The website was revamped three years ago, and as most websites do, it is getting a bit cluttered at this point. We are looking at what information leaders use and want. Any thoughts? Is this blog useful? It isn't read much, so we may scap it. If you read this, let us know!

Betsy Eubanks
Training Chairman - and Web Support

The District Committee had a quick but productive annual planning meeting this month. We talked about glitches and things that went well, then moved to ideas for the future. The draft plan will be reviewed at the March Committee meeting before approval. We want to make sure that both leadership and staffing are available before adding anything to the plan. Here are some of the exciting ideas that came from the meeting:

Welcome Mat 2 : Continue with welcome materials. Add a buddy-official greet system so visitors have someone to sit with, talk to, and introduce them.

Troop Smorgsbord at Cub Scout Breakout: Improve Pack/Troop relations by having a Troop Show and Tell at Cub Scout Breakout

District Knife-a-thon: Promote knife skills through program that includes 1) Roundtable Breakout Knife Skills training for all levels 2) Knife use at District Events 3) Carving Competition

Arrow-of-Light Crossover: Modify BLAST to focus on specifics of Arrow of Light Cross-over and the Troop connection

Venture Activity: Host a Venture Activity mixer to encourage collaboration across the 4 Units.

JOTA (Jamboree-on-the-Air) Scouting Event: Have a scouting event that is for all Scout levels and supports participation in Jambo On-The-Air in October. It could include the Rocket Academy, Recruiting, Shooting.

Scout Family Movie Night: Host a Scout Family Movie night at park for July Roundtable. Need to solve the movie visibility issue, but an excellent recruiting and community visibility opportunity.

Unit Commissioners: Round Table Connection: Encourage Unit Commissioners to meet with their Units before Roundtable, and to also sit with them.

Increase Shooting Opportunities: Increase shooting opportunities. Ideas – additional Cub Scout Shoot, sling shots at Camporees,

Outreach for Camping and Boy Scout Breakout Leaders: Work to get more leaders involved in these two program areas.

If you are interested in helping or leading one of these areas, please see Betsy or Jason.
​Thank you!

This is a real blog. Not notes from the committee, or anything else. I realized looking over the website getting ready for our Fall kick-off that we need to clean some things up. Sometimes the District Committee notes are in a blog, and sometime I see we are putting them on the front page of the District Committee web page. Well, that is confusing but no one has said anything so it could just be that they aren't getting read much. Well, at least we get them out there.

Taking July off from District activities is a great idea in theory, but now that I am traveling later July and into August it really is making for a scramble though. No solution is perfect. Fortunately, our DE is hard at work getting things ready and I am working remotely. Soon I will be in Philmont taking Wilderness First Aid Instructor certification which will be fun. But for now, I am in California and nearly had a heart attack paying $14.00 for 4 small bottles of beverage at the hotel plus to get a bag would have been an extra $.25. You have to LOVE Montana. No Sales tax, and no signs like this one. Actually, you do have to appreciate the humor of the sign.

Enjoy what is left of the summer!
Betsy Eubanks
​MVD Chairman

​

The District Committee HOME page has two key documents posted:
1.  MVD Strategic Plan
2.  January Committee meeting materials & outcomes. 

The following votes were taken:
1. Approved - the MVD Strategic Plan
2. Approved - giving nametags as recognition (replacing plaques)

District Committee Meeting: 7:00PM Hope Lutheran Church

Attendance: Betsy Eubanks, Tina O’Donnell, Frank Hanosek, Dick Kracht, Julie Evans, Peter Jones, Pete Schofield, Diane Stovall, Keith Nathan, Aaron Strong, Jason Kovnesky, Tom Gregory.

The meeting took on a new format with everything in a power point/ electronic presentation rather than printed material or notes.  The Committee will try this format to see if it works better.  The committee members may add pertinent material electronically before the meeting. This format will be used and it will be fluid to make changes that suites the committee.

• Need to inquire as to the deadline to earn the camp discounts for FOS.
• It was mentioned that the foodbanks need to be notified of the scouting for food timeline and coordinate deliveries.
• It was also mentioned that the website was not allowing people to sign up for times and slots for the grocery stores.  Apparently that has been fixed.
• Any activity that is executed should be documented so we may create logs for future members to see what has been done prior.
• Paul Rodgers has agreed to take on the Pinewood derby, we need to see what track should be used. 
• Diane agreed to help plus Jason Kovnesky and Daniel King.
• There will be commissioner meetings during roundtable.
• Any event or activity further than 30 minutes from Major Medical care requires  a Wilderness First Aid certified person present.
• It was put out there that we need more table hosts for the event Wednesday Feb 24th, Diane Stovall has agreed to host a table.
• There were sign-ups for the Family ICL presentations, we are still short some presenters.
• The 2016 District Stratigic plan was presented, Jason Kovnesky moved we accept the plan, Tom Gregory seconded it, and it was passed by majority vote.
• The nominating committee needs names for positions, nominations will close at round table.
• The idea of switching to nametags was discussed. It was approved to proceed. 

Meeting was adjourned.

 
What a great September! The last month has been busy for MVD! Recruiting is going well - we are projected to be over our target numbers of new scouts. Great job Cub Scout leaders and organized Committees across the District.

Here are some Highlights:

Activities:
PowWow - a small but dedicated group (8 leaders) were trained on leader specific training and BBGun use in Cub Scouts.
Cub Scout Aquatics - about 35 Scouts took the plunge at our first try at Cub Scout Aquatics! Thanks to Diane Stovall, Greg Garriagues, Julie Evans, and Katie Howell as well as the Bozeman Rec Center Pool. You can tell from the pictures that is was a great time in the pool.
Scout Master Leader Specific Training- Part 1 - started at Round Table, and part II coming up in Oct.
Fall Camporee - even more scouts than last year (90+) with 134 at Camporee total. More details on the Home Page. 

Discussion: District Trailer
We need an equipment inventory and plan for our "stuff". A District Trailer Spring Cleaning is scheduled for May 19th from noon to completion.  Need:
1.OA Involved
2.Need trash bin – Need pick-up or trailer to go to the dump
3.Day camp Staff Involved
4.Camporee – Bill Otto
5.Scouter Garage Sale – anyone welcome to come purchase excess.

​Ultimately - we need a new solution for storage such as a High Boy 40 foot container. 

Other needs - a learning compass set. Estimated cost $200. We will start working to find funds for this.

Discussion: Camporees
A summary of this is also on the HOME page, but here are the key points. 
i.Fall Date – Came up really fast.
ii.Discussion – Why do we do Camporees?
1.Because units don’t do the skills.
2.Camaraderie – get to see each other and trade stories.
3.Get everybody together and it is fun. 80% of units would not get out in the Fall because it is so busy.
4.When we hold Fall camporee close – then it lets units come. If we move to October – you have a whole other set of conflicts.
5.You could do a hands across the border bus trip – or do rendezvous.
6.If we want to do a tri-district camporee – we need to decide that. We are interested in it – so Peter will check.
7.Should we bring them into our Camporees and see if they can help with STEM at camporees?
8.Winter Camporee – forest service locatoin. 

Schedule Notes:
No Livingston Mertit Badge Fair. We will look at this for next year, but also work towards planning in the Spring.

District Committee  Opportunities
1.Scout Week Coordinator; Help coordinate this important week, especially getting Units signed up to help with Scouting with Food, judging Scout Windows, and liaising with the Food Bank. This is important work - and we need a coordinator!
2. District Commissioner - do you LOVE helping Units? Than talk to Betsy (599-8634) or Tom Greggory (581-2082) and find out what the District Commissioner does. I miss having one!
3. Assistant Committee Chair - The right hand of the District Committee Chair - and hopefully the incoming Committee Chair for MVD - this is an important position! Talk to Betsy if you want to help in this aspect of MVD Scouting. 

MISSING -
Bucket of Stakes and clamps (last seen at Cub Scout Day Camp). Please check your garage - and return to MVD Office. 

Want to know more about the meeting? Read the Notes.

Here are the highlights from our August District meeting. If you want more information - read can read the expanded notes too.
New Positions
Mercy Boys is our new MEMBERSHIP CHAIR and Pete Schofield is our new BOY SCOUT ROUNDTABLE COMMISSIONER. Yea!

TRAINING
All of the sudden we have alot of leaders with expired Youth Protection. This is a concern and the training team with Julie will do reach out to correct. Target Training kicks off with Scout Master Specific training at Roundtable, and PowWow is Sept 12.

ACTIVITIES
Fall Camporee is at Abigail Ranch. Still need someone to help with Basketry and a few other things. The OA has still not been connected with Camporee. Livingston Merit Badge Fair may not happen - Julie will see if she can get confirmation one way or the other. Cub Scout Aquatics will occur, but one day only on Sept 12. The sign-up is now posted for this.

MEMBERSHIP
Mercy is now Chair, and working closely with Julie on getting our Fall campaign going. Things are moving well, and Fire-up for Scouting will be the second wave. Information like a radio spot and flyers will also go out for promoting Camporee as a recruiting opportunity for Boy Scouts and Venture Scouts.

FINANCE & POPCORN
Popcorn training is Sept 10, and we have some units that are going to sell now because of the fix to the "whole case" problem. Go Tina! ICL is down, but a mailing is going out. 

ROUNDTABLE
Pete is going to ramp into the Boy Scout RT Commissioner slot -yea. Besides that, Roundtable is on track for Sept. There are lots of errors in the directory, and we may need to run this again once we get better information from Council.  Charters are being passed out, and Tom Greggory will be talking about Tour Permits and Charter process in the general session.

NOMINATING PROCESS
We always have Districts staffing needs, and so the nominating committee is important. It was agreed to try a new thing- nominating huddle after each Roundtable. If you want to volunteer to help or know somebody who may want to help the District - connect with the Nominating team (Tom Greggory, Dick Kracht, Keith Nathan) after RT.

NEW BUSINESS DISCUSSION:
1. Should we have District Committee Members assigned to each unit as welcome person? Decision - not every unit, but units that don't come to September RT will get a call from a Committee member.
2. Should we keep doing Summertime Cub Scout Activities? Decision - yes, but more limited since a lot of effort was put into these and attendance was not great. For next year, looking at having a family movie night at MSU possibly in July, and then a District Raingutter Regatta in August, were decided as program that can be implemented. Also sticking with mid-week activities to minimize weekend clutter.

CALENDAR CORRECTION

• Museum of the Rockies day is March 5. It is on the Google Calendar but was left off the Printed one.
  
• Adding Charter Dates to calendar was recommended (DONE) Charter opens Oct 1, closes Oct 30.