After 15 years of use by many hundreds of Units around the country as well as this District and several others, the SOAR Website system and servers crashed on March 29 ... no eBlasts, all sites went "dark".  SOAR announced on April 1 (not as an April Fools joke) that the sites will not be restored but the data was retrievable -- and so as they started to share that information they announced on April 7 that a company with Scouter SOAR Website users would buy the SOAR system and get the sites back online.  On May 17, the site is back ... some functions are not restored, but will be (other details here about the timeline in March and April). 

This Saturday, March 25 could be a great day for Scouting:

• A Training Extravaganza will be held at the Volunteer Service Center on March 25, with courses for Cub Scout Adult Leaders, Scouts BSA Troop Adult Leaders, and Scouts BSA Youth Leaders.  Details and registration at https://www.atlantabsa.org/training-extra

• For all Scouts, Families, Friends (yes, invite others), the Civil Rights Heritage Hike is March 25.  Details and registration at https://www.atlantabsa.org/content/108207/The-Civil-Rights-Heritage-Hike, but you and your families and new families you invite can just show up and do the hike. And you can invite your friends and families of your Scout's classmates.

Some great April Events:

• For Cub Scouts, Council Spring Cub O Rees April 14-16 and 28-30 at Bert Adams.  Details and Registration at https://www.campbertadams.org/springfamily
• For Scouts in Troops and Crews (not Cub Scouts), a Shooting Sports Day at Bert Adams April 22.  Details and Registration at https://www.atlantabsa.org/shootingdays

More ideas at southfultonscouting.com/node/2305 and atlantabsa.org/calendar.

A Scout is Helpful.  The fuller explanation of this 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. 

There is a District Committee Meeting this Thursday, March 23, 7:00 pm at the Starbucks located at 6564 Tara Blvd Jonesboro, GA 30236.

District?  Council?  What are the Possible Committee and Commissioner Roles Supporting Units, Leaders and Youth:  Scouts, Scouters and Scouting Units are part of a worldwide brotherhood of Scouting, and we gather together at National, Territory and Council events, Multi District events, District Events, and events just between Units that connect to do things together. The Atlanta Area Council organizes units in Clayton County and South Fulton County as a District called “Southern Crescent”.  Districts are responsible for carrying out four standard functions: program, unit service, membership and finance.

• The program functions concentrate on helping Scouting units through training adult volunteers, youth advancement support, camping promotion, community service promotion, multi-unit activities (such as camp o rees, cub twilight camp, scout fairs, pinewood derbies, shooting sports events), and recognition of youth and adults, all of which activities are “unit support” to help units do more.
• The unit service function of “commissioners” provides coaching and consultation by volunteers for unit adults to help ensure the success of every Scouting unit -- so commissioners stay abreast of and/or are involved in nearly all district unit support functions, and have a communication function to ensure units know of good program support opportunities -- all designed to support Membership growth and retention.
• The membership function strives for growth through new members and leaders joining existing units and (where needed) growth through the organization of new Scouting units – this must work closely with unit service and program areas (like training, activities and commissioner service) to help units be successful.
• The finance function supports units in fundraising and can help with financial practices, and sees that the district provides its share of funds to the total council operating budget.

Paid professionals, including District Executives and District Directors, support these functions.

In our "Ways to Volunteer in the District to Help Units" page are some ways that volunteers can help "beyond" just one Unit through these functions.  Want to Help?  Contact the District Chair or District Executive or take this Point and Click Survey, as nearly every role could use more help, assistants, potential successors.  Also, teams can form based on interests, plus new services, events and programs may arise if someone has the passion for it ... contact information for current district leaders and committee and commissioners are found in the "Adult Leader" section of the Roster.  email the webmaster if you need Login information.

If you're no longer involved or 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 codes, just email the Webmaster ...

Highlights of the most recent District News were these (click links for information): Keep It Simple. Seriously. ... Turn Parents Into Helpers and Helpers Into Leaders ... What's On This Website? ... and from the prior week: District Pinewood Derby Details for March 11 ... Atlanta Area Council Scouts BSA Troop Program Resources ... Email webmaster@southfultonscouting.com if you need a reminder about the login.