California Inland Empire Council                      Monday Memo

Welcome to our February 7th, 2011 Monday Memo

You can still order your BSA Centennial Trees!

The Boy Scouts of America Centennial Tree is an opportunity to join in the 100th Anniversary celebration while making a significant environmental contribution. The Flathead National Forest, ideal for outdoor recreation and home to the endangered grizzly bear, has suffered several devastating fires in recent years. Now, with every Boy Scouts of America Centennial tree you purchase, you will help restore life to the Flathead. Help us restore health - and beauty - to the environment. * We want your trees to arrive in great condition, and we are currently taking orders for Spring planting in your area. Your credit card will not be charged until your trees ship! Order Your Trees Today, You can also download our printable order form (PDF) and mail it to us

C.I.E.C. Annual Volunteer Recognition Dinner

Moreno Valley Conference and Recreation Center hosted the California Inland Empire Council's Annual Volunteer Recognition Dinner on Saturday, February 5th. The theme of a Journey to Excellence highlighted the BSA's commitment to delivering a quality Scouting program at all levels of the Scouting organization.

The evening began with our Council Key 3: Council President Jim Prior, Council Commissioner Scott "Mac" McLeod and Scout Executive Joe Daniszewski highlighting the accomplishments of the council in 2010. Soon after, Eagle Scout Patrick Baker and Troop 148 were recognized for earning the Hornaday Badge and Award. The James E. West Fellowship Award was then presented to several families and individuals.

Eagle Scout Anthony Acevedo, of Rancho Cucamonga Troop 2000 received the Boy Scouts of America's Heroism Award for his actions in rescuing a fellow classmate while scuba diving. Fourteen Scouters were honored with the Council's BSA 100 Journey to Excellence Award for their leadership and helping to make a difference in the lives of others.

The evening culminated in honoring 15 exemplary volunteers with the Silver Beaver Award. Each honoree shared their motivations of why they're a Scouting volunteer as well as wonderful and funny stories of their Scouting experiences.

We would like to thank The Honorable Richard Stewart, Mayor of Moreno Valley for hosting the event and serving as the Master of Ceremonies.

Other presenters we would like to thank include: Patrick Singer, Matthew Flanagan, Ian McLeod, Ken Hedrick and the Honorable Paul Foster, Mayor Pro Tem for the City of Redlands. Please give a special thank you to the members of the dinner committee: Lisa Thous, Wes Andree, Randy Kelly, Nancy Nielson, Susan Romney and Virginia Cottone.

Arrowhead District Dinner

Arrowhead District held their District dinner on January 29th to the Mardi Gras Theme at the First United Methodist Church of Del Rosa. There was plenty of fellowship, food and fun! Les Agre and Sam Fisk were the presenters for the evening. Four District Awards of Merit were presented. The recipients were Byron Morales, Lubia Morales, Miyoung Bentley and Jim Grant. Also presented was the District Scouter of the Year and it went to Major Russell Fritz. The District Husband and Wife Team went to Robert and Genia Albright! Other awards passed out were the Unit Scouters and Unit Husband and Wife Teams. The swearing in of our District Officers was done by Marcel Vargas our District Field Director. New to the top District positions were Michael Bentley for District Chairman and Nancy Nielson for District Commissioner. A special Thanks goes out to Dawn Lord and Marcus Charles for chairing our  Absolutely Awesome District Dinner!!!

Boy Scouts & Varsity Scouts Can Earn the National Outdoor Badge

Do you enjoy camping under the stars, rafting a whitewater river, or hitting the trail afoot, on a bike, or even on a horse? Can you pitch a tent, find your way, and bandage an ankle using only materials in your pack? Are you prepared to do any of these in rain, snow, sleet, or heat? If so, the National Outdoor Awards are for you. There is nothing virtual about these awards—you can earn them only by demonstrating both knowledge and experience in the outdoors. So, if you are a Boy Scout or Varsity Scout and think you are tough and disciplined enough to hike or ride the miles, camp the nights, and run the rivers or lakes, then read on and see if the National Outdoor badges or possibly the National Medal for Outdoor Achievement could be for you!

The five National Outdoor Badges for Camping, Hiking, Aquatics, Riding and Adventure recognize a Boy Scout or Varsity Scout who demonstrates both knowledge and experience. Scouts earning the National Outdoor badges have demonstrated that they are knowledgeable, safe, and comfortable in the outdoor activity covered by the badge. For more information about the badge requirements, visit http://scouting.org/sitecore/content/Home/BoyScouts/Youth/Awards/NOA.aspx

Scouts Visit Baden Powell House Eagle Scout, Anthony A. and  Star Scout,  Aaron H., both from Troop 2000 in Fontana.  were in London with their High School Band performing in the New Years Day Parade on Jan 1 2011,  On Sunday Jan 2nd they had a free day to sight see, so they decided to find and visit "Baden Powell's House"  Unfortunately the museum was closed for remodeling. They visited the tiny store, took pictures in front of the building with the statue of Baden Powell and they briefly spoke with the lady in charge.  Most of the building is a hostel, so someone is there all the time.   They thought it was amazing to be in the area where scouting began.    They left several patches for the museum to put on display. CIEC Council patch, CIEC BSA100 and BSA100 Jamboree Participant patch were among the patches they left.   They lady in charge was very excited and promised to put them in the museum once it opens "next week".     Thank You, Marian Acevedo Cubmaster Pack 625

Detsanvli Intertribal Pow Wow & Indian Affairs Conference

Saturday, February 12 @ St. Theresa Catholic Church, 2800 E. Ramon Rd., Palm Springs, CA

Pow Wow Info: Spiritual Adviser- James Black Mountain, Host Northern Drum- Deer Run, Head Youth Male Dancer- Cody Reddick, Head Youth Female Dancer- Toshina John, Guest Northern Drum- Shermans Boy's Northern, Guest Southern Drum- Shermans Boy's Southern, Guest Performing Group- White Rose Singers from Sherman Indian High School

All Arrowmen from throughout southern California are invited a day long conference that teaches about the Native American aspect of the Order of the Arrow. Everything from ceremony team reviews to the mechanics of a Pow Wow will be featured.Each class is designed to play a part of a larger picture. The day’s activities will culminate with a 3 hour Pow Wow to round up everything that you’ve learned throughout the day.

Please visit our website at http://acachapter.org/powwow/index.html

Indain Affairs Conference cost is only $12 per person and is open to all members of the Order of the Arrow. Registration for the specialty craft classes is first come first served with a deadline of January 28, 2011. Registrations made after these date(s) cannot guarantee the availability of the craft kits. Registration for non specialty craft classes and instructional classes will be accepted after January 28. Everyone will need to provide their own lunch.

The evening Pow Wow is free to attend. All Scout families, dancers and drums welcome to the Pow Wow. Please email acanews@yahoo.com if you would like to request or sponsor any specials at the Pow Wow. A food booth selling frybread tacos and drinks will be open during the evening celebration. Visiting Scout Units, please remember to file a tour permit to attend this event.

For more information please contact James Hermes at phone 760-537-0394 or email acanews@yahoo.com.

A Scout is Reverent

For many Scouting units, this Sunday is Scout Sunday, a chance for faith-based chartered organizations to celebrate and recognize the Scouting organization. I think I read somewhere that there’s a football game on Sunday, too, but that doesn’t stop Scout units across the country from taking time to remember that a Scout is Reverent. By official BSA designation, Scout Sunday is always the Sunday that falls before Feb. 8, the BSA’s birthday. But chartered organizations can choose any Sunday to celebrate Scouting. The BSA has collected several resources for your unit’s Scout Sunday observance. Find all of them here. But this is Scouting, so there’s another great resource: other Scouters. Here’s what some of you have planned for Scout Sunday:

• Davi S. says: “Three of our Boys are receiving their Religious Medals and attending Mass together on Sunday.”
• Jane H. says: “We have a pack and troop chartered through the same church and we will be having flag ceremonies at two services. We will also be there to be ushers and be greeters. It is a first for us!”
• Phil M. says: “At Cornerstone UMC in Portsmouth, Ohio, we have Scouts participate with the service, there is a slide show of recent activities and members of Pack and Troop 12 attend service in uniform; we also have a pancake breakfast (Feb. 13 this year).”
• Rick W. says: “Our troop and pack serves breakfast to the congregation before Sunday School. Then we attend church services in uniform and do the parts of the service as asked by the minister”
• Allen O. says: “Adat Shalom Synagogue, charter partner of Troop 364, along with Pack 613, chartered by the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, and Crew 18, chartered by Jewish War Veterans, will host a Scout Shabbat service which will bring together Jewish Scouts from dozens of area units for a Friday evening of reverence, prayer, and camaraderie.”

Lincoln Pilgrimage

On Saturday, February 5th, 2011 Pack 210 of Moreno Valley, CA participated in the 72nd Annual Lincoln Pilgrimage Parade in Redlands. For the last 72 years Scouts and their families trekked down the streets of Redlands to the Lincoln Memorial Shrine. At the Redlands Bowl they joined in to celebrate President Abraham Lincoln's Birthday and rededicate themselves to the principles of the Great Emancipator. The day's festivities included a Ceremonial Welcome by Redlands Mayor Peter Aguilar and a beautiful invocation by a local Minister. Local Scouts participated in the Presentation of the Colors and the Pledge of Allegiance. Pack 210 did their part in the day's ceremonies by taking the stage and reciting The Cub Scout Oath in unison. Lincoln Speaker Don Ancell gave his best Lincoln impersonation as he dressed the part and spoke on the topic of our Constitution. The Civil War encampment was very authentic with the soldiers dressed in period uniforms. The day was a great success and helped to instill the principals of Honor, Integrity, and Reverence to God for American Youth.

Special thanks to Larry Agre, Don Buchanan, and Randy Bennett for organizing this year's event and to the City of Redlands and the Redlands Noon Kiwanis Club for their generous support. 

For more information about the Redlands Lincoln Shrine, please visit their website at http://lincolnshrine.org/

University of California at Riverside Merit Badge Fair

This past Saturday the UCR chapter of the International Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) hosted the first of a 2-day Merit Badge fair at the Bourns College of Engineering (BCOE).  In addition to me, Henry Coil and Gordon Bourns were also present.  Ninety (90) Scouts, mostly from Mt. Rubidoux District were participants.  There were also some Scouts from Orange County and San Diego-Imperial Councils. On the first of the two fair dates (the second one will be in April) Scouts could earn merit badges in Electricity, Electronics, and Geocaching.  The last is interesting because the publication of the pamphlet apparently was in mid-December 2010.  The first use of the pamphlet, anywhere in the country, may have been the UCR-IEEE Merit Badge Fair! The leader of this effort was Matt Barth. Director of the UCR CE=CERT program.  He is also a leader with Troop 2 of the Mt. Rubidoux District. There are extraordinary possibilities in this ... and similar ... efforts.  I encourage you to discuss the possibilities with Matt (Barth).  I am attaching a photo of the 'attendees' and the UCR students who made the day possible.

Scouting’s Journey to Excellence – Outdoor Adventure!

Scouting’s Journey to Excellence begins with the outdoors. Cub Scouts are excited about the outdoors and thrive on it, while every Boy Scout is promised outdoor adventure. Scouting’s new performance recognition program encourages your unit to plan outdoor activities as a regular part of your program. The requirements are easy to achieve. For example Cub Scouts are encouraged to conduct only 3 to 5 outdoor activities during the year and have your Cub Scouts attend Cub Scout Day Camp. Boy Scouts are rewarded for attending a long-term camp and conducting a minimum of four overnight campouts. Varsity Scouts and Venturers should hold at least one superactivity or long-term high adventure program.

Be sure to review your unit’s calendar and make sure you have planned enough activities to go for the gold! For more information about the Journey to Excellence program, please visit http://scouting.org/scoutsource/Awards/JourneyToExcellence.aspx

Prado Regional Park

Troop 652 out of Rancho Cucamonga went camping at Prado Regional Park.  We had perfect weather for this January camp out, until the winds came up late Saturday morning.   It stayed windy until late morning, but that did not stop us from having fun!  The 25 Scouts and 11 Scouters on the trip enjoyed cooking in the outdoors, as well as doing Rank Advancement, such as "Identify Local Poisonous Plants",  "Raise, Lower  and Display the American Flag" and "Finding Your Directions, Day or Night".  Many of the Scouts also earned their "Totin' Chip" card, as this was their first camp out with the Troop.

Eagle Scouts are more than numbers

I’d like to let our minds run free a bit on why we are seeing record numbers of Eagle Scouts each year and why that is so important to America. 2010 saw a record worth repeating: the BSA presented 56,176 Eagle Scout Awards in our 100th Anniversary year—an increase from the previous year of 3,706, or 7 percent.

It’s exciting to see how our programs have delivered more than 50,000 Eagle Scouts for the fifth year in a row, and for six years overall since the first Eagle Scout Award was presented in 1912. There are some incredible efforts being made out there in Boy Scouting and Boy Scout troops to make this happen.

Our Eagle Scouts have a huge impact on society. Some 15.6 percent of West Point cadets are Eagle Scouts. The U.S. Senate just welcomed its 11th Eagle Scout—Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa. We’ve seen Eagle Scouts in the White House, aboard NASA missions, writing Pulitzer-Prize winners, heading corporations, and making civil rights history. That’s just a sample of where our Eagle Scouts lead—and lead well.

This is all about how our young people need Scouting. America needs Scouting. Every community needs Scouting.

I remember speaking to a group of potential donors in Monterey, California, where we turned around the whole tenor of the conversation to why Monterey needs Scouting. We talked about what contribution Scouting makes to the fabric of society.

Think of the contributions this latest record class of 50,000-plus Eagle Scouts has made to cities and towns around our great nation, and the millions of Eagle Scouts before them. We’re creating leaders with integrity, strong moral values, and ethical behavior. These young men help build strong communities and inspire service to others. Their leadership, personal achievements, and respect for the outdoors help keep our nation strong.

I know the pride I felt when my parents pinned my Eagle Scout badge to my chest long ago. It’s so good to know that the values that were important then are just as important today—and growing.

We need the strength of our Eagle Scouts to keep those values alive. What great Eagle accomplishments do you have to share from your council?

Bob Mazzuca, Chief Scout Executive

Recently Completed Eagles

News & Tidbits

Positive Quote
----------------------- 

“I am not bound to win, but I am bound to be true. I am not bound to succeed, but I am bound to live by the light that I have. I must stand with anybody that stands right, and stand with him while he is right, and part with him when he goes wrong.”

Abraham Lincoln (American 16th US President (1809-65). 

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