Tuesday, August 30, 2011

September 10, 2011 - NRA fundraiser

Come and join us in support of the Friends of NRA!

This year the Friends of NRA generously awarded over $27,000 to Camps Josepho, Emerald Bay, and Whitsett to strengthen their extraordinary shooting programs. This support enabled us to serve nearly 10,000 youth. On September 10, 2011 the Friends of NRA are holding their 6th annual fundraiser. Please come and help support an organization that has done so much to support our camps and the youth they serve.

Friends of NRA
6th Annual Fundraiser
on behalf of the NRA Foundation

Saturday, September 10, 2011
Ronald Reagan Presidential Library
40 Presidential Drive, Simi Valley, CA 93065

The event begins at 5:00 PM, but participants are welcome to visit the museum prior to the event.

For more information, please see the flyer, or contact NRA Field Representative Mike Davis at (714) 368-0451 or mdavis@nrahq.org or Shawn Halbert at (818) 933-0130 or camping@bsa-la.org

Help save McGrath State Beach

As you are probably well aware, McGrath State Beach/Park, located in Ventura, is slated for closure on September 6th due to budgetary constraints.  This is a beloved location for Scouts from all over Southern California.  In today's Los Angeles Times is an article about a way in which the park could receive the funding that it needs in order to be spared.  Coca-Cola has a contest for voting for America's Favorite Park, and currently, McGrath is #6.  We need to record as many votes as possible to preserve this beloved Scouting venue.


When the map pops up, enter "McGrath" in the search line, then click on the voting button to register the vote.

Not only should Scouters vote, but all friends, family and acquaintances.  Time is of the essence, so please encourage everyone to vote today.

Yours in Scouting,

Jay Kenney
Assistant Scoutmaster
Troop 1, West Los Angeles

Monday, August 29, 2011

WLACC August 2011 camping newsletter

Early registration special!

Camp Emerald Bay and Camp Whitsett are now accepting registra­tions for the summer of 2012! As an incentive to units who register early, we are keeping 2011's prices constant until September 15th. On September 15th, prices for Camp Emerald Bay will increase to keep pace with rising costs. We want as many troops as possible to take advantage of the discount, so register now! To register for Emerald Bay, please visit www.campemeraldbay.org, for Whitsett please visit www.campwhitsett.org

Sailing at Emerald Bay

Camp Emerald Bay's sailing program received a boost in 2011 thanks to a grant from the Johnson Foundation that allowed for the purchase of new gear and equipment to help fund the program. In the past five years, over 1,000 Scouts have learned to sail at Emerald Bay, and this grant will help extend this wonderful program to many more. For more information about sailing and other merit badges at Camp Emerald Bay, please visit www.campemeraldbay.org

Year-round adventure

Emerald Bay, Josepho, and Whitsett all offer myriad opportunities for excitement and adventure year-round. Whether it is with your troop, school, youth group, or even your family, opportunities abound to visit camp throughout the year. With programs designed to suit groups of all sizes, Emerald Bay and Whitsett make unforgettable destinations for all kinds of events. Come and experience all the fun that camp has to offer without having to wait for next summer! To learn more about Emerald Bay's year-round programs, please visit www.campemeraldbay.org, to learn more about Whitsett's visit www.campwhitsett.org and for Josepho's please visit www.bsa-la.org

Cub Scout camping programs

Camp Emerald Bay, Camp Whitsett, and Camp Josepho all offer camping opportunities for Cubs and Cub packs. Start planning now to ensure you don't miss out on any. Camp Whitsett has Cub Weekends on Memorial Day and each August, in addition to a Webelos summer camp in July. Camp Josepho hosts two sessions of Webelos resident camp each summer and four Cub Family weekends throughout the year. Camp Emerald Bay hosts a Cub Family weekend each March and November. Each of these events offers wonderful opportunities to acquaint your Cub Scout with camping and teach them about all Scouting can offer. To learn more, please visit www.bsa-la.org

Questions or comments? Email us at camping@bsa-la.org or call (818) 933-0130

Saturday, August 27, 2011

In memory: Vinnie Ruggieri, 1950 - 2011

(Thursday, August 25, 2011)

Vinnie Ruggieri, a close friend, my mentor, and a great Scouter, has passed on last night. Words can not convey what he has meant to Scouts and Scouting in our District and Council. We would need a book to list not only his accomplishments for Scouting, but his love for Scouting and the Scouts. Keep Joel, Stella and his family in your prayers.

With great sadness, Paul Oliver



(Thursday, August 25, 2011)

Friends, it is with unspeakable sadness that I share the news of the death of Vinnie Ruggieri. Vinnie was recently hospitalized for internal discomfort and passed away at the hospital late last night.

I spoke with both Keith Taylor and Brian Eget a short time ago. The family has decided that, in lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the WLACC Boy Scouts. Direct any contributions to our local office, attention Keith Taylor.

He was one of the kindest, generous, most thoughtful man I have ever met. We will all miss him. He's with his Mom!

Jim Rushton



(Saturday, August 27, 2011)

To all in Scouting,

As most of you know, a great friend and great Scouter, Vinnie Ruggieri, passed away on Wednesday evening. He leaves an empty space in our hearts and in Scouts that cannot be filled. We will be able to pay our respects and share our memories at 12 Noon on Saturday, September 3rd, 2011. His services will be held at Forrest Lawn Memorial Park in the Hollywood Hills, 6300 Forrest Lawn Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90068.


Everyone is invited to attend, and for those attending, please come in your Scout uniform. There is no better tribute than to proudly wear your full Class A Boy Scout uniform. The family requests that you send an e-mail response confirming your attendance so appropriate arrangements can be made. Please e-mail me at pauloliver@roadrunner.com It is critical to get your response ASAP.

All of us who know Vinnie know of his great love for Scouting and our Scouts. The family asks that no flowers be sent, but instead donations be made to help support that great love, the Boy Scouts of America. Please send any donations to the address below, and make sure you note it is for the Vinnie Ruggieri Memorial:

WLACC
Attn. Keith Taylor
16525 Sherman Way, Unit C-8
Van Nuys, CA 91406

We all have many memories of Vinnie, and the family is putting together a remembrance and would like you to contribute. Please write down your memories, stories, and include any pictures you may have, and send them to me at pauloliver@roadrunner.com Vinnie’s longtime friend Keith Taylor will be delivering the eulogy, and he would like to share some of your comments and stories. Your responses need to be sent as quickly as possible. Please respect the family and their privacy and do not contact them via phone or e-mail at this time.

The family asks that you forward this info to everyone in our Scouting community.

Thanks, Paul Oliver



Friday, August 26, 2011

September 10-11, 2011 - Camping/hiking at Mt. Whitney

If there is a troop that would like to go climb Mt. Whitney, I would ask that they have one adult and transportation from their troop. We will always have 2 deep, I just want a leader from the other troop that knows their boys.

Right now I think that we will have 4-5 extra permits, maybe more.

We will camp Friday September 10 at Whitney Portal and hike in Saturday, climb the peak Saturday morning and hike out the same day, returning Saturday night.

They will be responsible for their own food and transportation.

Permits are $5.00.

You can call me at (661) 675-7321 (cell) or (661) 944-3000 (home) - leave a message at both.

Thanks,

Garth
Troop 737

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

September 7, 2011 - Construction Explorer Post open house

We are excited to announce the formation of the first Construction Explorer Post in the state of California!

The open house meeting will be held on Wednesday, September 7, 2011 and will be open to males and females who are juniors and seniors in high school.


Best regards,

Brenda Bradford
Learning for Life Director
16525 Sherman Way C-8
Van Nuys, CA 91406
(818) 933-0121 phone
(818) 901-4890 fax

Monday, August 15, 2011

September 30 to October 2, 2011 - Catholic Scout Retreat

Put on your unit's 2011 calendar now!

Catholic Scout Retreat XX - 2011

When:

  • 5 pm Friday, September 30, 2011 to 11 am Sunday, October 2, 2011
  • Program starts promptly at 8 am Saturday morning.
  • Late arrivals should check in by 7:30 am Saturday morning.


Where:

Veteran's Memorial Park
Sylmar, California

Cost:

  • $25 per Scout
  • $20 for registrations postmarked by September 12


Registration and unit leader guide:

See our website

Questions:

Contact Maureen Brown at (323) 257-0067 or Maureen.Brown@ccsala.org

Spiritual High Adventure!

  • The theme of our 2011 Retreat is "Mission" and our patron is Blessed Junipero Serra, who was the founder of the California missions.
  • The annual Scout Retreat is for boys and girls of all ages, grades 1 to 12 in the Boy Scout, Girl Scout and Camp Fire programs, and for youth aged 14 to 20 in Venture Crew, Explorer and Sea Scout programs.
  • Visitors from all dioceses are always welcome.



September 10, 2011 - Robert Aguilar's Eagle project

Dear Scouting Family:

My name is Robert Aguilar, an Eagle candidate from Troop 513 in Santa Clarita.

I am requesting your assistance for my Eagle project at OLPH Church and School on September 10th, 2011 in creating an Emergency Preparedness Video.


OLPH and the Boy Scouts of America mean a great deal to me and have aided in my progression towards my journey to the rank of Eagle and towards becoming a man, so I have decided to give back.

For those interested in showcasing their unique abilities for the stage, I am in need of actors for multiple different scenes.

For those who wish to be involved in the magic behind the scenes, I am also in need of prop hands to aid in the setup of the scenes.

If you wish to be an actor, please let me know so I can send you one of the various scripts I have prepared.

Scouts participating will have the opportunity to get valuable first aid requirements signed off (from Tenderfoot to First Class) as well as receive a free first aid kit.

I am also in need of adult leaders for my project.

The more volunteers, the faster my Eagle project will get done.

All Scouts and leaders must be in Class A uniform.

Please assist me in my journey to Eagle, as I cannot do this alone.  Your participation will be put towards a wonderful cause and will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you so much for your help,

Robert Aguilar
Eagle Scout Candidate
Troop 513 - Santa Clarita, CA

Friday, August 5, 2011

October 29, 2011 - Annual Stoney Point clean-up

Can you believe it?  7 years of dedicated volunteerism and we are growing in numbers of volunteers and sponsors.

This is a way-in-advance notice, but I know many of you are planning your recreational agendas already. Please pass this on to all you friends, families and everyone you know so they can plan ahead also.

What started out as a Scout Den activity of 10 people has raised the bar in 2010 to over 100 dedicated and eco-friendly Scout Units, families, friends and many organizations such as REI Sporting Goods, which has been with us all along providing prizes, Leave No Trace educational classes and the forever coveted REI Stoney Point Clean Up shirts.

Scouting Venture Crew 921 Master Chef Randy will be serving hot dogs and all the fixings.

Like last year, we will pay our respects to those who have lost loved ones by cleaning and maintaining the Metrolink plaque that Crew 921 has adopted to keep it dignified and reverent since its inauguration in 2008.

We have also increased new sponsors that will facilitate off-street parking, bathrooms and funding for the event.

We are grateful to the Department of Public Works for providing trash bags, gloves, rakes and removing the mass amount of debris from the park.

As in years past, we thank CD12 District Councilman Greig Smith and now our newly elected Councilman Mitch Englander's office for their support and spreading the word.

Mother Nature will give back to you and your children the enjoyment of a landmark rock climbing mountain and hiking trail for the enjoyment for future generations long after we have passed through its trails.

When: Saturday, October 29 from 8:00 am till 11:00 am.

Then it's time to eat - compliments of our neighborhood councils that have also partnered with us in years past, donating coffee, chocolate and bagels and funding of the hot doggies after the ever popular photo shoot.

Please mark your calendars, tell your friends and community organizations that we are back again to rock, and let's see if we can top the attendance numbers beyond the years of past!

We will be having more interactive elements to this years clean-up and will also have special activities to thank all of you for your continued support and environmental stewardship.

A formal mass media announcement, press releases and posts on Facebook and other social networking site sites will also be included in our promotion program and will be released once we have all our rockers rolling.

If your organization would like to contribute or sponsor this event, please feel free to contact me at scoutingus@aol.com and we will include your organization or clubs in our final press packet.

See you on the hill!

Forever a Scout,
Les Salay
Crew 921
Unit Commissioner
scoutingus@aol.com

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

July 15-24, 2013 - National Scout Jamboree


Selection of adult leadership for the WLACC Contingent is currently underway with tour overviews for each unit to follow.  Choices of the unit you would like to be a part of will be granted on a first come, first served basis.

Please see the Scout Participant Qualifications below for details.

For the first time, Venturers are invited to be participants at the Jamboree!  Please see the Venturing Participant Qualifications below for details.

Regards,
Eric Miele
2013 National Scout Jamboree
Council Contingent Coordinator

Scout Participant Qualifications

  • Must have a current BSA membership with a Boy Scout troop or Varsity Scout team.
  • Must be at least First Class Scouts.
  • Must be at least 12 years of age by the first day of the jamboree or an 11 year old that has graduated the 6th grade, but has not reached their 18th birthday by the last day of the jamboree.
  • Be approved by the unit leader and local council.
  • Participate in a pre-jamboree training experience.
  • Have filed a Jamboree Personal Health and Medical record with the council jamboree committee before the pre-jamboree training.
  • Submit all registration fees per the local council's payment schedule.

Venturing Participant Qualifications

  • Must have a current BSA membership with a Venturing crew or ship.
  • Must have graduated the 8th grade or be at least 14 years of age by the first day of the jamboree, but have not reached their 21st birthday by the last day of the jamboree.
  • Participate in a pre-jamboree training experience.
  • Be approved by the unit leader and local council.
  • Have filed a Jamboree Personal Health and Medical record with the council jamboree committee before the pre-jamboree training.
  • Submit all registration fees per the local council's payment schedule.

Need information from archery / BB gun / rifle range masters

The Council Leadership Training Committee has been asked to put together a list of qualified Archery, BB Gun and Rifle Range Masters that can be made available to the Council camps and units.

To build this list, we need your assistance in getting the names and certifications of folks qualified. Specifically, the following information is needed:
  • Name, address, phone number, email address
  • Copies of the specific certification documents such as cards issued by Boy Scouts of America from National Camp School for Shooting Sports, Council or District Trainings for Cub Scout Archery or BB Guns, NRA for Rifle, USA Archery for Archery. The document copies can be PDF files sent electronically.

The contact information and documentation can be dropped off at a Council office marked "To the attention of Arthur Pinkers" or it may be emailed to arthurtscout@socal.rr.com for review and processing.

Each individual must turn in this information personally to their respective council office or send a scanned copy of their certifications personally, because they must show evidence of their qualification, aka cards, certificates, etc..

Thank you for your assistance,

Arthur Pinkers
W.L.A.C.C. Council Leadership Training Chair
Volunteer
(661) 263-3896

Monday, August 1, 2011

In memory: Randy Stoller, 1959 - 2011

WLACC Scouters,

Randy Howard Stoller passed away on Saturday, July 30, 2011 in the evening.

Services are being held at Eden Memorial Park (11500 Sepulveda Blvd., Mission Hills, CA 91345) at 11 am on Tuesday, August 2, 2011.

Randy will truly be missed.

Sincerely,
Christine Medina
Team Coordinator 1
Anna Ruggieri Service Center