WEST PALM BEACH KIDS CAPTURE FIFTH ANNUAL WILLIAM I KOCH INTERNATIONAL SEA SCOUT CUP

NEW LONDON, CT – Two Florida teenagers won the fifth biennial William I. Koch International Sea Scout Cup, beating one of the largest fields ever for Sea Scouts’ most coveted sailing trophy.

Cody Stansky, 16, of Jupiter, Florida and Andrew Britton, 16, of Palm Beach Gardens, FL were awarded the silver trophy at the closing ceremonies held at the Officers Club at the United States Coast Guard Academy, which hosted the week long event. 

Click here for the full story
and more Sea Scouts news!

Council Launches a New
"Youth with Disabilities"
Program Committee

Scouting is for youth of all ABILITIES! Since its founding in 1910, the Boy Scouts of America has had fully participating members with physical, mental, and emotional disabilities. The Gulf Stream Council has formed an advisory committee for youth with disABILITIES.

The committee’s mission is to act as advocates for Scouts with disabilities at every opportunity, provide support to units and leaders working with youth with disabilities and form cooperative relationships with agencies, school districts and other organizations supporting people with disabilities. The objectives of the advisory committee are to promote the inclusion of youth with disabilities into Scouting programs; develop activities and events to promote disabilities awareness; and partner with outside organizations to help them develop Scouting programs specifically tailored for their needs.

Scouts come from all walks of life and are exposed to diversity in Scouting that they may not otherwise experience. While there are units composed exclusively of Scouts with disabilities, experience has shown that Scouting works best when such boys are mainstreamed – placed in dens or patrols in a traditional unit.

Your help is needed in identify units that are currently serving youth with disabilities. We invite the parents of Scouts with disabilities to contact us and discuss what they see as needs in the Gulf Stream Council program. This will allow us to develop programs to better serve units and Scouts.

Catholic Scouting Award Ceremony

The Catholic Committee on Scouting of the Diocese of Palm Beach held its Annual Scout Mass and Religious Emblems Award Ceremony on Sunday June 6th, 2010 with  the Most Reverend Gerald M. Barbarito, Bishop of the Diocese of Palm Beach, presiding.  The celebration took place at The Cathedral of Saint Ignatius Loyola in Palm Beach Gardens.  172 medals were awarded to 96 Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts from the Gulf Stream Council and 75 Girl Scouts from the Girl Scouts of Southeast Florida Council.  Congratulations to the following boys who have honored their “Duty to God” by participating in the National and Diocesan Religious Emblem Programs for their Catholic faith:

Light of Christ: (Tiger and Wolf Cub Scouts)
Joseph Bernardin, Collin Robert Berryhill, Vincent Carignan, Jonathan Carley, Scott Carrillo, Cornelius Costelloe Jr., Anthony Dalessio, Frankie DiBartola, Joey DiBartolo, Preston Fields Jr.,  Keden Funnell, Vincent Hester, Leo Hojnowski, Andrew Kern, Joshua Kovac, Samuel Novoa Lyons, Christopher Mee, Nicholas Mee, Padraig Mee, Austin Minick, Hayden Moses, Brandon Nunez, Michael Pellicci, Allexander Rucker, Joseph Santiago, Dylan Seissiger, Sean Patrick Sullivan, Anthony Thull, Christopher Thull,  Joseph Tovar, Cody Urbanczyk, Sebastian Valentin, Thomas Wallsmith,

Parvuli Dei: (Bears and Webelos)
Kenneth Michael Baker, Jordon Barboza, Sean Brady, Nicholas Castillo, Nigel Peter Daly, Michael Francis DiFederico, Daniel Donohoe, Joseph Fachetti, Ryan Hagy, Anthony Hasselbach, Zachary Alan Head, Jonathan Hernandez, Quincy Jacobs, Jacob Kern, Anthony Matarese, Sean Damon McCabe, Jake Murray, Nick Notoris, Blake Owen, Nicklaus J. Palmesano, Matthew Pearson, Griffin Pollis, Noah Proctor, Matthew Sarmiento, John Scholl, Daniel Seman, Connor Silloway, Noah M. Smith, Tyler Urbanczyk, Anthony Velardo, Nicholas Velardo, Stone Vickers, Nathaniel Villwock, Shane Nicholas Wooley

Bishop Award: (Webelos and Boy Scouts)     
John-Paul Arias, Michael Arias, Sawyer Jack Bilton, Colin Brauchler, Riley Carlson, Sean Connolly, Kevin Cooney, Joshua Hartigan, Ryan Joseph Mader, Christian Maurno, Andrew McAuley, Matthew Mirandi, Martin Nguyen, Drew Sebastian Novak, Shane Michael Oblacznski, Aleksander Poderski, Fidel Romero, Louis Liberato Rondino, Jared Usher, Kyle Vadas, Esteban Valentin.

Ad Altari Dei (Boy Scouts)
Tyler Carley, Randall Bishop Doane, Sean Rego, Michael Sabia, Kaleb Smith, Patrick Wishard  

The Word and The Way :  (Boy Scouts)
Stanley Joseph Oblaczynski

Pope Pius XII: (Boy Scouts, Venturers, and ExplorersHamilton “Bryan” Doane.  Special note about Bryan;  
Bryan is one of a small number of boys in the 25 years that the Palm Beach Diocese has been in existence, that have earned all 6 of the Catholic Scout Emblems from Tigers on up.  Bryan is in Troop 155 and has the Eagle Scout rank of which only 5 out of 100 Scouts earn.  Scouts that earn only one Religious Emblem number only 3 out of 100.  Bryan not only excelled in Scouts, but is an accomplished musician on Piano and with percussion instruments on the Benjamin School Band.  Bryan has excelled to the Honor Role, earned Scholarships, heads several competitive service clubs and is an avid Basketball player.  His volunteer service and fundraising events of over 500 hours helped earn him a Congressional Gold Medal. 
We thought his efforts are worth mentioning in this article.  

Bishop Barbarito addressed the large gathering of Scouts, parents and family members, welcoming them with joy and acknowledging the value of scouting programs in our communities. The program booklet included congratulatory letters from Bishop Barbarito, Jeff Isaac (Scout Executive and CEO of the Gulf Stream Council, BSA), and Denise Valz (CEO of the Girl Scouts of Southeast Florida, Inc., GSUSA), as well as a commendation and Apostolic Blessing from Archbishop Opietro Sambi, Apostolic Nuncio in the United States and representative of Pope Benedict XVI. The ceremony concluded with the announcement that the Palm Beach Diocese has received the Quality Diocese Award for the current year from the National Catholic Committee on Scouting.

For more information on Catholic religious emblems available for Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, and Girl Scouts, please contact Dr. Carroll Brennan, liaison to Catholic Scouting for the Diocese of Palm Beach at 772-485-2005 or docmom4@aol.com. For information regarding religious emblems available for scouts of all faiths, please refer to the PRAY web site at www.praypub.org.

Gulfstreamer Article by
Ken Tolve
Sailfish District Committee

HELP SUPPORT
CAMP TANAH KEETA
Click here for details
You don't have to spend a cent
to make a difference!

Service Center
Receives New Flag

Thank you to Cub Scout Pack 241 for presenting a brand new American Flag to fly over the Service Center. Participants in the flag ceremony were: Left front to back: John W., Ryan L., Collin U., Eric P., Zachary G., Christopher G., Center w/ flag: Austin R., Right front to back: Joshua B., Skyler L., William W., Jay U., Hunter I. Great job guys.

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The new 2010 issue of Boy Scout Requirements is now available from the Scout Shop. Scout troops and Venture crews and ships are urge to obtain a copy.

 There are a number of advancement changes including:

• New and/or revised rank requirements for Tenderfoot through Life
• Bugler is no longer a position of responsibility for Eagle
• Unit Webmaster and Leave No Trace Trainer are new positions of responsibility for Eagle
• The EDGE training method is now a requirement for Tenderfoot and Life rank advancement
• Scuba Diving Merit badge has been added (This is not the same as the SCUBA BSA patch)
• Revised/updated requirements for 17 merit badges
• Alternate rank advancement requirements for Scouts with permanent physical or mental disabilities
• There is now a section on Rank Advancement for Venturers

 The book gives an in depth review of Advancement in the Unit, most of which has been taken directly from our “pink” Advancement and Recognition Policies and Procedures book.

 The requirements in this book are the official requirements of the Boy Scouts of America and supersede currently printed material. Scouts must follow these requirements for all rank requirements.

 If a Scout is working on a rank advancement, he must do any new or different requirements as shown in the 2010 issue of Boy Scout Requirements.

 If a Scout has already started working on a merit badge, he may continue to use the old requirements.

 For more information contact your district advancement committee chair. The Scout office maintains a list of district advancement chairs.

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M.E. Rinker Scout Shop

Get all your uniforms needs at the
M.E. Rinker Scout Shop.

Uniforms
Insignia
Literature
Trophies
Awards
Crafts
Camping Gear
Gift Cards

Hours:
Monday - Friday 9:00 am - 6:00 pm, Saturday 9:30 am - 3:00 pm

Fast delivery on phone orders !
(561) 691-3929, FAX (561) 691-3935

Please plan accordingly - ME Rinker Scout Shop will be closed for the two holidays on January 18th and February 18th.

Scout Shop Page - Click here

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"The Commish Newsletter"
Volume 4, Issue 2
March, 2010

For Commissioners and those interested in Commissioner Service

Newsletter

Contact Brian Morgan, Council Commissioner, for additional
information or questions.

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Roster of Merit Badge Counselors

...is now available. If you are at least 18 years old and would be willing to share your expertise by serving as a Counselor for any Boy Scout Merit badge, please contact Bob Katz, Council Advancement Chair.

Roster of Counselors

The following is a list of Merit Badges for which we have no couselors. Please contact Bob if you wish to volunteer and have questions about the counseling process:
American Labor
Animal Science
Pottery
Public Health
Pulp and Paper
Sculpture

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Governor Crist AnnouncesNew

Serve to Preserve Scout Award

TALLAHASSEE – Governor Charlie Crist today was joined by the Boy Scouts of America and the Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. to announce the new Serve to Preserve Scout Award. Approximately 50 scouts, as well as state government leaders who are former scouts, joined the Governor to learn more about the new award program.

“Through programs like Serve to Preserve Florida, we are linking two of Florida's greatest resources – our children and our environment,” said Governor Crist. “The award will give scouts the opportunity to develop a sense of stewardship for the environment and create an effective way for young people to share new ideas and approaches to protect natural Florida.”

The program allows scout troops to earn an award insignia by completing educational activities about Florida's natural environment. Age-specific requirements for the Serve to Preserve Scout Award were developed in partnership with leaders from the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts in Florida.

Serve to Preserve Requirements

Article with more explanation can be found at

http://www.dep.state.fl.us/secretary/
post/2008/0215_1.htm

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REGISTRAR'S CORNER

             Reporting Advancements   

When units earn advancements and order badges from the Scout Shop - in person or by mail, an Advancement Report form is required in order to make a purchase. It is very important that a record of each Scout's ranks and badges be made at the Council Service Center.

Advancement reporting has become a much easier and efficient process with NEW! Internet Advancement. This process can be accessed on this Council website from the Internet Advancement button on the home page or through www.MyScouting.org. When processed by this method, advancements are automatically posted directly to official Scout Advancement Records and eliminates the possibility of duplicate reporting or inadvertent change of date, and other errors. You will discover if a Scout is not registered, have the ability to print rosters, advancement records, membership cards. etc. It is a very simple and self explanatory system.

It is still necessary to print advancement reports for signature and submit to the Scout Shop when purchasing advancements. The printed document will be passed to the Council Service Center for the permanent files.

Approved Unit Software     

Many units currently use software to maintain records of members, advancements, etc.  This software may still be used in conjunction with Internet Advancement by uploading your software records into Internet Advancement per the instructions in Internet Advancement. The following are compatible with BSA Internet Advancement.

Packmaster 2000, Vers 1.03 or higher
Troopmaster 2000, Vers 1.09 or higher 
Troopmaster ME, Vers 2.0 or higher
Contact: 804-589-6788, www.troopmaster.com

ScoutMate, Vers 5.12 or higher
Contact: 888-572-4768, www.scoutsoftware.com

Rank N File - CS, Vers 2.06 or higher
Rank N File - BS, Vers 4.07 or  higher
Contact:  800-218-4966, www.ranknfile,com

Scoutsoft, Vers 3.5r2 or higher
Contact: 801-599-5271, www.scoutsoft.net

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