Council Support For Units & Scout Families
What Does Mayflower Council Do For Units & Scout Families?
To help unit leaders, the council maintains a service center with administrative staff to:
- Assist with online registrations, Scout Life subscriptions, and initiate special requests to the National Service Center and other organizations.
- Maintain a supply of literature, insignia, forms, certificates, etc., needed by the leader to carry on the unit’s program.
- Keep records of advancement, membership, training, etc. necessary to unit operation.
- Publish a weekly newsletter to keep leaders informed of the latest local and national Scouting news, coming events, etc.
- Produce notices, minutes, agendas, etc., for district and council committees that are developing programs for leader and unit benefit.
- Handle inquiries and visitors to our service center for information related to unit operation and Scouting procedures.
- Provide a myriad of forms, applications, certificates and literature helpful in the unit program.
- Produce district and council calendars and schedules, programs, kits and special aids to assist leaders and their committees.
- Manage reservations for long-term camping, short-term camps, camporees, jamborees, high adventure bases, training courses, meetings, annual council and district meetings, troop leader and den leader events.
To protect the unit leader, the council:
- Maintains a liability policy for the protection of all leaders and chartered organizations.
- Maintains accident and sickness insurance policy for all registered youth and leaders.
- Screens requests for services and money earning proposals, guarding against improper use of Scouting for commercialism and exploitation.
- Has staff members available on what is practically an around-the-clock, around-the-calendar basis to meet any emergency.
- Manages and processes Criminal Offender Records Inquiry (CORI) checks
- Provides assistance with any Youth Protection issues that may arise.
To help the leader develop unit program, the council provides without charge:
- Program helps, calendar of activities, meetings and special events.
- Awards, such as ribbons, certificates, recruiting awards, etc.
- Recruitment supplies including posters, fliers, digital targeted advertising and other materials.
- Sample ceremonies, parent’s night program outlines, training aids, etc.
- Source materials and personnel.
- Materials, books, pamphlets, folders, videos and special helps from the National Council and cooperating organizations.
In the field of camping and outdoor activities, the council:
- Maintains three Scout camps, with a total of 1,500 acres, for year-round camping and Cub Scout family outdoor events. Our Scout camps serve as year-round activities, camping and training centers.
- Offers units the use of equipment for short-term, weekend, and year-round camping.
- Covers costs of camp improvement, repairs, replacement, maintenance, insurance and administration. These and other charges are not paid for by Scout’s fees.
- Employs full-time camp rangers for the protection of the Scout camps and the convenience of units using facilities. They keep these facilities ready and available for unit and family use.
- Provides campers’ early-bird savings discounts, unit leaders’ guidebook, camp videos, literature and other aids to help units with their program.
- Provides scholarships or “camperships” for Scouts who need some financial help to have a summer camp experience.
- Offers units and individual youth access to high-adventure bases like Philmont Scout Ranch, Northern Tier and Sea Base, national jamborees, field days, camporees and other special events. These would not exist without the council giving leadership and coordination.
In educational and relationship building programs, the council provides the leader with:
- A library of videos, digital projectors and screens for use in training and promotional programs.
- Informal and formal training courses with most of the cost of literature and materials, etc., and all the staff time included in the council budget.
- Monthly roundtables for the benefit of leaders, committee persons, assistants, and den leaders, providing materials, staff and other costs.
- Scouter’s Key, training awards, Den Leader’s Training Award, Silver Beaver, District Award of Merit and other Scouter recognitions.
- A merit badge counselor corps in more than 130 subjects.
- A variety of advancement forms and certificates without charge.
Providing the unit with district and council activities and service, the council:
- Plans and conducts various types of activities in which units participate such as Freeze Out/Klondike Derby, Pinewood Derby and Scouting for Food.
- Organizes camporees, Cub Scout day camps, jamborees, high-adventure trips, absorbing some overhead costs to keep participants’ expenses to a minimum.
- Works with various community groups to arrange for Scout participation in civic affairs and Good Turn projects.
- Recruits and trains a corps of commissioners for assisting with unit program and maintaining standards.
To assist leaders, the council employs a trained full-time staff who counsel, guide and inspire:
- Through person-to-person counseling on unit relationships, administrative and operational challenges.
- Through guidance of all committees, commissioners, roundtables, meetings, conferences, courses, district and council activities in the development of programs that directly benefit leaders and units.
- Through contacts with the community resources (clubs, churches, government, etc.), secure help for all units that they alone could not obtain. The use of parks, recreational areas, use of buildings for special events, picnic areas, campsites, and meeting facilities are a few examples.