The Scouts of Boy Scout Troop # 1 and would like to invite you to attend our open house and flag pole dedication ceremony.  You and your family are invited to attend on June 1st, 2013 starting at 10:00 a.m. at 345 Marguerite Drive, Columbus, MS 39705 (behind PJ’s Bar-B-Que).

If you have any questions we can be reached at (662) 352-1268 or lb1202 @hotmail.com.  We hope to see you there.

The Pushmataha Area Council has created a special, limited series of council shoulder patches (CSPs) which will be available only to donors who make a Friends of Scouting (FOS) contribution in 2013.

The CSP shown at the top left is the Pushmataha Legend CSP.  This will be presented to those friends who make at least a $52 FOS gift to the Pushmataha Area Council in 2013.  That's a buck a week, less than the cost of one cup of coffee at the corner store.

The CSP in the center, at left, is the Pushmataha Warrior CSP, and this unique patch will be presented to our friends who make a 2013 FOS donation of at least $104 to our council.  Not only will these donors receive the Warrior CSP, but they will also receive the Legend CSP.  For only two dollars a week not only are you helping guarantee that the Scouting program is available for the youth in our ten counties, but you're also getting these two shoulder patches.

There is one more CSP available in this series, and it's the Pushmataha Chief shoulder patch.  $3/week (i.e., $156/year) not only gives you the satisfaction that you've helped deliver the promise of Scouting to over 1,300 Scouts in our council, but also nets you all three of these highly prized, limited availability shoulder patches, the Legend, the Warrior, and the Chief.

These patches make great gifts for boys and adults who are in the program.   Because of the limited availability of the CSPs, these are destined to be highly-sought collectibles in the not too distant future.

To make a donation, it's pretty simple.

You can mail a check for your donation to Pushmataha Area Council FOS, PO Box 9570, Columbus, MS 39705.  Please make your check payable to Pushmataha Area Council.

Another way is to make your donation online, just follow this link.

If you have any questions, please contact the Council Service Center at 662-328-7228.

Calling all Tiger Cubs, Cub Scouts and Webelos - Don't miss out on all of the fun that awaits you this summer at Camp Seminole! Cub Scout Day Camp, June 3-7, is open to all current Cub Scouts in grades 1-4. 5 days...9am-3pm each day. Crafts, Sports, Nature, Archery and more! And for our current Bear Scouts and Webelos 1 you can also make plans to attend Webelos Resident Camp June 27-30. Three nights of camping...eat in the Dining Hall...fun and advancement! See below for more information and registration information. Register by March 1 for the lowest fee...$75 for Cub Scout Day Camp; $100 for Webelos Resident Camp. Adult volunteers are needed to make these camps successful for our scouts...so if you can help out for one day or the entire camp let the Camp Directors listed in the brochure know.

Please see the brochures under RESOURCES at the left.

At the December roundtable you were informed that we were going to have summer camp and each of you should have received a letter from the council about summer camp. In the envelope we sent out was a letter for Jeremy Whitmore (Scout Executive) and Royce Bowden (Council-VP of Program), Summer Camp Reservation Form, Staff Application, and a Summer Camp Payment sheet.  As of now we are looking for each troop that is attending summer camp to have the Reservation Form and Money turned in by February 1st to the council service center. It is important that we have a head count so we can see what we need to plan for.   These forms can be found in the RESOURCES section of this website.

We want to offer the opportunity of summer camp here in the PAC, but we need your help by reserving your spot today. As well we are looking for great staff members please give staff applications to those boys you believe would be great at working on summer camp staff. They may send them in to the council service center or email them to Micah Huffman at Micah@Pushmataha.Org.

I am looking forward to Summer Camp because it is the highlight of the year for us. I hope to see each of our troops attending summer camp 2013 here in the PAC.

If you have questions about the recent court ruling, the Ineligible Volunteer Files or Scouting’s youth protection program, click here.

Scout units and councils have been using some form of tour-planning document—a local or national tour permit, or a tour plan—since the 1960s. On May 10, 2012, the newest version took effect and replaces all previous iterations.

The new tour and activity plan<http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/HealthandSafety/TourPlanFAQ.aspx> is simply a planning tool to help leaders be prepared for a safe and fun adventure. It can help you ensure trained leadership is in place, equipment is available, and there is safe and appropriate transportation to and from an event.

Please use the online version of the plan whenever possible. It is a unit-level tool when you sign into www.myscouting.org<http://www.myscouting.org/> A tour and activity plan FAQ page can be found at: http://www.scouting.org/sitecore/content/Home/HealthandSafety/TourPlanFAQ.aspx

Please review all of the information on the page and the hyperlinks. A video showing you how to submit a tour and activity plan is on the FAQ page as well.

Please note in the FAQ when a tour and activity plan is needed. This tool is meant to support you in delivering a well planned and safe activity for your scouts...not just another form to fill out. At this time the council has no plans to require a tour and activity plan above and beyond what National requires as stated in the FAQ.

If you use the online version, you no longer have to collect signatures or council approval. Complete the plan and certify that any missing requirements will be completed before the trip begins. When you submit the plan online, an email will be sent to your council, chartered organization, committee chair, and your designated emergency contact.

If you have any questions feel free to contact me. Please forward this email on to other leaders in your Unit that may have responsibilities in submitting a tour and activity plan. Thank you for your leadership and dedication to Scouting!

The 2013 National Jamboree is a lot closer than you might realize.  Youth applications for this historic event are being taken right now, and we hope to have the contingent filled soon.

Applying for a National Jamboree slot is easy. Just look to the left, in the RESOURCES section.  Fill out the online pdf form, print it, and send it to the council office with your deposit of $120.  That's all there is to it.  Easy!

Once your youth application has been submitted to the council office, along with the $120 deposit (no application will be considered without the deposit), your end is done.  In December, the council will select 36 Scout participants from the pile of applications.  The council has developed a selection process which will be used.  Preference will be given to Scouts for whom this is their only opportunity to attend a National Jamboree as a youth, and to Scout who have not been to jamboree before.  This will help ensure that the greatest number of Scouts in our council will have a National Jamboree experience as a youth.

Scouts who are selected to be part of the contingent will make 12 monthly payments of $100 to the council office, beginning in January, 2012.   By the time January, 2013 rolls around, jamboree will be paid for, and all a Scout will have to do then is prepare, and wait for the bus to roll out toward The Summit.

The total cost of the 2013 National Jamboree trip, including the deposit, for one participant, is $1,320.