, the Universe, the solar system, heard Native American Star stories and had a great time on the overnight stay.

So you can plan ahead, the next total lunar eclipse is on the night of April 14, 2014.

Kudos to the Five Nations District Distinguished Citizens

BSA High-Adventure Bases at a Glance!

Learn more about two of the BSA’s high-adventure bases with these cool new infographics (click to enlarge):

The Peace Light Comes to Redlands

There is a Grotto under the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem which is believed to be the site of Jesus’ birth. Oil lamps have been continuously lit there for over a thousand years. For the last 22 years a child from Austria is chosen to fetch the Peace Light from one of these lamps. The flame is used to light two blast proof miners lamps, originally designed to be used in coal mines. The light lamps are carried aboard an Austrian Airlines jet to Vienna.

Scouts and other interested people gather in Vienna to light their lamps from the Peace Light flame the miners lamps carried from Bethlehem. They in turn pass the Peace Light flame from lamp to lamp, spreading it across Europe as far north as the northern edge of Norway, and as far east as Moscow.

Austrian Airlines has been bringing their miners lamps carrying the Peace Light flame to New York since 2004. Scouts meet the Peace Light at JFK airport, and light their lamps from the miners lamps spreading the Peace Light across the North American continent.

The Peace Light arrived here at the Jack Dembo Scout Center in Redlands. If you would like to share the Peace Light with your place of worship or your family, bring and light your lamp this week daily from 9:30 AM till 5:00 PM. For more information contact Kevin Gustafson at 909-793-2463 ext 139. To learn more about the Peace Light, visit their website at www.peacelight.org.

12 Deals of Christmas Daily Deal Scedule

Deals are available in all National Scout Shop and on www.ScoutStuff.org. No rain checks. While supplies last. See a Sales Associate for details.

News & Tidbits

• District Committe Training Workshop! Save the date for this fun and informative training! Click Here to Register Online 
• James E. West Fellows, Click Here to view the list. If you need to be added to the list contact Michelle Brown @ micbrown@bsamail.org or 909-793-2463 Ext. 121. James E. West Application
• Camp Emerson is the Best Value for Boy Scout Summer camps in Southern California. Great food, great staff and a great program all add up to a fantastic week of summer camp. See this video on how our camp fees compare to other camps in the area. For more information, visit http://www.campemerson.org/. Sign-up by January 31st and your Scouts will get their 2012 commemorative camp patch early to show their Emerson Pride!
• Here's A Fun Idea! Have Scouts & leaders look over their back issues of Boys' Life and choose their favorite Think & Grin jokes. Then at the next big meeting, share them with everyone!
  Now is a great time to subscribe while doing your annual charter renewal. An annual subscription is only $12!
• Cub Scout Investigations - Cub Scout Day Camp 2012 Get your Cub Scouts excited about next summer's day camp by helping design the patch! The theme is Cub Scout Investigations. Download the contest flyer for more information! Day Camp Patch Contest Flyer 

Friends of Scouting Report

Positive Quote
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The hero is the one who kindles a great light in the world, who sets up blazing torches in the dark streets of life for men to see by. The saint is the man who walks through the dark paths of the world, himself a light.
 
  ~Felix Adler

Have a great Scouting week!
Yours in the Spirit of Scouting,

Joe Daniszewski Scout Executive/CEO California Inland Empire Council, BSA 1230 Indiana Court Redlands, CA 92374 909.793.2463, Ext. 120 877.732.1450 909.793.0306 Fax