Mustang District

Dear Scouting Family of the Sam Houston Area Council,

The leadership of the Sam Houston Area Council would like to present this, our fourteenth update, on our response to the COVID-19 outbreak and protocols for Scouting operations going forward. We appreciate your continued patience as we navigate this situation as best we can.

• Any units wishing to conduct small-scale meetings or activities should do so only if able to meet specific preventative guidance from the Center for Disease Control and upon consultation with and approval from their chartered organization.
• All council facilities (including the Cockrell Scout Center), council camps, and scout shops will continue to require the usage of face covering per CDC guidelines.
• Small council-level meetings (less than 50 people) may be conducted in person only if standards from CDC can be met. Teleconference or online meetings remain the preferred method. All in-person council meetings of 50 or greater persons are cancelled or postponed unless conducted over teleconference or online.
• District meetings (ex: Roundtables, District Committee Meetings, Commissioner Staff Meetings) may be conducted in person only if standards from the CDC can be met. Otherwise, these meetings should be conducted over teleconference or online.
• Overnight district and council activities and trainings are allowed for all Scouting programs. These events still must submit a plan to ERM in advance to ensure compliance with all relevant guidelines from the CDC. Only approved district and council events will appear on the council website.
• Weekend camping for Cub Scouts at Bovay Scout Ranch and Camp Brosig is open. Participating packs must follow council policies regarding social distancing and COVID-19 prevention measures.
• Adventure Camp at Bovay Scout Ranch is open on specific weekends with reduced capacity.
• Weekend camping for Scouts BSA at Tellepsen Scout Camp and Camp Strake reservations are open. Participating troops must follow council policies regarding social distancing and COVID-19 prevention measures.
• The Cockrell Scout Center remains open for drop off only with hours of 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. on Monday through Friday.
• Any interaction needed with staff members must be conducted through phone and email. If you need assistance determining the appropriate person to contact, please refer to our updated “who to call directory,” or contact the receptionist at (713) 659-8111 during our office hours to be directed to the appropriate person.
• Field-based staff (District Executives) will be working remotely during this time and are available by phone and email.
• The 5 Scout Shop locations are open to limited retail traffic (store hours)

Our Enterprise Risk Management Team is working regularly and diligently to determine our plans going forward. If you have any questions regarding the COVID-19 response for the Sam Houston Area Council, please contact Thomas Franklin, Deputy Scout Executive, at thomas.franklin@scouting.org. The council remains committed to keeping our constituents updated regularly with new information as we have it. We will continue to communicate through three main mechanisms – Facebook, Email, and Council Website. Please consult these regularly for updates.

Learn More       BSA National Statement on COVID-19       Previous Updates      Rank Advancement Update  

April 5-8, 2021 (virtual evening classes)
April 10, 2021 (in-person classes at Camp Strake)

University of Scouting is a semi-annual training event for leaders of all program levels, district and council leaders and parents. Sessions are led by experienced volunteers who will help you enhance your ability to deliver a fun and exciting program to the Scouts. This unique day of seminars provides information, techniques, and best practices on how to improve your Scout program. Whether you are new to the program or a veteran of many years, the University of Scouting has something for you. 

Introduction to Outdoor Leader Skills (IOLS) is also being taught. IOLS gives adult leaders the practical knowledge they need to help Scouts to learn outdoor skills. The skills presented closely follow the Scout Handbook and rank advancement requirements. This is a required training course for all Scoutmaster and assistant Scoutmasters. 

Learn More and Register

Every Scout should learn the value of hard work and earning their own way. This year, we are partnering with Entertainment^® for local and national discount offers 2-for-1 and up to 50% off, all conveniently accessed on their mobile app, online or in the book. The online fundraiser is designed to help Scouts earn their way to support their Scouting programs (e.g., day camp, summer camp). Units will earn a 35% commission on each online membership sold. 

For only $20, customers receive a 1-year membership from the date of purchase! The membership includes thousands of dollars in savings on fine and casual dining, local attractions, travel, shopping and much more with mobile and online coupons. Customers can connect to over 500,000 opportunities to save on local and national coupons with 2-for-1 offers and up to 50% off discounts. The average user saves $240 annually. With coupon coverage across the U.S. and Canada, savings are with them wherever they go. Scouts can sell to supports across the country. Whether it's pizza or fine dining they're craving, movie tickets, a day at the zoo or planning a vacation — customers will get it for less. For a demo of how the online coupons work and what coupons are available, click here.​

Scouts sign up to sell the coupon books virtually and/or in-person.

Learn More      Sign-up Instructions      Scouts Sign-up to Sell  

The council offers are a variety of first aid training courses throughout the year including First Aid/CPR/AED, First Aid/CPR/AED Instructor Course, and Wilderness First Aid.

Learn More and Register

In Scouting events and activities, the BSA’s primary consideration is the safety of its youth and adult members. To achieve that goal, the BSA, in consultation with other organizations, has created specific guidelines for shooting sports. The shooting sports committee is providing rifle, shotgun and pistol training and instructor certification to prepare those individuals who will serve in a leadership or supervisory role in the various shooting sports activities. 

NRA Basic Instructor Training (BIT) is held on Friday night and the discipline-specific basic training and instructor training (rifle, shotgun, or pistol) classes are held on Saturday. These training courses allow leaders to run a shooting sports range at a troop, crew, ship, district, or council event and to teach the Rifle and Shooting Sports Merit Badge. 

Register      Learn More about Shooting Sports

April 15-18, 2021  |  Camp Strake

Powder Horn is an action-packed, hands-on course that helps Scouts and Scouters learn how to implement high adventure activities into their troop, crew or ship. Scouting leaders often face the dilemma of having a strong desire to provide challenging and fun outdoor programs to meet the needs of their older youth, while lacking the knowledge and/or resources to do so. Powder Horn responds to this quandary by exposing Scouts BSA and Venturing leaders to a wide range of outdoor/high adventure activities. More importantly, Powder Horn provides participants with valuable resources and contacts to assist them in delivering the promise of Scouting’s high adventure. 

During Powder Horn, participants learn by doing with expert consultants who demonstrate the skills and explain where resources, such as equipment, facilities, guides, instructors, and certifications can be obtained. Learn how to expose Scouts in your troop, crew or ship to rock climbing, Dutch oven cooking, geocaching, canoeing, kayaking, sailing, paddle boarding, firefighting, search and rescue, trekking in different countries, snorkeling, mountain biking, fly fishing, canoeing, wilderness first aid, astronomy, shooting sports (e.g., rifle, shotgun, handgun, archery), equestrian, 1860 baseball, wilderness survival, National Youth Leadership Training (NYLT), Sea Scouts, the Kodiak Challenge, the BSA Distinguished Conservation Service Award, Messenger of Peace, living history, Leave No Trace, vendors, the National Scout Jamboree, event planning, scuba diving, and more. Adult leaders from all Scouting programs and young adults age 14 and older are eligible to attend.

Learn More and Register

Summer camp is a week-long council-organized overnight camp for Scouts BSA that operates under council-retained leadership. The program provides opportunities for Scouts to earn merit badges along their advancement trail.

Summer camp is held at Camp Strake, a first-class and state-of-the-art facility for Scouts and their leaders. Program areas include shooting sports (rifle, shotgun, archery, sporting arrows), climbing, rappelling, swimming, merit badge classes and more. Camp is filling up.

Learn More and Register

Registration is now open for weekend camping at the new Camp Strake. Outdoor adventure is the promise made to Scouts when they join Scouting. Youth yearn for outdoor programs that stir their imagination and interest. Troops, crews, and ships can camp at Camp Brosig, Camp Strake and Tellepsen Scout Camp.  Packs and Webelos dens can camp at Camp Brosig and Bovay Scout Ranch. 

Weekend Camping Reservations:

Camp Strake     Camp Brosig      Tellepsen Scout Camp     Cub Scout Camping

Many units and families are discovering creative ways to have fun Scouting at home. When using digital and online resources, there are some important guidelines from the National Council about youth protection, safeguarding personal information and recording online meetings.

Across the nation, Scouters are finding ways to help keep their youth members engaged and Scouting. These out-of-the-box, in-home activities are centered around providing advancement-related content to help keep kids safe, engaged and to help them make the best of home time.

Digital Safety       Scouting at Home       COVID-19 Updates       Advancement Update

While many Scout units have a desire to return to Scouting activities, they have questions about how to do so safely during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Learn the steps your unit can take to help return to Scouting activities. During the recent webinar on how to hold meetings safely during COVID-19, attendees received tips on the key steps they can be taking right now to find a safe way to return to their meeting activities.

Learn More

Help promote Scouting on social media by adding a photo frame around your profile picture. Encourage families to Text Cub Scout, Scouts BSA or crew to 31996. They will be sent to www.shac.org/join, a website with all packs listed by school district and links to register online.

To find the frame, click on edit/update your profile picture (or go to www.facebook.com/profilepicframes), search for a frame by entering Sam Houston Area Council, then choose one of our four frames.

Recruiting Website

The Scouting Trail is a monthly handout provided to units at roundtable describing upcoming council events for the next quarter. This is a great resource for Scouters and parents.

The Scouting Trail: October 2020

Cub Scouting / Scouts BSA / Venturing / Sea Scouting Rank Advancement and the Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Questions regarding advancement have arisen as we deal with closures, cancellations, or other issues caused by the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19). Although there are difficulties and constraints, advancement can continue. Youth, parents, and leaders should work together to implement creative, common sense ways to facilitate advancement while adhering to the Guide to Safe Scouting and following the rules of youth protection.

Learn More (link update frequently)

Now you can support Scouting without lifting a finger — or at least not more than one. AmazonSmile, the simple and no-cost way to donate to the Sam Houston Area Council, now works on the Amazon Shopping app for iPhone and Android.

That means it’s easier than ever to support Scouting anytime, anywhere. Through its AmazonSmile program, Amazon donates 0.5% of eligible purchases to the charity of your choice — at no cost to you. You’ll get the same prices, selection and service found on Amazon.com, but now Amazon gives 0.5% of its cut to a good cause.

The Sam Houston Area Council is an eligible AmazonSmile charity. Individual packs, troops, posts, ships and crews are not eligible.

Previously, AmazonSmile required the user to shop using their browser — either on a desktop computer or through the mobile browser on a smartphone. That meant that when you shopped in the official Amazon app, you weren’t contributing to your chosen charity — even if you had already activated AmazonSmile. By adding AmazonSmile to its official app, Amazon is making the program available anytime, anywhere. So now when you buy a blender from the back seat or a printer from the patio — our council still gets that 0.5%.

If you aren’t yet an AmazonSmile member, sign up at smile.amazon.com using a web browser (mobile or desktop). You’ll sign in with your Amazon credentials, and the site will walk you through the process. Amazon will ask you to choose your favorite charity. This is where you search for “Sam Houston Area Council.”

Learn More

As the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) welcomes girls into Cub Scouts and older girls into the Scouts BSA program starting on February 1, it is important that families understand the program or organization they are joining.

There have been some instances where our volunteers may have inadvertently used the name or trademarks of the Girl Scout of the USA (GSUSA) brand in spreading the word that girls are or will soon be part of all BSA programs. GSUSA recently have filed a lawsuit asserting that these instances have caused confusion. While we don’t believe there has been any such confusion, we respect and support the GSUSA and their rights to their brand.

To ensure that we promote our programs in a clear and Scout-like manner, we have developed resources to make sure our leaders are aware of the do’s and don’ts in promoting BSA programs.

The Scouts BSA Brand Guidance Training is one of the efforts underway to be sure Scouters have a clear understanding of what they can do. This builds on the infographic, and the guidance provided to councils in April.

Scouts BSA Brand Guidance Training     Infographic 

This training should be shared with all volunteers to bring this understanding to all parts of our community. While our goal is to encourage youth to join our program, we must always be clear in our communications about the program they are joining.

• We are The Boy Scouts of America.
• The Boy Scouts of America and Girl Scouts of the USA are different organizations.
• We support all other youth organizations and do not disparage them.
• We encourage parents to enroll all youth in a character development program that meets their needs – and the BSA is certainly ready to welcome them.

To aid you in this effort, councils and volunteers are encouraged to use these intro talking points as you host info sessions and launch efforts for Scouts BSA. Additionally, please use this resource to help address any questions you might get in the community about this matter.

Learn More