The Harlem Globetrotters will be in in Albuquerque on Friday, February 10th, 2012 @ 8PM at University Arena “The Pit” - UNM.  As this entertaining group travels the country, they are pleased to offer an exclusive ticket price to Scouts and their families & friends. Additionally, as you place your ticket order, you also have an opportunity to receive a free GLOBETROTTERS PATCH! Deadline to order: February 6, 2012

Don’t miss out on the high-flying action and non-stop excitement. With blazing ball-handling wizardry, mesmerizing gravity-defying dunks, side-splitting comedy and crowd interaction, the Globetrotters captivate both the young and the young at heart. Treat your pack or troop to a wholesome family entertainment experience that will create lifelong memories and always leaves fans smiling and cheering for more….the World Famous Harlem Globetrotters!

Click here to download the event flyer / registration form

Giveaway: The first 10 Scouts & Scouters that comment on this blog post / Facebook note / Tweet will receive Globetrotters wristbands. They will also track Scout ticket orders, and the 100th ticket purchased will receive an autographed basketball .

Note: If units plan to attend this event and wish to sit together, they need to order your tickets together.

Please join us in welcoming Caryl Sharpe to the Great Southwest Council staff!

A Scouter is considered trained for his or her Scouting position and eligible to wear the “Trained” emblem when they have completed the currently prescribed courses for that position.  At this time this includes Youth Protection Training, This is Scouting, and the Specifics training for their role.  For Scoutmasters, Coaches, and Advisors of outdoor program crews, Introduction to Outdoor Leader Skills is also necessary.  These courses are also included in the unit Journey to Excellence.

The BSA desires that leaders take the current training because as BSA program, policies, and practices evolve it is important that leaders stay current to provide the best, safest, and most consistent Scouting program for youth.

However, the BSA has long believed that a tenured leader does not need to retake “basic” training every time there is a new course – because through supplemental training, roundtables, Scouting magazine, and participation in activities, they can stay up to date with the current methods and practices of the program.

With the approval of the district training committee, Scouters who were fully trained under a previous “basic” training for their current role (and of course have completed Youth Protection Training within the past two years) may be given credit as “trained” if, in the opinion of the training committee, the Scouter has continued to stay up to date with the current methods and practices of the program.

These Scouters would be eligible to wear the Trained emblem, be considered “trained” in the unit Journey to Excellence, and would meet the training criteria of the various training awards for their position.  Entering the qualifying training courses and proper dates taken into the Scouter’s record in ScoutNET will also mark them as trained.

It is the desire of the National Training Committee that leaders take the current training to be sure that they have the up-to-date information related to their role.  While there may be a challenge getting tenured leaders to take the time to take a new course, in most cases these leaders can be excellent resources for the training committee to help put on Specifics or an outdoor skills course.  As an instructor they should be given credit for completion of the course.

We can never be “fully trained.”  There is always something to be learned, so we urge you to take advantage of training opportunities whenever they are available.

• John Merson, Sandia District
• John Goodrich, Northern New Mexico District
• Kathy Ferdig, Rio Grande District
• Jay Follett, Rio Grande District
• Mike Cox, Sandia District
• Barry Nelson, Rio Grande District
• David Sandison, Sandia District
• Dan Maxwell, Rio Grande District
• Catherine Higgins, Council
• Chip Stites, Council
• Ben Miller, Council

The Silver Beaver Award is the highest form of recognition that a council can bestow on a volunteer. It is awarded for noteworthy service of exceptional character to youth by registered Scouters within the Great Southwest Council.

Congratulations to each of these very deserving individuals! We look forward to celebrating their accomplishments at the Silver Beaver Awards Celebration and Council Annual Business Meeting on January 28, 2012. More details to come.

Our guest speaker for POW WOW will be Mr. Rudy Gonzalez from the Membership Impact Department at National. Mr. Gonzalez serves as a Membership Specialist on the Membership Recruitment Team where his primary mission is to provide tactical support to local councils in support of their membership growth and retention. Not only will he be our guest speaker for POW WOW, but he will also be offering an additional topic, “Membership Resources”, during the afternoon sessions.

Also it is not too late to take advantage of another course that was added to the offerings:

• Unit Commissioner Tips - This course is being taught by our Council Commissioner, Jim Kunz. Jim has served in many capacities as a volunteer as well as that of commissioner, and brings a lot of knowledge and experience to the table. Whether you are a new Unit Commissioner, or have served in this position for a while this course should be excellent.

If you are interested in attending either of these sessions in the afternoon and wish to swap out one of your afternoon tickets please email Kathy Ferdig directly at nmferdig@yahoo.com

If you have not yet registered to attend Pow Wow, you can click here to download the event registration form.

THE COUNTDOWN TO POW WOW IS WELL UNDERWAY! LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING YOU ON SATURDAY!

A Red Cross baby sitter course will teach:

• Leadership
• Home safety mitigation
• The “Business” of Babysitting
• First Aid
• CPR
• How to speak to adults
• How to conduct an interview
• How to write a resume
• Understanding kids age 1-10

A special price for Scouts attending this training: $65.00 per child
Questions? Contact Peggy Hesch at (505)930-9110 or peggyhesch@mac.com

• The Museum will host a temporary exhibit, TECH CITY, from February 4, 2012 through April 29, 2012.  TECH CITY is aonce in a life-time experience for students 8-13 years old.   All pre-registered groups of at least 10 students will pay a discounted admission cost of $5.00 per person. The exhibition promotes engineering as a problem-solving process and encourages youth to consider a career in engineering.  The exhibition includes 20 interactive stations where visitors solve the kind of real-world problems that engineers face through opportunities for designing, building, testing, and modifying their creations. The Museum will coordinate field trips for elementary and middle school students to schedule visits during the school day as well as provide access to curriculum materials for teachers.

• The 12^th annual Zoom into Engineering & Science on Saturday February 11, 2012 will showcase local engineers with additional activities to Tech City and opportunities for interviews.  ZOOM will be open from 10:00 AM-4:00 PM for families and groups.

Boy Scouts & Girl Scouts will have ample opportunity to work toward many advancement award requirements during both the TECH CITY exhibit & ZOOM event!

The Museum is anxious to work with the Boy Scout Organization so that the Scouts have the opportunity to take part in some exciting science activities. Please contact the Museum Director of Education if you have questions about any of their upcoming events or their activities and field-trips for Scouts:

Malva Knoll, Director of Education
National Museum of Nuclear Science & History
601 Eubank Blvd. SE
Albuquerque, NM 87123
505-245-2137 phone ext. 101
505-242-4537 fax
www.nuclearmuseum.org