Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, in-person district and council meetings, activities, and events have restrictions; council camp events have restrictions. The council office and Scouts Shops are opened with limited staff and social distancing protocols. Learn More.

Phoenix Newsletter

The Phoenix roundtable newsletter is a monthly newsletter that contains information about upcoming district and council events and activities and is sent the first Thursday of the month. The electronic newsletter is sent on a weekly basis and is in addition to the roundtable newsletter. Follow the district Facebook page at www.facebook.com/PhoenixDistrictSHAC.

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Phoenix District Roundtable

May 6, 2021    |   7:00 pm  |  In-person

Stay Informed, Attend Roundtable graphicRoundtable is a district monthly meeting typically held the first Thursday of the month at 7:00 pm to help unit leaders plan and carry out their own program. Roundtable is held at the Barbara Bush Library rear parking lot (6817 Cypresswood Dr, Spring, TX 77379). Bring a chair and a face covering.

Roundtable is a form of supplemental training for volunteers. The objective of roundtable is to give leaders program ideas, information on upcoming events and trainings, and an opportunity to share experiences and enjoy fun and fellowship with other Scouting leaders. As a result of the roundtable experience, unit leaders will be inspired, motivated, informed, and able to provide a stronger program for their Scouts. 

Roundtable breakouts are a great place for leaders and parents to come together to share so everyone can learn more about Scouting.

 
  • Cub Scout breakout focuses on the needs of leaders and volunteers in packs. Leaders are not on their own and don't have to reinvent the wheel. Learn about the resources available to help put together a top-notch program. 
  • Scouts BSA breakout focuses on leaders and volunteers in troops, crew, ships to share quality resources, knowledge, and skills that enable and motivate leaders to deliver an outstanding program. Parents and leaders of Webelos Scouts crossing over into troops are also invited.  
  • Order of the Arrow breakout is for members of the Order of the Arrow.
  • Special interest focuses on a special topic each month. 

Pushmobile

March 27, 2021

Pushmobile is a relay race using simple, homemade, Cub Scout-powered cars. Cub Scout dens make their own pushmobile. Four to eight youth work together as a team to push their pushmobile through the course to the finish line. The purpose of this event is to have fun, promote participation in a team effort, and to provide an activity where "doing your best" is most important. Trophies are presented to the top three teams per rank and to the top three packs.

Teams are formed by Scout rank (kindergarten - 5th grade), often organized by dens. Teams need to be a minimum of four Scouts. The ideal team size is eight Scouts. Teams with less than eight Scouts may add Scouts from other ranks (as long as they are a lower grade) or packs. Every Scout will receive a patch. Registration is $8 per Scout. Late registration begins 3/25/21. There is no onsite registration. The event is being held at Ulrich Intermediate (10103 Spring Cypress Rd., Houston, TX 77070).

Learn More and Register

Camporee

April 9-11, 2021       

Camporee is a weekend camp out for troops full of competition to test Scouting skills. Patrols compete in various competitions and are judged on leadership, teamwork, skill demonstration and Scout spirit. 

Patrols will compete in events such as archery, tomahawk throwing, fire building, first aid, pioneering, orienteering, and nature study. Troops will be competing in the Grand Skills Relay. Scoutmasters will demonstrate their skills in a specialized cook-off. Saturday night will end the night at a wonderful campfire full of awards, songs, and skits. The event is being held at Camp Brosig (1893 Trenckman Rd., Sealy, TX 77474).

Every troop needs to run a part of the camporee (e.g., competition, facilities). This year’s camporee promises to challenge the youth leadership, as well as stretching everyone else’s comfort zones. These events cannot happen without each Scout’s competitive spirit and participation. Registration is a two-step process. Registration is typically completed by the unit leadership. Part 1: RSVP:  Every unit needs to RSVP by March roundtable to let the event staff if you are attending. Estimated numbers are provided to the council so the district can reserve the appropriate number of campsites and program areas for the event. Part 2: Payment: The cost is $15 per Scout and $7 per adult. There is no onsite registration. 

Part 1: RSVP        Learn More and Register

ScoutFest

May 15, 2021   |   9:00 am - 6:00 pm

ScoutFest is an all-day event for Scouts of all ages.Cub Scouts and Scouts BSA members will have the chance to try age-appropriate activities. Cub Scouts can participate in shooting BB guns, archery, and wrist rockets, and canoeing. Scouts in troops, crews and ships can participate in rifle, shotgun, archery, climbing tower, and canoeing. The registration fee is $15 for Cub Scouts and $35 for Scouts in troops, crews and ships and includes a patch. The event is being held at Tellepsen Scout Camp (3450 County Road 317, Navasota, TX 77868).

Learn More and Register

Day Camp

June 21-25, 2021   |   7:45 am - 3:15 pm 

2020_Scout_Odyssey_Logoday camp signPrepare for launch as we count down to lift-off, A Scout Odyssey! Day camp is a council camp organized by districts and conducted by volunteers from the local area for Cub Scouts entering 1st through 5th grade  the next school year. Day camp is a week of fun with awesome programs and activities such as BB guns, archery, sports, STEM, games and crafts, rank advancements, Scout skills and more.  

Many volunteers are needed to make camp a success, so please consider volunteering. Registered full-time adult volunteers can also register their non-Scouting children ages 3-5 (potty trained). Scouts in troops, crews and ships are encouraged volunteer and will earn service hours for their gift of time. An adult/guardian must register with a Tiger (entering 1st grade).

The registration fee is $66.50 for the first Scout and $65 for each additional Scout. The fee for adult volunteers is $15. The registration fee includes a t-shirt, patch, program supplies, and a water bottle. All youth entering 1st grade through age 18 must be registered with the Boy Scouts of America. A registered parent/guardian must be onsite at all times when tot-lots (ages 3-5 future Scouts) and Tigers (Scouts going into 1st grade) are at camp. The camp is being held at Burroughs Park (9738 Huffsmith Rd., Tomball TX 77375).

Learn More and Register

  • Early registration ends 3/26/21.
  • Late registration is an extra $20 and begins 5/15/20; patches, t-shirts and craft supplies are not guaranteed.
  • Registration closes on 6/3/20 for youth and adults.

Shooting Sports Training

The BSA, in consultation with other organizations, has created specific guidelines for shooting sports. The shooting sports committee is providing rifle training and instructor certification to prepare those individuals who will serve in a leadership or supervisory role in the various shooting sports activities. 

NRA Basic Instructor Training (BIT) is held on Friday night and the discipline-specific basic training and instructor training (rifle, shotgun or pistol) are held on Saturday. These training courses allow leaders to run a shooting sports event at a troop, crew, ship, district, or council event and to teach the Rifle and Shotgun Shooting Merit Badge.

Cub Scouts can shoot BB-gun rifles, slingshots, and archery in a council or district event only and is not approved as a unit event. BSA requires all Cub Scout shooting sports to be supervised by a BSA certified range master.

Register           Learn More about Shooting Sports

First Aid Training

The council offers are a variety of first aid training courses throughout the year including First Aid/CPR/AED, First Aid/CPR/AED Instructor Course, and Wilderness First Aid.

Learn More and Register

National Youth Leadership Seminar (NYLT)

June 6-11, 2021 (session 1)
June 13-18, 2021 (session 2)

National Youth Leadership Training (NYLT) is an exciting, action-packed six-day council-level program designed to provide Scouts in troops, crews and ships with leadership skills and experience they can use in their home units and in other situations demanding leadership of self and others. 

Unit leaders have the primary responsibility for training their youth leaders. The first step in the BSA youth leadership training continuum is conducted in the home unit (Introduction to Leadership Skills). Scouts who have completed this training may attend. NYLT is held twice a year in December and June.

NYLT is filled with activities, presentations, challenges, discussions, and camping in a team and model unit environment. Participants learn and practice skills that are valuable at home, church, school, work and the Scouting unit.

Learn More and Register

Summer Camp

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.

Summer camp is held at Camp Strake, a first-class and state-of-the-art facility for Scouts and their leaders. Program areas include shooting sports (rifle, shotgun, archery, sporting arrows), climbing, rappelling, swimming, merit badge classes and more. Camp is filling up.

Learn More and Register

Weekend Camping

Registration is now open for weekend camping at the new Camp Strake. Outdoor adventure is the promise made to Scouts when they join Scouting. Youth yearn for outdoor programs that stir their imagination and interest. Troops, crews, and ships can camp at Camp Brosig, Camp Strake and Tellepsen Scout Camp.  Packs and Webelos dens can camp at Camp Brosig and Bovay Scout Ranch. 

Camp Strake     Camp Brosig      Tellepsen Scout Camp     Cub Scout Camping

#14 SHAC Communication for COVID-19 Response (update 3/8/21)

Dear Scouting Family of the Sam Houston Area Council,

The leadership of the Sam Houston Area Council would like to present this, our fourteenth update, on our response to the COVID-19 outbreak and protocols for Scouting operations going forward. We appreciate your continued patience as we navigate this situation as best we can.

  • Any units wishing to conduct small-scale meetings or activities should do so only if able to meet specific preventative guidance from the Center for Disease Control and upon consultation with and approval from their chartered organization.
  • All council facilities (including the Cockrell Scout Center), council camps, and scout shops will continue to require the usage of face covering per CDC guidelines.
  • Small council-level meetings (less than 50 people) may be conducted in person only if standards from CDC can be met. Teleconference or online meetings remain the preferred method. All in-person council meetings of 50 or greater persons are cancelled or postponed unless conducted over teleconference or online.
  • District meetings (ex: Roundtables, District Committee Meetings, Commissioner Staff Meetings) may be conducted in person only if standards from the CDC can be met. Otherwise, these meetings should be conducted over teleconference or online.
  • Overnight district and council activities and trainings are allowed for all Scouting programs. These events still must submit a plan to ERM in advance to ensure compliance with all relevant guidelines from the CDC. Only approved district and council events will appear on the council website.
  • Weekend camping for Cub Scouts at Bovay Scout Ranch and Camp Brosig is open. Participating packs must follow council policies regarding social distancing and COVID-19 prevention measures.
  • Adventure Camp at Bovay Scout Ranch is open on specific weekends with reduced capacity.
  • Weekend camping for Scouts BSA at Tellepsen Scout Camp and Camp Strake reservations are open. Participating troops must follow council policies regarding social distancing and COVID-19 prevention measures.
  • The Cockrell Scout Center remains open for drop off only with hours of 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. on Monday through Friday.
  • Any interaction needed with staff members must be conducted through phone and email. If you need assistance determining the appropriate person to contact, please refer to our updated “who to call directory,” or contact the receptionist at (713) 659-8111 during our office hours to be directed to the appropriate person.
  • Field-based staff (District Executives) will be working remotely during this time and are available by phone and email.
  • The 5 Scout Shop locations are open to limited retail traffic (store hours)

Our Enterprise Risk Management Team is working regularly and diligently to determine our plans going forward. If you have any questions regarding the COVID-19 response for the Sam Houston Area Council, please contact Thomas Franklin, Deputy Scout Executive, at thomas.franklin@scouting.org. The council remains committed to keeping our constituents updated regularly with new information as we have it. We will continue to communicate through three main mechanisms – Facebook, Email, and Council Website. Please consult these regularly for updates.

Learn More       BSA National Statement on COVID-19       Previous Updates      Rank Advancement Update  

Digital Safety and Scouting at Home

Many units and families are discovering creative ways to have fun Scouting at home. When using digital and online resources, there are some important guidelines from the National Council about youth protection, safeguarding personal information and recording online meetings.

Across the nation, Scouters are finding ways to help keep their youth members engaged and Scouting. These out-of-the-box, in-home activities are centered around providing advancement-related content to help keep kids safe, engaged and to help them make the best of home time.

Digital Safety       Scouting at Home       COVID-19 Updates       Advancement Update

Return to Scouting Activities

While many Scout units have a desire to return to Scouting activities, they have questions about how to do so safely during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Learn the steps your unit can take to help return to Scouting activities. During the recent webinar on how to hold meetings safely during COVID-19, attendees received tips on the key steps they can be taking right now to find a safe way to return to their meeting activities.

Learn More

Promote Scouting on Social Media

Help promote Scouting on social media by adding a photo frame around your profile picture. Encourage families to Text Cub Scout, Scouts BSA or crew to 31996. They will be sent to www.shac.org/join, a website with all packs listed by school district and links to register online.

To find the frame, click on edit/update your profile picture (or go to www.facebook.com/profilepicframes), search for a frame by entering Sam Houston Area Council, then choose one of our four frames.

Recruiting Website

The Scouting Trail

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: October 2020

Rank Advancement Update

Cub Scouting / Scouts BSA / Venturing / Sea Scouting Rank Advancement and COVID-19

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.

Learn More (link updated frequently)

Support Scouting with Amazon Smile

Now you can support Scouting without lifting a finger — or at least not more than one. AmazonSmile, the simple and no-cost way to donate to the Sam Houston Area Council, now works on the Amazon Shopping app for iPhone and Android.

That means it’s easier than ever to support Scouting anytime, anywhere. Through its AmazonSmile program, Amazon donates 0.5% of eligible purchases to the charity of your choice — at no cost to you. You’ll get the same prices, selection and service found on Amazon.com, but now Amazon gives 0.5% of its cut to a good cause.

The Sam Houston Area Council is an eligible AmazonSmile charity. Individual packs, troops, posts, ships and crews are not eligible.

Previously, AmazonSmile required the user to shop using their browser — either on a desktop computer or through the mobile browser on a smartphone. That meant that when you shopped in the official Amazon app, you weren’t contributing to your chosen charity — even if you had already activated AmazonSmile. By adding AmazonSmile to its official app, Amazon is making the program available anytime, anywhere. So now when you buy a blender from the back seat or a printer from the patio — our council still gets that 0.5%.

If you aren’t yet an AmazonSmile member, sign up at smile.amazon.com using a web browser (mobile or desktop). You’ll sign in with your Amazon credentials, and the site will walk you through the process. Amazon will ask you to choose your favorite charity. This is where you search for “Sam Houston Area Council.”

Learn More

New Scouts BSA Brand Guidance Training

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