To Stake Presidents Friends of Scouting Drive - Fall, 2018 Suggestions for Stake Friends of Scouting Leadership Meetings - Utah National Parks Council
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To Stake Presidents Friends of Scouting Drive Fall, 2018 Suggestions for Stake Friends of Scouting Leadership Meetings (To be adapted by individual stakes) July 6, 2018
Stake President Role in 2018 FOS Drive Primary Responsibility: Oversee the Friends of Scouting drive in your stake; see Handbook 2, §13.6.8. Hold a Friends of Scouting leadership meeting in your stake to train stake and ward leaders with FOS assignments. Have regular return and report with ward leaders to ensure a successful campaign. You are well respected by the stakes you supervise. Please provide as strong an endorsement as you can to encourage them to follow the brethren and make this drive successful. July 8th – July 15th o Designate someone to oversee the FOS drive and communicate the name, position, and email address of that person to your coordinating council’s agent stake president. Elder Munk and the Council will provide regular communication to your designee. o Set a date, location, and overall plan for your stake’s Friends of Scouting leadership meeting to be held in August (see “Suggestions for Stake FOS Leadership Meetings”). Report the date, time, and location of this meeting to your agent stake president. o Bishops will receive an electronic copy of the FOS instruction packet from Elder Munk. o Ask bishops to call a ward FOS chair and ward FOS workers July 15th – July 29th o Invite the following to your stake FOS leadership meeting: stake presidency counselor, high counselor over Young Men, bishopric member from each ward, ward clerks, ward FOS chair, ward FOS workers, and your local professional Scouter. July 29th o Report to the agent stake president that invitations to the FOS leadership meeting have been sent to ward leaders. August o Hold your stake FOS leadership meeting (see “Suggestions for Stake FOS Leadership Meetings” enclosed). o Read the joint statement released on May 8, 2018 with an emphasis on remaining fully engaged, including through financial support. Make plans to accomplish the goal of visiting every household in the stake and providing a meaningful opportunity to contribute. Make sure each ward knows how to track donors and dollar amounts raised. Inspire those present to make a concerted effort to have a successful drive o Set a formal start and end date for your FOS drive. A time frame of two to three weeks is recommended. August 26th o Report to the agent stake president your plans and timeline for the FOS drive in your stake. September 2nd o Have wards hold individual training for any ward FOS workers not in attendance at the stake FOS leadership meeting. September 2nd, 16th, 30th, October 14th, 28th o Ensure that each ward is fully engaged in successfully completing their FOS drive following the instructions given. o Elder Munk will send regular reports of your stake’s progress in homes contacted and amount collected. Follow up with wards who are struggling or behind schedule to offer additional support and training. o Upon completion of the FOS drive in each of your wards, as determined by you in consultation with your bishops, report your completion to the agent stake president. o FOS resources available at www.utahscouts.org/FOS or through your local professional Scouter.
Suggestions for Stake FOS Leadership Meeting Agenda Prior to the meeting, have ward packets prepared to hand out to those in attendance. Welcome Stake Presidency Member Invocation By Invitation Could do hymn, pledge, Scout Oath and/or Law Introductory Remarks by stake president or counselor committed to Scouting, discussing doctrine, principles and applications regarding youth leadership and providing personal experiences with an appeal to all to work hard in conducting a successful FOS drive. You could also review Elder Christensen’s letter, Church statements and Elder Holland’s remarks, and FAQs from the Church and Utah National Parks Council (see supplemental documents* at the end of this packet). Ideas for a successful campaign • Vision – A successful campaign is one in which every family in the ward has a meaningful opportunity to give. • Best practices for a successful campaign o Ward FOS chair should assign each family in the ward to one of the FOS workers to visit individually. General announcements can be helpful to let people know the drive is starting, but are rarely effective in securing donations. o FOS workers should be positive about Scouting, outgoing, and willing to personally visit their assigned families. They should also be familiar with the materials in the ward packet and on utahscouts.org/fos so they can answer questions. FOS workers should also plan follow-up visits for those who are unavailable. o Regular return and report at all levels gives a ward the best chance of success. FOS workers should report their progress to the bishop, who will in turn report in an online survey to Elder Munk. Stake leaders will follow up with wards based on these reports. • Set up the timeline o Set a formal start and end date for your FOS drive. The Utah South Area drive goes from the beginning of September to the end of October. Ideally, your individual stake effort would only take 2-3 weeks. Choose the weeks within that time frame that work best for your stake. o Make sure all bishops are comfortable with the timeline and motivated to reach every family in the ward by the end of the campaign. Online Donation System Training District Representative Ward Discussion • Have wards take time to discuss their individual plan to accomplish stake FOS goals Benediction *See supplemental documents below
Supplemental Information A Joint Statement from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and The Boy Scouts of America May 8, 2018 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the Boy Scouts of America have been partners for more than 100 years. The Scouting program has benefited hundreds of thousands of Latter-day Saint boys and young men, and BSA has also been greatly benefited in the process. We jointly express our gratitude to the thousands of Scout leaders and volunteers who have selflessly served over the years in Church-sponsored Scouting units, including local BSA districts and councils. In this century of shared experience, the Church has grown from a U.S.-centered institution to a worldwide organization, with a majority of its membership living outside the United States. That trend is accelerating. The Church has increasingly felt the need to create and implement a uniform youth leadership and development program that serves its members globally. In so doing, it will be necessary for the Church to discontinue its role as a chartered partner with BSA. We have jointly determined that, effective on December 31, 2019, the Church will conclude its relationship as a chartered organization with all Scouting programs around the world. Until that date, to allow for an orderly transition, the intention of the Church is to remain a fully engaged partner in Scouting for boys and young men ages 8–13 and encourages all youth, families, and leaders to continue their active participation and financial support. While the Church will no longer be a chartered partner of BSA or sponsor Scouting units after December 31, 2019, it continues to support the goals and values reflected in the Scout Oath and Scout Law and expresses its profound desire for Scouting’s continuing and growing success in the years ahead.
Principles and Guidelines for Boy Scout and Cub Scout Units until December 31, 2019 On December 31, 2019, the Church will officially stop sponsoring Scouting units. Until that time, leaders should, under the direction of the bishopric, continue to use the Boy Scout and Cub Scout programs to help support the purposes of the Aaronic Priesthood and Primary (see Handbook 2: Adminis- tering the Church [2010], 8.1.3, 11.1). The following principles and guidelines can help. Principles (see also aptraining.lds.org) • Purposes of activities: Activities should “fulfill gospel-centered purposes” (Handbook 2, 13.1). They should help boys and young men build relationships, give service, have fun, learn practical skills, build confidence, and prepare for their divine roles. They are more likely to learn these lessons from experiences rather than classroom settings. • Balance: Activities should provide a balance of opportunities to develop spiritually, socially, physically, and intellectually (see Luke 2:52; Handbook 2, 8.13.1; 13.2.6). • Planning: Activities for young men should be planned in advance and executed by Aaronic Priesthood quorum and troop leaders, with support from adult advisers (see Handbook 2, 8.13). Activities for boys should be planned and executed by Primary and Cub leaders. Guidelines • Continue to register young men and boys ages 8–13 and adult leaders with the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). • Consult with parents of boys and young men to determine how to best support their goals in Scouting. • Use Scouting resources—such as merit badges, boards of review, and courts of honor—to accomplish the purposes of Church activities as described above. © 2018 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA. English approval: 5/18. PD60006589
New Initiative for Children and Youth Development Frequently Asked Questions May 8, 2018 1. Why is the Church changing its children and youth programs? Over the past several years, the Church has been conducting an extensive review of all existing children and youth activities and personal development programs. As a global church with millions of children and youth, we need to address diverse needs and fortify all children and youth with gospel-centered growth and learning experiences now more than ever. The focus of this new approach for children and youth is to help young people strengthen faith in Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. This approach is intended to help children and youth discover their eternal identity, build character and resilience, develop life skills, participate in outdoor activities and service opportunities, and strengthen their ability to fulfill their divine roles as daughters and sons of God. In the new experience, children and youth will be encouraged to focus on setting and achieving goals to develop spiritually, socially, physically, and intellectually as they seek to follow Jesus Christ. This approach is intended to reduce burdens on families, with greater flexibility to adapt to the needs of individuals and families around the world in many different circumstances. 2. Will Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts be offered after December 31, 2019? The Church will no longer sponsor any Scouting programs after December 31, 2019. 3. During this transition period, will things stay the same with Scouting? The intention of the Church is that all Scouting units will continue to be chartered until December 31, 2019. During this time, the Church will continue to register all boys ages 8–13, those 14 and older working on rank advancement, and adult leaders associated with those youth. All adult leaders should continue to receive Youth Protection and other required training for their position. Camps, regular activities, and Friends of Scouting will all continue until December 31, 2019. 4. Will this change the annual rechartering for 2019? The intention of the Church is that all units in the U.S. will continue to be chartered with BSA until the end of 2019. Rechartering should follow the process outlined in this resource: BSA Online Rechartering and Updating Rosters for LDS Units. The Church will continue to fund chartering activities through December 31, 2019.
5. Does this announcement affect affiliations with local and national organizations outside the U.S.? Yes. All affiliations with Scouting will be discontinued as of December 31, 2019. 6. How does the Scouting Handbook apply during the transition? The Scouting Handbook has been updated, and is now titled Scouting Guidelines. It is now available online and should be used until December 31, 2019. 7. What other programs may be affected by this change? Beginning January 1, 2020, activity and achievement programs may be affected, including Faith in God for Girls and Boys, Activity Days for Girls and Boys, Personal Progress, and Duty to God. Until then, we encourage children and youth, parents and leaders to remain fully engaged in these programs. 8. What do I do until the new initiative is available beginning January 1, 2020? Children, youth, and parents should continue to fully participate in and enjoy the growth and development associated with the existing Primary and youth programs worldwide. 9. How do I learn more about the new children and youth development initiative? Components of the new initiative are being tested in various parts of the world. Details will be provided at childrenandyouth.lds.org as implementation approaches. 10. How can I be of help to children and youth? The children and youth of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints worldwide are precious. The personal influence of parents, families, teachers, and leaders has great effect. Continued heartfelt service will provide significant opportunities to contribute to their growth and development.
Frequently Asked Questions about the Future of Scouting in the Utah National Parks Council Q: Will Scouting be available in Utah after 2019? A: Yes. The Utah National Parks Council will continue to provide BSA training, program, camp facilities, and resources to all chartered organizations who want to participate. The Council invites and encourages all those interested in staying involved in Scouting to do so. Q: If I am interested in staying involved in Scouting beyond 2019, where can I go for answers to my questions? A: For general information, go to www.utahscouts.org. For more specific questions, email help@utahscouts.org or talk to your local district representative. Q: What if my son doesn’t finish his Eagle requirements by December 31, 2019? A: We will ensure that everyone who wants to achieve the rank of Eagle Scout has the opportunity to do so. Those in LDS units who have not finished by the end of 2019 will be able to join nearby community units to continue progressing. Q: Is the LDS Church okay with members joining community Scout troops after 2019? A: At the BSA National annual meeting in May, 2018, Elder Holland expressed a hope that many LDS youth will continue to be involved in Scouting outside of the Church sponsorship. Scouting will continue the tradition of developing strong leaders and will be complementary to the new Church program. Families who choose to do both will be richly rewarded by the combination. Q: What will happen to council camps after the Church stops sponsoring Scouting units? A: Utah National Parks Council camps are among the best, safest places in Utah for groups to learn outdoor skills, have fun, and practice leadership skills. They will continue to serve all active chartered organizations. Camps also serve non-Scouting groups and their outdoor recreation needs both now and in the future. Q: Where can I go camping with my youth group in the future? A: Council camps have been and will continue to be available for non-Scouting stake and ward activities and to complement the new youth program. Council camps are ideal locations for youth conference, girls camp, Aaronic Priesthood encampments, fathers and sons, leadership training, etc. Q: Do LDS units need to recharter in 2018? A: The Church and National BSA will extend all LDS charters to the end of 2019, so wards and stakes will not need to go through the recharter process. However, wards will still need to register all new 8- year-olds, move-ins and newly-called adult leaders through the end of 2019. Q: Do I still have to worry about Youth Protection Training and leader-specific training? A: The Church FAQ says “All adult leaders should continue to receive Youth Protection and other required training for their position.” These training programs will help leaders serve youth more effectively.
Q: Can I still participate in BSA youth protection and leadership training (like NYLT and Wood Badge) after the Church stops sponsoring units? A: BSA training programs are available for all who want to increase their leadership capacity and better serve youth. We have helped stakes and other groups host NYLT and Wood Badge courses for their youth and adult leaders, and have received numerous reports of the positive difference these courses make in their youth programs. Q: What does the change mean for insurance and liability coverage in my youth program? A: The BSA will continue to provide primary liability insurance for all registered youth and adults. All LDS units are covered by this policy until the end of 2019. After this date, LDS youth programs will fall under the Church’s liability program (see safety.lds.org). Q: Will all packs and troops be coed after 2019? A: No. The new Family Scouting options do not change the single-gender nature of BSA programs. They do allow for all-girl dens and all-girl troops. Chartered partners can choose whether they want to sponsor single-gender packs, one pack with boy dens and girl dens, an all-boy troop, or an all-girl troop. Parents and youth will be able to find units that meet their needs. Q: As the Church is leaving soon, what should I focus on with my pack or troop? Do we need to worry about advancement or Friends of Scouting? A: According to the Church statement announcing the December 31, 2019 separation, “Until that date, to allow for an orderly transition, the intention of the Church is to remain a fully engaged partner in Scouting for boys and young men ages 8-13 and encourages all youth, families, and leaders to continue their active participation and financial support.” The Council will continue to provide support and resources for all LDS units to have a high-quality Scouting program that helps their youth grow. Do you have other questions? Contact help@utahscoutsorg. For more information, see utahscouts.org and childrenandyouth.lds.org.
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