Thank you to all of our units for participating in the 2018 Scouting For Food initiative. We ask you to please take a moment to fill out the google form below. This data is used for tracking purposes of community service and Scout service hours.
A special Thank You to Channel 5 WCVB TV for serving as this years media sponsor, Cumberland Farms and Consigli Foundation.
Scouts BSA tools and assets are available to help you create awareness and interest among youth and adults.
Starting January 1, 2019, Scoutbook subscriptions will be free to all BSA units! Scoutbook is an online unit management tool that ensures that you never miss a Scouting moment—from tracking advancements to milestone achievements along the Scouting adventure.
When units with Scoutbook accounts need to renew these unit subscriptions this fall, they will not pay any renewal fees effective September 1, 2018. For units currently without a Scoutbook account, they can begin their free Scoutbook unit subscription on January 1, 2019.
The Mayflower Council Advancement Committee released a revised council-wide process for the submission and review of Eagle Scout Project Proposals and Eagle Scout Applications on Friday, August 31, 2018. Unit leaders and future Eagle Scouts are urged to review these updated processes so they are prepared when they need to submit documents to the advancement committee.
Here are links to the updated documents:
How to Prepare Your Eagle Service Project Proposal and Report
How to Complete Your Eagle Scout Application Form
How to Submit an Eagle Scout Application to Mayflower Council
Eagle Application Review Process
Questions regarding the Eagle Scout Project Proposal or Eagle Scout Application submission process should be directed to your district advancement chairperson.
Updating unit pins on BeAScout is an important step in helping prospective Scouts and their families get in touch with units in your council.
BeAScout is open for units to indicate boy-only (default), family pack, or girl-only AND the date that they will begin accepting female applications.
For a pdf with instructions, click here.
‘Scouts BSA’ Also Unveiled as the Name of the Program for Older Boys and Girls to Ensure All Youth Are Welcome and Can See Themselves in Scouting
Irving, Texas – May 2, 2018 – The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) made history today by unveiling the new Scout Me In campaign that features girls, as well as boys, in its iconic Cub Scout program for the first time. Starting this summer, all kids are invited to say, “Scout Me In,” as they join the fun, adventure and character-building opportunities found in Cub Scouts. The campaign presents an energizing Scouting experience that speaks to kids by putting them in the middle of the action. It also engages parents who are looking for ways to make the most of the time they have with their kids and help them to be Prepared. For Life.
The Scout Me In creative shifts the perspective by showing what it’s like to be a Scout from a kid’s point of view. Instead of simply showing Scouts participating in activities, the campaign brings the young viewer into the middle of the action – from fishing, biking and canoeing to launching rockets and making slime – where they get even closer to the experiences that Scouting brings to life.
“Cub Scouts is a lot of fun, and now it’s available to all kids,” said Stephen Medlicott, National Marketing Group Director of Boy Scouts of America. “That’s why we love ‘Scout Me In’ – because it speaks to girls and boys and tells them, ‘This is for you. We want you to join!’”
The Scout Me In campaign celebrates the BSA’s expansion to serve families and welcome girls and boys into Scouting in communities across the country. It reinforces that the mission and core values in the Scout Oath and Scout Law are welcoming, inclusive and foundational for both young men and women. Since announcing the BSA’s historic decision to welcome girls into Scouting, more than 3,000 girls across the nation have already enrolled in the BSA’s Early Adopter Program and are participating in Cub Scouts ahead of the full launch later this year.
“As we enter a new era for our organization, it is important that all youth can see themselves in Scouting in every way possible. That is why it is important that the name for our Scouting program for older youth remain consistent with the single name approach used for the Cub Scouts,” said Michael Surbaugh, Chief Scout Executive of the Boy Scouts of America. “Starting in February 2019, the name of the older youth program will be ‘Scouts BSA,’ and the name of our iconic organization will continue to be Boy Scouts of America.”
The new Scout Me In recruitment campaign and creative approach was created by award-winning Dallas agency Johnson & Sekin, who also led efforts in the naming process supporting Scouts BSA. The Cub Scout and Scouts BSA program launch, led by Golin, will encompass a fully integrated strategy that spans paid, owned and earned channels.
“Scouting is deeply woven into the fabric of American life,” said Chris Sekin, Managing Partner of Johnson & Sekin. “It is a privilege to work with the organization to usher in its newest era that now includes all of our country’s youth and families.”
“We are excited to partner with the BSA to expand its impactful programs that are relevant to all families,” said Caroline Dettman, Golin’s Chief Creative and Community Officer. “We are thrilled that the mission and goal of the BSA’s programs to instill character and leadership is now a powerful promise for boys and girls alike.”
About the Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America provides the nation’s foremost youth program of character development and values-based leadership training, which helps young people be “Prepared. For Life.®” The Scouting organization is composed of nearly 2.3 million youth members between the ages of 5 and 21 and approximately 960,000 volunteers in local councils throughout the United States and its territories. For more information on the Boy Scouts of America, please visit www.scouting.org.
My Scouting journey started with my father who was born during the Great Depression. He joined Cub Scouts only to drop out when his family could no longer afford to pay his dues. His dream was to give his family the opportunity to participate in Scouting that he never had. I joined Scouting as a Cub and continued as a Boy Scout eventually earning the rank of Eagle Scout. The first merit badge I earned was Canoeing. Little did I know that several years later I would put that learning to use in rescuing a group of 8th Grade girls on a school field trip who swamped their canoe and without life jackets started the long swim back to shore. I remembered the T-Rescue technique and with the help of a few friends got everyone safely back into their canoe. My Scout training helped prepare me for the unexpected and enabled me to effectively address what might have been a life-threatening crisis.
Having benefitted from the selfless service of leaders who influenced and supported me, I resolved as an adult to give back to the Scouting program and became an Assistant Scoutmaster and later Scoutmaster of a troop in California. Almost ten years ago my family and I moved to Massachusetts and my son began his own journey in Scouting. Now he has earned his Eagle and is beginning to prepare for college. For the past four years I have been able to serve on the Council Executive Board and in January assumed the role as Mayflower Council President. I have seen the amazing impact that Scouting can have on people – both youth and adults alike. The values and life skills Scouting provides to those that participate and volunteer are unparalleled in any other organization.
It has been said that the only two things in life that are certain are death and taxes. I might add a third – change. In 2017 we successfully merged the legacy Knox Trail and Old Colony councils into the Mayflower Council as well as our two Order of the Arrow lodges into Tantamous Lodge. We hired our new Scout Executive, Bryan Feather, and consolidated our support staff, executive board, officers and council committees. In 2018 we will complete redistricting and introduce girls into our Cub Scout program. While change can be difficult, it is essential for continual growth and improvement. As the Mayflower Council leadership we are committed to growing membership, providing an amazing program to our youth and training our leaders. We appreciate all that you do! Scouting has so much to offer and we don’t want anyone to miss out. I hope that each of us will reflect on our own personal Scouting journey and how we can help to create a new legacy as the Mayflower Council. Whether you are a youth or an adult, please invite someone you know to participate in Scouting and you will change their life for the better forever. Let’s enjoy the Scouting journey!
Yours in Scouting,
Michael Rotar
Mayflower Council President
Over the past two years, the BSA has worked with experts in the field of child abuse, child sexual abuse and maltreatment to develop new training and resources that will further strengthen our ability to protect youth. These changes include:
In addition to updated training and resources, the BSA announced new policies to ensure compliance with mandatory training requirements. These policies have been in place in the NCAC for a number of years. These policies include:
**Of Special Note**
By October 1, 2018, all new and currently registered leaders will be required to complete the updated training. The enhanced and updated content will allow leaders and councils to comply with all current legal requirements. While this may be inconvenient for some, it reflects the BSA’s commitment to the safety of all youth.
For camps this summer across the BSA:
Adults accompanying units on activities who are present at the activity for 72 hours or more, must be registered and take Youth Protection Training. The 72 hours need not be consecutive. If your unit desires to set a more strict policy, like ALL adults going to camp must be registered and have current YPT, that is certainly permitted.
This training is now available on my.Scouting at https://my.scouting.org/
You may download a “HOW TO GUIDE FOR TAKING YOUTH PROTECTION TRAINING”
Introducing ScoutsFirst Helpline
ScoutsFirst is a new national tool to help with questions, concerns and reporting. The ScoutsFirst Helpline also makes it easier for volunteers and families to address dangerous situations. If a leader or parent has a question about a situation, or something they’ve seen or if they want to report a possible incident, they can contact the Helpline for assistance. In cases of abuse, they should also notify the local authorities. ScoutsFirst Helpline (844)-Scouts1 or (844)726-8871.
ScoutsFirst for Counseling and Support. The Boy Scouts of America is committed to providing ongoing support to victims and their families, including counseling. We want to help victims heal, on their own terms, with a professional counselor of their choice. Through the ScoutsFirst Helpline, the Boy Scouts of America offers assistance with counseling to any youth member, former youth member, or the family of any youth member who suffered abuse during their time in Scouting. To reach the ScoutsFirst Helpline, call (844)-Scouts1 or (844)726-8871, or email scouts1st@scouting.org. Support is available 24-hours a day, seven days a week.
Coming Soon:
In-person youth protection training available June 2018.
Spanish-language resources will be available later in August 2018.
Youth protection training for youth members will be available in 2019. More details will be shared as they become available.
For more Youth Protection resources check out, https://www.scouting.org/training/youth-protection/
You’ve probably heard about the Mayflower Council’s district realignment plan in some way or another over the past few months. We are excited to report that on January 24, 2018, the Council’s Voting Members unanimously approved the plan set forth by the District Operations Committee. The new realignment structure will allow the council to serve more youth within our communities and help us create the best possible Scouting experience for our families and volunteers. The new district realignment structure will permit the more effective assignment of Scouting professionals to support volunteers in the delivery of the Scouting program. To learn more, please visit our Council Districts page.
We are excited to announce that our online store opened it’s doors today. You can now shop for Mayflower Council items online. To celebrate our store’s launch all orders will be shipped for free. New items will continually be added.
Our online store is the only place to get the new Mayflower Council Shoulder patches. These patches will not be available from any Scout Shop until after April 1, so stop by our online store and order yours today!
Click here to visit our online store
Just a reminder…
Each member of the Mayflower Council will be receiving a free silver bordered first edition council shoulder patch when the unit’s charter has been completed. Your district executive will arrange a time to present the patches to your unit.