Updated Youth Protection Training Now Available

Posted on March 8, 2018 by Heather Mulvihill
UPDATED YOUTH PROTECTION TRAINING NOW AVAILABLE
Update Your Training by October 1, 2018
Over the decades, the Boy Scouts of America has been a leader in developing training and policies designed to keep young people safe. Over time, these policies have become standard with organizations across the nation. Now, the Boy Scouts of America is releasing fully updated training to further strengthen our ability to protect youth.

These changes include:

  • Updated Youth Protection Training, including insights from experts and survivors and the latest strategies for recognizing and preventing major forms of abuse. This is the designated Youth Protection Training for all adults. All volunteers must take the new training by October 1, 2018, no matter when they took the previous training.
  • An expanded ScoutsFirst Helpline to aid volunteers and families in addressing potentially dangerous situations.
  • Unlimited counseling and support for healing to anyone who has ever been abused in Scouting.
  • Youth Protection Training for youth members available in 2019.

In addition to updated training, we recently announced new policies to ensure compliance with mandatory training requirements, including:

  • As of January 1, 2018, no new leader can be registered without first completing youth protection training.
  • As of January 1, 2018, no council, regional, or national leader will be allowed to renew their registration if they are not current on their Youth Protection Training.
  • As of September 1, 2017, no unit may re-charter without all leaders being current on their Youth Protection Training. Registrars no longer have the ability to approve charters without full compliance.
  • Effective June 1, 2018, adults accompanying a Scouting unit who are present at the activity for 72 total hours or more must be registered as a leader, including completion of a criminal background check and Youth Protection Training. The 72 hours need not be consecutive.

With these changes, and many more outlined in the documents listed below, as well as the overview video, we will continue to build a safe environment for our youth.

As an advocate and champion for youth protection in Scouting movement, I encourage you to  watch the video, become familiar with the resource documents,  take the training and spread the word.

We realize the Oct 1 training deadline will be a challenge for some – but the safety of our children is too important to delay.

Thank you for your work in sharing the message of safety in Scouting. You make difference every day, in ways you may never know. Truly, Youth Protection Begins with You.

Sincerely,

Michael Johnson
Director, Youth Protection

Additional Resources:
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2018 District Pinewood Derby Results!

Posted on February 28, 2018 by Heather Mulvihill


Attention race fans!!! The District PWD was held 24 February, at Bethel Baptist Church. The Official racing results are hot off the press and are as follows:

Lion 1st place- C. Morris P876
Lion 2nd place- M. Nelson P1838
Lion 3rd place-  B. Gleason P1838
Tiger 1st place- C. Lively P876
Tiger 2nd place-  O. Loemis P1825
Tiger  3rd place- G. Ross P1811
Wolf  1st place- C. Young P1811
Wolf 2nd place- R. Stone P876
Wolf 3rd place- R. Haskin P1811
Bear  1st place- J. Ruppel-Lee P6296
Bear 2nd place- A. Kaleta P1838
Bear  3rd place- N. Rusher P893
WEBS  1st place – Z. Wood P1825
WEBS 2nd place-  C. Collins P861
WEBS 3rd place- D. Haskin P1811
AOL  1st place- C. Crayton P1879
AOL 2nd place- J. Leach P1838
AOL 3rd place- T. Williams P1838

Congratulations to all the winners and many thanks to all to parents, Boy Scouts, and District leaders who came out to help make this event a success. A special thank you to Bethel Baptist Church for once again allowing us to use their facilities and to volunteers from Virginia Commonwealth Bank.

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New Scoutbook/Advancement Page

Posted on January 29, 2018 by Heather Mulvihill

Leaders, Advancement chairs and Committee chairs, please check out or new district  subpage for information on and helps for using Scoutbook and linking it to National’s Advancement program Click: HERE

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Changes to Council Advancement Records

Posted on December 5, 2017 by Heather Mulvihill
Dear Huguenot Trail District Boy Scout Troops, Cub Scout Packs and Venture Crews,
 
The December Courier contained an important message from the Executive Board of the Heart of Virginia Council.  It was the article titled “Program Resolution November 2017.” PLEASE READ FULL ARTICLE HERE:   http://hovc.org/articles/2017/12/12099/.
 
“Effective January 1, 2018, every Heart of Virginia Council unit shall be required to only record advancement online through Internet Advancement. This requirement will bring the Heart of Virginia Council in-line with other councils in our area that have already eliminated paper advancement forms to bring Scout records up-to-date. When purchasing all rank badges, except for the rank of Eagle Scout, the Scout Shop will only accept printouts from Internet Advancement. The full resolution can be seen  here.”
 
This means, Cub Scout and Boy Scout rank badges, merit badges and Venturing awards cannot be purchased without presenting a printed Internet Advancement report at the time of purchase.  Per Phil Victor, Scoutbook reports indicating that the advancements have been synced to Scoutnet will be accepted.   (SEE ARTICLE BELOW THIS ONE ON HOW TO SYNC)

If the unit is doing this correctly, it will indicate so in the bottom left corner of the report.
As of January 1, 2018, the following will no longer be accepted by the Scout Shop:
1. Handwritten Advancement report.
2. A 3rd party Scouting reporting software report. Such as Troopmaster, Packmaster, Scout Trac, etc.
3. A software generated purchase order.
4. A list of rank badges and merit badges in a word document, handwritten on a piece of paper, etc.

If you are new to Internet Advancement, attempt to log-on and receive a message indicating your unit already has a password, this means that some time in the past the unit was using Internet Advancement to record advancements and merit badges.  You will need to contact the Council Registrar so she can reset the password and a new account, with a new processor password, can be created.
 
Please share this information with the individual who records advancements for your unit and the individual who purchases the advancements in the shop.  
Yours in Scouting,
Scott Bailey
———————
Scott Bailey
District Advancement Chairman
Huguenot Trail District
Heart of Virginia Council, BSA
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Family Scouting

Posted on December 1, 2017 by Heather Mulvihill

Serving the Whole Family

BSA’s mission is to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Scout Law. Our priority is to bring the benefits of Scouting to more youth while remaining true to our mission. We are excited to announce beginning in 2018, our  Cub Scouts program will be open to boys and girls. By welcoming both girls and boys into the program, even more youth will have access to the character development and values-based leadership that Scouting promises and be better prepared for future success.

Link Here to National’s Family Scouting Page for more Information

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Update to Eagle Palms! They heard you!!

Posted on October 25, 2017 by Heather Mulvihill

All current Boy Scouts — even those who completed their Eagle Scout board of review before Aug. 1, 2017 — are now entitled to receive Eagle Palms for merit badges earned before their Eagle board of review.

Previously, only those Scouts with an Eagle board of review date on or after Aug. 1, 2017, were eligible for these Eagle Palms. Now all current Eagle Scouts can receive Palms for additional merit badges earned before their board.

This is a revision to the  change announced on this blog on July 10, 2017. The move comes in response to passionate feedback from volunteers and was approved by the BSA’s National Executive Board.

Here’s what changed and why. CLICK HERE

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New Eagle Scout Application

Posted on May 9, 2017 by Heather Mulvihill

A new Eagle Scout application has been released by National. Eagle candidates please note that the most current application must be used when applying for this rank.
EagleR-766681

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New World Conservation Award Requirements

Posted on February 13, 2017 by Heather Mulvihill

Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, and Venturers now have new requirements for earning the World Conservation Award. These requirements are effective immediately. Please click here for further details. 

World_Conservation_Awards_(Boy_Scouts_of_America)Quick facts: World Conservation Award

How to get it: Return your completed application to council office for authorization to purchase badge from Scout shop.

Patch and placement: Blue border patch for Cub Scouts; khaki border patch for Boy Scouts; green border patch for Venturers; worn as a temporary patch on right pocket.

Supply/BIN item number: Cub Scout emblem, No. 139; Boy Scout emblem, No. 140; Venturing emblem, No. 152; pocket certificate, No. 32080

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Scout Planning Worksheet is a new tool to help Scouts perfect planning skills

Posted on February 1, 2017 by Heather Mulvihill

When planning an Eagle Scout service project, you have to identify a goal, recruit a team, plan transportation, purchase materials, consider safety and plot each step.

It’s a lot of work.

So much, in fact, that in an ideal world the Eagle project wouldn’t be a Scout’s first experience with formal, documented project planning.

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the ideal world.

The BSA has released the Scout Planning Worksheet, a new tool that Scouts can use to plan patrol or troop activities. The goal is to build project-planning prowess that will benefit Scouts in their Eagle project, at school and in life…….Article continued here at Bryan on Scouting

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Annual Friends of Scouting Dinner

Posted on March 11, 2016 by Heather Mulvihill
9528District Key 3: Dist. Commissioner Heather Mulvihill, Senior Dist. Executive Geoff Angle,
District Chairman Bill Mulvihill, representing Huguenot Trial.

Heart of Virginia Council’s Annual Fundraising Dinner was held at the Richmond Convention Center 10 March, 2016 with guest speaker Rex Tillman CEO for Exxon Mobile Corp. delivering an insightful speech on how scouting shaped his career from the time he was made an  Eagle Scout at the age of 13 years. Mr. Tillman is a past National President for BSA serving from 2010-2012 and encouraged everyone in attendance to participate in some form with the annual campaign to support scouting in Central Virginia. The Annual Friends of Scouting campaign raises money to support our camps, service center and scout programming for the year; taking the budget and dividing it by the 12, 000 scouts we have in our Council comes to $250 per scout per year in operating expenses. Please give generously when asked at your next Blue & Gold Banquet or Court of Honor. Scouting is making a difference in the lives of our youth and not only “prepares scouts for life” but prepares our country for the future.

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