Aquila District Roundtable

November 9, 2017  |  7:00 - 9:00 pm

Roundtable is a district monthly meeting typically held the second Thursday of the month at 7:00 pm at Bellaire United Methodist Church (4417 Bellaire Blvd., Bellaire, TX 77401) 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.

Donations of new and gently uniforms for all programs are being collected at Roundtable through December.

Rocket Day

October 28, 2017   |   10:30 am 

All new Cub Scouts and their parents are invited to their first district Scouting event. Boys who join Cub Scouts this year will receive a rocket that they can design, build, and launch at Rocket Day. Boys in first through fifth grade who are interested in joining Scouting may also attend. We will help you find a pack near you and get signed up for Scouting.

The event is being held at St. Philip's United Methodist Church (5501 Beechnut St, Houston, TX 77096). Distribute the promotional placemat/ activity sheet to Scouts to remind them about the event. The half-day flier can be attached to the rockets.

Learn More and Register      Promotional Placemat     Half-Page Flier

Thunder Wolf District Webelos Woods: Apocalypse Scout

November 3-5, 2017  |  Camp Mauritz

Calling all 4th and 5th grade Webelos Scouts! Webelos Woods is a special weekend designed especially for Webelos Scouts (4th and 5th graders) to experience what awaits them in Boy Scouts. The Thunder Wolf District has invited the Aquila District to join their event. Webelos Scouts will have an opportunity to visit with Boy Scouts and the troop adult leaders. Webelos will work on adventures. Fourth grade Webelos will camp with a parent in a group camping area.  Fifth grade Webelos and at least one parent will camp with a host troop. The late fee begins October 30, 2017; patches are not guaranteed for late registrations. Registration closes November 1, 2017; there is no onsite registration.

Webelos Woods Information

Friends of Scouting

2015 FOS CSPFriends of Scouting is an opportunity for families, friends, alumni, businesses and community organizations to support Scouting. The $24 registration fee goes directly to the national office of the Boy Scouts of America. If a Scout unit collects dues, that money stays with the unit to help pay for supplies, advancements and other activities. None of that money helps the Sam Houston Area Council. In order to keep Scouting affordable for all youth, the council runs an annual Friends of Scouting fundraising campaign.

Friends of Scouting helps:

  • Recruit and train youth and leaders
  • Provide assistance to those in need
  • Keep camps and activities affordable
  • Enhance programming and facilities
  • Provide communication tools for volunteer leaders

Friends of Scouting contributions provide approximately 24 percent of the support the council receives each year. The success of Scouting depends on those who support it. Please help Scouting provide the resources necessary to make sure every youth can benefit from Scouting’s fun, exciting, adventure-filled activities that foster character, honesty, respect and life-long values.

Unit Leaders: Each unit is requested to hold a FOS presentation at your unit’s biggest gathering (typically the blue and gold banquet or a troop court of honor) during the months of February through May. The presentation, which takes approximately seven minutes to conduct, informs parents and leaders of all council services, its financial needs and extends an opportunity to help fulfill the need. Please sign up for a presentation.

 Donate               Sign up for FOS presentation

Popcorn Sales

Hundreds of thousands of dollars go back to the Scouting program in the Sam Houston Area Council as a result of the annual popcorn sale. 70% of all dollars collected during the sale support local Scouting. The popcorn sale is a way for a Scout to support his or her way through the various activities during the year. There are three options to sell popcorn: traditional take order sales, sell online to friends and family out of town and show-n-sell. New for this year, units that sell over $12,000 will receive free home popcorn delivery. For more information, contact the district popcorn kernel, Jennifer Kelley.

Learn More   

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

The Scouting Trail

The Scouting Trail is a monthly handout provided to units at roundtable describing upcoming council events for the next quarter. 
This is a great resource for Scouters and parents.

Philmont Advisor Skills School (PASS)

December 9 or 10, 2017

Philmont Advisor Skills School (PASS) is designed to help prepare Philmont advisors to lead a successful trek. PASS is an 8-hour course taught by experiences Philmont staffers that covers backcountry and logistical fundamentals of Philmont. Participants will enjoy a trail lunch and sample a trail dinner in between training sessions. At the conclusion of the course, advisors will receive PASS materials to share with crew members. The December 9th course will be held at Camp Brosig and the December 10th course will be held at the Cockrell Scout Center. The cost is $40.

Learn More and Register

Winter Camp

December 26-31, 2017

Winter Camp is a wonderful opportunity for troops to camp and Boy Scouts to earn merit badges. Merit badge classes are taught by Scouters with real-life experiences in the field. The 32nd annual winter camp will be held at Bovay Scout Ranch (3450 County 317, Navasota, TX 77868), just 3 miles outside of Navasota, TX. Over 50 merit badge classes are offered, including many merit badges that are not normally offered at summer camp.

Learn More and Register

National Youth Leadership Training (NYLT)

December 26 - 31, 2017

National Youth Leadership Training (NYLT) is an exciting, action-packed six-day council-level program designed to provide Boy Scouts and Venturers who are 13 years and older with leadership skills and experience they can use in their home units and in other situations demanding leadership of self and others. 

There is a mandatory orientation on December 3, 2017, for all participants and every youth on the waitlist. The fee for NYLT training is $225. The fee includes two t-shirts and one neckerchief; extra t-shirts can be ordered. Before registering, read the FAQs and have the unit leader information (name, address, phone, and email) available. 

Learn More and Register             NYLT Flier

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, you will have an opportunity to combine those skills and experiences in a career that values and respects others. Scouting is a profession with a purpose!  Check out the current openings at www.shac.org/employment.

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 Cub Scouts and Webelos.

Learn more about Scout Days