Welcome to our December 23rd, 2013 Monday Memo

C.I.E.C. Staff Wishes Everyone a Merry Christmas

2013 Silver Beaver Recipients

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 1, 2014. 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. Click to Register Online

Name  District Name  District Name  District Patricia Huerta Mt. Rubidoux Crystal Pastorian Tahquitz James Root Temescal Wes Andree Mt. Rubidoux Cynthia Stiede Sunrise Kenneth Foutz Grayback Gregory Stevens Old Baldy Catherine Johanson-Hayes Old Baldy Christy Brown-Anderson Mt. Rubidoux Sandra Cooley Old Baldy Richard Cales High Desert Anne Graham Arrowhead Gregory Chambers High Desert Jim Marmor Temescal Teresa Flug Sunrise John Vineyard Mt. Rubidoux

Glen Ivy Hot Springs Taps the Potential of Boy Scouts

Good morning Joe.

I wanted to share the enclosed article, written in support of my “International Idea” that continues to evolve.

Along the way, I’ve spoken to National and several Councils that have a direct International connection. The wisdom from those conversations was “make a direct, personal connection.” I pitched the idea to our International Spa Industry Professional Group; The International Spa Association or ISPA that has over 3,000 members in 76 countries around the world.

The article was written by an intern who happens to be an Eagle Scout and appears in the November issue of Pulse Magazine, our monthly industry professional journal. As further support, ISPA will be posting the message on their Social Media. I already have one connection from a prominent Professor in Australia who is a very committed Scouter. I am a long term member of ISPA and a Past Chairman of the Association.

I hope you like the article and message; we can make a difference and I’m committed to doing that through Scouting in any number of ways. Thanks for your continued confidence and support Joe.

Jim Root, CEO/President

The Peace Light from Bethlehem, what a wonderful project!

Welcome to PeaceLight.org a web site dedicated to spreading the continuous flame Peace Light from Bethlehem across the North American continent. We are happy to report that our friends at Austrian Air http://www.austrian.com/ are bringing the Peace Light from Bethlehem to Vienna for a 27th time, New York for the 12th time on December 4th, 2013, and Toronto for a 2nd time on December 9th.

If you want to find out if the Peace Light will be available in your area, please consult the distribution map on the Maps page. If your area does not have a Peace Light distribution listed, we encourage you to retrieve the Peace Light from the closest distribution and set up your own distribution. Please  e-mail us at peacelight@peacelight.org with your distribution date, time and location so we can add it to the map.

A job description for the Peace Light Coordinator can be found here: Peace Light Coordinator.
If you have any questions or suggestions feel free to contact us at peacelight@peacelight.org
   
If you would like to receive more frequent updates on our plans and progress. Join our Facebook group: Peace Light - North America  

2014 District Committee Training Workshop

Make a powerful difference in your District.

*** Wednesday, January 29, 2014 @ 5:30 PM – Gathering and 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM Workshop***
Jack Dembo Scout Service Center - 1230 Indiana Court - Redlands

Learn or refresh your fundamentals with this course designed to provide you with the tools and knowledge you need to become a great leader for your district.

• Responsibilities as a district leader
• Areas of emphasis for the council in 2014
• Challenges and opportunities you can assist with in your district

For the Following:

Early Bird Registration: $5.00 per person / $8.00 per person after 1/21/14 - Includes All Printed Materials, Dinner & Snacks Click Here for Registration Form

District Nominating Committee and District Annual Meetings

The District Nominating Committee has the important responsibility of seeking a slate of district members at large and district leaders who will be responsible for achieving district objectives by so doing increase the effectiveness of Scouting.

If you have suggestions for anyone to serve on your district committee, please contact your nominating committee chair listed on the chart below.

The annual district business meetings are also listed on the chart.

FOX's Primetime HIT - MasterChef Junior is Casting Kids who are amazing Cooks

We are hosting a big Open Call in LOS ANGELES  on Saturday JANUARY 25th at the LAX Radisson 6225 W Century Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90045  (10am-6pm) and we are trying to get the word out to as many families in and around Los Angeles as possible before the holiday madness. I was wondering if you wouldn't mind helping us by forwarding our flyer to any young families in the area as well as any good cooks you or your people may know as we are looking to get the word out to as many highly talented young cooks (Ages 8-13)  as possible for our open call. I have attached the flyer in both PDF and JPG format (for social media) as well as our Press Packet showing there are nothing but good things being said about our show. Just google MasterChef Junior and see for yourself!  I can also have a few hundred flyers sent to you if you'd like to respond with the your current mailing address. We really want to see Los Angeles represented properly! So any help in getting the word out would be greatly appreciated! Parents interested in having their talented kid apply for the show should set up an audition  at www.masterchefjuniorcasting.com as our producers will be in contact shortly! If anyone has any questions feel free to call or email me at the number below

Training Manager Enhancements Launched in MyScouting Tools

We’ve received wonderful reviews regarding the MyScouting Tools as well as great feedback from our volunteers. As a result, two enhancements have been made to the Training Manager tool:

• Initially, the Trained Leaders Report and the YPT Aging Report were available only at the staff and unit levels. That functionality is now available at the district level for district Key 3 members to download.
• Unit and district Key 3 members can now generate and view an “exception” report that lists only those members who are not position-trained, those whose YPT has expired, or those who have never taken YPT simply by clicking in the red areas on the Trained Leaders or YPT pie charts. This provides a quick and easy method of producing the information Key 3s need so that they can concentrate on helping these individuals get out of the red. 

Exciting Note! For the month of September, unit and district Key 3 members accessed the Training Manager tool and generated more than 1,100 Trained Leaders reports and nearly 4,000 YPT Aging reports. Last month, those numbers grew to generating more than 10,000 Trained Leaders reports and nearly 7,500 YPT Aging reports. That’s fantastic!

Insurance Reminder

Reminder that the Council Accident and Sickness Insurance Program fees for the 2014 year are now due. The cost is now $3.50 per participant, for both youth members and adult leaders. The total cost is based on the number of registered youth and adults at the time of the last re-charter. Your unit may opt to obtain coverage from another source but must provide proof to the council office.

If you will be obtaining your own coverage, proof of coverage is due to the council office by January 31, 2014. Coverage information is required to be listed to obtain tour permits. Any questions please contact Veronica Whitman Ext 116 or email vwhitman@bsamail.org

Transfer Fee Elimination

On July 19, 2013 the National Council temporarily waived the $1 registration transfer fee for adults and youth in traditional units through December 31, 2013. Effective January 1, 2014, all registration transfer fees will be eliminated. This means that adults and youth in traditional unit, in Exploring, and our non-unit registration, will no longer have to pay a transfer fee. BSA systems and forms will be revised to match the change in policy effective January 1, 2014. 

Patriots of the Past, Present, & Future Recognition Ceremony and Dinner

No one can fully understand the sacrifices our men and women of the Armed Forces have made to protect our country and defend freedom. We need to remember, honor, and recognize their continued sacrifice and patriotism and instill these same virtues in the hearts and minds of the younger generations.

On Friday, March 14th, 2014 I will be hosting the first annual “Patriots of the Past, Present, and Future” Recognition Ceremony & Dinner. The event will be held at Cable Airport in Upland from 5:30 to 8:30 pm where we will honor and recognize our Veterans, Reserves, and National Guard and those that serve them.

We will be recognizing a “Patriot” from the past, present and the future from each of the following categories:

A “Patriot of the Past”, must be a Veteran that has served in WWII, the Korean or Vietnam War. A “Patriot of the Present”, must be a veteran/reservist, business, or organization that currently serves Vets. And a “Patriot of the Future”, must be a young individual that is active in their community from a ROTC, Sheriff’s Academy, Eagle Scouts, ect. Please submit all nominations (Click Here) to Melissa Boyd by February 7th by fax at (909) 466-9892 or by email at melissa.boyd@asm.ca.gov.  

“Feast your eyes on the new requirements for Cooking merit badge” The sound of the kitchen timer can only mean one thing: The new Cooking merit badge requirements are done. For the new Cooking merit badge, which becomes Eagle-required on Jan. 1, 2014, Scouts will prepare meals using the MyPlate food guide, understand and explain food allergies, and learn about cooking food indoors. This is important: there are two big, separate changes to Cooking merit badge as you know it. The first is that Cooking merit badge will become Eagle-required beginning Jan. 1, 2014. The second is the new requirements, found below, which become mandatory for Scouts who begin the merit badge on or after Jan. 1, 2015. Read More....

US. Bankcorp Matching Gifts

The Dollars for Doing program is designed to support employee volunteer efforts in the community with a monetary donation to nonprofits where they volunteer. This program will match employee volunteer time with a qualifying nonprofit organization at a rate of $5 per hour up to 40 hours per calendar year.

The U.S. Bank Foundation matches qualifying contributions of cash and stock made by U.S. Bank employees to nonprofit organizations or higher education institutions on a dollar-for-dollar basis from a minimum of $50 up to an annual maximum of $1,000 per employee, or $3,000 for employees serving on nonprofit boards. Employer Match List

 

You make the difference! Please Give a Gift to Scouting today! Over 500,000 young people in the Inland Empire need Scouting. Help us make a difference in their lives. Help us serve more and more young people with a quality Scouting program. Please make your tax deductible gift now - Click Here. Dear Scouting Friend, A gift to support Scouting may be the most rewarding gift you give this year. The good character that our young people develop through Scouting carry over to every area of their lives as they become adults.

This is where your support will go if you make a gift to Scouting during this season of giving.

It is our belief that every youth deserves a chance to be a Scout and enjoy the same great, personal rewards that those involved in the program have been so fortunate to realize. With a little less than a month left in 2013, please join us in helping the young people in our communities this holiday season by clicking here. This is truly the gift that keeps on giving as it provides a greater future for our youth and our community. Every dollar raised allows us to continue to serve the youth of Southern California. Thank you for your commitment to Scouting. We wish you and your family a wonderful Holiday Season! Prefer to donate by mail? Please send a check to the California Inland Empire Council, Boy Scouts of America, P.O. Box 8910, Redlands, CA 92375. For any questions, please call Joseph Daniszewski 909-793-2463 Ext. 120.  To learn more about our programs, please visit www.bsa-ciec.org

This Opportunity Ends December 31, 2013

The U.S. Congress extended the qualified charitable distribution (QCD) provisions for 2013. A QCD is an otherwise taxable distribution from an IRA owned by an individual who is age 70 1/2 or over that is paid directly from the IRA to a qualified charity.

An IRA owner can exclude from gross income up to $100,000 of a QCD made for a year, and a QCD can be used to satisfy any IRA required minimum distributions (RMDs) for the year. 

Please note that a qualified charitable distribution (QCD) must be made directly from your IRA to a qualified charity in order to qualify as tax-free transaction.

If your tax circumstances make this an attractive option for you this tax year (2013), please feel free to contact me directly at the Jack Dembo Scout Center (909)-793-2463, ext.120

Thank you for your gracious consideration and support of Scouting!

Joseph Daniszewski, Scout Executive/ CEO Joseph.Daniszewski@scouting.org

Winter Camp Availability

Friends Of Scouting Report

Positive Quote & Prayer
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"It is Christmas every time you let God love others through you... yes, it is Christmas every time you smile at your brother and offer him your hand."

    ~  Mother Theresa

"I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day"
is a Christmas carol based on the 1863 poem "Christmas Bells" by American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

I heard the bells on Christmas Day Their old, familiar carols play, and wild and sweet The words repeat Of peace on earth, good-will to men! And thought how, as the day had come, The belfries of all Christendom Had rolled along The unbroken song Of peace on earth, good-will to men! Till ringing, singing on its way, The world revolved from night to day, A voice, a chime, A chant sublime Of peace on earth, good-will to men! Then from each black, accursed mouth The cannon thundered in the South, And with the sound The carols drowned Of peace on earth, good-will to men! It was as if an earthquake rent The hearth-stones of a continent, And made forlorn The households born Of peace on earth, good-will to men! And in despair I bowed my head; "There is no peace on earth," I said; "For hate is strong, And mocks the song Of peace on earth, good-will to men!" Then pealed the bells more loud and deep: "God is not dead, nor doth He sleep; The Wrong shall fail, The Right prevail, With peace on earth, good-will to men."

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to Everyone!           Our NEXT Monday Memo will be January 6th, 2014

Monday Memo is from Scout Executive Joe Daniszewski and contains his reflection on what is happening within the Council. The purpose of Monday Memo is to communicate information about the week ahead, to acknowledge the good things happening around the Council and to address specific issues that the Scout Executive wants to bring to your attention. Joe welcomes any comments, suggestions or recommendations on how to make this memo as helpful as possible. If you have something you want publicized in the Monday Memo, please send it to his attention c/o Monday Memo: Joseph.Daniszewski@scouting.org for Monday Memo Archives Click Here