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Trail Signs
April - May 2024
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Service above self! Trail Signs newsletter is our bi-monthly newsletter.
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Please take note of upcoming Council Service Center Closings:
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Join Us for a Year Full of Fun and Activities! |
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Cub-O-Ree Adventure
May 4-5, 2024
Maumee Scout Reservation
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The Cub-O-Ree Adventure is full of great outdoor activities for Cub Scouts. Enjoy the start to summer with campfires and sleeping under the stars in the prettiest spot in the Hoosier National Forest. This is a great pack, den, or family event that is sure to be memorable! Activities are designed around beautiful Lake Tarzian and are all about water, games, boating, and fishing! You may also have some time to tour the camp property with a nature hike or enjoy looking up at a star filled night around the campfire. This program has limited space! Bring your own tent, sleeping bags, and personal gear. Please check the weather forecast for the weekend, and make sure you are prepared and dressed appropriately.
Don't forget to bring your fishing pole - we will take care of the worms!
Registration fees for these events are included in the Council Program Fee. There will be no registration fees to attend these events, as long as you pre-register (walk-ins will be charged an activity fee, so please pre-reregister). All Cub Scout events are scheduled to happen “rain or shine.”
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Scout Sign-up Night Trainings |
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Save the date now and plan on sending one representative from each Pack and Troop to the “Scout Sign-up Night Training” that are being conducted across our council. There will be some valuable information about the Cub Scout sing-up night and the community “carnival” style event that we would like to hold in the larger communities. Everyone’s participation is important to help welcome new families into our great youth program in the fall of 2024. Our goal is to make the sign-up night more uniform, streamlined, and effective all while hopefully taking some of the burden off each unit and demonstrate to the new families the exciting adventures they will have in your unit. Also, you are aware that the Cub Scout Program will be changing for the fall of 2024. We will discuss how the changes are designed to attract new leadership for your Packs much easier.
Wapehani Service Area Scout Sign-up Night Training
Thursday, May 9 - 6:30 pm
St. Martin of Tours, 1709 East Harrison Street, Martinsville
Lenni Lenapi Service Area Scout Sign-up Night Training
Thursday, May 9 - 6:30 pm
East Columbus United Methodist Church Youth Center, 2439 Indiana Avenue, Columbus
White River Trails Service Area Scout Sign-up Night Training
Thursday, May 9 - 7:00 pm
Odon United Methodist Church, 602 East Elnora Street, Odon
Hoosier Hills Service Area - To Be Announced.
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Hoosier Trails Sporting Clays Classic
June 14, 2024
Sugar Creek Sporting Clays & Hunting Preserve
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In just two months on Friday, June 14th the 3rd annual Hooser Trails Sporting Clays Classic will take the course for a half day of fun and fellowship all while supporting the Hoosier Trails Council. Registration is now open on the council website, and we welcome individual shooters, teams of four, both expert and novice shooters.
The registration fee cannot be beat at $200 per shooter which includes a 100-bird course, 20 or 12 gauge ammunition, lunch, a limited-edition commemorative hat, and if you have attended in the past you know, a very special take home gift from one of our greatest local supporters. This year you will be able to purchase a limited number of “mulligans” which will allow you to attempt a second shot at a bird (not serve as a “gimme”). There are additional shooting competitions being planned after the shoot for prizes and that will be announced the day of the event. For businesses, there are station sponsorships available at $250 to advertise their business and show their support for local Scouting.
Another addition this year is a donation for an opportunity to win one of (3) attractive firearms. Tickets are (3) for $25, (7) for $50, or (15) for $100. The firearms are a Mossberg Patriot in 350 Legend with a Vortex 3-9x40 scope, a Mossberg Silver Reserve 12 gauge over/under, and a Henry H001 lever action .22 caliber rifle. Contact your territory executive or Jon Ocheltree at jon.ocheltree@scouting.org for more information. Plan to join us for a great event and even more fun.
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First Aid Kit Sales Help to Be Prepared |
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We are now a few weeks into the First Aid Kits Sale, and we hope that this has been a smooth rollout for your unit. It is our hope that your Scouts will enjoy this new opportunity and focus on earning funds for all the camping opportunities that we have this summer. As a reminder, Scouts BSA Summer Camp is right around the corner and the early bird deadline is April 15th. Many great things are being planned, including tons of new merit badges and updated program areas and we wanted to give you the information to start planning. This summer also includes some great activities for Cub Scouts! Join us for the Cub Scout Family Camp or Webelos Resident Camp in July and get ready to see camp in full swing with lots of great western themed activities that will defiantly wrangle your Scouts into the summer fun.
As a reminder, this sale goes on until Wednesday, May 15th and we would like to place your order on Friday of that week, so you have your deliveries as soon as possible. Please remember to use all the resources that are available on our webpage and let us know if you have any questions about the sale or selling methods.
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It’s official! The Cub Scout program will be updated for the 2024-25 program year. Over the past several years the National Cub Scouting Committee under the leadership of past chair Lisa Wylie and current chair Audrey Oakes have identified four areas to improve the Cub Scout program to ensure that it is fun, simple, and easy.
Over the past five years the National Cub Scout Committee has been working on these updates. These updates are based on feedback from over 23,000 parents and Cub Scout leaders through various surveys and data. Listening to and identify the key opportunities to improve the program the National Cub Scout committee is excited to finally reveal these improvements. Over the past year these improvements have been socialized to thousands of individuals with overwhelming support.
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Summer Adventures for Everyone, Maumee is Ready! |
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Maumee Scout Reservation is nestled in the northern section of the Hoosier National Forest providing an environment surrounded by pristine wilderness with a crystal-clear private lake. You may see deer, turkey, hawks, osprey, snakes, frogs, birds of all types and even bald eagles, not to mention the beautiful night sky and sunrises over Lake Tarzian. |
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This is a “don’t miss event” for all Cub Scouts (Kindergarten - 3rd Grade) that is sure to be the most enjoyable Scouting experience of the year. Spend time in our different program areas throughout camp, learning and having fun. You will have an opportunity to enjoy beautiful Lake Tarzian to fish and swim or perhaps try a kayak for the first time. Spend time in our Handicraft area to make a special project to take home or advance your Scout skills at our Scoutcraft area. Shooting Sports will be open so you can see how well you can find your target, or you can go on a beautiful hike to see all that Maumee has to offer. Bring your own tent, sleeping bags, and personal gear. All meals will be provided.
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Webelos can get a taste of what the Scouts BSA program is like by attending Resident Camp. At camp your Scouts will experience what is like to attend a Scouts BSA summer camp at Maumee Scout Reservation but is a smaller setting designed for Cub Scouts. This will include a Scouts BSA experience where your Scout will become part of a patrol, elect a patrol leader, make a patrol flag, patrol yell, and use the patrol method. We will have all our program areas open for Scouts to enjoy fishing, waterfront activities, shooting sports, Scoutcraft, nature, STEM, and much more while camping under the stars! Our staff is ready for a great time with your Webelos, teaching them the very things that will help them advance to the Scout Rank. Bring your own tent, sleeping bags, and personal gear. All meals will be provided.
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Scouts can spend time at evening programs to enjoy the best lake in Indiana, throw tomahawks, shoot rifle, do some branding, play ga-ga ball, and more. During the daytime hours Scouts can choose from over 50 merit badge offerings to work on their trek to Eagle Scout. For older Scouts that may not need any badges or just want different opportunities, we have you covered as well in our Eagle Landing and Mountain Man areas where you can try activities and partake in adventures designed specifically for the older Scouts. Summer Camp is one of the top experiences any Scout will have, enjoying a week-long adventure in the outdoors while making new friendships and deepening existing ones with other members of your Scouts BSA Troop. The memories made during camp will remain with you for the rest of your life.
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Webpages to Support Scouting Operations |
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We have been hard at work developing resources to broaden communications and improve the level of service provided by the council website, check them out today:
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Brotherhood Weekend:
Renew your commitment to service and to new friends in the Order of the Arrow at the Brotherhood Weekend on May 17-19 at Maumee Scout Reservation. This is the time when our lodge gives back in a big way and serves our camp by dusting off the winter powder and getting camp ready for some awesome summertime camping adventures. We are always looking for Adult Clan Leaders to help with the many new projects around our property. Your role is to assist the Elangomat in directing the work of the clan. This is a great opportunity to give back to your lodge and our youth Arrowmen. Please sign up soon so you don’t miss out on this great opportunity to serve and to get an early start on camping at beautiful Maumee Scout Reservation!
Lodge Resources
As Scouting’s National Honor Society, the Order of the Arrow is an integral part of the council’s program. Our service, activities, adventures, and training for youth and adults are models of quality leadership development and programming that enrich and help to extend Scouting to America’s youth. Visit our page often to view new activities, leadership opportunities, calendar dates and much more. We recently welcomed our new slate of officers and you can view all this information at the links below.
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Muscatatuck Chapter Event
The Muscatatuck Chapter of Nischa Chuppecat Lodge is offering an opportunity on May 25th for all Scouts BSA and Venturers to spend a day at Camp Louis Ernst for a Viking themed event. The day will begin at 9:00 am with rustic games and competition, along with other high energy activities. We will cheer on the victors and celebrate with a hearty meal and lots of banter and friendship as we sit by a crackling fire and tell tales of adventure and sing songs of valor that will ring in the ears of our ancestors and light a fire in your belly. Register today for this exciting event!
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FUNDING AWESOME SCOUTING ADVENTURES |
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Don’t forget to hold the date on your calendar for the Hoosier Trails Council’s 15th Annual Wine-A-Ree. As always it is the first Saturday in November, and this year it will be November 2nd.
VIP tickets are available through registration on the council’s website and that will allow you early admission and an additional commemorative shot glass. VIP tickets are $60 in advance and the doors open at 12:00. General admission tickets are also available for $30 in advance and $40 the day of the event and doors open at 1:00. This year the silent auction will move to a virtual platform to allow for easier bidding if you choose not to stay for the entire day, and more information will be put out soon.
There are already 12 confirmed vendors and there are plans to add several more wineries, breweries, and distilleries to the mix. Plan to come out and support this great event while spending time with your friends.
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Scouting License Plates
These plates can be used as standard vehicle registration plates for passenger cars, recreational vehicles and trucks weighing less than 11,000 pounds. This is not a vanity plate, so special numbers or messages cannot be accommodated. Your plate selection is good until your next registration renewal. When you purchase an Indiana Boy Scout license plate, you indicate your personal support of Scouting and add financially to the Hoosier Trails Council Endowment. How can you participate? When you renew your plates, an additional fee is added on to your basic renewal fees, and that money is contributed to the Hoosier Trails Council endowment fund.
Renew Plates Online: Currently, the Bureau of Motor Vehicles offers Online Registration for your vehicle. Once you create an account, you can choose your specialized license plate. It's fast, easy and best of all - no standing in line!
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Support the Hoosier Trails Council in Non-traditional Ways
One way in which you and your family can help support the work of our council is through registration in the Kroger Community Rewards Program! By simply buying your family’s groceries, you can help contribute to our council’s overall success. Sound easy enough? Get on board today.
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ADULT & YOUTH TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES |
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Cub Scout BALOO Training
April 26-27, 2024
Maumee Scout Reservation
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All Cub Scout parents that plan to camp with their Cubs will benefit from this course. Completion of this course qualifies the participants for the 2-Deep Leadership that are BALOO-trained required on Cub campouts! BALOO is a two-day course designed to teach Pack parents and new Cub Scouts leaders with minimal camping experience how to plan and carry out an entry-level outdoor experience for the pack. Completion of this course will result in increased confidence and a willingness to plan a pack campout. This training is the first step in the BSA camping program and does not replace any existing training.
Items Needed:
Tent, Sleeping Gear, Clothing, Rain Gear, Eating Utensils, Pencil & Paper, Compass, Pocket knife, and any other personal Gear.
With that comes great satisfaction.
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National Youth Leadership Training (NYLT)
July 14-19, 2024, Maumee Scout Reservation
Is your Scout ready to find the meaning of leadership – what a leader must BE, what a leader must KNOW, and HOW a leader is most effective?
In Hoosier Trails Council, Youth Course Lead, London O., Senior Patrol Leader, Ella L., and Assistant Patrol Leader, Alex K., and their youth staff will lead NYLT Troop 241 through a month in the life of a joint troop within a six-day course.
NYLT, simply put, it is fun with a purpose. Participants from all over central and southern Indiana come together to form patrols of four to six members. Throughout the week, as the team builds, they learn how to incorporate modern ideas of leadership into their own leadership styles, while developing friendships and lifelong memories. NYLT delivers the concepts of leadership through presentations, activities, games, and hands-on experience, allowing the youth to understand and employ their newly-learned skills much faster.
Participants graduate with a greater confidence in their ability to communicate, teach, solve problems, and a vision of what they can do to make a difference with their troop and beyond.
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Using a Safety Moment in Scouting Activities
Safety Moments are exactly what the name implies: opportunities to prepare for an activity, review safety measures and report incidents correctly. Topics of this new series include incident reporting helps, safe use of medication in Scouting, weather-related safety, winter activity, and winter sports. Search for Safety Moments Here
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New Council Safety Webpage
This new page has been created to bring safety resources to your fingertips, so that our Scouting participants have safest adventures possible. We invite you to become familiar with this great resource: https://hoosiertrailsbsa.org/program-resources/scouting-safely/
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Congratulations, Recent Eagle Scouts |
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Brayden Matthew Crater, Troop 522
Charles Louis Maloney, Troop 634
Cooper Aiden Hawkins, Troop 557
Alexander Hayden Walden, Troop 578
Noah Joseph Schenk, Troop 693
James Zachariah Knudson, Troop 693
Esau Robert Weaver, Troop 110
Christopher Glenn Moore, Troop 170
Austin James Clark, Troop 526
Clara Elizabeth Moore, Troop 1148
Alex Franklin Adams, Lone Scout
Curtis Peter Williams, Troop 219
Jack Michael Cooper, Troop 555
Keara Malan, Troop 1223
Jace Alan Malan, Troop 223
Tyler James Ayler, Troop 717
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