Council News

Signup for Trainers Edge March 2nd or March 3rd See flyer below for registration and details.
Purpose of the course is to provide and help develop the platform skills of a trainer. This is for all district trainers, Unit Trainers, Wood Badge and NYLT Staff members. The Trainer’s EDGE replaces the Trainer Development Conference (BSA 500) as the required Train the Trainer course for Wood Badge, NYLT staffs and Trainers in the Council. This is a one day course that will include lunch and materials. Class size is limited to 32 participants per session. Pre-course Preparation: Please prepare a 10 to 12 minute presentation on a topic of your choice from any BSA material. Your presentation should allow you to demonstrate the skills of a trainer. You will receive constructive feedback on your presentation from the other participants.
Flyer for Registration and Details

Many of you knew our good friend Vinnie Ruggieri. For those of you who didn’t have the pleasure, allow me to share a little about this exceptional human being. Vinnie was a man who was devoted to his family, his friends, his belief in God and to the Scouting movement. He was a generous individual who gave of himself and of his wealth to help make a difference in people’s lives. Vinnie passed away suddenly in August of 2011. He continues to be missed.

The holiday season was Vinnie’s favorite time of the year. Each December, Vinnie would call his friends and take them on a shopping spree purchasing toys for disadvantaged children. He was the generous Secret Santa who made the season bright for hundreds of children. Earlier this year, we decided to try to keep the Vinnie Ruggieri holiday spirit alive.

This year, the Western Los Angeles County Council announced its First Annual Toy Drive in Vinnie's honor. We wish to report a successful kickoff.. We are thankful for the efforts of The Ta-To-Ka-Dan Chapter of the Order of the Arrow, The Law Enforcement and Fire Explorers of the Western Los Angeles County Council, and the efforts of all of our volunteers who helped spread cheer this holiday season.

As part of a national Boy Scout of America program, the council is excited to announce their participation in the Voice of the Scout. With over four million members, this program is being adopted as a key way to collect experiences and deliver upon the expectation of members as they participate in Scouting.

Beginning late September, parents, Scouts & Venturers over 14, volunteers and chartered organizations will begin seeing surveys delivered into their email inboxes for Voice of the Scout. The surveys have been designed to be very brief but will give needed insight into the variety of experiences at the unit and district within our council.

Surveys will stay open for three weeks, and then information will be referenced for making key decisions to drive Scouting forward, as guided by the people that matter most - our members. It will be a continuous program, in that we will launch these surveys twice per year, with no household receiving more than one survey every six months.

Due to the sheer volume of surveys in this program, we must deliver via email to effectively and efficiently collect opinions. To make the most of this program we will begin asking for emails updates regularly, so please make sure we have your most recent email by visiting our contact update form or calling your local service center.

Voice of the Scout is how we will help guide our decision-making for our future programs and operational delivery. Please take a few minutes of your time to participate!

October 18, 2012


Dear Scouting Parent,

We recognize you have entrusted to Scouting the development and safety of your child. We are honored by your faith in this organization and want you to know these are top priorities.

In this period of heightened awareness about youth safety, we want to share with you Scouting’s many important programs, policies, and procedures that help protect our members.

We are committed to consistently strengthening and enhancing our Youth Protection measures and, in recent decades, have expanded our programs significantly as more information and new techniques and technologies have become available to us. Recently, experts in youth safety and the media have acknowledged the strength of our Youth Protection programs in place today:

• “The Boy Scouts of America is one group advocates say has gone farthest to institute such measures to safeguard kids.” (MSNBC, November 2011)
• “The Scouts’ current prevention policies are considered state of the art and several independent child-protection experts told The Associated Press that the Scouts—though buffeted in the past by many abuse-related lawsuits—are now considered a leader in combating sexual abuse. ‘The Boy Scouts have the most advanced policies and training,’ said Victor Vieth, a former prosecutor who heads the National Child Protection Training Center in Minnesota.” (Associated Press, January 2012)

While we continuously evaluate and strengthen our Youth Protection programs, we recognize that abuse can happen anywhere, even in Scouting. You may have heard recent news surrounding the release of certain Ineligible Volunteer Files. Ineligible Volunteer Files, still in use today, help keep people deemed to be unfit leaders out of Scouting. Still, we believe constant vigilance is the best protection. In Scouting, we tell everyone involved with our programs that “Youth Protection begins with you.TM” That means each of us has a role to play in keeping kids safe.

We want to ensure that you are aware of our Youth Protection programs, policies, and procedures so you know what to expect of our organization. Our safeguards include the following:

• All volunteers must complete a rigorous application and screening process before joining Scouting. As part of this requirement, applicants must provide references and submit to a national criminal background check. We also verify that our organization has not received any prior allegations of misconduct on the volunteer’s part by checking names in our Ineligible Volunteer Files. Our goal is to ensure that all adult volunteers represent the values and character outlined in the Scout Oath and Scout Law and are good leaders for your child.
• All volunteers are required to complete Youth Protection training and must renew the training every two years. This training is accessible to the general public online at www.Scouting.org, under the Youth Protection tab. Please review the training, as it provides important information about detecting and preventing abuse, no matter where it may occur.
• Scouting’s two-deep leadership policy requires at least two adults to be present for all Scouting activities. No youth should ever be alone with a Scout leader for any reason.
• Every Boy Scout and Cub Scout handbook includes a pamphlet to help parents teach their children how to recognize, resist, and report abuse. If you haven’t done so already, please immediately review and discuss this information with your child. A copy of the pamphlet and other youth-oriented literature is available under the Youth Protection tab on our website.
• All Scouting activities are open to parents, and we encourage families to enjoy Scouting together.
• Anyone suspected of inappropriate behavior will be immediately and permanently banned from Scouting. If you ever have any concerns about your child’s safety, please contact the BSA immediately through your local council. You can find the contact information by typing “Local Council Locator” into the search bar on our website. These measures are by no means the full extent of our efforts, but given the media attention youth-serving organizations, including Scouting, have recently received, we wanted to share some of the most important aspects of our program. Additional information and resources can be accessed by visiting www.Scouting.org and clicking on the Youth Protection tab.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact your local Scout executive.


Thanks for all you do to support Scouting and help us keep kids safe.
Sincerely,
Jim Rushton,
Council Executive
Western Los Angeles County Council

“Scouting’s Journey to Excellence” is the BSA’s new council performance recognition program designed to encourage and reward success and measure the performance of our units, districts, and councils. It is replacing the Centennial Quality Awards Program as a means of encouraging excellence in providing a quality program at all levels of the BSA. For more information visit The Journey to Excellence Page

With the 2013 National Scout Jamboree just over two years away, we are pleased to announce that applications are now open for individuals interested in serving as Scoutmasters and Assistant Scoutmasters for our Council's contingent.

Interviews will be held Monday, September 19, 2011 and Monday, September 26, 2011 at the Council office. (One alternative interview date will be scheduled if needed.)

The Jamboree will be held at its new site, The Summit Bechtel Reserve in West Virginia and will include action sports such as whitewater rafting, rock climbing, boarding, biking, target sports, zip lines, challenge courses, hiking, and more! Be part of a new and exciting experience. Go Big. Get Wild. See the promo video

Regards, Eric Miele 2013 National Scout Jamboree Council Contingent Coordinator Eric.Miele@gmail.com

Registration is now open for youth, adult leaders, and staff here

Adventurers Wanted!

Get ready! The 2013 National Scout Jamboree is coming and it ain't your father's jamboree. We're talking seriously high adventure, people! Whitewater rafting, zip-lining, rappelling, mountain biking, hiking, and more - with 50,000 of your closest friends at the brand new Summit Bechtel Reserve in the wilds of West Virginia. Check out the key dates below and start planning now to be a part of history at the very first jamboree at The Summit. The Jamboree - July 15-July 24, 2013

Leader Application: Leader_Application2 [PDF, 25KB]

Effective March 1, 2011, what are currently known as local and national tour permits will be superseded by what will be called the tour plan. *The online tour permit system will be suspended. This update is the accumulation of work by a cross-functional team of volunteers and staff including the Health and Safety Support Committee, Council Solutions, Outdoor Program Group, and Risk Management Advisory Panels.

Here is the definition of the tour plan in the Language of Scouting: "Units complete this form when planning for local, national, or international adventure. The plan helps ensure the unit is properly prepared, that qualified and trained leadership is in place, and that the right equipment is available for the adventure."

The new file is available Here