It is time to begin staffing the Longhorn Council Winter Camp 2008. Following last year’s tremendous success, we expect this year to be just as popular yet even more successful. Looking at the Winter Camp flyer (in the Documents area of the website) you can see the merit badges that are scheduled to be taught. I'm asking you, volunteer to volunteer, to consider helping with this year's Winter Camp as a merit badge instructor. If you already have plans for December 26th through December 30th I thank you for your time. Please share the flyer though with your Boy Scout troops so they can take advantage of the program. If you are open to possibilities then please read on.

The Longhorn Council Winter Camp is a merit badge program similar to summer camp but with several significant differences. First we meet and stay at Lakeview Lodge, part of Sid Richardson Scout Ranch. The scouts stay in the 8 dormitories and the staffing adults stay in the cabins. We take our meals at the Lakeview Lodge dining hall, prepared by a capable and caring staff. Part of the pride I feel with the 6 previous winter camp experiences is that we use volunteering adults to teach the merit badge classes. In the past programs Scouts have completed as many as 6 merit badges during the 4-1/2 days that comprise the winter camp experience.

Please look at the flyer and notice the assortment of merit badges that are scheduled and also think about others. In past years we have only offered classes once each day which limits the variety of classes the scouts can attend. This year I would like to offer some classes more than once a day and this means a larger staff. For example, the following subjects are traditionally very popular and resulted in very large classes which limit what the instructor can accomplish. We need to institute class size limits and offer the classes more than once each day.

• Archery
• Citizenship – ANY
• Climbing
• Computers
• Rifle Shooting
• Shotgun Shooting

Many of these badges mandate the counselor have certain certification. The Climbing merit badge counselor must possess Advanced (Rock) Climbing certification. The shooting counselors must be NRA instructors and we also need a certified Range Safety Officer to supervise the classes at the same time. Archery instructors must also possess certification.

The Aviation program is new to winter camp this year. It was popular activity during summer camp this year at Sid Richardson that takes advantage of the new flight simulator lab that is setup in the Camp 10 office.

If you are a registered merit badge counselor, or would like to become certified, and are interested in serving as a merit badge counselor at Winter Camp 2008 please submit the registration form to the Council camping registrar and note which merit badges you can teach.

We have a Senior Patrol Leader and assistant already on the books but we need 8 Patrol Leaders to complete the youth staff. The Patrol Leaders also stay in the dorms and have assigned specific duties while at the same time be allowed to attend the classes. So if you have an older scout who is interested let them complete the registration form and mark on it YOUTH STAFF.

I will schedule a staff meeting at the Council office on or about December 9th so we can meet and greet each other, lay out the class schedule, and brief everyone on the program.

Thanks for your time and consideration.

Tom Lee
Troop 76, Brazos Valley District
817-994-5530