District Leadership Structure Changes Coming

Over the past year, a great deal of discussion has ensued regarding the district leadership structure of Mayflower Council. It has become increasingly challenging to fill the many district committee positions and ensure that the support needed for the Scouting program is being provided in the most efficient, effective, and consistent manner.

A committee was formed last summer of individuals from across the council to determine the best path moving forward given the current number of unfilled positions. A wide variety of options were considered and discussed at length; it was decided that to best way to provide a quality scouting program in Mayflower Council was to adopt a more Council centralized support structure in place of what has previously been a District-centered approach. It is extremely important to note that the continued involvement of current leaders, and recruitment of others, will be a critical element as we move forward. The knowledge base and dedication of the current corps of volunteers will be integral to the new leadership structure.

To facilitate a smooth transition to this type of structural leadership change, an Implementation Team has been identified to collect information and identify “next steps” for the transition. It is anticipated that the roll out will occur in a stepwise fashion during the 2024-25 program year. In the coming months there will be in-depth discussions amongst various committees and constituents to solicit input and help the Implementation Team develop a well-defined roll out plan. This will be an evolving process, with information to be provided as it becomes available. The Implementation Team is planning to hold a Council-wide Summit in October, open to those currently serving in District leadership positions and all others who are interested.

A contact email (click here to email ) has been set up to ensure that individuals can ask questions at any time as we move forward with the transition. Every effort will be made to ensure responses are sent as quickly as possible, recognizing that answers to many questions may not be available until the roll out plan is better defined.

Sharable announcement flyer




“Around The Campfire” Podcast – Episode One

Check out Mayflower Council’s “Around The Campfire” Podcast, a new show designed specifically for unit leaders and volunteers. Hosted by Rob DiFazio, an Eagle Scout from East Bridgewater serving on the Membership & Unit Service Team, this episode of the podcast covers a variety of topics, including Webelos to Scout transitions with Wood Badge-trained Scouter David Laucirica, and Eagle Scout Aaron Christian (both from the Membership & Unit Service Team). Logan Ferraro, Program Executive, gives an overview of BlackPug and CampDocs, as well as upcoming events. Additionally, Rich Carlson, our Council Commissioner, provides an update on our new Scout executive. Don’t miss out on this informative podcast!




Cranberry Harbors District Feb. 2024 Roundtable

Slides from our February Roundtable are posted below. The following items are also posted:
Instructions for nominations for District Awards (District Award of Merit due 3/1, other awards due 3/15.)
World Scouting Emblem Fact Sheet
Religious Emblems night (2/22 via Zoom) flyer
Cranberry Harbors FOS Patch Flyer
Our next roundtable is Wed. Mar. 6 at the Furnace Brook Middle School in Marshfield. Main session topic is planned to be Disability Awareness, presented by Satina Craffey. The presentation will include a “hands-on” activity, please make every effort to attend in person.
At our April Roundtable (4/3) we will conduct the annual district meeting and awards ceremony. We will hold a “social hour” featuring pot-luck hors d’oeuvres and desserts – please plan on attending in person and bringing something to share.




Council Service Center Adverse Weather Policy

With the impending snow storm we would like to remind our community about our adverse weather policy.  The council follows the lead of the Milford school system when setting its adverse weather policy.  If Milford Public Schools close, so does the Milford Service Center.  If the Milford Public Schools announce a delay (1 hour delay for example) the council service center delays its opening by the same time. We encourage everyone to follow the weather and school closure reports on Boston media such as WCVB Channel 5 in order to stay informed and up to date on school closings and weather alerts.




2024 Annual Membership Fee Update

Effective April 1, 2024, the BSA will eliminate the $25 one-time joining fee for new program participants in Cub Scouts, Scouts BSA, Venturing and Sea Scouting.

  • $85/yr for Cub Scouts, Scouts BSA, Venturing and Sea Scouting participants ($5 increase)
  • $65/yr for all adult volunteers ($5 increase)
  • $30/yr for Scoutreach (No change in fee)
  • $25/yr for Merit Badge Counselors (No change in fee. Only for Merit Badge Counselors not already registered as leaders)
  • $50/yr for Exploring participants Youth & Adult (No change in fee)
  • $100/yr unit renewal/affiliation fee (No change in fee)
  • $15/yr for Scout Life magazine (No change in fee)
  • Council Program Fee will remain at $48 for Cub Scouts, Scouts BSA, Venturing and Sea Scouting participants until July 31, 2024 and then will increase to $68 on August 1, 2024




Join Us At Scout Day With The Red Sox

Join us for Mayflower Council day with the Boston Red Sox! 

Come out for a day of fun at the iconic Fenway Park!

Take me out to the Scout game!  Come one, come all to the Boston Red Sox Scout Day!

This is a great outing for the entire family!  All Scouts will be able to participate in a pre-game parade and receive a commemorative Scout patch while at the game.




Captain Curtin Still Uses Scouting in the Navy

Submarine Base Commander Started as a Scout…

The Mayflower Council’s professional Scouters recently attended the three-day 2024 New England Councils Planning Conference. 

Beyond the cross-council camaraderie displayed by the numerous BSA pros at the Mystic Marriot in Groton, Conn., the highlight for many team members attending the event was the appearance of Captain Kenneth Curtin, the commanding officer of the nearby Naval Submarine Base New London.

“You have to take care of the people by taking care of the people,” said Curtin. “To be a commander, my job is to be an enabler; I need to enable you to do your job, right? I need to enable my team to do their job.

“They want to get out there and make a difference in the world,” explained the sub base commander. “They want to do something to better themselves, to better the world, in some small way. And so my job is to keep that fire lit, to do everything I can so they can do their job. 

“Your people have to know that you care about them, that you respect and appreciate them,” he said.

With over 38 years of Navy experience leading people and solving problems, Captain Curtin clearly employs a deep understanding of leadership, risk management, human behavior, and infrastructure in his daily duties. 

Beyond the professional accolades and knowledge — perhaps most importantly to the gathered crowd — as a young man in Brooklyn, New York, Curtin was a Boy Scout.

Moreover, he still employs the Scouting lessons he learned as a boy in his Navy career.

“You’ve got to do it,” said Curtin, of setting goals, working hard, and achieving during his keynote talk on Day 1. 

“I started learning that in the Boy Scouts,” he said. “No one’s going to give anything to you, right?

“And there’s nothing worth [anything] that anyone will hand you.”

“Just never give up,” he added, summarizing his philosophy.

Meanwhile, the long-time Nave officer doubled down on one of the Scout Laws: “A Scout is trustworthy…”

“In 38 years, I’ve screwed up my fair share,” explained Curtin. “Yet, I’m still here because of integrity.

“When I sign my name on something, it means something, right? And even if I have to tell on myself and say, ‘Hey, I didn’t get this right.’

“The most important thing is your integrity,” continued Curtin. “That’s the only thing you’ve got. 

“You lose that. Then, you start behind the eight ball when it comes to business or life. It’s so hard to regain that. 

“And some people, you’ll never regain,” he said.

Of course, Curtin pointed back to his old Scoutmaster, Walter Better.

“Oh my God, I learned so much from this guy… and I still tell stories about the camping trips with him,” said the captain. “He wouldn’t take [any foolishness] from you. 

“But I learned so much from that man,” he added, wearing a broad smile as he hit upon another Scout Law: “A Scout is cheerful…” 

“I still laugh about it,” said Curtin.




Lace up your Hiking Boots

Lace up your Hiking Boots for the BCT (Bay Circuit Trail)

What if there was a local hiking trail that travelled around the city of Boston, through some 37 local cities and towns offering natural beauty, historical interest and access to trail heads and trail segments using the MBTA and public transportation? A trail that is managed by a collaboration of private and public entities including the Appalachian Mountain Club and local town and city conservations departments.  Hiking, biking, cross country skiing and snow shoeing are all available on the trail. If that were the case, you would be describing the Bay Circuit Trail!  The BCT is some 230 miles long, starting at the mouth of the Merrimack River and ending in Kingston Bay on the South Shore circling the city of Boston.

We are inviting all Mayflower Scout units to choose a trail segment either in their own hometown or a trail segment of their choice, so that all or units together will cover all 230 miles of the trail in a single day!  Cub Scouts, Scout BSA and Venturers are all invited to participate. Trail segments can be assigned by hiking ability and length to accommodate the novice or the experienced hiker. We would ask that a photo be taken at both the start and the end of your hike as proof that you have completed your part of the trail. Scout units from other local councils are also cordially invited to join us on hike day. We are planning an ending celebration after all 230 miles have been completed. Did I mention that there will be a cool and unique patch made available to all registered hikers?  Hike day is planned for Saturday May 18th.  Watch for a future registration link and additional detail as we get closer to hike day. Unit leaders include this in you units’ activity planning, you will want to be part of this once in a lifetime opportunity!




Cranberry Harbors Dist Jan 2024 RoundtableRev1

The slide presentation from our January Roundtable is posted below, along with the safety minute information on energy drinks, the trained leader requirements document, Dr. Rue Wilson’s presentation on Scouting and Mental Health, and a listing of the references in Dr. Wilson’s presentation with active links. I apologize for the difficulties we had with the passcode issue for the Scouts BSA breakout – we will work to correct this for February.
Jan_RT_Slides_Final
JanSafetyMinute-EnergyDrinks
TrainedLeader_Requirements
ScoutingAndMentalHealth_finalCopy2
ActiveLinksToResources-ScoutingAndMentalHealthPresentation