Orion District Roundtable

April 13, 2023   |   7:00 pm

Stay Informed, Attend Roundtable graphicOrion District serves Scouting units within the boundaries of Tomball, Magnolia and Montgomery school districts. Roundtable is a district monthly meeting typically held the second Thursday of the month at Church of Good Shepherd (715 Carrell St, Tomball, TX 77375) at 7:00 pm to help unit leaders plan and carry out their own program. Roundtable is a form of supplemental training for volunteers. The objective of roundtable is to give leaders program ideas; information on policy, events, and training opportunities; and an opportunity to share experiences and enjoy fun and fellowship with other Scouting leaders. As a result of the roundtable experience, unit leaders will be inspired, motivated, informed, and able to provide a stronger program for their Scouts. Follow the district Facebook page at facebook.com/orionbsa.

Camporee

April 14-16, 2023

Here ye! Here ye! Camporee is a weekend campout for troops and crews. Prepare ye self for games and activities of Medieval times. In addition to these games, patrols are judged on leadership, teamwork, skill demonstration and Scout spirit.

Many of the activities will be arranged as a challenge course where the Scouts must work through skills or tests to gain clues or access to their next activity.  Bring your patrols out to compete and find Orion's best Scouts. The event is being held at Tellepsen Scout Camp (3450 County Road 317, Navasota, TX 77868).

Registration is done by the unit leadership. Registration is a two-step process. Every unit needs to RSVP by the February roundtable to let the event staff if your unit is attending. Estimated numbers are provided to the council so the district can reserve the appropriate number of campsites and program areas for the event. Please let the event chair know if this number changes significantly before the event. Every troop is expected to help at the camporee (e.g., run a competition event, facilities, campfire, interfaith service).  

Learn More & RSVP

Cub Scout Twilight Camp

June 5-9, 2023  |  4:00 - 8:00 pm

Grab your safari hat as twilight camp goes to the jungle. Cub Scouts will have a roaring good time! Cub Scouts will learn new skills and make new friends. Twilight camp is a council camp organized by districts and conducted by volunteers from the local area for Cub Scouts entering 1st through 5th grade for the next school year. Twilight camp is a week of fun with awesome programs and activities such as BB guns, archery, sports, STEM, games and crafts, rank advancements, Scout skills, and more.   

Many volunteers are needed to make camp a success, so please consider volunteering. Adult volunteers can also register their non-Scouting children ages 3-5 (potty trained). Scouts in troops, crews and ships can also volunteer. An adult/guardian must register with a Tiger (going into 1st grade) and each pack must provide a minimum of one adult volunteer for every three Scouts attending camp. The camp is being held at Tomball Methodist Church (1603 Baker Dr, Tomball, TX 77375).

Learn More & Register

  • Early registration discount of $10 ends 3/15/2023.
  • Late registration begins 5/9/23. A late fee of $15 will apply; patches, t-shirts and craft supplies are not guaranteed for late registrations.
  • Registration closes 5/22/23.

University of Scouting

April 1, 2023  |  Lone Star College - Tomball campus

University of Scouting is a semi-annual supplemental training program. Sessions are led by experienced volunteers who will help leaders and parents enhance their ability to deliver a fun and exciting program to the Scouts. Courses include a variety of classes for leaders and parents focusing on Cub Scouts, Webelos Scouts, Scouts BSA, Venturing, Sea Scouts, outdoors, high adventure, conservation, advancement, and STEM/NOVA that will provide information, techniques, and best practices on how to enhance the Scouting program. Full-day classes include Trainer's Edge, Short-Term Camp Administrator Training, and Den Chief and Chaplain's Aid Training.

Learn More & Register

Webelos Scout Adventure Camp

Session 1: July 16-19, 2023
Session 2: July 19-22, 2023

Webelos Scout Adventure Camp is a three-night campout at Camp Strake for Scouts entering fourth and fifth grade the following school year. Webelos Scouts will work on rank advancements, and shoot archery and air rifles. The camp is being held at Camp Strake 2020 (Camp Strake Rd., Coldspring, TX 77331). Webelos Scouts will design their own program and can shoot BB guns, shoot air rifles, and work on several Adventures. Webelos Scouts will pick 10 activities (five on day 2 and five on day 3). There will be an evening program with fun activities. 

Learn More & Register

Summer Camp 2023

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, boating (canoeing, kayaking, rowing, paddle boarding), swimming, ATV riding, ziplining, cycling, merit badge classes and more. 

Learn More and Register 

Individual Scouts who can't attend summer camp with their unit, or want to attend a second week of camp can register individually for Super Troop. Super Troop is a temporary troop made up of Scouts from troops around the council.

National Special Needs and Disabilities Conference

April 21-22, 2023  |  Cockrell Scout Center

Understanding and Navigating Behaviors and Mental Health in Scouting

BSA's National Special Needs and Disabilities Committee is hosting a two-day conference on Understanding Behaviors and Mental Health in Scouting. The conference is designed for Scouters in leadership positions at all levels (pack, troop, crew, ship, district, council, camp staff), BSA professionals, parents/guardians, caregivers, and anyone interested in learning more about supporting Scouts with special needs or disabilities.  Several knowledgeable guest speakers are scheduled to present on various topics: • Ages and Stages • Scout Transitions • Scout Transitions • Anxiety & Depression • Managing Behaviors • Mental Health First Aid • Success Through Failure 

Learn More & Register

Full Throttle

April 28-30, 2023

Full Throttle is a weekend event for troops, crews and ships. Units camping at Camp Strake can sign up their Scouts to participate in activities such as shooting sports (rifle, shotgun, archery), climbing, COPE (high-ropes course), zipline, swimming, canoeing, kayaking, paddleboarding or ATV riding. The camp staff provides the program leadership. 

Learn More and Register

Powder Horn

April 28-30 & May 5-7, 2023 

Powder Horn is an action-packed, hands-on course held over two weekends 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. 

Learn More and Register

Leave No Trace Trainer Course

April 28-30, 2023

The Leave No Trace Trainer Course is a 16-hour, overnight course for individuals, ages 14 and up who wish to guide units in developing a culture that effectively demonstrates responsible outdoor choices that reduce impacts of Scouting activities. Leave No Trace Trainers, outdoor ethics guides, and outdoor ethics advisors are the backbone of Scouting’s outdoor ethics program, providing instruction to individuals and units wishing to adopt cutting-edge outdoor ethics into their unit programs.  Trainers are specially commissioned to teach the BSA Leave No Trace 101 Course. Each BSA Trainer course is taught by a recognized Leave No Trace Master Educator, so your Trainer standing is recognized nationally by BSA’s partner, the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics. Participants receive a Leave No Trace Trainer card from BSA, BSA Leave No Trace 101 Course Guide and Leave No Trace Trainer certificate from the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics.  The training is being held at Camp Brosig in Sealy, TX.

Learn More     Register

Range Master Training

BSA requires all Cub Scout shooting sports to be supervised by a BSA-certified range master. Range master training covers setting up a range, safety, handling equipment, using a bow stringer, care and operation of BB guns, range etiquette and safety, and instructing Scouts. Cub Scouts can shoot BB-gun rifles, slingshots, and archery in a council or district event only and is not approved as a unit event. Certified range masters are needed for day camp and district events. 

Register         Learn More

Wood Badge

Wood Badge is the Boy Scouts of America's ultimate leadership training designed to meet the advanced leadership needs of Scouters in all aspects of the BSA, whether unit, district, or council level – from assistant den leaders to Scoutmasters, from Cubmasters to Venturing Advisors, from committee members to commissioners. It is a fun, energetic and inspiring course guaranteed to infuse your unit with fun and meaning – all designed to fulfill the mission of the BSA, and ensure our youth is getting everything they are promised from the program.

Reflecting the best of nearly a century of Scouting experience, Wood Badge draws upon the most current leadership models used by corporate America, academic circles and successful organizations throughout the country. Participants can expect to develop skills in many areas, including leadership theory, team building, problem-solving, communication, project planning and more.  These skills can be taken back to packs, troops, crews and ships to help leaders guide youth in dynamic Scouting programs.  Scouters will find these skills invaluable in their business and personal lives as well.

Learn More and Register

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Support Scouting with Amazon Smile

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.”

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Orion District Communications

The Orion District newsletter is published several times per year and contains information about upcoming district and council events and activities. Follow the Orion District on Facebook.

Sign up for the Orion District Newsletter

Scout Days

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 Scouts BSA, Cub Scouts, and Webelos Scouts.

Learn more about Scout Days

Donate to Scouting

SHAC CSP with car keysHelp 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 council. 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.

Employment Opportunities

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

 

Help us Promote Scouting

SHAC FacebookThe 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