As announced here and through other media, "[t]he “Family Troop” option has been approved and will become available to all chartering organizations as a third option on December 15th, 2025. Troops will continue to be able to organize as boy troops and girl troops." So ...

• Got a Troop of boys and a Troop of girls but want to operate together ... you can.
• Have you struggled to find five girls to form a Troop of girls ... convert your Troop of boys to a coed Troop (called a "family" Troop by Scouting America).
• Want to stay as a single gender Troop ... you can.  Just roll on as you've been rolling on.

How do we do this?  Here is a page from another Council with what appears to be the National Scouting America "Best Practices" and "Decision Guide" to help Chartered Organizations and Unit Leaders and Scouts decide whether to convert, along with the "Intent to Convert" form that would be delivered to the Council Registrar to supplement your Troop's/Troops' Charter Renewal.

Highlights of the most recent District News were these (click links for information):  Charter Renewal Help and Zoom Meeting ... Awards and Recognition: Show Some Love To Some Leaders ... Opt In, Opt Out ... and from the week before: Service Ideas: Service Projects and Simple Ways to Help ... Help for Den Leaders -- "Assembled" Den Meeting Plans ... Scouts BSA Troop Program Ideas ... Email webmaster@southfultonscouting.com if you need a reminder about the login.

For those who are handling their Unit's "Charter Renewal" and/or helping Unit Members and Leaders renew with your unit ... we can share some help.  There was an Atlanta Area Council zoom meeting led by Council Commissioner Brett DeVore to discuss and answer questions regarding Charter Renewal on Monday, December 8th -- the Zoom recording of the Meeting is here if you need help with your renewal.  More on Renewal is at scoutingatl.org/charter-renewal and the links that flow from there.

Have you told your Leaders how much you like them and appreciate them?  Consider these options:

• Nominations are open for District Level Awards for Leaders and Units as listed in the District Banquet Page.  Click that link to see the awards available and how to nominate a deserving volunteer.
• The next District Recognition Banquet is scheduled for February 7, 2026.
• Award Deadline will be ... announced.  Probably sometime in January, 2026.
• For Unit Level Recognition, see this Awards Page: Parents, there may be an award there your Scoutmaster or Cubmaster has earned, you just need to award them!
• That Awards Page has lots of Youth Awards too.
• The Silver Beaver Award is "The highest award that a local council can give to a volunteer Scout Leader for service to youth".  See this page for how to nominate someone.  Submit no later than December 21, 2025.
• The Whitney M. Young Jr. Service Award is to recognize outstanding services by an adult individual or an organization for demonstrated involvement in the development and implementation of Scouting opportunities for youth from rural or low-income urban backgrounds.  Dormant right now, but in a few months, see this page for how to nominate someone.  Deadline likely in first half of the year. 

Thank your leaders today and every day!

If you're no longer interested in Scouting and you want to "opt out" of these messages, email the Webmaster and we'll drop you from the list.  But If you want to be "all in" on Scouting, see our Leader Training page (good resources for parents too through the National On Line Training site at ScoutingU with the same login as at My.Scouting.Org), and if you want the login code, just email the Webmaster ... If you want to add parents or leaders to the distribution list who are not in your unit's roster here, just email the Webmaster. 

Highlights of the most recent District News were these (click links for information): Service Ideas: Service Projects and Simple Ways to Help ... Help for Den Leaders -- "Assembled" Den Meeting Plans ... Scouts BSA Troop Program Ideas ... and from the week before: The Great Big List of Places to Go and Things to Do Around Atlanta ... Report from Annual Business Meeting ... Email webmaster@southfultonscouting.com if you need a reminder about the login.