Baden-Powell Service Association

I want to encourage our adult members and those around the Minnesota, Missouri and New Hampshire areas to really make an effort to attend one of our upcoming Brownsea Training Camps (BTC).

BTC is the first and most important step in adult, Rover training within our association. Attending one will help you and your group get off to a great start, by

1. Introducing traditional scouting, scouting history & tradition, BPSA and WFIS.
2. Give you hands on experience in learning all the outdoor/scoutcraft skills needed to teach a 1st year Pathfinder.
3. Provide a learning environment by having you participate as a member of a patrol on a Troop campout, giving you insight into how groups and the patrol system work.
4. Earn your investment as a Rover Squire, your first step in the Rover program.

(Check out photos from last year’s Missouri BTC -http://www.flickr.com/photos/kopper/tags/mobtc2012/)

As with any youth program, the quality of the program starts from the bottom up, through the training of adults and volunteers who understand the fundamentals, methods and aims of the program; and are creative and enthusiastic enough to take the time to “be prepared” as a Rover and leader of younger scouts.

I have no doubt that this is you. Follow one of the links below and register for your spot in one of our upcoming BTC events near you. It’s one weekend that will cover a lot of ground and invests you in the program you’ve chosen and want to see succeed!

North East (New Boston, NH):
https://www.wepay.com/events/spring-2013-brownsea-northeast

Mid-West (Marine on St. Croix, MN):
https://www.wepay.com/events/spring-2013-brownsea-minnesota

Mid-West (St. Louis, MO)
https://www.wepay.com/events/spring-2013-brownsea-missouri

The Baden-Powell Service Association is looking for volunteer applicants for the following positions!  Applications for these positions should be sent in by January 31, 2013.

What are we looking for in our volunteer staff?

Consider one of these positions if you…

• believe in our mission to bring traditional scouting to the US within the context of a coed, inclusive environment,
• have time and enthusiasm for our cause and program,
• are willing to work hard to help BPSA succeed as a youth program, and
• are 18 or over and are currently registered as BPSA member or eligible to register upon acceptance of the position.

If you meet the above criteria, read on; you could be a great fit for one of these needed roles within our organization.

The following list gives a description of the responsibilities and expectations of those roles as well.  Read carefully and if you’re interested in applying for a position, follow the instructions after the list to submit your application.  Keep in mind that BPSA is a volunteer-run organization and we do not have any paid full- or part-time staff.  Our organization’s success is up to the commitment and ethusiasm of our members.

1. Treasurer
2. Regional Commissioner (Northeast)
3. Regional Commissioner (South)
4. Regional Commissioner (Midwest)
5. Regional Commissioner (Southwest)
6. Regional Commissioner (West)

Treasurer (1 position)

As part of the Executive Committee (HQ), the Treasurer is responsible for managing and tracking the budget and finances of BPSA. The treasurer should have a background in or experience with finance, budgeting, fundraising and other money matters. Among the duties of Treasurer are:

• Yearly financial filing for organization, Federal 501(c)3 and State
• Keeping financial records and receipts, archiving them and making them available to HQ
• Coordinating with each area of HQ (Quartermaster, Secretary, CC and others) on creating and managing a budget for each area
• Presenting our fiscal status in a report each quarter to HQ and yearly to our members
• Managing our bank account/PayPal account and other resources, ensuring security and appropriate access to funds
• Coordinate with other ad-hoc committees on fundraising efforts and expenditures

As a member of the HQ Executive Committee, you will also be a voting member and integral part of the organization. You should be available for any quarterly or other staff conference calls and make yourself available to HQ membes and ad-hoc committee chairman as needed. The ability to track and manage a budget are important in this role; as is the ability to communicate well with others, both written and oral.

Your experience and creativity can be brought to bear on proper financial management techniques, tools and methods to be employed by the BPSA; as well as best practices in communicating to our HQ staff and members. Keep in mind, this is a volunteer-run organization, and as a volunteer, you’ll need to be able to manage your own time and tasks in a way that not only helps the organization, but allows you the time to do your current work and be with your family—each of those is important to all our volunteer members and we understand that working with a large, volunteer organization can take a lot of time and effort.

Regional Commissioner - Northeast, Midwest, South, Southwest and West  (5 positions)

BPSA membership and chartered groups are growing each year. To help provide a point of contact for members, Group Scoutmasters and others involved or interested in the BPSA program, we are putting in place volunteer Commissioners at the “regional” level.  Currently, we’ve divided up the country into 5 primary regions: Northeast, Midwest, South, Southwest and West (see below).

Commissioners serve as liasons and also representatives of their respective regions with HQ. Regional Commissioners are also considered voting members within their region. The primary responsibilities of Regional Commissioners are as follows:

• Provide a first point of contact for members and non-members in their region about BPSA and our program
• Help new and existing groups in their region maintain and build a good program
• Coordinate, organize and work with other BPSA members in the region to provide training camps and activities
• Enable effective communication with members, groups in the region regarding program and policy
• Provide news and updates to BPSA HQ on regional activities, training and other events
• Work with local groups and members to ensure BPSA and our program receive attention via news and other media sources
• Network within the region to help find sponsors and supporters for the BPSA
• Attend any quarterly HQ conference calls or meetings and provide input and ideas

Regional Commissioners are also able to delegate work to other BPSA members, groups or ad-hoc committees as needed for meeting any of the above goals. If funding for a particular activity, event or undertaking is required, the Regional Commissioners should bring it to the attention of the Treasurer and also before HQ at a regular meeting for approval.

Great, so how do I apply for one of these positions?

Volunteer applications should be sent via email to hq@bpsa-us.org.  The “subject” line should mention the position being applied, and the following information should be provided in the email:

Full Name: (First M. Last)

Social Security #: We do require a background check for all positions.

Contact Info:  phone number, alternate email

Address: Postal Address

BPSA Scout Group (if any): If you’re registered with a group or as a Lone Scout, let us know

Resume/CV (attachment): If you have a resume or CV that provides background related to your position or that you might think is relevant, attach it.

Why you want to take on this position?  Give us a summary of why you want this position; what intrigues you about, what ideas you bring to the role and why/how you think taking on this role would be a benefit for BPSA and its program.

Remember, we need your application sent in to us by no later than January 31, 2013!

We look forward to hearing from you as we begin this process of staffing out HQ and working to make our organization and program more complete and successful!

Yours in Traditional Scouting,

BPSA HQ Staff and Committee

BPSA’s fundraising efforts have come to a close and while we didn’t hit our target (which was lofty) we did bring in a total of $3,685! Thanks to you, our supporters and members, the BPSA can forge forward and tackle our first goal of gaining 510(c)3 status. This will help out at national and at the group level in numerous ways and helps open the door to more funding and support opportunities in the future.

We’ll be sending out the thank you’s, and gifts for our donors in the coming month. Keep up-to-date with BPSA US on our Facebook Page, Twitter, Google+ and on our Base Camp site as our organization and program blaze a trail into the future.

Again, thank you for your support and efforts; and we look forward to working with all of you in the future.

Yours in Traditional Scouting,

BPSA US Headquarter’s Staff

An interview with BPSA Chief Commissioner David Atchley has been posted on the St. Louis Beacon website. Click here for the story. In it, David discusses his scouting background, scouting in general and the BPSA program on a couple of perspectives, including the coed aspect. Be sure and give it a read, leave a comment on the article, and share it with friends.

Article Link: http://www.stlbeacon.org/content/26471/boys_scouts_alternative_081012

As some of you are aware, we have recently begun a fundraising effort through Indiegogo.com, which is similar to Kickstarter but for community and social efforts and start-ups. The BPSA is in a growth phase at the moment, which is great news.  We are brining in new members and gaining new groups as people become aware of the organization, our program and our mission. The BPSA staff and myself continue to work as hard as we can to keep up with all the needs of our new membership in this growth period, through handling orders via the online store, processing applications and charters, maintaining the web site and the resources we have available online, promoting and building the program, developing and providing training for adults and volunteers and more.

But to keep this momentum going and to continue to provide the best traditional scouting program and meet the basic needs of the organization and our members and groups, we need to be able to fund a number of very important needs:

1. Have BPSA incorporated, state and federal, as a non-profit youth association and obtain 501(c)3 status. As a youth organization, this helps cut down the costs for not only the organization, but we can extend this status to each of our chartered, local Scout Groups.
2. Be able to provide insurance coverage, extending to all chartered local units, covering minor medical/accident/liability.
3. Be able to handle and process proper background checks for all registering adult members in the BPSA as part of our continuing Code of Ethics and Youth Protection policy.
4. Provide a complete online store making uniforms, handbooks and other resources and needs available to members, leaders, volunteers and parents (at the lowest cost possible). Scouts and parents need to be able to get everything in one location, and as an organization we need to be able to provide a low-cost, traditional scouting uniform.
5. Build up our communication and program reach to help recruit enthusiastic volunteers to staff and run BPSA Head Quarters (HQ), filling many needed positions and roles to help the organization grow.  We’ll need to be able to maintain the web site, our social and community networks and sites and find other ways to reach out to people and keep our community of Scouts and Leaders connected.
6. Be able to provide ongoing and flexible training courses for leaders and volunteers in local communities, allowing for multiple training sessions per year and a local volunteer base that is trained and ready to provide a program. We need to be able to provide training in different parts of the country to make it accessible, and we need to be able to help reimburse our trainers and contribute to our national staff so they can get further, higher level training from other BPSA organizations and bring that training back here to the US.
7. Help us provide resources for local volunteers and parents to help encourage and realize the growth of the program by targeting at least 25 chartered Scout Groups with full program sections by the end of the 3 years. To make this happen, and to fully support those new units, all the above items are critical.

This is where YOU come in.  We need your help – our members, groups and supporters – in promoting our program through our fundraising efforts on Indiegogo.com!  Share the link above with your friends, family and other individuals or organizations/businesses that would support BPSA in its mission to bring traditional scouting to the US that is coed and inclusive.  Any contribution makes a difference!

The minimum contribution is less than 8 cups of coffee from your favorite barista at your local coffee house – $25.  It’s not much; but each small donation adds up and helps ensure the BPSA meets these goals.  With your help and support we can grow and expand this organization into the future and provide more resources and a better program for our youth and our groups.

Help us make a difference!

So, for any of our members and supporters that frequent redditors (see Reddit.com), I did an AMA, or Ask Me Anything a few days back.  The idea behind an AMA is that you make yourself available to answer questions from the reddit social community that might have an interest in what you’re doing and want to know more.  There were a number of really good questions and comments that I thought would be informative for our members and others who aren’t necessarily on reddit, or those that might have missed it.  Here’s the link below to the AMA for your slow reading pleasure.

If you find anything you want to ask, go ahead and make a comment on that thread (you’ll need a reddit.com login to do so) and I’ll definitely answer it as quickly as possible. You can also comment here on this post as well.  Thanks for the great turn out, it was enjoyable!

BPSA Commissioner AMA on /r/IAmA

It seems only apropos that our Association, the BPSA, partner with those organizations that support and work towards one of our many goals, which is providing an opportunity for youth and adults, regardless of gender, race, sexual orientation, religion of no-religion, or any other differences, to participate in the Scouting movement!  And I’m happy to announce our partnership and mutual support for and with the “Scouting for All” organization, who’s mission since it’s inception has been to push for that same open and inclusive nature, not only in the Boy Scouts of America, but in other Scouting organizations in the United States as well.

Please note the following joint press release from the BPSA and Scouting for All; and be sure and visit their web site and Facebook page as well to see the kinds of hard work they’ve been doing for sometime in this area!

July 23, 2012 – The Baden-Powell Service Association (BPSA) and Scouting for All today announce an agreement of joint support between their organizations.

As both groups fundamentally believe Scouting should be available to everyone regardless of religious beliefs, gender, or sexual preference, the following policies are now considered in effect:

• The BPSA supports Scouting for All’s mission of “the restoration of the traditionally unbiased values of Scouting as expressed and embodied in the Scout Oath & the Scout Law”.
• The BPSA supports Scouting for All’s vision of “a Scouting movement in America which once again commands the broad respect of the American people, rededicated to the traditionally unbiased principles of the Scout Oath and Scout Law”.
• The BPSA supports Scouting for All’s guiding principle “that Scouting should be inclusive and open to all, regardless of spiritual belief, gender, or sexual orientation.”
• Scouting for All supports the BPSA by recommending them as the best option for those looking to join a non-discriminatory Scouting program within the US.
• In addition, BPSA members are now authorized to officially wear, if they elect to do so, the Scouting for All Rainbow Knot centered above the top line of the left breast pocket of their uniform shirt as a symbol of shared support between both organizations.

This announcement of joint support was approved by:

David Atchley, Chief Commissioner of the Baden-Powell Service Association

Howard Menzer, President of Scouting for All

-

The Baden-Powell Service Association was founded in 2006 as an independent and traditional style Scouting Association.  They are affiliated with the World Federation of Independent Scouts and the Baden-Powell Scouts’ Association of England.  Their website is www.bpsa-us.org.

Scouting for All was founded in 1993 with the purpose of promoting tolerance, diversity, and acceptance within the Scouting movement in the US.  Their website is www.ScoutingForAll.org.

Our Fall 2012 Brownsea Training Camps are coming (yes, we have more than one this year) …

Brownsea Training is required training for first-time leaders of Scout Groups in BPSA-US.  It provides an introduction to the traditional scouting program of the BPSA, helps in understanding the aims and methods of Scouting, and teaches new Rovers the scouting skills required for Tenderfoot, preparing them to help younger scouts succeed. The program works by teaching these things in a hands-on fashion, as the trainees will form and function as individual patrols, working together in learning, cooking and making camp life.

At the end of training, new Rovers will be invested as Rover Squires and awarded the green/yellow shoulder knot and their Tenderfoot/Association badge. Once trained, Rovers are encouraged to offer a Brownsea Training in their local area as well to continue the tradition and pass on their skills and enthusiasm for traditional scouting to others.

The registration fee is $25.00, which will cover the camp site(s), materials and resources for the program. If you’re interested in starting a BPSA group in your area, or already have a group and would like to attend, the more Scouters the better!

We’re hosting two BTC events this fall.  Details are below:

BTC-1 2012 – Moody, Texas

Instructor: BPSA 1st Lone Scouts RSL, Scott Hudson

When:

Friday, October 5th through Sunday October 7th, 2012
Arrive between 7pm and 8pm on Friday, break camp at noon on Sunday

Location:

Mother Neff State Park
1680 S.H. 236
Moody, TX 76557-3317

Details here: Mother Neff State Park Web Site

Registration Information:    Register Online - Cost: $25.00

BTC-2 2012 – Washington, Missouri

Instructor: BPSA Commissioner, Dave Atchley

When:

Friday, September 14th through Sunday September 16th, 2012
Arrive between 7pm and 8pm on Friday, break camp at noon on Sunday

Location:

Klondike State Park,
St. Charles County, Missouri (just west of St. Louis)
Details here: Klondike State Park Web Site

Registration Information:    Register Online - Cost: $25.00

We finally have our online store available!  You can get to it via the “Store” link in the main navigation menu above or access it online at this link: https://www.wepay.com/stores/bpsa_qmstore

We’re using WePay for our online store, and though it’s somewhat simple at the moment, a number of features are forthcoming that will let us broaden the store, including breaking things into categories and better organization.  At this time, we have some of our basic badges, the Timberwolf and Pathfinder Handbooks and some other odds and ends available.  We are sharing many of the special proficiency badges with the BPSA BC in Canada, and I’m looking at finding a way to integrate those badges (which will provide for everything we need) into the store very soon.  Give it a look and give us some feedback.

Uniforming is still piece-meal at the moment, as we don’t have the ability to have a single provider for the uniforms for each section.  As such, each Scout and chartered group is encouraged to find uniform parts that match the PO&R and the information we have on the “Resources” page.  We’re working towards finding someone who can supply uniforms across the board.

Some of the items we have are made to order, so when placing an order, do allow time for production and delivery (could be between 2-4 weeks at the most); but most items should be shippable within a week.  If you have ideas for the online shop, let us know via the contact area!  We’re always interested in member feedback.

Finally, after the long work in putting together our Timberwolf Handbook, we have finally completed our Pathfinder Handbook!  It’s been an ongoing process since sometime last Fall and it’s involved a dedicated and geographically dispersed group of reviewers and editors.  I’ll thank them personally at the end of this post; but their contributions, encouragement and hard work has not gone unnoticed.  The book is fairly long, weighing in at 134 pages!  This includes a guide on everything a Pathfinder needs to know to go from Tenderfoot through First Class, and beyond.  It also provides the requirements for each of the “additional” general proficiency badges: George Washington’s Scout, Bushman’s Thong, and All-Round Cords; and all the Special Proficiency badges offered by the BPSA here in the US – 46 special proficiency badges in all!

With our Otter program in ‘beta’, the completion of this handbook – along with the available original texts from B.P., “Wolf Cub Handbook” and “Scouting for Boys” – we have a complete set of program resources available for our youth sections.  Head over to our Resources page (http://bpsa-us.org/resources/program-resources/) and download the latest copies and check them out!

My special and individual thanks to the Review Team, who consisted of Ric Raynor, George Stecher, Tony Place, Jody Rochon and Scott Moore!