The Miccosukee District serves all units from 54th Avenue North in Pinellas County and northward to the Pinellas/Pasco County line. (see map)

Council Calendar - LIVE

Council Events Calendar

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Recharter Information

Internet Charter Renewal

It’s Recharter Time! Please read the below if you are responsible for doign your unit’s charter.

New Background Check Process – New Form for ALL Leaders

Form -> https://filestore.scouting.org/filestore/se-packet/2019-09-30/Additional-Disclosures-And-Background-Check-Authorization-NOT-CALIFORNIA.pdf

Article from Bryan On scouting -> https://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/2019/10/14/rechecks-of-criminal-backgrounds-explained

The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) is committed first and foremost to keeping youth safe. Part of that commitment includes continually updating our youth protection policies to help ensure we are always on the forefront of youth safety. One of the BSA’s many barriers to abuse is a mandatory criminal background check during the adult volunteer application process. The BSA will now perform periodic rechecks of criminal backgrounds to support the continued safety of youth in our programs. The National Service Center will send an email with three separate background check disclosures and authorization form documents to all currently registered adults who have a valid email address. Each volunteer is asked to sign a document titled “Additional Disclosures & Background Check Authorization.” The signed forms should promptly be gathered by unit leaders and delivered to the local council service center or sent directly to the council. This process should be completed during the unit renewal period.

BeAScout.Org Pin Info

Be sure to keep your BeAScout.Org Info Updated!

Today’s parents can do it all online. With a few taps on their tablet, they can buy school supplies, sign up for soccer or hire a babysitter. And, more and more these days, they’re finding out about Scouting online, too. Today’s parents want, and expect, to learn more about the BSA through a simple-to-use, nicely designed website. BeAScout.org is that website. It is the first thing many prospective Scouting families see about the BSA, and it tells them what Scouting is, why it’s a good fit for their family and where they can find a Cub Scout pack, Scouts BSA troop, Venturing crew or Sea Scout ship near them.

If your unit is represented by one of those pins, you want that prospective Scout parent to have a direct line of communication to you. That way you can tell them all about how awesome Pack 123 is or what makes Troop 456 so great.

There’s just one problem: some units haven’t updated their pins, meaning there’s an extra obstacle between you and a new member of your unit.

But don’t worry. Updating your pin is easy, and it’s well worth your time.

How to update your BeAScout.org pin

Updating your BeAScout.org pin is simple, and it’s a good way to make sure your information is current — that it doesn’t list last year’s Cubmaster or meeting time, for example.

Access to update your pin is available to all unit leaders, including committee members in a unit.

To update your pin:

Go to My.Scouting.org
In the drop-down menu, go to Legacy Web Tools and select BeAScout.
Choose “unit” (rather than council) under “Unit Pin Mode” to update the pin with your contact info.
Be sure to set pin status to “active.” If they want the “Apply Now” button on the pin, set “Apply Status” to “active.”
Note that it may take a few hours, or up to overnight, for the updated information to show up.
For Cub Scout packs: You’ll also want to go to Organization Manager and identify your pack’s gender: all-boy, all-girl or a mix of all-boy dens and all-girl dens. Under Organization Manager, find the settings tab and scroll to the bottom of the page. The default is Boys Dens, but you can change that. Be sure to enter an effective date or it will not update the pin.

This link may take you directly to the system -> http://beascoutlink.scouting.org/pages/BeAScoutlink.aspx

For more in-depth instructions, with screenshots every step of the way, check out the BeAScout Unit Pin Management presentation and don’t forget to share with your unit leaders. For assistance, please contact the BSA Member Care Contact Center at 972-580-2489 between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. CST.

Scoutbook Info

Scoutbook should be your go-to app for your next den meeting

If you’re a den leader, you’re going to love the latest update to Scoutbook! The Boy Scouts of America’s online tool for tracking Scouting advancement just rolled out a new update that’s going to make it easier than ever for den leaders to prepare for and lead meetings, track advancement and attendance, and more.

“We want to help all den leaders — both new and experienced — feel equipped to run awesome den meetings that the kids enjoy and that parents consider to be a valuable use of their family’s time,” says Ryan Hill, the BSA’s national director of DigitalStrategy.

Rather than having to juggle leader books and other resources, den leaders will be able to do everything they need from within the app — from organizing meetings for the year to preparing for their next meeting to tracking attendance and advancement. They will even be able to communicate with parents of absent Scouts about what their kids need to do at home to get caught up.

Also new in Scoutbook for den leaders, now the Cub Scout required adventures for each rank have been thoughtfully organized into roughly 12 meetings, making planning out meetings for the year simpler than ever.

“If you attend these required meetings, and your den leader simply keeps attendance in the app, then you have earned your advancement and you’ve also received the full value that we’ve always designed for you to get out of Scouting,” Hill says.

These changes are designed to help streamline and simplify work for leaders, so they can be more prepared for their Scouting adventures. It’s the same great program, just made easier.

“We know how busy families today can be, and that your time is valuable,” Chief Scout Executive Mike Surbaugh says. “You want more time for you and your Scouts to explore, have fun and create positive life-changing memories in the Scouting program. The Scoutbook app helps accomplish that.”

These exciting new improvements to Scoutbook are specific to the Cub Scout den leader experience at this time, but it’s only a matter of time before leaders of other Scouting programs will see upgrades to their Scoutbook experience too.

“We’ve spent a lot of time interviewing den leaders, parents and Scouts from around the country,” Hill says. “We’ve received a lot of really great ideas we’re excited to roll out in future phases to bring new levels of fun and simplicity to everyone in Scouting.”

Scoutbook answers

Log on to Scoutbook to make sure your unit is ready to adopt these updates this fall.

If you are a den leader and your pack is onboarded to Scoutbook, your pack administrator will send you an invite to connect in Scoutbook. This will prompt you to create an account.

Read more answers to frequently asked questions here.

Scout Day with the Tampa Bay Bucks!!! - Colts vs. Buccaneers

Attention Scouts! Join your fellow Scouts, family and friends for a fun-filled day at Raymond James Stadium as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers take on the Indianapolis Colts on December 8th! The Bucs are excited to offer all Scouts and their families special savings on game tickets AND offer an on-field experience after the game. More information below!

All Scouts ages 5-17 will have the opportunity to go on the field for a post-game touchdown run for the Colts game! Only Scouts will be allowed on the field and parents/guardians must complete the online waiver in the confirmation email for Scouts to participate.

Troops or packs who purchase 20 or more tickets will also be invited to a behind-the-scenes tour of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers AdventHealth Training Center during the off-season!

Once you complete your purchase, directions on how to access your tickets through the Buccaneers mobile app will be sent to your email address provided. If you would like to be sat together, please purchase together!

If you have any questions or would like assistance purchasing your tickets, please contact Luis Rivera at 813-387-6316 or email lrivera@buccaneers.nfl.com

Tickets HERE

Unit Hosted Special Events

Scouts BSA Troop 313 Is hosting a special Scout Climbing Extravaganza on Sunday, November 24th. To Register Visit https://bsatroop313.com/event-registration/

The idea is to make this the BIGGEST Scout event and get news coverage so we not only get Scouts their badges and have a night out of family fun, but to use this to get attention of those that should join Scouts. Here is a list of requirements covered -> https://docs.google.com/document/d/144IOAkU4x76EVW-WJ11W1rovqX9_3CqEgnsL67gYdcs/edit?usp=sharing

**If you have a group of 20 or more Climbers (Scouts, parents & siblings included), you can get the “Troop Rate” of $20/Climber for November 24th event if paid on or BEFORE October 24th.** For all the details, go to the webpage. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Marnie Trainor @ 312-307-3403. Once the venue is fully paid, additional proceeds will go to the Greater Tampa Bay Area Council.

PS: Please share with your fellow Wood Badgers, other Troops and have Scouts let their friends know if they join now, we will include them in this event!!

Merit Badge and Belt Loop Opportunity List

Merit Badges

Here is a list of known Belt Loop and Merit Badge Classes. If you want something added to the list, please let Charles Love know (contact info on the right)

Cub Scout Related

WEBELOS – Director’s Cut Workshop – Register Here (Cub Scouts)

Saturday, November 9, 10:00am – 1:00pm
Program Fee: $18 per scout, $4 per adult

BEARS – Covert Cubs Workshop – Register Here (Cub Scouts)

Sunday, November 17, 2:00pm – 4:00pm
Program Fee: $12 per scout, $4 per adult

WOLVES – Crack the Code Workshop – Register Here (Cub Scouts)

Sunday, December 1, 2:00pm – 4:00pm
Program Fee: $12 per scout, $4 per adult

BEARS – Roving Robots Workshop – Register Here (Cub Scouts)

Sunday, December 15, 2:00pm – 4:00pm
Program Fee: $12 per scout, $4 per adult

ALL CUB SCOUTS – Mission to Mars Camp-In – Register Here (Cub Scouts)

Saturday, January 18th 7pm to Sunday, January 19th 9am
Program Fee: $40 per scout, $25 per adult

TIGERS – Space-capades Workshop – Register Here (Cub Scouts)

Saturday, February 1, 10:00am – 12:00pm
Program Fee: $12 per scout, $4 per adult

LIONS AND TIGERS – Garden Safari Workshop – Register Here (Cub Scouts)

Saturday, March 7, 10:00am – 12:00pm
Program Fee: $12 per scout, $4 per adult

ALL CUB SCOUTS – Eat or Be Eaten Camp-In – Register Here (Cub Scouts)

Saturday, April 18th 7pm to Sunday, April 19 9am
Program Fee: $40 per scout, $25 per adult

Scouts BSA Related

GTBAC Fall Merit Badge Academy – Register Here (Scouts BSA)

Info is still being worked on
See https://scoutingevent.com/089-28029 and https://www.facebook.com/groups/452163488315745/ for more info

Inventing Merit Badge – Register Here (Scouts BSA)

Saturday, October 12, 2019 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Program Fee: $21 per scout, $4 per adult

Electronics Merit Badge – Register Here (Scouts BSA)

Saturday, November 16, 2019 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Program Fee: $21 per scout, $4 per adult

Robotics Merit Badge – Register Here (Scouts BSA)

Saturday, December 7, 2019 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Program Fee: $21 per scout, $4 per adult

Chemistry Merit Badge – Register Here (Scouts BSA)

Sunday, January 12, 2020 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Program Fee: $21 per scout, $4 per adult

Chemistry Merit Badge – Register Here (Scouts BSA)

Sunday, January 12, 2020 2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Program Fee: $21 per scout, $4 per adult

Nuclear Science Merit Badge – Register Here (Scouts BSA)

Saturday, January 25, 2020 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Program Fee: $28 per scout, $4 per adult

Space Exploration Merit Badge – Register Here (Scouts BSA)

Saturday, February 8, 2020 3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Program Fee: $21 per scout, $4 per adult

Astronomy Merit Badge – Register Here (Scouts BSA)

Saturday, February 7, 2020 7:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.
Program Fee: $28 per scout, $4 per adult

Astronomy Merit Badge – Register Here (Scouts BSA)

Saturday, February 8, 2020 7:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.
Program Fee: $28 per scout, $4 per adult

Sustainability Merit Badge – Register Here (Scouts BSA)

Saturday, April 25, 2020 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Program Fee: $28 per scout, $4 per adult

Environmental Science Merit Badge – Register Here (Scouts BSA)

Saturday, May 9, 2020 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Program Fee: $21 per scout, $4 per adult

Plant Science Merit Badge – Register Here (Scouts BSA)

Sunday, May 17, 2020 2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Program Fee: $21 per scout, $4 per adult

Emergency Preparedness Camp-In – Register Here (Scouts BSA)

Saturday, June 6, 2020 at 7:00 p.m. to Sunday, June 7, 2020 at 10:00 a.m.
Program Fee: $40 per scout, $25 per adult

Merit Badge Counselor Info

In the District, we have been having a lot of conversations with people in our District regarding Merit Badge Counselors and how often they are supposed to re-apply to stay current. Please spread the word to all units; Merit Badge Counselors are asked to re-apply YEARLY, that’s right YEARLY. Monitoring this process is the responsibility of the Unit, not the District or Council. Renewing yearly gives the counselor the chance to add and remove some items that they may be more or less passionate about. All counselor’s drop from the Council Charter at recharter time. We are recommending you do this around November, as its a good time to update your troop records.

To Register or Renew your existing registration, you need to do a few things…

1. Ensure the Merit Badge Counselor has current Youth Protection, and print the certificate (Or verify it’s current via My.Scouting.Org.
2. Print and Fill out the Merit Badge Counselor Application – https://filestore.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/34405.pdf
3. Print and Fill out the Adult Application https://filestore.scouting.org/filestore/pdf/524-501.pdf (Note, this is the NEW one with the Background Check Authorization)
4. Review and Understand items listed on https://www.scouting.org/programs/scouts-bsa/mb-counselor-guide/

Keep in mind – Typically, when you take the Merit Badge Counselor Class, they do this all with you during the class. I would recommend you provide all form,s to our District Executive, Ryan Cooper. Ryan is typically at District Events such as Roundtable, District Committee Meetings, and other activities around our district. If you want to set up a time to see when you can give him the paperwork, please give him a call at (813) 872-2691. If you swing by the Scout Shop, the office can get these papers to Ryan too. Please do not email or digitally save copies of the adult applications.

Email Info in My.Scouting.Org

Often, when we dig into why people are not getting registration alerts from Council or various other locations, it comes out that when the person goes to my.Scouting.Org the email is wrong or a very old one. Please ask your units to verify they have the correct emails in my.scoutging.org and that the primary one is the one that they want to use for scouting. I would remove all others.

When you log in, go to My Dashboard, Then Hit the menu selector (it’s called a hamburger) and go into “My Profile”.

Now here you can see what emails and mailing addresses we have for you. To edit an email click into it. To add a new one hit the green + Mark.

Once you are editing an email you can make it primary. You can also delete old ones here

New Community - BSA Parents

We all know how truly amazing our Scouting parents are. They go above and beyond, and they constantly ask what they can do and how they can help. In many ways, they are our best asset to help demonstrate the value of the Boy Scouts of America and to talk about what this great organization means to American communities. So, we want to make you all aware of a newly-formed group called “BSA Parents” that is forming and will launch on digital and social media this week.

The group was formed by and is run by parents of Scouts. The group came together so parents can use the Internet and social media to talk about what Scouting means to them. As I’m sure you can imagine, this is powerful stuff — I’m excited to share their launch video and site here https://www.bsaparents.com and on social media.

I also want to let you know that while BSA helped with some seed funding to get them off the ground, this is an independent organization. They are not affiliated with BSA and they formed to help parents tell their stories. It has no dues, it offers no programs, and is not competitive in any way with our Councils. Their mission and stories are ones we want to support!

We are excited to see so many people taking up the message of Scouting. I am writing today with the hope that you will share this site and these videos with parents in your area. More people need to see and hear from the parents who are so involved with — and so passionate about — Scouting. The BSA’s character building programs are essential for our youth and we are excited for parents to help propel that message forward.

BSA Parents on social media:

Twitter: @BSAparents

Facebook: www.facebook.com/BSAparents

Instagram: @bsaparents

Youtube: www.youtube.com/BSAParents

Patrick W. Sterrett | Assistant Chief Scout Executive, National Director of Field Service

BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA
National Service Center

Council News

Brayan on Scouting

Meeting Schedule

District Roundtable Meetings – Come join your fellow Scouters to learn the tips and tricks to help your unit run better and give your Scouts the best experience possible. Open to all leaders and interested adults. The objectives of Roundtables are to provide leaders with program ideas, information on policy and events, and training opportunities. The Miccosukee Roundtable is held at Camp Soule at 7:00pm on the 2nd Wednesday of every month. For questions about roundtable, please contact the roundtable commissioner, Mike Keeser via email mkeeser@tampabay.rr.com or (727) 742-1647.

District Committee Meetings – The monthly Miccosukee District Committee Meeting is a monthly gathering to review all District events, activities and plans in support of our Units. This meeting is normally held on the 1st Wednesday of the month at 7:00pm in the Whitehurst Building at Camp Soule unless otherwise scheduled by the Key 3. All Miccosukee District Chairs, committee members, nominating committee and interested Adult Leaders are invited to attend. We encourage (1) representative from each Unit visit our District Committee meeting! For questions about Miccosukee District Committee, please contact the District Chair, Mark Livings via email marklivings@me.com or call (773) 750-8284.

District Commissioner Meetings – Each month the Miccosukee District Commissioner gathers unit commissioners, roundtable commissioners, and other interested volunteers to discuss how to support our Scouts and Scouting units in the District. The Miccosukee District Commissioner Meetings are held at 7:00 PM on the 4th Wednesday of the month at either First Lutheran Church, 1644 Nursery Road, Clearwater, Florida, or are held online via video conference. For questions about the District Commissioner Meetings, please contact the District Commissioner, Charles Love via email charlesjlove@outlook.com or (727) 501-3402.

Order of the Arrow, Osceola Chapter Meetings are generally held in conjunction with District Roundtable Meetings at 7:00 PM on the 2nd Wednesday of the month at Camp Soule, 2201 Soule Road, Clearwater, Florida. Any future activity meetings held at a different date or location will be announced during chapter meetings. See Uh-To-Yeh-Hut-Tee Lodge for information on the lodge schedule and events.

Looking for a specific leader training? If so, please reach out to Steve Tincher (727) 804-8692 to see what options are available.

District Professionals

Position	Professional
District Executive	Ryan Cooper Cell: (863) 370-7608 Office: (813) 872-2691
Assistant Director of Field Service	Ralph Snyder Office: (813) 872-2691

District Key 3

Position	Volunteer
District Professional	Ryan Cooper (813) 872-2691
District Chair	Vacant .
District Commissioner	Charles Love (727) 282-4404

District Volunteers

Position	Volunteer
Assistant District Commissioner	Vacant .
District Advancement Chair	Stacey Glogowski (727) 421-0961
District Roundtable Commissioner	Vacant
Assistant Roundtable Commissioner	Vacant
District Membership Chair	Vacant
District Finance Chair	Vacant
District Training Chair	Steve Tincher (727) 804-8692
District Program Chair	Susan Haslem (727) 642-5912
Order of the Arrow Osceola Chapter Adviser	Chris Schwab (727) 278-4705
District Communications Chairman	James Reeves
District Activities/Civic Service Chair	Vacant
District Camping/Outdoor Chair	Vacant
District FOS Chair	Vacant
District FOS Community Chair	Vacant
	Vacant
District FOS Leadership Chair	Vacant
District Popcorn Chair	Vacant
District Product Sale Chair (Camp Card)	Vacant
District Public Relations Chair	Vacant

If any of this is incorrect, please let Charles Love know!

Roundtable Recap

We will be posting items related to Roundtable in this section. We will be putting all kinds of information in our ‘RoundTable Recap Share’ that is posted here.

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Facebook Groups

Our District Facebook Group – https://www.facebook.com/groups/201331701481/

Our Council Facebook Group – https://www.facebook.com/groups/480685062133018/

Program Name

Remember, the name of our Organization is STILL Boy Scouts of America. The old ‘Boy Scout’ Program is now called Scouts BSA. You can still call it a Troop, it’s just not a Boy Scout Troop, it’s a Scouts BSA Troop. For detailed info, please visit https://www.scouting.org/familyscouting/

OA Info

Once each calendar year a troop or team may conduct an election within their unit to select scouts (up to age 21) and nominate adults for membership in the Order of the Arrow. In order to be eligible for election, a Scout must have:

achieved the rank of First Class
participated in 15 days/nights of camping in the past 2 years (must include but may only count one long term resident camp under the auspices of the BSA)
the recommendation of their Scoutmaster

Click here to request an election for your unit!

If you have any questions, please contact Chris Schwab (727) 278-4705 or Travis Baldwin (813) 999 5841

Scouts BSA Notice

Scouts BSA Troop 135 is the districts ONLY all-female Troop in our District. To learn more about this unit, please contact Jamie Bennett at 559-824-5002 or send an email to troop135clw@gmail.com. Want to learn more about what it takes to start a Scouts BSA Troop? If so, please visit https://www.scouting.org/familyscouting/ and visit the FAQ at This Link.

Commissioner Info

Make an IMPACT by working with a unit (Ship, Pack, Troop, Post or Crew) on being the behind the scene leadership on building youth with Character. Volunteer with a Purpose! Become a Unit Commissioner

Unit Commissioners are one of the most rewarding volunteer positions I feel there is. When you are a Unit Commissioner, you help units make an IMPACT by working with unit resources behind the scenes. Unit Commissioners are not a part of the units day to day operations but are a resource to the committee and leadership.

Unit Commissioners are here to help keep Units operating at maximum efficiency so they can deliver a quality program to a growing membership. Unit Commissioners help by providing program resources by acting as the liaison between a Unit and the District and Council. When a unit has access to all of the resources available to them, it ultimately helps assure that individual Scouts have the best opportunity to achieve their best. Sometimes Units do not know where to turn for help, and that’s where we come in.

Unit Commissioners in the Miccosukee District are expected to visit their assigned units at least once a month. Unit Commissioners are also required to attend the Unit Commissioner monthly staff meeting and Roundtable. All in all that is around 3 to 4 hours a month of service.

If you want to get started, please take the Unit Commissioners Training located at https://www.scouting.org/commissioners/training/. If you want to learn more about the role, please visit https://www.scouting.org/commissioners/ to see what we are all about. When you are ready, reach out to me for an interview, and we can start the process.

Yours in Scouting,

Charles J. Love
Miccosukee District Commissioner
727-282-4404