New Outdoor Awards Unveiled

Written by Keith Christopher, Outdoor Adventures

Two new awards have been developed to promote “outdoorism” for Boy Scouts and Varsity Scouts.

Please share this information with your volunteers and staff and publish the links on your Web site and in your council newsletter.

National Outdoor Challenge Award

The National Outdoor Challenge is a unit award that recognizes troops/teams that maintain or increase the amount of outdoor activity when compared to the previous year. The application is available here, http://www.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/430-016_WB.pdf  and is due at the end of 2010. With the release of this award, the National Camping Award has been discontinued; however, patches for camping nights will be available until the inventory is depleted.

National Outdoor Achievement Award

The National Outdoor Achievement Award recognizes Boy Scouts/Varsity Scouts who excel in outdoor participation. The award has five areas of emphasis (camping, aquatics, hiking, riding, and adventure) with rigorous requirements to earn each segment.

For Scouts looking for an extra challenge, there’s the National Medal for Outdoor Achievement. This challenging award requires earning at least three of the National Outdoor Achievement segments, planning and leading a trek, earning Wilderness First Aid certification, and becoming a Leave No Trace Trainer, as well as fulfilling several other requirements. The application is available at the following link: http://www.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/430-509.pdf .

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 TRAIL TO EAGLE WORKSHOP  DEADLINE TO REGISTER IS APRIL 14TH  Dates: Saturday, April 17, 2010

Check-in: 8:30am, Program: 9am – 12noon. Cost – $6.00 per scout (parents attending WITH THEIR SCOUT do not pay)  The Central Florida Council Advancement Committee is happy to announce the spring 2010 Eagle Workshop Saturday, Saturday, April 17, 2010 at the Journey Christian Church located 1965 SOBT, Apopka, 32703. The church is located directly in front of the council service center.  Please use the form below to register by mail or fax.

 Online registration is available. To register on-line, just click the link below: 

http://secure.cfcbsa.org/Registration/CalendarDetail.asp?ActivityKey=722167&OrgKey=901

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 June 13-18, 2010 Camp Joy in Apopka An unequalled opportunity for Scouts to achieve amazing progress on the Trail to Eagle. Scouts will receive intensive merit badge instruction from some of the most qualified merit badge merit badge counselors around, on up to “six” Eagle rank required merit badges.

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FLORIDA UNITED NUMISMATISTS presents a COIN COLLECTING CLINIC FOR MERIT BADGES AND PATCHES

Orlando, Florida Saturday, January 9, 2010 1:30 p.m.  Check-in begins at 1:00 p.m.  Before the Clinic . . . Scouts must complete the following requirements:  1. Read the "Coin Collecting" Merit Badge Book.  At the Clinic, we will review all of the requirements.  Collect at least five (5) different state quarters.  2. Collect and bring a type set of U.S. coins currently in circulation. This type set must include one specimen each of the 1-cent, 5 cents, 10 cents, 25 cents 50 cents and dollar.  The dates do not have to be the same. At least one coin from the Philadelphia and Denver Mints must be represented in the set. 3. Collect and bring a date set of U.S. coin. The set can be of any one denomination (1 cent, 5 cents, 10 cents or 25 cents) and must include one (1) coin of every year, from the year the Scout was born through 2009. Any mint is acceptable. All coins must be of the same denomination.

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