"YOUR
IDEAL YEAR OF SCOUTING, POWERED BY  POPCORN"
2009 Popcorn Sale Begins September
25! The 2008 Popcorn Sale was fantastic!
Over 275 units (packs, troops and crews)
participated, selling nearly $1.1 million worth of
popcorn - our eighth year in a row that the
council has sold over $1 million. More
importantly, these units earned in excess of
$350,000 in unit commissions to support their
Scout's "Ideal Year." Help the Scouts in
your den, pack, patrol, troop, or crew have an
Ideal Year of Scouting by participating in this
year's popcorn sale. More and more Scouting
units utilize popcorn sales to raise funds for
equipment, activities, and other unit
needs.
So Scout's, parents and
leaders, "START YOUR ENGINES" and get ready for an
exciting sale!
For the entire article on the popcorn sale,
click HERE |
New Boy Scout Handbook: Some
Things Old, Some Things New!
The new Boy Scout Handbook features
illustrations from the previous editions, paired
with new photos showing how much Scouting has
changed-and stayed the same-over the past hundred
years. "This book, along with its online
component, is truly a guide to adventure and a
guidebook to life for 21st-century Scouts," said
Joe Glasscock from the Volunteer Development team,
who served as project director.
In addition to up-to-date content on
everything from geocaching to Internet safety, the
new Handbook boasts several firsts:
updates,
and links to additional information.
An
application for the iPhone and iPod Touch (coming
in September) that will make
Handbook content available for Scouts on the
go.
A
Spanish-language version (coming in December)
designed to meet the needs of
America's growing Hispanic population.
The new edition is also the greenest
Handbook to date. The new book's interior pages
are printed on 100 percent post-consumer recycled
stock, while the covers are printed on
mixed-source stock that contains at least 30
percent recycled wood or fiber. The Forest
Stewardship Council, the Chlorine Free Products
Association, and EcoLogo have all given the book
their seal of approval.
If you haven't done so already, pick up a
copy to share at your next Boy Scout roundtable.
And if you have Internet access where your
roundtable meets, take a few minutes to show your
volunteers the Handbook Web site, www.bsahandbook.org.
__________________
Written by Mark Ray. Before becoming a
freelance writer, Mark worked as a youth-serving
executive in Florida and
Kentucky.
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 Blue Ridge Mountains Council
Welcomes
New Program Specialist for
Multicultural Initiatives in Martinsville and
Henry County
From the age of 13, Kelvin Edwards,
Jr. has been a dedicated Boy Scout. Now, he will
utilize the leadership skills he has learned to
enhance and expand Boy Scouting programs in
Martinsville and Henry
Counties.
Edwards officially began
his role as Program Specialist for
Multicultural Initiatives in Martinsville and
Henry County on Monday, August 21, 2009. A native
of Franklin County, Edwards first became familiar
to Scouting at 13 years old, when he participated
as a Police Explorer. By the following summer,
Scout Leaders had taken notice of his leadership
potential, and asked that he consider working the
Boy Scout Summer Camp for 6 weeks of summer. Being
an African-American raised in a metropolitan
environment, he was skeptical of the entire
camping experience. "It changed my life for the
better," said Edwards. "I gained a family at Camp.
It taught me so much about myself, and about my
own capabilities. It has made me want to dedicate
my life to Scouting. I have seen first-hand the
empowerment these programs
provide."
Edwards has worked the
summer camp season at the Blue Ridge Mountains
Scout Reservation for several years, serving at
the Trading Post, the Dining Hall, Zip Line,
Waterfront, or where ever he was needed most. At
18, Edwards served as Scoutmaster for Troop 51 in
Salem.
Edwards is most looking
forward to marketing Scouting Programs and
recruiting Scouts from underserved populations. "I
want to offer them something new- something out of
their routine. I want to provide them with
positive role models and challenge them. I want to
provide them with the same self-confidence and
empowerment that Scouting has given me. Boy
Scouting motivated me to be what I am, and now I
am excited to provide the same opportunities to
others."
In Edwards' new role, his
goals will include enhancing and expanding
Scouting opportunities for diverse or economically
challenged populations in Martinsville and Henry
Counties. The full-time position is generously
funded through a grant from the Harvest Foundation
in Martinsville, Virginia. (http://www.theharvestfoundation.org/) |
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Spookoree
2009 
Cub Scouts of
the Blue Ridge Mountains Council, get ready for a
2009 Spookoree full of action and adventure!
Our theme for 2009 is Jedi's in training... which
means its time to travel to galaxies far away and
stand up for everything that's good in the
universe. Each of us is equipped with
everything we need to use the force: solid values
and a sound mind. At your Spook-o-ree, we
will train you on how to use the Force to it's
fullest potential, and even give you some special
tools to use in your training. There will be
special Jedi crafts, games, obstacle courses, as
well as Jedi nourishment to give you the fuel
and energy you need along the way. For more
information about the training on your planet,
click HERE for the registration flyer.
May the force be with
you! -
Obi-Dempsey |
 Leave No Trace
Training
On the weekend of August
21-23, 10 Scouts and Scouters attended a Leave
No Trace Trainer Course at Camp
Powhatan. They learned the basic principles
of Leave No Trace, and experienced,
practiced and learned to teach Leave No
Trace ethics as they hiked and camped. Now
these individuals, along with many others before
them, will go out into our Packs, Troops, and
Crews and help to instill an awareness of our
behavior and a commitment to the care of the
outdoors. We extend our thanks to these
participants for giving their time to learn and
share Leave no Trace.
Pictured left to right: Forest
Kiger, Lucas Snipes, Judie Snipes, James Plott,
Vincent Miller, Ben Webster, Tim Burge, Nicolette
Mann & Judy Mann. Not pictured, John
McLaughlin. Kneeling: Susan McKimmy & Joe
Roudabush, instructors.
____________________From the Council Outdoor
Ethics Advocate__________________
As the new Council Outdoor Ethics
Advocate, I am tasked to coordinate the local
council's Leave No Trace training and similar
outdoor ethics programs for BSA youth and adult
members. This training is meant to enrich the
Scouting experience for the members, help reduce
our impact on the land consistent with Scouting's
historic message, and help ensure continuing
access to public lands for Scouting purposes. With
this in mind, I need your help! Please help me
Plan Ahead and Prepare by emailing me your
information if you have taken the Master Educator
training or the Trainer course. This information
will be useful to help keep you up to date in
Leave No Trace, (ie: new information, new
materials or ideas). If you are currently involved
in teaching Leave No Trace, let me know what you
are doing. You may have had some experiences or
successes in your presentations that we would like
to share with others. Send me a short
overview on when, where, what and who you may have
shared Leave No Trace with. My email address is JcanoeR@aol.com. Thank you.
Joe
Roudabush |
2010 Rank Requirement Changes
The centennial edition of the Boy Scout
Handbook will soon be available, and with the new
handbook come several rank requirement changes
that will be in effect as of January 1,
2010.
Tenderfoot
A Scout must teach another
person how to tie a square knot using the EDGE
model (explain, demonstrate, guide, and enable).
He must also be able to discuss four specific
examples of how he lived the points of the Scout
Law in his daily life.
Second Class
A Scout must discuss the
principles of Leave No Trace and explain the
factors to consider when choosing a patrol site
and where to pitch a tent.
He must explain what respect
is due the flag of the United States.
He must again discuss four
examples of how he lived four different points of
the Scout Law in his daily life.
He must earn an amount of
money agreed upon by the Scout and his parents and
save at least 50 percent of it.
First Class
An additional requirement to
the 10 separate troop/patrol activities states he
must demonstrate the principles of Leave No Trace
on these outings.
He must discuss four more
examples of how he lived the remaining four points
of the Scout Law in his daily
life.
Life
A Scout must use the EDGE
model to teach a younger Scout a specified
skill.
Star, Life, and Eagle
Troop Webmaster and
Leave No Trace trainer are two new leadership
positions.
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The Wood Badge Experience
2010- Be There! By Lucas
Snipes
It is our privilege to announce that Mr.
Dan Grubb of Pulaski has been selected to serve as
the 2010 Course Director for the Blue Ridge
Mountains Council's Wood Badge course to be held
at Camp Powhatan.
Dan Grubb, Wood
Badge SR-612, has been a member of the staff of
the last 5 Wood Badge courses filling a
variety of different roles. Close to home, Dan has
served Troop 249 for 12 years as a Committee
member. For his District, he has served as Finance
Chair and District Chairman. At the Council level
Dan has been Advancement Committee Chairman, VP of
District Operations, and most recently VP of
Programs for the past 3 years. He recently
retired after 33 years and many leadership roles
with Volvo Truck Corporation in
Dublin.
A gentleman with a strong
commitment to Scouting, Mr. Grubb accepted
the appointment by noting, "The Wood Badge
Course is ultimately the best Leadership program
that I have ever been exposed to in my
professional or Scouting career. In addition
to the Scouting skills and philosophy that you
learn to apply within your unit; you leave with a
"toolbox" of knowledge, practical experience and
confidence to use in your personal life and your
community when working with others to accomplish
goals. I firmly believe that it is our role
as believers and leaders in the Scouting movement
to cascade our philosophy and vision to others
within our communities to support our programs and
doctrine."
Through your Wood Badge Experience
you will be able to "walk the talk" that will
demonstrate to others your commitment and passion
for our Scouting program. The spirit, teamwork and
personal growth that you will gain by networking
and learning with a group of dedicated adults that
are enrolled because "they believe" is
unsurpassed! The enthusiasm is
contagious and I encourage you to be a part of
it!
Wood Badge 2010 will be held at
Camp Powhatan over two, 3-day weekends
April
30-May 2 and May 22-24,
2010 |
Boys' Life Magazine "Join
Scouting" Video Contest 
Do you love Scouting? Want your friends to
join? Make a commercial to encourage your friends
to Join Scouting, and you could win a great
prize.HOW CAN I
PARTICIPATE?
� Submit a video no
more than one minute long to the Join Scouting
video contest before Sep. 15, 2009.
� Watch
the Join Scouting videos and come back after Sep.
16, 2009, to choose your favorites.
�
Finalists will be determined by the number of
votes received between Sep. 16 and Sep. 30,
2009.
� The winning videos will be
announced in September.
WHAT CAN
I WIN?
� The top winner in each
category will receive a 13" MacBook 2.0GHz laptop
computer.
� The second-place winner in each
category will receive a 8GB iPod Touch.
�
The third-place winner in each category will
receive a $100 iTunes gift card.
�
Remember, many people will enter, but only a few
will win.
WHO IS
ELIGIBLE?
Any registered Cub
Scout, Boy Scout, Varsity Scout or Venturers can
enter.
For complete details, click
HERE |
"A Year of
Celebration" Patches NOW
AVAILABLE!
For 100 years, the Boy Scouts of
America has created a strong foundation of
leadership, service, and community for millions of
America's youth. Through A Year of Celebration, A
Century of Making a Difference, we will
demonstrate the incredible impact of a century of
living the Scout
Law.
A Year of Celebration
will take place from September 1, 2009 through
December 31, 2010, and is open to all Cub Scouts,
Boy Scouts, Venturers, and Scouting
alumni.
- Earn the
ribbons by completing 3 requirements in each of 5
categories - character, leadership, service,
outdoors, and achievement (click HERE
for requirements)
- Patches are
available at the Scout Shop - challenge your unit
to join the Centennial Celebration by handing out
the patches early
- Ribbons can be
purchased after the completed requirements are
reported on-line (click
HERE)
- Start planning NOW
to help your members earn their ribbons, celebrate
our first 100 years of Scouting, and launch a
second century of service and
leadership
To learn more, click HERE.
This
Month: Focus on
SERVICE
Scouting's contribution to society is
most visible in the movement's commitment to
community service. Service is interwoven into many
of Scouting's honors and is mandatory for earning
the higher rank advancements. Through service,
Scouts demonstrate that they provide an essential
function to their communities.
The Year of Celebration Community Service
Award rewards recipients for providing time and
resources at no charge for the good of their local
community. More than just engaging in service, the
award recipient must also share their thoughts
about why service is crucial to our society and
how Scouts today fulfill a 100-year-old legacy of
serving communities.
Over the years, the Boys Scouts of
America has partnered with several national
organizations to accomplish some great service
projects. If you are looking for service project
ideas, consider the following
options:
Nothing But Nets- NEW
Partnership- Click HERE
Scouting For Food
Habitat for Humanity
Our National Parks
American Red Cross
Arbor Day Foundation
Take Pride in America
The Salvation Army
Cell Phones for Soldiers
Preserve Our Waterways
2010 US Census
Complete three of the five
requirements in each category to earn that award.
Make sure that all service hours are recorded
online for Good Turn For
America. |
Blue Ridge Mountains
Council...now on Facebook and
Twitter!
The Blue Ridge Mountains Council can
now be found on Facebook and on Twitter! So, "friend" or "follow" us
today!
|
Boy Scouts of
America-How YOU Can Participate in the
Centennial
Celebration!
National Hall of
Leadership
The BSA 100th Anniversary National Hall of
Leadership provides a one-time opportunity for you
to honor and recognize a Scouting leader who
positively impacted your life, or the lives of
others. The nomination period is open for one
year, from February 8, 2009 to February 8, 2010,
so nominate someone today by clicking HERE!
Generations
Connection
For 100 years, Scouting has given American
families opportunities to build memories, share
experiences, and develop strong values. We invite
all Scouting families to share your stories and
continue the tradition. For those families with a
tradition of Scouting, you can celebrate your
family with the 100th Anniversary Generations
Connection program! You can share your family
history, trace your Scouting ancestry, plan a
family celebration, or create a group activity. To
join in... click HERE.
Alumni
Connection
We're inviting our alumni
to come back, make a new connection, and get
involved with Scouting programs once again. At www.BSAalumni.org, Scouting alumno can find friends
and mentors, add photos and stories to the growing
BSA 100th Anniversary online Scrapbook, and more!
Anyone who is, or has ever been, active with the
BSA is invited - from former Scouts to the
millions of Scouting supporters accross
America. | |
CAMPAIGN RESULTS
2009 FRIENDS OF SCOUTING
REACHES NEW
RECORD!!!
Steve Clinton, Council Friends of
Scouting Chairman, has reported that the Council
finished the campaign on August 31 in strong
fashion by raising $917,036 - a new council
fundraising record! In making the
announcement, Clinton stated, "We are pleased
about how we ended the campaign. This has
been a challenging fundraising year and for us to
surpass last year's effort and set a record is
quite an accomplishment. Our district
volunteer FOS teams and professional staff have
done an outstanding job of making sure that
everyone had an opportunity to support
Scouting."
|
Philmont
2010- now taking
registrations! 
The plans for the BRMC Philmont Trek
for 2010 are complete and the event is now open
for registration! Come and celebrate the Boy
Scout's Centennial anniversary with us... it's the
experience of a lifetime, the highlight of
Scouting!
Click HERE to visit our website
for more
details! |
It's Not Too
Late to Register for the National Jamboree
2010
The
2010 National Jamboree still has
openings!
The 100th
anniversary of BSA is continuing its celebration
at the 2010 National Scout Jamboree.
Over 45,000 scouts and scouters will be on hand to
celebrate this event. Be part of the
jamboree
The Blue Ridge Mountains
Council contingent is taking 4 troops and still
has room for a few more boys in its contingent to
the 2010 National Jamboree.
The
Jamboree will be held from July 26th until August
4th at fort AP Hill near Richmond
Virginia. If you . know of any boys who
would like to participate, please help them
register online at www.myscouting.org, and
complete a Jamboree
Application.
|
 DANIEL CARTER BEARD MASONIC
SCOUTER AWARD PRESENTED TO RAY
EADES
Ray Eades of the Big Lick District
was presented with the Daniel Carter Beard Masonic
Scouter's Award on August 13, 2009 by Lakeland
lodge #190.
The award was presented
by the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania. The
award is given for supporting the development of
Scouting Units, assisting lodges in forming units,
exemplifying the Scout Law and Masonic Virtues,
recruiting Scouting volunteers, and strengthening
the relationship between Freemasonry and
Scouting.
Ray is an Assistant
District Commissioner for Big Lick and serves on
the Executive Board of the Blue Ridge Mountains
Council.
Ray has served as a
Cubmaster for Pack 236 and Scoutmaster for Troop
236. He is also a Campmaster for the
Blue Ridge Scout Reservation. He
has also served in many positions in the Big Lick
District.
Ray has been a member of
the Mason's since 1968. He is also a member
of the Kazim Motor Patrol.
Only a
very few of these awards are given out. To
date only six have been given and 2 are members of
the Blue Ridge Mountains
Council. |
2010 Eagle Club Dinner Keynote
Speaker 
Thursday, February 18,
2010
Hotel Roanoke &
Conference Center
Keynote Speaker- Eagle Scout,
Alvin Townley.
The Keynote speaker will be
author and Eagle Scout, Alvin Townley. A
brotherhood member of the Order of the Arrow, he
completed high adventure treks at Philmont Scout
Ranch, Northern Tier Canoe Base, and the Florida
Sea Base. To learn more about Mr.
Townley, click HERE. |
Scout Night
with the Lynchburg
Hillcats 
Troop 3160 of Evington,
VA presented the opening flag
ceremony for The Lynchburg Hillcats on
August 15, 2009. After the opening the boys got to
watch the game and Fireworks. They also met some
of the players. It was a fun night for
all.
Thanks to everyone who
came out and enjoyed Scout Night with the
Lynchburg Hillcats!
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Policy on Scout Participation in
Political
Events
With state and local
elections coming up in a couple of months it is a
good time to restate the BSA's long-standing
policy regarding the participation of Scouts in
political rallies and other political
events.
Uniformed unit members and leaders may
participate in flag ceremonies at political events
and may lead the Pledge of Allegiance; however,
they should retire after the ceremony and not
remain on the speakers' platform or in a
conspicuous location where television viewers
could construe their presence as an endorsement or
symbol of support. In addition, photos of
candidates or Scouts in uniform or BSA marks and
logos are not allowed in political campaign
materials of any
kind.
Volunteers and professionals must be alert to
situations that would imply that the BSA favors
one candidate over another. Strict observance of
our long-standing policy against the active
participation of uniformed Scouts and leaders in
political events is
mandatory. |
BRMC Scouts Enjoy Northern Tier
Trek 
Scouts from Troops 221, 51, 236
and 210 joined together for a Northern Tier Trek
in July. The Scouts knew one another from staffing
Foxfire over the years and they each wanted a
physically challenging high adventure
experience.
The crew started from Charles
S. Sommers base camp near Ely, MN in 3 canoes and
finished 130 miles in 6 days having completed the
Grand Portage starting in Lake Superior. Of the
130 miles roughly 14 miles was portaging which
meant carrying their 75 pound canoes over their
heads plus food and packs.
After resting in base camp for a day the crew
then completed the Dairy Queen Challenge which was
a 51 mile round trip trek by canoe to the nearest
DQ where they ate hamburgers and banana splits
before returning to camp. 16 of the 51 miles was
portaging. The real challenge of this leg of the
trip was that it had to be completed within 24
hours and they completed it in 16 hours!
Parker Vascik, Riley Newsom, Elliot George
and Andy Conley have all earned the Triple Crown.
This award is for scouts who have completed all
three National BSA High Adventure Camps: Northern
Tier, Philmont and Seabase.
Left
to right in photo: Bob George, Andy Conley, Elliot
George, Riley Newsom, Stewart Hundley, Eric
Hassler (guide), Eric Kessler, Parker Vascik, Jim
Vascik. |
|
About the NEW Ridge
Runner!
The Ridge Runner is the
newsletter of the Blue Ridge Mountains Council,
Boy Scouts of America. The Ridge Runner has been a
favorite among our Scout families and
stakeholders, and we believe it is a crucial tool
to help us keep everyone informed. In an effort to
be good stewards of our environment and save
resources, we believe that taking the Ridge Runner
into an electronic format will reduce our
environmental footprint, and reduce our
costs.
To provide feedback, click
HERE, or call us at (540)
265-0656. If you would prefer to receive a printed
copy of the Ridge Runner by mail, please call the
service center at (540) 265-0656. Please be sure
to forward the Ridge Runner to friends and family,
and encourage them to join our mailing list by
clicking the "Join Our Mailing List!"
button in the right column of this
newsletter.
Be sure to check our website
(www.bsa-brmc.org) regularly for your district
news.
Occasionally there will be a
need for us to provide you with information that
is timely and pertinent. As those issues occur, we
will send out a "BRMC Newsflash" e-mail message in
an effort to keep you better informed.
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Most Recent
District News
|
Regular Features
Council Calendar
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Don't Forget
to click
here 
to join our mailing
list! |
OA Fall Ordeal
Sept. 11-13
Camp Powhatan
Wilderness First
Aid
Sept. 18-20
Claytor Lake Adv. Base
Raider on the New
(JROTC Event)
Oct. 2-3
Powhatan/New River
OA Fall
Fellowship
Oct 9-11
Camp Powhatan
Campmaster
Training
Oct. 10. (1-4)
Camp Powhatan
Cub Scout
Troutoree
Oct. 16-18
Camp Powhatan
Campmaster Committee
Meeting
Oct. 20 (7pm)
Service Center
Boy Scout
Troutoree
Oct. 23-25
Camp
Powhatan |
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Volunteers
Needed!
Throughout the year, the
Council sends out quite a few mailings to youth and
volunteers; from Scouts on Skis, district events,
Council Annual Dinner announcement, popcorn sales, and
many others. We also have packets to stuff and other
multitask projects that can require the assistance of
volunteer help. If you are available for an hour, half a
day, or more, and can help from time to time as needed,
we would greatly appreciate your assistance. Please
contact Ed Harriman at edh@bsa-brmc.org at the Council
Service Center and provide your name, phone number and
times you are available so that we may call on you in
the future to assist us. Than you in advance for your
help and
consideration. |
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"Thank you for supporting your
local United Way"
"The Blue Ridge Mountains
Council is a partner agency of the -
United Way of
Roanoke Valley
United Way of Central
Virginia
Danville-Pittsylvania County United
Way
United Way of Franklin County
United Way of
Henry County and Martinsville
United Way of
Montgomery, Radford & Floyd
Halifax United
Way
Pulaski County United Way
United Way of Smyth
County
Twin County County United Way
United Way of
Wythe County |
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