From the Atlanta Area Council: "We're excited to announce Ron Gates as a member of the Atlanta Area Council's 2025 class of Silver Beaver Award recipients! 

Ron has been a dedicated Scouting volunteer since 2016, beginning as a Den Leader and Cubmaster of Pack 374. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he kept the Pack active through engaging virtual programming and, in 2021, led the successful reinstatement of Troop 374 after more than a decade of inactivity. Ron served concurrently as Cubmaster and Scoutmaster for three years and continues to serve as Scoutmaster and Chartered Organization Representative. At the district and council levels, Ron has held numerous leadership roles, including District Vice Chair, interim District Commissioner, and currently Assistant District Commissioner for the Southern Crescent District. A 2023 Wood Badge participant and 2024 Troop Guide, Ron is also a recipient of the Whitney M. Young Award and remains an active supporter of Scoutreach, including serving as an Advisor for the council’s 2025 Philmont trek. 

Please join us in congratulating Ron on this achievement! If you would like to attend the Silver Beaver Award Ceremony on March 4th, visit https://www.scoutingatl.org/silverbeaver." 

Did you know?  Camp Cards are an excellent way for Scouts to earn their way to do Scouting -- not just camping, but all of Scouting.

These cards, created in partnership with local and national businesses, offer discounts to supporters of Scouting who purchase the Camp Card. Cards are sold by Scouts to members of their community. Profits from these cards are split evenly between the council and the individual Scout. The funds a Scout earns can be used towards Summer Camp or other Scouting activities.

If like last year, Units participating in this program will earn 50% commission ($5.00) for each $10 Camp Card they sell -- so, for every $10.00 card sold, your Scout earns $5.00 for their Scouting journey or their Unit. The sale begins in February and ends in April - but you can register now to participate.  More information and registration information is at scoutingatl.org/campcards. 

If you want a Great Big List of Places to Go and Things to Do Around Atlanta -- whether for Scouting activities or for you and your guests at the holidays -- see our page entitled "The Great Big List of Places to Go and Things to Do Around Atlanta".  This is collection of events and destinations could be attended by both Cub Scouts Families and Scouts BSA Troops, with Scouts BSA Troops doing more challenging activities. These are grouped into these topics: Events (including parades, service events, Native American events and local events),then Unique Activities (like trains), then Outdoor Destinations (Scout Camps, State Parks, and more), Biking / Wheels, Sports Events and Destinations, Caving, Swimming/Water, including canoeing and rafting, Boating, Fishing, Climbing, Zip Lines, Horses, Science, Museum and Nature Destinations, Historic, Business, Political, Art and Religious Destinations, Distant Destinations (Overnighters, maybe “long weekends”), plus some Fun Activities to Do in Lots of Places and Links to Other Cub Scout Program Resources. Got More Ideas?  Email the Webmaster at webmaster@southfultonscouting.com.

Want more Fun in your Troop program?  To keep current Scouts and attract new Scouts?  See this page with links to dozens of Troop Program Resources.

Do you like the new and simpler requirements for each Cub Scout Adventure?

• Where you don't have to pick and choose which requirements to do?
• Cool!  Simple.  Easy.  Do all of 1 through 6.  No need to choose!

But what about the new National Resources for each Cub Scout Adventure?  Are they Simple and Easy?

• Where you must pick and choose which which activities to do!  So ... for each Requirement, you have to sort through 2 or 3 activity options.  
• You have to go somewhere else to find out how to do a Den Meeting!
• You have to assemble the activities you pick into the other parts of a Den Meeting!
• Is that Simple??  Is that Easy??  No.  We can do better.

To help den leaders and parents, we've assembled 126 Cub Scout Adventures into a Den Meeting Plan format with added videos and tips to make leading Cub Scouts easier.  Really.  Click here for more, or keep reading below.  Email webmaster@southfultonscouting.com if you need a reminder about the login.

In each plan, we select one way to complete the requirement -- sometimes from a National activity card or adapted from it, sometimes just from the Requirement itself -- and put it into an "Assembled" Den Meeting Plan with prompts for the Parts of a Den Meeting.  Namely, Preparation (plan + collect materials needed), Gathering (something for early arrivals to do), Opening (a ceremony to start), then Activities (an Activities Intro chat, then alternate energetic and learning activities + add fun), Closing + Recognition (ceremony), and After the Meeting (follow up).

A Scout is Helpful. The fuller explanation of this point of the Scout Law is: "Volunteer to help others without expecting a reward".  To help Packs, Dens, Troops, Crews, Scouts and their families, we can share ideas about ways to help.  Our service project page is a compendium of ideas about what Scouts can do, from large "service projects" that can be organized by Scouts and/or Units, to existing service opportunities that you can join in, as well as small ways that a Scout can help others (for younger Scouts, with help from the family).  More here.