| | | | | | | | The Bay-Lakes Council Service Center in Appleton will be closed on Monday, February 17, 2025,
in observance of President's Day. The Scout Shop is also closed on Mondays. | | | | | | Join Scouting and Win Amazing Prizes! Do you have friends who would love to join Scouting? Here’s your chance to invite them to become part of the adventure, and earn incredible rewards in the process! From March 1 - May 12, 2025, you can invite friends to join Scouting and if they register to join between those dates, you will be entered into a drawing for a variety of amazing prizes!
How It Works: - Invite a Friend to Join Scouting: Between March 1 and May 12, 2025. For each new youth member who registers (that you invited through the link), you will receive a Golden Ticket entry for a chance to win fantastic prizes!
- Each time a friend that you invited joins Scouting, you will earn one entry into the prize drawing. The more friends you refer, the more chances you have to win big!
- Attend Rokilio Experience for FREE: For every Golden Ticket earned, both the Scout who invites a new youth to join Scouting and the new youth member who joins, will get to attend the Rokilio Experience on May 17, 2025, for FREE! It’s an exciting day full of fun, activities, and great memories for everyone!
- Please note, to be eligible, all new youth members must be registered in the Bay-Lakes Council.
Exciting Prizes to Win. The prize drawing will be held at lunch time on May 17, 2025, during the Rokilio Experience at Camp Rokilio. Here’s a look at the incredible prizes up for grabs:
One Nintendo Switch Two Eureka Desert Canyon 6 tents One free session to Camp Rokilio Summer Camp (for both a youth and an adult) Two Drones Two Sleeping Bags and Hammocks
You do not have to be present at the drawing to win, so even if you’re not able to attend the Rokilio Experience, you can still claim a prize!
How to Get Started. It’s easy! Simply visit the official invitation form and fill out the details for yourself and your friends. The sooner you get started, the more chances you’ll have to win!
Don’t Miss Out! This is a fantastic opportunity to share the fun and excitement of Scouting with your friends and make lasting memories while earning some great prizes. Whether you’re looking forward to the Rokilio Experience or hoping to take home one of the incredible prizes, now is the time to act!
So, what are you waiting for? Start inviting your friends today and get ready for the adventure of a lifetime! | | | | | | | |
2025 Maple Syrup Season: Celebrate 20 years of Maple Syrup at Bear Paw Scout Camp. Family, fun, and advancement opportunities this winter! bearpawmaplesyrup.com
| | Maple Syrup Days Open House: Join us on Saturday, March 22 2025, and explore camp and participate in activities for families with Cub Scout aged children (5-11 years old). Events include a pancake toss, leather working, tree tapping, pudgie pie making, pinecone bird feeder construction, and more. Register as a family, Den, or as an entire Pack! This event is open to the public and walk-in registrations welcome. $15 Admission includes a pancake & sausage brunch with Bear Paw's very own maple syrup! Maple Syrup Days: Maple Syrup Days will take place Saturday, March 29 and April 5, 2025. These single day programs are designed for Scout aged youth (6th grade and up). The First Year program encompasses the maple syrup process from tree to table. From history, sap collection, evaporation, and bottling, Scouts participate in each activity in a “round-robin” style. The Advanced Program offers Merit Badges and in-depth sessions about syrup production. Badges include Forestry, Entrepreneurship, Plant Science, and Engineering. Scouts returning to the program have options to learn more about maple sap collection, maple stand management, cooking with maple syrup, maple syrup confections, water chemistry, and syrup grading. The $30 admission includes breakfast, lunch, commemorative patch, and custom labeled 8 oz. bottle of Bear Paw Maple Syrup.
| | | | | | | | Our spring product sale kicks off again with Terra Verde coffee on April 1, 2025. Contact Kallee Kissling if you have any questions. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Scouting’s flagship event is one-of-a-kind. It’s a gathering of tens of thousands of Scouts, leaders, and Jamboree Service Team members that showcases everything that is great about the Boy Scouts of America. Over the course of 10 summer days, once every four years, the Boy Scouts of America gathers together. Scouts and Scouters who attend will explore all kinds of adventures—stadium shows, pioneer village, Mount Jack hikes, adventure sports and more—in the heart of one of nature’s greatest playgrounds. With 10,000 acres at the Summit to explore, there’s no shortage of opportunities to build Scouting memories. Bay-Lakes Council will be forming a contingent of Scouts and Venturers to attend the 2026 Jamboree. The contingent is considering travel and touring options. Fees for Council contingent members is not finalized and will depend on costs for travel and touring. It is estimated that the cost will be $2,750 to $2,950 for contingent members. Youth and adult leaders interested in joining the Bay-Lakes Council contingent as a participant or leader can use the link below to fill out an interest form. Those who complete the interest form will be invited to help decide our travel and touring options. We will keep you informed about Jamboree planning and let you know when local registration for the contingent is open. Those interested in serving as a member of the Jamboree Service Team (JST/staff), are encouraged to apply now. Bay-Lakes Council Jamboree contact is Mike Mailand. | | | | | | | | Join us in congratulating these recent Bay-Lakes Council Eagle Scouts: | | Anne Eibes, Troop 4626, Slinger, WI, Kettle Country District Nick LaFond, Troop 1041, Green Bay, WI, Voyageur District Arrah Markohn, Troop 6780, West Bend, WI, Kettle Country District Randee Mooney, 177, Greenville, WI, Gathering Waters District Nigel Walls, Troop 840, Grafton, WI, Kettle Country District Braven Wilson, Troop 825, Howards Grove, WI, Lakeshore District | | | | We feature those Eagles who submit their Eagle Board of Review news. Please send an email to Warren Kraft or use our Submit A Story Link and help us continue to tell the great stories of Scouting. | | | | | | It seems that the only constant these days is change! We are in the midst of change all the time, and honestly, if you think about it, we always have been. Our Gulf of Mexico is now officially the Gulf of America, at least in the United States. I recently received communication from AT&T that land lines would be phased out as most people now use cellular phones instead. Amazon has changed the way many people shop and the retail landscape is in a state of constant change. An old friend used to say “change is good” in the face of significant change, and in truth, change represents progress and the human effort to strive toward a better future. So it is with the BSA as we launch our new identity as Scouting America. So, what’s in a name and why does it matter? | | | | | | | | The definition seems simple--birthday: an anniversary of a birth. In our family, there are three of them this month: our daughter and son-in-law, and mine. The other evening, I told the grandsons that mine came first in the month because I was the oldest. After a few moments, the 5th grader remarked that must be true because dad's also came before mom's, but after mine. Another "Opa" tale remembered.
Birthdays are an opportunity to express gratitude, acknowledge growth, and celebrate life. They are a time to surround ourselves with loved ones, build deeper connections, and experience the joy of human connection. Plus cake and maybe presents, and even a party with friends. (Or the 15% coupon that appeared in my inbox from the Scout Shop!) Birthdays are a time for celebration, reflection, appreciation, and connection – all of which play an essential role in our lives.
This month is also Scouting's 115th birthday -- February 8. It is important because it marks the anniversary of the founding of the Scouting movement. It serves as a day to celebrate our history, values, and the positive impact it has had on young people by promoting character development, leadership skills, and citizenship training. Scouting is all about building confidence and self-esteem, learning important life skills and leadership skills, team building, outdoor adventure, education, and fun! Scouts learn how to make good choices and to take responsibility for their actions so that they are prepared for their adult life as independent persons.
Scouts can reflect on their faith during the entire month of February through celebrations known as Scout Sunday, Scout Sabbath and Scout Jumuah. Any weekend in February is appropriate for reminding your Scouts to focus on reverence--the 12th point of the Scout Law.
As Peter Tonon wrote a decade ago, "Break out your Scouting uniform and get ready to celebrate because this February you have plenty of reasons to flaunt your Scout pride."
See you on the trail (or around the birthday cake!)
Warren Kraft Program Development Bay-Lakes Council #635
| | | | | | | | Feedback: Have a thought or question? We'd love to hear from you. Please share your comments with us. It is easy; just reply to this email or send a message to guide@baylakesbsa.org. | | | | | | | | | |
