Cub Scouting while “COVID-Cancelled.” How Parents Can Do Scouting at Home!
Our friends in South Fulton’s Southern Crescent District & at the Atlanta Area Council have put together a great resource for parents to use while School is out for the next week or so. Below is a button to take you to their website resource.
In addition, for Den Leaders there are some great resources on the Scouting.org website including a host of resources for all ranks. Don’t forget to check out the video on the ScoutBook Den Leader Experience. This is a great tool especially for new Den Leaders.
Cub Scouting/Scouts BSA/Venturing/Sea Scouting Rank Advancement and the Coronavirus (COVID-19)
The following questions regarding advancement have arisen as we deal with closures, cancellations, or other issues caused by the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19). Although there are difficulties and constraints, advancement can continue. Youth, parents, and leaders should work together to implement creative, common sense ways to facilitate advancement while adhering to the Guide to Safe Scouting and following the rules of Youth Protection training.
Please follow this link to the Guide to Advancement (GTA), which remains the primary source for information related to Scouts BSA advancement. It is referenced throughout the answers provided here.
Please send additional questions to
Bellow are just a few questions, attached below is the full document from National BSA.
Q: May parents sign off on Webelos and Arrow of Light requirements?
A: Yes. Through July 31, 2020, parents and other adults in the Cub Scout’s family, may sign off on Webelos and Arrow of Light requirements. We strongly encourage that parents use the Scouting App or ScoutBook to record completion of their child’s requirements.
Q: If my den is behind in advancement due to COVID-19, can my Cub Scout continue to work on advancement through the summer?
A: Yes. Cub Scouts can continue to work on their current den’s advancement through July 31, 2020. This is to provide any additional time a Cub Scout needs to complete their badge of rank; if they earn their badge of rank prior to July 31, 2020, they may advance to the next rank
All Scouting Programs
Q: How can advancement be tracked remotely?
A: Scouting units should use ScoutBook to record and track advancement.
To track advancement remotely, parents should:
1) Connect with their child’s member profile via an invitation that the unit leader sends within ScoutBook.
2) Once a connection is made, the parent should use the Scouting app, found in both the App Store and Google Play, to stay connected with their unit.
3) The Scouting app provides parents the ability to report any advancement that was completed at home.
Go to https://help.scoutbook.com to learn more about how to start using ScoutBook and how to connect parents to their Scouts.
Conduct virtual Patrol Leaders Council meetings via teleconference or web video conferencing. Be sure to maintain two-deep leadership throughout the virtual meeting.
Encourage Patrol Leaders to communicate digitally with their patrol members. Hold a virtual Patrol Meeting via web video, teleconference or XBox. Be sure to maintain two-deep leadership throughout the virtual meeting.
Conduct online merit badge counselor meetings using web video conferencing tools such as Google Hangouts, Zoom, Skype, FreeConference or Facebook. Ensure to maintain two-deep leadership throughout the virtual meeting. Note: Completing a worksheet and emailing it does not constitute a “virtual discussion”, rather use interactive video or phone conversations.
Merit Badges that can be completed at home include:
American Business
American Heritage
Animation
Art
Basketry
Bird Study
Chemistry
Chess
Citizenship in the World
Collections
Composite Materials
Cooking
Digital Technology
Drafting
Electricity
Electronics
Energy
Engineering
Environmental Science
Family Life
Fingerprinting
First Aid
Game Design
Genealogy
Graphic Arts
Home Repairs
Leatherworking
Mammal Study
Metalwork
Mining in Society
Model Design & Building
Moviemaking
Music
Nuclear Science
Oceanography
Painting
Photography
Plant Science
Plumbing
Pottery
Programming
Pulp & Paper
Railroading
Robotics
Salesmanship
Scholarship
Sculpture
Search & Rescue
Soil & Water Conservation
Space Exploration
Stamp Collecting
Sustainability
Textile
Theater
Weather
Wilderness Survival
Woodcarving
Woodwork
Other Activities:
Plan and cook a meal for your family.
Encourage Scouts to post online stories from history and how humanity was able to overcome such difficulties and give people hope.
Hold a virtual gaming meet. Or use Kahoot to host an online quiz.
Encourage Scouts to communicate with Scouts around the world. Learn about the World Organization of the Scouting Movement (WOSM). Introduce JOTA/JOTI.
Coordinate a community-based support network. Work with your Chartered Organization to develop a plan. Offer your unit assistance in helping the needy.
Post examples of how Scouts are helping the community on social media. Make sure to tag us in your post using #ATLScouts
Hold Scoutmaster Conference using web video conferencing. Be sure to maintain two-deep leadership throughout the virtual meeting.
If needed, conduct Eagle Boards of Review via videoconferencing. Units can administer BORs up and including Life rank but should follow the guidance in The Guide to AdvancementSection 8.0.1.6 Boards of Review Through Videoconferencing. District Advancement Chairs will provide directions on Eagle BORs. Be sure to maintain two-deep leadership throughout the virtual meeting.
From the desk of Bud Zborowski, Scouting for Food Chair;
All Scouting For Food(SFF) Chairs, Unit CC, Unit leaders…
SFF 2020 is SUSPENDED: The program will resume when the Northern Ridge District(NRD) resumes normal unit meeting schedules.
Covid-19 precautions during March have escalated considerably making SFF people-to-people type activities inadvisable.
North Fulton Community Charities(NFCC) Food Bank has issued the following statement:
Due to COVID-19, MOST programs and ALL volunteers including community service workers are suspended. To find out how to get food or emergency financial assistance or how to help, read the NFCC Response to COVID-19 for details.
Debido a COVID-19, la mayoría de los programas y TODOS los voluntarios, incluyendo los trabajadores de servicios comunitarios, están suspendidos. Para saber cómo obtener alimentos o asistencia financiera de emergencia o cómo ayudar, lea la Respuesta a COVID-19 de NFCC para más detalles.
If your unit has completed the program pleases turn in the roster. We will arrange getting the earned patches distributed.
If your unit hasn’t started or completed the SFF program, be patient, SFF activities will resume when normal NRD unit meetings resume.
The Good News…All 2020 SFF scout participants will receive SFF patches.
If your Troop, Crew or Ship has not held its unit election
As we deal with the stresses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, we want you, the leaders of our Troops, Crews and Ships, to know that your Lodge, Egwa Tawa Dee, is taking steps to ensure that every Scout who you approved as qualified to be a candidate for membership in the Order of the Arrow this year, will have the same opportunity to be elected as those Scouts who have already been elected by their fellow Scouts to be candidates. To this end, the Lodge Executive Board has extended the deadline for holding unit elections to April 20, 2020 and is prepared to consider extending it further, if conditions warrant. The officers and advisers of your Chapter stand ready to unselfishly assist your troop, crew or ship with the unit election once the public health emergency has been lifted.
NYLT is a week-long advanced leadership course designed to teach Scouts the tools, techniques and skills they need to be better leaders – not only in their units, but also at home, in school, and in their daily lives. Led by an exemplary, highly-trained youth staff, NYLT participants work hard and play hard together through group activities, games, and adventures as they experience Scouting at its best. Read more about NYLT
Most all adult members of the BSA completed an updated Youth
Protection Training (YPT) in 2018 and for most of you this training will expire
during this year.
There is a new version of Youth Protection
Training for 2020.
This 2020 YPT version includes all BSA
membership policy and guideline changes since 2018 and will require about 60
minutes to complete.
As an adult members your are responsible
for monitoring and re-certifying your own YPT on-line before it’s expiration at
my.scouting.org
Unit Key 3 leadership can monitor the
status (and expiration date) of your unit’s Adult Leadership in my.scouting.org
through generation of the YPT Aging Report. Please let you leaders
know ahead when their training is set to expire.
As a District, we desire to take the lead on
all leaders staying current with their Youth Protection training.
If you or one of your adult leaders in your unit
experience an issue with the on-line version of the training, please contact
Bill Affeldt, our Northern Ridge District Training Chair, at and
he will work with you on resolution of the issue.
On-Line Training for Position Specific Courses
On-line position courses are In the attached file.
Please note that position training for ALL BSA Leadership positions can now be located and completed on-line at www.my.scouting.org
Cub Scouting while “COVID-Cancelled.”
From the desk of Bud Zborowski, Scouting for Food Chair;
