Raven District

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: December 2018

The BSA has announced bold, wide-ranging updates to its Youth Protection program as part of an ongoing effort to protect young people from child abuse. An enhanced Youth Protection Training course debuted in February; all Scouters who took Youth Protection Training prior to February 2018 need to complete the updated course by Oct. 1, 2018.

The updated course will take about an hour to complete. It includes cutting-edge research from the top experts in the field of child abuse prevention. It covers topics like bullying, neglect, exposure to violence, physical and emotional abuse, and child sexual abuse.

Finally, beginning June 1, 2018, all adults who will be present at a Scouting activity for 72 hours or more must register as volunteers and complete a background check and Youth Protection Training. This includes parents, merit badge counselors and any other adult who will be there for an extended time.

The BSA is serious about fighting child abuse, and you’re an important part of that fight. Thanks for your vigilance and dedication. To take the new online Youth Protection Training, please visit www.my.scouting.org.

YPT Updates     Take YPT     Learn More about Youth Protection

January 26, 2019 (hanger drop off)
February 2, 2019 (food pick up)

Scouting for Food is a council-wide service project to care for people in our local communities who are hungry and those in need. In partnership with the Souper Bowl of Caring, the project begins Saturday, January 26, 2019, as Scouts distribute door hangers in their neighborhoods to announce the upcoming food drive. Scouts return the following Saturday, February 2, 2019, to pick up and deliver donations to their local food banks and pantries.

A Cub Scout and a Boy Scout promises "to help other people at all times." There is no better way to show our Scouting spirit than by participating in the annual Scouting for Food drive! Now is the time to show our community the Scouting values of being loyal, helpful, kind and cheerful.

Scouts will help make a difference to fight hunger. Scouting for Food is the leading service program for Boy Scouts of America and is a part of the national BSA program - Good Turn for America. The unit representative should register the unit for Scouting for Food.

Learn More        Unit Participation Sign-up

Scout Fair coupon books are a brilliant way for units to raise money and prepare Scouts to earn their own way! The Scout Fair coupon book offers great savings for the buyer, while Scouts earn commissions for every $10 coupon book purchased. Buyers support the Scouting program while receiving hundreds of dollars in valuable savings from partners. All units receive a 30% base commission for each $10 Scout Fair coupon book sold, for funds turned in on or before April 6, 2018. Participate at Scout Fair with a booth and earn an additional 10% commission. Units can also take advantage of early bird turn-in dates offering 5%, 3% and 1% additional bonus commissions. In addition, your Scouts will qualify for prizes once they sell 15 coupon books. Please refer to the Scout Fair prize brochure for prizes and sales levels. 

Scouts and the entire family will enjoy visiting hundreds of booths with fun activities and crafts, learning Scout skills, meeting new friends and tasting the delicious outdoor cooking. Meet leaders and Scouts from your neighborhood. Sample the amazing dutch oven creations and other delicacies in the outdoor cooking area. Watch demonstrations, interact with participating booths from our community partners and pick up free offers. The unit leader should sign-up the unit to sell Coupon Books.  The kick-off meeting for the unit representative is being held on January 24, 2019.

 Learn More      Sign Up to Sell Coupon Books

Scout Days are awesome opportunities to get your Scouts, friends and family together for some exciting experiences around the area with other Scouting families. All Scout Days are offered at a discounted price of admission. Also, many of our partners offer merit badge classes and advancement workshops for Cub Scouts and Webelos.

Learn more about Scout Days

Help ensure the success of Scouting in the Sam Houston Area Council with meaningful gifts including donating cars, trucks, RVs, trailers, boats, motors, stocks, bonds, mutual funds, securities, uniforms, camping equipment, memorials and tributes, planned giving and yes, even services.

Many corporations match employee contributions made to the Boy Scouts. Some companies even make financial contributions for volunteering time to Scouting. Numerous local companies recognize volunteer time through the donation of cash grants to non-profits in which their employees volunteer. This means that for each hour of volunteer time, employers donate funds to support the Sam Houston Area Council, Boy Scouts of America. Volunteer time is money with volunteer grants.

The Sam Houston Area Council is continually searching for potential career employees who would like to work in a profession that has a meaningful, rewarding purpose. Bring to the BSA your varied life experiences, education, and perspective, and in return, have an opportunity to combine those skills and experiences in a career that values and respects others. Scouting is a profession with a purpose!  

Job Openings

The Sam Houston Area Council is focusing on leveraging the power of social media through Facebook.  The more Scouters share and repost, the more powerful our marketing can be.

We are compiling a list of unit social media sites so we can work together to spread the word about Scouting by tagging, liking commenting and sharing each other posts. 

Learn More          Take our Social Media Survey