|
Summer Camp On Front Burner |
 The 2010 Summer Camp Planning Committee met early on the morning of Wednesday, March 10, and made great headway on what promises to be the best summer camp experience in our council in many years. Terry Smith, Committee Chair, heard a report on the possibility of offering three once-in-a-lifetime merit badges during summer camp. Tracking, Pathfinding, and Signalling are three "retired" merit badges the BSA has brought back for the 100th anniversary of Scouting, and they will be available to earn this year only. (There is a fourth retired merit badge, Carpentry, which will be offered during Camporee).
A one-year-only patch design was presented by Dr. John Herring. The patch design reflects that summer camp will be shaking things up this year, and the patch is consistent with the idea that we're doing camp "upside down" from the methods used in previous years.
Three of our council volunteers, Terry Smith, CeCelia Bowden, and Eric Swartz, just returned from national Camp School, and have received all the certifications necessary for us to have summer camp.
It was noted in the meeting that this is a special year, as it';s the 100th anniversary of Scouting, the 85th anniversary of our council, and the 25th anniversary of Camp Seminole.
We have new kitchen gear and a new kitchen stove in the Dining Hall (read about the Kiwanis donation in an article to appear here soon), and what was described as a "killer" menu on tap for our Scouts.
The theme of this year's summer camp will be "Back To the Future", and the way things are shaping up, the whole Scouting time continuum will be covered this June.
|
|
2009 Eagle Class Honored |
 |
 On the 100th anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America, Scouts and Scouters from all across our council gathered at The Ritz in West Point, Miss., to honor the 2009 Frances Wells Memorial Class of Eagle Scouts. Approximately 200 people watched as each Eagle came to the front and received his Eagle Scout plaque. The 2009 Eagle honorees are (Troop 3) Kenneth Glenn Akins, Ian Christian Williams (Troop 4) Thomas J. Boggess, Warner Randolph Depriest, Graham Matthew Young (Troop 5) James Scott Ming, William Tyler Wright (Troop 13) Stephen Flint Smith (Troop 14) John Eric Bickford, Ryan Weslee Lawrence, Andrew Kyle Shulz, Freddie James Williams (Troop 15) James Thomas Harrell, Williams Campbell Shirley (Troop 27) Clayton Dakota Berryhill, David Shilling Bouchard, Justin Rhoads Burger, Lane Scott Godwin, Vincent Vozzo, Ethan James Willers (Troop 41) Robert Lamar Bowles (Troop 45) Christopher John Koehn, Sascha Mathias Neumann (Troop 55) Jarrett Lance Davis, Samuel Harris Baker.
|
|
NYLT Starts March 19, 2010 |
|
 National Youth Leadership Training (NYLT), first session, will be March 19-21, and the second session will be April 30-May 2. This top level youth leadership training is available to all registered Scouts who are at least 13 years old, and at least First Class rank. All training will be at Camp Seminole.
In addition to the fun of spending two weekends with other Scouts, you'll gain leadership skills, teamwork skills, presentation skills, communication skills, friends for life.
Registration and payment can be completed online by visiting this link. A credit card is required.
You can also download the official color invitation and the official application.
|
|
|
Camp Seminole Interim Ranger Selected |
|
 Scott Comish, Camp Seminole Administrative Committee Chair, reports that an interim Ranger has been selected for Camp Seminole. The committee had previously selected a candidate for the un-paid ranger position. When that candidate became unavailable for the job, the committee was tasked with identifying another candidate .
In a meeting held Friday, February 19, the Camp Seminole Administrative Committee (CSAC) held a vote to select a Ranger candidate for the camp. Voting on the other candidates who had previously interviewed with the committee, the vote was an even split between two candidates. With the CSAC considering the two candidates as being equal, the decision was made by the Council Personnel Committee to keep Eric Swartz, who is already serving in the Ranger capacity, as our interim Camp Ranger.
When the status of this position changes (for example, when it becomes a "paid" position); then, all interested, qualified candidates will be able to be considered.
|
|
2009 Silver Beaver Recipients |
|
 2009 Silver Beaver Honorees John Herring (L) and Les Arnold (R) During the February 9, 2010 Council Banquet, two of our council's staunchest pillars of Scouting service were recognized for their service and Scout spirit by being award the Silver Beaver. John Herring, Asst. Scoutmaster of Starkville's Troop 14, and Les Arnold, Asst. Scoutmaster of Columbus's Troop 3, were both called to the front of the Ritz Theater and Conference Center for the presentation of their Silver Beaver awards.
Troop 14 is chartered by the Starkville Rotary Club, and Troop 3 is chartered by Columbus First Baptist Church.
|
Joe Gibson has created the Columbus Compass Course, a 46 stop course that takes a hiker through historic sections of old Columbus. After successfully completing the course, a Scout can submit his completed answer sheet and a small fee and receive the patch shown at the left. The file includes a map of Columbus, all instructions, a short history lesson, and the official answer sheet. Download the file here. |
|
Subscribe to Pushmataha.Org 
On March 2, 2010, the Starkville Kiwanis Club donated a check for almost $5,000 to the Pushmataha Area Council, to fund the purchase of a new stove for the Camp Seminole Dining Hall kitchen. The presentation of the check followed a report on Scouting in the area given by Dan Gent of Starkville's Pack 11. With the assistance of Robin Fant (of Bulldog Deli and Peppers' fame), the council has purchased a stove suitable for use in the Dining Hall kitchen. 