Journey to Excellence results for 2015

National issued their final rankings for Journey to Excellence for 2015 and we are a silver council. Look at the meter to see how close we were to being gold! Such a high ranking is a testament to the hard work of our staff, executives, and countless volunteers. Of the 10 councils in Northeast region 3, we were 3rd in market share, 2nd in retention, and #1 in Cub Scout advancement. Overall, our Journey to Excellence score is the second highest in the region. Truly awesome. Thank you, everyone, for delivering such a high quality program to all of our scouts! You really make me proud. It's great to know we have so many people contributing -- and contributing well -- to the betterment of local youth and America's future!

Planning begins for 2017 University of Scouting

2015's University of Scouting -- our first in many, many years -- was a huge success. We will host this event every other year. Next month, we begin the planning for 2017's University. If you'd like to help out, email our training chair John Beiter at jrbeiter@rochester.rr.com.

Towpath Pinewood Derby

Camp coordinators meeting

Cub Pack Leaders,

We're hosting a Camp Coordinators Meeting January 27 at our new Council Service Center - 201 East Main Street, Batavia at 7:00 pm in the upstairs board room.

This meeting is for Camp Coordinators old and new. We'll review the details of how to plan your Pack's Cub Scout Summer Camp Experience, how to simplify the process for you and your Scout families, and how to manage the 'paperwork' that goes along with camp registration.

To help us prepare the right number of handouts, please send a quick RSVP to jmarkel@bsamail.org

Niagara Chocolates candy sale

The council is once again coordinating a special fundraising activity designed to help every Scout to get to camp. Cubs and Scouts who attend our local camps will earn a 50% commission on these sale items.

The Niagara Chocolates Candy Sale will run from now through February 8, featuring an assortment of Easter and other spring-themed candies. Sales kits are now available at both the Lockport and Batavia Service Centers.

Due dates and other details are available on the Council web site:

http://itcbsa.org/Joomla/images/Forms/2016/2016CandySaleKeyDatesCommissions.pdf

Shop Amazon, support our scouts

Amazon.com has a program called “smile” through which every purchase you make from the online store can support the charity of your choice, including the Boy Scouts of America --- and, more specifically, the Iroquois Trail Council and its scouts in eastern Niagara, Orleans, Genesee, Livingston and Wyoming counties.

Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible purchase to the council. Sure, half a percent isn’t much. But it adds up, costs you nothing and is a great way to support Scouting.

The one-time setup takes just a couple of seconds and you get the same prices, products and service you’re used to when shopping at Amazon. It doesn’t cost you any extra.

To enroll, go to: http://smile.amazon.com/

After you log-in, there will be a spot that says “choose your own charitable organization.” In that spot type-in Iroquois Trail Council.

It will bring up Boy Scouts of America in Lockport, NY. Hit the select button.

Now, you are ready to shop and support our boys.

Please share this with your friends and families so we can maximize the donations to our scout council!

Annual recognition dinner

Join us to celebrate the accomplishments of local Scouting Volunteers at the Iroquois Trail Council Annual Recognition Dinner.

Scouting Volunteers, Scouts & Families are Welcome Saturday, January 30, 2016 Bohn's Restaurant & Lounge 5256 Clinton Street, Batavia 14020

5:30 PM Appetizer and Punch Reception
6:30 PM Opening Ceremony and Dinner

Please join us for excellent fellowship and to help us recognize outstanding Pack, Troop & Crew volunteers for their top achieving program accomplishments in membership, camping, advancement, youth retention, and unit financing. That evening we will also recognize our long-standing 'Veteran' volunteers, and we'll top off the program by presenting the 2016 Silver Beaver Award, the top Scouting honor that a local Council can bestow on a volunteer.

Cost: $30.00 per person RSVP is requested on or before before Wednesday, January 20.

Call us @ (585) 343-0307 to make your reservation by phone or click here for a printer-friendly reservation flier:

http://itcbsa.org/Joomla/images/Forms/2016/2016CouncilRecognitionDinnerRegistration.pdf

Survey for Scouts

The Scouting program offers lots of great activities, events, and of course, summer camp. While our Scouts are having fun earning badges and learning new skills, they are also learning some excellent life skills - like how to get along with others, how to set & achieve goals, teamwork, and ultimately leadership. Hopefully your experiences in Scouting have also helped you realize how important you are to your community.

Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts with us regarding how your time in Scouting may have affected you personally and in your relationships with your friends and others. The survey will take about 10 minutes time, and it's completely anonymous.

There are a few demographic questions, but we won't collect your name or even your Pack or Troop number. What we're after is a collective response that will help us better deliver the Scouting program and to better explain to the community the full benefits of being a Scout.

Anonymous survey link: http://scouting.co1.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_bxe8PFDBl2NN4hL

The survey is designed to be completed by our youth members, so it's limited to ages 7-18. Parents of Cub Scouts might want to help your son if he needs guidance to understand any of the questions.

Thank you for your help! Your responses will help us to make the Scouting program even better! The survey link will remain active through Sunday, January 17.

Looking for Jamboree leaders

The Council is now accepting applications for leadership positions on our Jamboree troop. We need (1) scoutmaster, (1) first assistant, (1) second assistant, and (1) third assistant (who is a "junior assistant", aged 18 to 21). If interested, send a Scouting resume to Scout Executive Jim McMullen by January 31st. Jim's email address is Jim.McMullen@Scouting.org

We need your Scouting videos

I'd like to encourage scouts and scouters to take some quality video footage at scouting events. This year we're thinking of launching a cable access TV show, with new episodes every quarter. My vision for the 30-minute show is 10 minutes of Bob Confer and Jim McMullen talking about the good news of local Scouting, 10 minutes recapping what the scouts have been doing (using the aforementioned footage and quality stills), and 10 minutes of interviews with 2 local Eagle Scouts. It will be an awesome way to spread the news about Scouting -- but we need your help: keep the cameras rolling! As an added benefit, we will have movie making merit badge available to any scout who's interested.

Holiday hours

So that our staff can fully enjoy the holidays with their families, our Lockport and Batavia service centers will be closed on December 24th and 25th and then again on December 31st and January 1st.

Sign-up now for the 2017 National Jamboree

The Council will be sending a troop to the National Jamboree in 2017. The time to sign up is NOW. Scouts have until March 1st to register with us, while interested leaders have until January 15th to submit their Scouting resume. The adult leadership positions will no doubt be very competitive...we will hold interviews for Jamboree leadership beginning in late January.

2016 Klondike Derby

Be sure to make plans to attend the 2016 Klondike Derby! It will be held January 22nd - 23rd, 2016 at Genesee County Park in East Bethany. It is hosted by Troop 6017 of Elba and Boy Scouts & Webelos are invited.

Details here:

http://itcbsa.org/Joomla/index.php/activities/council-wide/1029-2016winterklondike

Lean-tos going up at Camp Dittmer

Troop 650, in a project led by Camp Dittmer stalwart Jim Tyx, has undertaken a project at Camp Dittmer. They have built the first of 3 lean-tos that they plan to have in place prior to the next summer camp season. Each lean-to will support 4 scouts. He will be placing the blueprints on the council website soon so any troop that wants to build one for their favorite campsite can -- the prints will ensure uniformity  from campsite to campsite. Way to go, scouts, leaders and parents of Troop 650!

Thankful for everyone who makes the Council successful

There's definitely something to be thankful for this Thanksgiving week...it's YOU: Last year, the Council was a "gold council" in the Journey to Excellence rating system used by National, putting us in the top 25% nationally. After 10 months of scoring we are very close to being gold again this year. The year-to-date numbers show us leading all Northeast Region III councils, in many cases by a very large margin. That is a testament to our staff, volunteers, sponsoring organizations, parents and scouts. We are blessed to have so many people who LOVE Scouting. It is something that everyone of you should take great pride in. Keep up the great work -- our boys and young men will go on to greatness in life because of you and what you do for them. THANK YOU.

Our new sign is up

Due to the historical nature of our new Batavia headquarters, we were limited by landmark codes as to where we could put our sign or how big it could be. Nonetheless, it still looks pretty sharp. It is located on the Bank Street side of the building, the same side as our entrance.

2015 Tiger Prowl

Nojay to attend Roundtable Meeting

Attention Scouts - You're Invited to a Special Roundtable Discussion with State Assemblyman Bill Nojay

Assemblyman Bill Nojay will be at the November 12 Roundtable meeting.

Meeting time is 7:00 pm at the Geneseo United Methodist Church, 4520 Genesee Street (Route 63).

All Scouts are welcome, especially any Scout who needs First Class requirement 5 should attend. 

That requirement is: Visit and discuss with a selected individual approved by your leader (elected official, judge, attorney, civil servant, principal, teacher) your constitutional rights and obligations as a U.S. citizen.

Bill was recently in Kiev as co-chair of an international observation team for the Ukrainian elections and will talk about his trip as well.

Parking for the new Batavia office

Regarding our new Batavia office: Parking is located across Bank Street in the big parking lot that is shared by the mall and bank. There is a crosswalk that has yield lights on it, ensuring safe crossing. Entrance to our portion of the building will be had via the ramp that is on the Bank Street side of the building.

A look at GO ART!

The Council will be sharing our new Batavia home with its owners -- the good people at GO ART. They are the Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council and they cite their mission as being "dedicated to developing the cultural life in Genesee & Orleans Counties by facilitating the creation, presentation and experience of the arts, heritage and traditions."

Learn more about them at their website: http://www.goart.org/