Phoenix District

The Scouting Trail is a monthly handout provided to units at roundtable describing upcoming council events for the next quarter. This is a great resource for Scouters and parents.

The Scouting Trail: June/July 2019

As the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) welcomes girls into Cub Scouts and older girls into the Scouts BSA program starting on February 1, it is important that families understand the program or organization they are joining.

There have been some instances where our volunteers may have inadvertently used the name or trademarks of the Girl Scout of the USA (GSUSA) brand in spreading the word that girls are or will soon be part of all BSA programs. GSUSA recently have filed a lawsuit asserting that these instances have caused confusion. While we don’t believe there has been any such confusion, we respect and support the GSUSA and their rights to their brand.

To ensure that we promote our programs in a clear and Scout-like manner, we have developed resources to make sure our leaders are aware of the do’s and don’ts in promoting BSA programs.

The Scouts BSA Brand Guidance Training is one of the efforts underway to be sure Scouters have a clear understanding of what they can do. This builds on the infographic, and the guidance provided to councils in April.

Scouts BSA Brand Guidance Training     Infographic 

This training should be shared with all volunteers to bring this understanding to all parts of our community. While our goal is to encourage youth to join our program, we must always be clear in our communications about the program they are joining.

• We are The Boy Scouts of America.
• The Boy Scouts of America and Girl Scouts of the USA are different organizations.
• We support all other youth organizations and do not disparage them.
• We encourage parents to enroll all youth in a character development program that meets their needs – and the BSA is certainly ready to welcome them.

To aid you in this effort, councils and volunteers are encouraged to use these intro talking points as you host info sessions and launch efforts for Scouts BSA. Additionally, please use this resource to help address any questions you might get in the community about this matter.

Learn More

Due August 1, 2019

Unit Leaders: In order for the unit, district and council to receive the correct points for the Journey to Excellence scorecard, please assign one unit leader to complete the annual camping survey.  Information is needed about unit camping programs between September 2018 through August 2019. The council already has some of the needed data (e.g., day camp, resident camp, adventure camp, NYLT); however, additional information from each unit is needed in order to award all points.

For packs, information is needed on how many people attended family overnight camping events. For troops, crews and ships, information is needed about how many people attended long-term camps (e.g., summer camp, winter camp, fall camp), high adventure camps, national high adventure bases and NAYLE and how many people served on camp staff. 

Please complete the survey even if your unit didn't go camping. A special prize will be given to two units who complete the survey.

Pack Survey        Troop, Ship, Crew Survey

August 5-12, 2019

Summer camp 2020 will be held at the new Camp Strake, a first-class and state-of-the-art facility for Scouts and their leaders. Sam Houston Area Council units are being given the first opportunity to attend the inaugural camp. To allow Sam Houston Area Council units the opportunity to participate in the inaugural summer camp, the council is conducting preregistration. All interested unit leaders are asked to complete an online form and will be asked for the approximate numbers of attendees (youth and adults) and their preferred week to attend summer camp. The council will make every effort to accommodate the requests of those units that preregister.

Summer camp is a week-long council-organized overnight camp for Scouts BSA that operates under council-retained leadership. The program provides opportunities for Scouts to earn merit badges along their advancement trail. Camp Strake is located on more than 2,800 acres between New Waverly and Coldspring, Texas near the community of Evergreen, Texas. Lake Livingston is 10 miles east of the property. The camp is a 1.5-hour drive from downtown Houston.  The camp is surrounded on three sides by the Sam Houston National Forest and has the Lone Star Hiking Trail close to one corner of the Camp property. Camp Strake will be a first-class and state-of-the-art facility for Scouts and their leaders and will have 20 campsites with pavilions and an air-conditioned dining hall, a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) center, 28-acre lake, aquatics center with a swimming pool and pool house, extensive trail system, basketball court, sports fields and several chapels. Activities will include shooting sports (rifle, shotgun, archery, sporting arrows), Wild Hex (aerial adventure tower), zip lines, climbing, rappelling, COPE, biking and more. To follow the progress of construction, visit www.shac.org/strake.

Learn More

Do you know of a business that might want to participate in the 2020 Coupon Book? If so, please submit suggestions. This is a great opportunity for businesses to place a free ad offering discounts to over 91,000 potential customers. The coupon books not only feature local merchants, but some nationally known companies as well. Businesses will determine the discount and offer. Advertising in the coupon book can help increase sales while also helping a program for young people that builds character, trains them in the responsibilities of participating citizenship, and develops personal fitness. The deadline to suggest a coupon for the 2020 coupon book is 8/15/19.

About Coupon Books: From January through April, Scouts sell coupon book to raise money for their unit. Up to 45% goes directly to the unit to help Scouts. Over 490 units sell coupon books across the following counties: Austin, Brazos, Burleson, Chambers, Colorado, Fort Bend, Grimes, Harris, Madison, Matagorda, Montgomery, Trinity, Walker, Waller, Washington, and Wharton. 

Scout Fair is an annual event held by the Sam Houston Area Council where more than 20,000 Scouts, leaders and parents from 16 counties unite at NRG Arena to showcase their Scouting skills. The event is being held on April 4, 2020. Scouts and their families enjoy visiting hundreds of booths with fun activities and crafts, learning Scout skills, watching demonstrations, interacting with participating booths from our community partners and picking up free offers. 

Submit Suggestions

Scout Days are awesome opportunities to get your Scouts, friends and family together for some exciting experiences around the area with other Scouting families. All Scout Days are offered at a discounted price of admission. Also, many of our partners offer merit badge classes and advancement workshops for Scouts BSA, Cub Scouts, and Webelos Scouts.

Learn more about Scout Days

Help ensure the success of Scouting in the Sam Houston Area Council with meaningful gifts including donating cars, trucks, RVs, trailers, boats, motors, stocks, bonds, mutual funds, securities, uniforms, camping equipment, memorials and tributes, planned giving and yes, even services.

Many corporations match employee contributions made to the Boy Scouts. Some companies even make financial contributions for volunteering time to Scouting. Numerous local companies recognize volunteer time through the donation of cash grants to non-profits in which their employees volunteer. This means that for each hour of volunteer time, employers donate funds to support the Sam Houston Area Council, Boy Scouts of America. Volunteer time is money with volunteer grants.

The Sam Houston Area Council is continually searching for potential career employees who would like to work in a profession that has a meaningful, rewarding purpose. Bring to the BSA your varied life experiences, education, and perspective, and in return, have an opportunity to combine those skills and experiences in a career that values and respects others. Scouting is a profession with a purpose!  

Job Openings

The Sam Houston Area Council is focusing on leveraging the power of social media through Facebook.  The more Scouters share and repost, the more powerful our marketing can be.

We are compiling a list of unit social media sites so we can work together to spread the word about Scouting by tagging, liking commenting and sharing each other posts. 

Learn More          Take our Social Media Survey