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The Texas Skies District serves Scouting units located in the Katy and Royal school districts. Sign up for email communications and follow us on Facebook.

 

Texas Skies District Roundtable

October 10, 2019  |  7:00 - 8:30 pm

Stay Informed, Attend Roundtable graphic Roundtable is a district monthly meeting typically held the second Thursday of the month at the LDS Church-Katy Stake Center (1603 Norwalk Dr, Katy, 77450) at 7:00 pm to help unit leaders plan and carry out their own program. Roundtable is a form of supplemental training for volunteers. The objective of roundtable is to give leaders program ideas, information on events and training opportunities, 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. Follow the district Facebook page at www.facebook.com/SHACTexasSkies.

Merit Badge Fair

October 12, 2019  |  7:00 am to 5:00 pm

Merit Badge Sash graphicThe Merit Badge Fair is an opportunity for Scouts in troops, crews, or ships of any rank, to work on one or two merit badges. These are not giveaway merit badges, and this is not a merit badge factory. Each Scout is expected to prepare ahead of time (by reading the merit badge book and completing prerequisites), and to participate fully during the course in order to receive credit for the requirements completed. All Scouts are required to bring signed blue cards in order to work on merit badges. The event is being held at Holy Covenant United Methodist Church (22111 Morton Rd., Katy, TX 77449).

Adult participation is required to offer this event. Every unit with Scouts participating is expected to provide at least one volunteer for every six Scouts attending. Additional volunteers are needed and appreciated.

The cost to register is $10 per Scout which includes a patch and supplies. There is an extra $15 charge for the Cooking, Electronics and Space Exploration badge. Registration can be completed by individuals or by the troop leaders.

Learn More and Register

Training

Training is an important part of learning to become an effective leader. Trained leaders impact the quality of programs, leader tenure, youth tenure, and a whole lot more. A trained leader is better prepared to make the Scouting program all it can be! Every Scout deserves a trained leader. See the council training schedule for a list of additional training courses offered around the council. For more information, contact Ray Terry.

What to Bring to Training            Council Training Schedule

Date

Course
(click on title for course description)

Location

Time

Cost

Register
October 4-5, 2019 Introduction to Outdoor Leader Skills (IOLS) Trinity Baptist Church
10000 Spring Green Blvd
Katy, TX 77494		 Fr at 5:30 pm -
Sat at 8:00 pm		 $30.50 Register
October 12, 2019 Den Leader Position-Specific Training Holy Covenant United Methodist Church
22111 Morton Road
Katy, TX 77449		 9:00 am - 12:00 pm $0 Register
October 12, 2019 Merit Badge Counselor Orientation Holy Covenant United Methodist Church
22111 Morton Road
Katy, TX 77449		 9:00 am - 12:00 pm $0 Register
October 12, 2019 Scoutmaster Position-Specific Training Holy Covenant United Methodist Church
22111 Morton Road
Katy, TX 77449		 12:30 - 5:00 pm $0 Register
October 12, 2019 Troop Committee Challenge Holy Covenant United Methodist Church
22111 Morton Road
Katy, TX 77449		 1:00 - 3:30 pm $0 Register
November 15-16, 2019 Basic Adult Leader Outdoor Orientation (BALOO) Camp Brosig
1893 Trenckmann Rd.
Sealy, TX 77474		 Fr. at 5:30 -
Sat at 8:00 pm		 $36.50 Register

Cuboree

November 1-3, 2019

Cub Scout painting bird houseCuboree is a fun, exciting weekend event for Cub Scouts (kindergarten through 5th grade) and their families to kick off the Scouting year. This includes Lions, Tigers, Wolves, Bears and Webelos Scouts. Scouts and their families can camp on Friday and Saturday nights with their pack or just attend the Saturday activities. Each pack will be assigned a campground.

Dens will compete in Scout Skills and games. Each den should bring their den flag, a wagon and their supplies.  The list of supplies and directions on converting their wagon to a covered wagon will be provided in the leader's guide. Dens will be graded on their Scout Skills, spirit, gamesmanship and on the items to be brought. Webelos dens are invited to compete in our cook-off. Teams will be made up of a den and at least one adult. Each team will be provided with hot coals. The team must provide the dutch oven and ingredients for the chili. The judging will start at 5:30 pm.

On Saturday night awards will be presented at the campfire. Each pack will need to have a song and a skit to present to the whole camp. This will be a fun weekend with lots of activities in a very special campsite. Make plans to bring your pack and enjoy the fun!

The event registration includes program supplies, camping fees, and a patch. There is no onsite registration. Registration closes October 20, 2010. 

Learn More and Register

Rocket Day

November 8, 2019   |   8:30 am  - noon

Youth who join Cub Scouts this year will receive a rocket that they can design, build, and launch at Rocket Day. Youth in kindergarten through fifth grade who are interested in joining Scouting may also attend. We will help you find a pack near you and get signed up for Scouting. The event is being held at Tays Jr. High School (26721 Hawks Prairie Blvd., Katy, TX 77494).

The event is free; please register so we can make sure we have an engine available for your Scout.

Learn More and Register       Flier (half-page to attach to rocket)       Promotional Placemat

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: September 2019

Popcorn

Hundreds of thousands of dollars go back to the Scouting program in the Sam Houston Area Council as a result of the annual popcorn sale. 73% of all dollars collected during the sale support local Scouting. The popcorn sale is a way for a Scout to support his or her way through the various activities during the year. There are three options to sell popcorn: traditional take order sales, sell online to friends and family out of town and show-n-sell. For more information, contact your district popcorn kernel or district executive.

Learn More        Sign-up for Traditional and Online Sales       Sign-up for Show-n-Sale 

Why Sell?

• Increase your unit and council income – 73% stays in the local area.
• Scouts pay for their way for various Scouting programs and activities.
• Scouts learn life lessons by earning their own way. To 
• There are loads of incentives to motivate Scouts: cool prizes, $600 club, $1800 club.
• Ordering has never been easier than with the Trail's End app.
• Videos and resources help Scouts learn how to be successful.

Webelos Coyote Xtreme

November 8-10, 2019

Webelos Coyote Trail Xtreme (WCTX) is an annual event for 4th and 5th grade Webelos Scouts at Bovay Scout Ranch. During this fast-paced, fun-filled weekend Webelos Scouts will work on advancements and be introduced to the patrol method. Webelos Scouts will learn the importance of teamwork and other skills they will need for their first camp out with a troop, such as fire lays, basic knots, lashings, and more. 

The event is being held at Bovay Scout Ranch (3450 County 317, Navasota, TX 77868). Webelos Scouts and their parent(s)/guardian(s) can register. The fee for Webelos Coyote Xtreme is $115 per Webelos Scout and includes four meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner on Saturday and breakfast on Sunday), a patch, t-shirt, water bottle and program supplies. The adult fee is $40 per adult and includes four meals. 

Learn More and Register

Fun with Family

October 11-13, 2019

Fun with Family is an overnight campout for newly registered Cub Scouts and their adult partner and families at Bovay Scout Ranch (3450 County Rd 317, Navasota, TX 77868). Scouts can participate in archery, sling shots, crafts, rockets, sports, campfire and more. The registration fee is $24 per participant and includes an event patch, activity supplies, snacks and two meals. 

Learn More and Register 

Leave No Trace Trainer Course

October 18-20, 2019

The Leave No Trace Trainer Course is an overnight course for individuals, ages 14 and up who wish to guide units in developing a culture that effectively demonstrates responsible outdoor choices that reduce impacts of Scouting activities. Leave No Trace Trainers, outdoor ethics guides, and advisors are the backbone of Scouting’s outdoor ethics program, providing instruction to individuals and units wishing to adopt cutting-edge outdoor ethics into their unit programs. The event is being held at Camp Brosig in Sealy, TX from Friday at 6:00 pm to Sunday at 11:00 am.

Register

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

Scouts BSA Summer Camp 2020 Registration

We are excited to announce that new Camp Strake will open for summer camp 2020. Weeks one through five are full; weeks six and seven are open for registration. 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. The Camp Strake facilities have been designed and built to meet both ADA and ScoutsBSA requirements for both girl and boy units concurrently. The program will include an extensive merit badge program as well as some more challenging activities like zip-lining and climbing. The full program will be published in the online leader’s guide that will be available in November. To follow the progress of construction, visit www.shac.org/strake.

Learn More and Register           About Camp Strake

LDS: Continue the Legacy

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced that starting on January 1, 2020, it will shift the focus of its youth programs toward serving an increasingly global membership. That means the LDS church will no longer charter Scout units beginning in 2020 and beyond.

“All youth, families and leaders are encouraged to continue their active participation and financial support of Scouting … ,” the LDS church expressed in its joint statement with the BSA that it will continue to support Scouting even after its official partnership has ended.

Check out our blog post with some information for the thousands of LDS families who love being a part of the Scouting adventure and want to continue their journey and for the other BSA Scouters who want to help them do that. The post includes information:

  • LDS church members looking for a new Scouting home
  • Community packs and troops welcoming LDS church members
  • Recruiting Scouts currently enrolled in LDS units
  • Three Reasons our Family will Still be in Scouting in 2020 

LDS: Continue the Legacy

Looking for a Cub Scout Pack

Join Cub Scouts graphic Welcome to the adventure of Cub Scouting. Cub Scouting helps to support your family by providing ready-made opportunities for you and your child to do things together. As a parent, you want to be assured that the groups that your child joins will teach values consistent with good citizenship, character development, and physical fitness. The Boy Scouts of America has been weaving these lifetime values into fun and educational activities since 1910.

Find a pack near you

Donate to Scouting

SHAC CSP with car keysHelp 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.

Employment Opportunities

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

 

Help us Promote Scouting

SHAC FacebookThe 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