Taughannock District
Baden-Powell Council, BSA
District Activities

Cross-Program Activities | Cub Activities | Boy Scout Activities | Venturing Activities | National and International Opportunties

District Activity Chair: 
Cub Scout Activities: Angela Schmidt
Boy Scout Activities: Brian O'Donnell

Cross-Program Activities

None pending at present.

Cub Scout Activities

Pinewood Derby Rules

The Taughannock District has established the following rules for District-level Pinewood Derbies. Packs should consider adopting the same rules, so that Cubs can be confident that their cars will be able to compete equally at the Pack and District levels.

• Rules - in MS Word format 

• Rules - in PDF Format

• Diagram for car wheels and axles

Note: for information on Cub Day Camps, Cub Resident Camp and Cub Adventure Weekends - see the Camping page

Rocket Derby
June 15, 2012

Join packs 24 and 46 for a Cub Rocket Derby!
Watch this space for details!

Cub Day Camps and Resident Camp

See the Camping page

Cub Adventure Weekend
"Get Ready for Halloween!"
October 6-7, 2012 at Camp Barton

Watch this space for details!

Boy Scout Activities

Fly-o-Ree!
May 18th-20th
Ithaca/Tompkins Regional Airport

Make sure that the District Fly-o-Ree is on your troop’s calendar!

As of May 17th, we have 19 units signed up, with about 200 Scouts and 70 leaders. 
Download the May Leaders' Update (PDF) as handed out at May Roundtable

Download the Leaders' Information Flyer (PDF) with details about the event
as distributed at the April Roundtable. 

Last-Minute News

• Please be sure the Scouts are in uniform! This is an inter-troop activity, and we can expect members of the public to be around, so let's look good!

• The weather looks good for the weekend! Yea!  Keep on making Good Weather Wishes!

• Safety briefings are required, so if you’ve got a Scout who is arriving at a different time than the troop in general, make sure he knows to get his briefing when he arrives. No Scout will be allowed through the gate onto the ramp unless he has a record card with a safety briefing sticker on it.

• The prizes for the Foam Plate Glider competitions will be Radio Control Airplanes. Yes, that's right. That should get the Scouts going! We've got one battery-powered R/C plane for each of the time, distance and precision landing competitions. In case of ties, there will be a fly-off for each competition. 

• The patches are in - see the scan above - and they'll be handed out at check-in. Extra patches will be available at $1.00 each, if anyone wants one.  

• When you arrive at the Fly-o-Ree on Saturday, please park in the east-side Cbord parking lot (by the water tower, not the one in front). Cbord is right across the road from the Flying Club. Our thanks to Cbord for letting us use their lot. 

• The porta-johns arrived Thursday, just in case you were worried…

• If you're going to pay by unit check, make it out to "Baden-Powell Council". Bob Clark will be at check-in Friday and Saturday to handle the money.

• The EAA has established the flying routes for the Young Eagles, in case one of the Scouts asks - each flight will be about 20 minutes in length, and there will be two routes, one northwesterly up Cayuga Lake and one northeasterly toward Cortland.

• Dave Gross has coffee and hot chocolate at the campground for Friday and Saturday nights.

• Check-in when your unit arrives - we will be taking check-ins on Friday evening from 5:00-10:00 at the campground and from 5:30 to 9:30 at the East Hill Flying Club, and for those who aren't camping Friday night, from 8:00-9:00 on Saturday morning. If your unit is camping, it's up to you if you want to go to the campsite and set up first, then go to East Hill Flying Club for check in and safety briefings, or if you want to check in at East Hill Flying Club first and set up later - but if your unit is going to be arriving after about 8:30PM, it's probably better to check in at EHFC first.

• Cost: $6.50 per person. This includes a hot lunch on Saturday, a patch, and all the Port-a-Johns you can use. 

• Safety Briefings are required before any Scout can go onto the ramp (that is, anywhere but inside the EHFC building). The Scouts will get their briefings at EHFC while the unit is checking in. If a Scout will be arriving on Saturday, it would be best if he plans to arrive between 8:00 and 8:30AM so he can get a briefing and be ready to go when the stations open around 8:45.

• The Young Eagles are planning to start flying around 8:30AM (weather permitting). Therefore, some Scouts will be asked to be at EHFC ready to go at that time. The Young Eagles numbers will be assigned sequentially as units check in, so those Scouts will probably all be in the first troop or two to show up on Friday.

• Scouts will be given a record card when they check in, to record their attendance at the required safety briefing and to indicate which stations they did. The card will also serve as a lunch ticket and will be marked with the Scout's Young Eagles number - so make sure that the Scouts understand they shouldn't lose their card!

• Lunch will be provided by the EAA, but help from Scout leaders in cooking and serving will be needed. Scouts will use their record cards to get lunch, adults will receive lunch tickets at check-in.

• Aviation Merit Badge will be covered in eleven stations on Saturday - six of the stations are required, and Scouts need to complete any two of the remaining five to earn the badge. Scouts will be encouraged to complete all the stations, of course. 

• We've added three more stations for time, distance and precision landing competitions for the Foam Plate Gliders the Scouts will be building in Station 8. Prizes will be awarded for longest, slowest, most accurate gliders.

• Blue Cards: We'll have a supply of blank blue cards at the Fly-o-Ree, but it would save time if troops had filled-out blue cards signed by the Scoutmaster ahead of time.

• Free airplane flights will be provided through the EAA's “Young Eagles” program (weather permitting, obviously). 

  • Each Scout will need to bring a signed EAA Young Eagles registration and permission form, or they cannot fly.  

  • Download the Registration and Permission Form in PDF form. 

  • Be sure that both pages of the form are signed by the parent (ignore the pilot section - that's for the pilot to sign, obviously).

  • For the EAA Young Eagles page, see http://www.youngeagles.org/  

  • Parents: Young Eagles FAQ for parents is available on the Young Eagles Website. 

• Displays are expected to include the new Aviation Explorer Post, many interesting airplanes, the airport's Crash/Fire/Rescue truck, Cornell's pilotless drones, and an assortment of flying videos through the day.

• A slide talk and flying movie will be provided at the camping area on Saturday night. See what it's like to fly a Cessna 172 across the country, and learn about The Magic of Flight.

• Camping will be available Friday and Saturday nights at the Transonic Systems property, in the Warren Road Industrial Park just north of the Airport. Follow Warren Road past the airport entrance; turn right into the Industrial Park. Pass UPS to Transonic, park in the rear section of the parking lot. Check in at the pavilion and set up at the far side of the pond. See the Leaders' Information Flyer for details on camping. A Google Map showing the camping area and route to the East Hill Flying Club is available here. 

• Fly-o-Ree Schedule:

  • Friday May 18th
    5:00-10:00 PM - Units should check in at the Transonic camping area and set up.
    5:30-9:30 PM - Scouts and leaders to East Hill Flying Club for Fly-o-ree check in, get their
    Fly-o-Ree record cards, and attend Safety Briefings - no one will be allowed on the ramp Saturday
    unless they have had a Safety Briefing!
    10:00 PM - Taps - quiet, please!

  • Saturday, May 19th
    8:00-9:00 AM - Units who didn't stay over Friday night may check in at East Hill Flying Club
    8:30 AM - Units should be at East Hill Flying Club ready to go. First Young Eagles flights start.
    9:00AM - Fly-o-Ree starts. Stations and flying will run until all Scouts have flown.
    Noon - 1:30 - Lunch is available (camporee will continue during lunch, although individual stations
    may close as people break to eat). Have record card (Scout) or lunch ticket (leader) - only one
    lunch to a customer!
    2:00 to close - Merit Badge counselor will be available to sign blue cards on presentation of record card
    showing necessary number of stations have been completed.
    ~4:00 PM - Stations close. Scouts and Leaders return to camp area.
    8:00 PM - Slide talk and flying movie(s) at the camp area.
    10:00 PM - Taps - quiet, please!

  • Sunday, May 20th
    10:00 AM - Troops police area and check out.

• Help wanted! Adult Leaders will be expected to help out at the Fly-o-Ree. Older Scouts (16-17) are also welcome to help out if they'd like. Signups will be taken Friday evening at the Flying Club (see the schedule below). Plenty of interesting jobs available - no experience necessary!

This event is co-sponsored by the East Hill Flying Club and the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Chapter 811, and we thank both of them for the help!

Questions? Contact Mike Brown
DC@TompkinsCortlandScouts.org

This should prove to be a great activity for your troop’s Boy Scouts. 
Make sure your troop is there!

Venturers may also attend - Young Eagles flights available for ventures aged 17 and younger. 

District Fall Camporee
"Montana Homrighaus and the Search for the Taughan Duck!"
October 13-14, 2012

Watch this space for details!

Venturing / Exploring Activities

2013 National Scout Jamboree
Now open to Venturers!

See notice below

National and International Opportunities

Korean National Jamboree
August 2-8, 2012

Dear Scouters,

Are your Scouts and adults ready for another oversea adventure? Please download the flyer for more information about Korea National Jamboree in 2012.
All interested Scouts and adults must be nominated by International Representatives and Council Scout Executives. Nomination deadline: March 30 2012.

Let's get ready for another great year of Scouting ahead! Happy New Year to you and your family!

Yours in Scouting and Service,
Phu Tran | International Executive

BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA
International
1325 West Walnut Hill Lane | P.O. Box 152079
Irving, Texas 75015-2079
P 972.580.2403 | F 972.580.2413
www.scouting.org/international
phu.tran@scouting.org

Scouts and Venturers 14-18 as of August 2012

100th Anniversary of Scouting in the Ukraine
International Scout Plast (Meeting)
August 18-25, 2012

National HQ is organizing a contingent for the 100th Anniversary of Scouting in the Ukraine International Plast. There are eight openings for Scouts, who must be nominated by their Council's International Representative (in the B-P Council, that's me). The event will run from August 18th-25th, plus 2-3 days of home hospitality in the Ukraine. The cost is $2,000, all inclusive.

You can download a flyer here in PDF form. 

The nomination deadline is April 30th, so if you know of any Scouts who might be interested, get in touch with me ASAP.

Yrs. in Scouting,
Mike Brown
B-P Council International Representative
e-mail: DC@TompkinsCortlandScouts.org 

Scouts and Venturers 15-18 as of August 2012

2013 National Scout Jamboree
Now open to Venturers!
July 15-24, 2013

The Baden-Powell Council is now starting to organize a Boy Scout contingent and Venture Crew for the 2013 National Scout Jamboree, which will be held at the new Summit Base in West Virginia during the summer of 2013. 

This is one of the most significant events in a Scout’s career, joining the 45,000 Scouts from the United States and foreign countries. This announcement is to promote the Jamboree and invite expressions of interest from youth and adults who would like to attend the 2013 event. Planning is underway and we are initiating the process of selecting leaders and establishing Scout Troops and Venturing Crews that will begin to operate in early 2012. Click Here if you would like to download an application to be considered for a spot.

There are plans to have the Contingent stop along the way at historic Gettysburg, PA before continuing on to West Virginia to join the Jamboree for 10 days and stopping on the way back at Hershey Park in Hershey, PA. Our contingent will include one Troop comprised of 36 Scouts and 4 Scouters and one Venturing patrol comprising of either eight youth (if male and female mix) and two adult leaders (one male and one female); or nine youth (same gender) and one leader (same gender). Boy Scouts must be 1st Class and 12 years of age by July 15, 2013, but not have reached their 18th birthday by July 24, 2013. Venturing Scouts must be 14 years of age by July 15, 2013, but not have reached their 21st birthday by July 24. Troops/Crews will form in early-2012 and begin operations including development of adult leadership, youth leadership, committee support, fund raising, planning, fellowship and great Scouting! The cost of this event will be $1,400 per Scout/Venturer. Scholarship support may be available on an individual situation basis.

For information, see the Council website

Scouts 12 and up, Venturers 14-20 as of July 2013