Roundtable

June 9, 2022   |  7:00 - 8:30 pm

Roundtable is a district monthly meeting typically held the second Thursday of the month at 7:00 pm (except June and July) at the First United Methodist Church of Missouri City (3900 Lexington Blvd, Missouri City, TX 77459) to help unit leaders plan and carry out their own program. Roundtable is a form of supplemental training for volunteers. The objective of roundtable is to give leaders program ideas; information on policy, events, and training opportunities; and an opportunity to share experiences and enjoy fun and fellowship with other Scouting leaders. As a result of the roundtable experience, unit leaders will be inspired, motivated, informed, and able to provide a stronger program for their Scouts. Follow the district Facebook page at facebook.com/ThunderWolfDistrict.

New District Executive

Please join us in welcoming Christian Gilford as the district executive for the Thunder Wolf District. His role as district executive will be to provide leadership and support to the volunteers in our district with a focus on district operations, membership recruiting, unit service, family Friends of Scouting, and product sales. Christian can be reached at Christian.Gilford@scouting.org.

Christian is a native of Pearland, TX, and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing from Texas Southern University.  While attending Texas Southern University he was a member of the Ocean of Soul Jazz Combo.  Christian enjoys writing music, spending time outdoors, and traveling. Through his previous roles in retail sales management, education, and restaurant management he brings experience in leadership, project management, and relationship management. 

Day Camp

June 6-8, 2022  |  3:00 - 8:00 pm 

It’s time to saddle up the horses, put on boots and a cowboy hat, and round up all Cub Scouts to explore as day camp goes Texas Wild! Cub Scouts and their families will learn new skills and make new friends. Day camp is a council camp organized by districts and conducted by volunteers from the local area for Cub Scouts entering 1st through 5th grade for the next school year. Day camp is a week of fun with awesome programs and activities such as BB guns, archery, sports, STEM, games and crafts, rank advancements, Scout skills, fun and more.  

Many volunteers are needed to make camp a success, so please consider volunteering. Adult volunteers can also register their non-Scouting children ages 3-5 (potty trained). Scouts in troops, crews and ships can also volunteer. The registration fee is $67.50 for the first Cub Scout and $65 for each additional Cub Scout. All youth entering 1st grade through age 17 must be registered with the Boy Scouts of America. Tot lots (ages 3-5) are $35. Volunteers (adults; junior staff; The registration fee includes a t-shirt, patch, program supplies, and water bottle. The camp is being held at Sugar Land Baptist Church (16755 Southwest Frwy., Sugar Land, TX 77479).

Learn More & Register

Training

https://san-jacinto.shac.org/DataTraining is an important part of learning to become an effective leader. Trained leaders impact the quality of programs, leader tenure, youth tenure, and a whole lot more. A trained leader is better prepared to make the Scouting program all it can be! Every Scout deserves a trained leader. See the council training schedule for a list of additional trainings offered around the council. For more information, contact Jennye Gorrosquieta.

Date Course
(click on title for course description)		 Location Time Cost Register
October 7-9, 2022 Basic Adult Leader Outdoor Orientation (BALOO) Camp Mauritz
4665 Co. Road 256 Ganado, TX 77962-8106		 Fr at 7:00 pm - 
Sun at noon		 $38.50 Register
October 7-9, 2022 Introduction to Outdoor Leader Skills (IOLS) and
Scoutmaster Position-Specific Training		 Camp Mauritz
4665 Co. Road 256 Ganado, TX 77962-8106		 Fr at 7:00 pm - 
Sun at 3:00 pm		 $38.50 Register
 

Introduction to Outdoor Leader Skills (IOLS) is an overnight training with 16-hours of instructional time that gives adult leaders the practical knowledge they need to help Scouts to learn outdoor skills. The skills presented closely follow the Scout Handbook and rank advancement requirements. This is a required training course for all Scoutmaster and assistant Scoutmasters.

Scoutmaster Position-Specific Training is a 4.5-hour training course intended to provide troop leaders with the information and tools they need to lead successful troops. This course teaches practical ways to instill the Scouting methods into troop programs and covers the roles of the Scoutmasters and assistants in a Scout-led troop. This is a required training course for all Scoutmaster and assistant Scoutmasters.

Basic Adult Leader Outdoor Orientation (BALOO) is the Cub Scout leader training required for any Cub Scout den or pack outdoor event, including packing camping, overnighters, and Webelos den overnighters. BALOO training is comprised of two components – an online component, and a practical, hands-on component which includes an overnight with 16 hours of instruction time. One BALOO trained leader is required to be present on any pack family or Webelos den overnight camping.

Summer Camp Super Troop

Super troop is a temporary troop made up of Scouts from troops around the council. Super Troop is a fantastic opportunity for Scouts to attend an extra week of summer camp, for a Scout to attend camp individually if they can't attend camp with their unit, or for those Scouts who just like to camp. Super Troop is staffed each week by experienced volunteer Scouters.

Summer camp is a week-long council-organized overnight camp for Scouts BSA that operates under council-retained leadership. The program provides opportunities for Scouts to earn merit badges along their advancement trail.

Summer camp is held at Camp Strake, a first-class and state-of-the-art facility for Scouts and their leaders. Program areas include shooting sports (rifle, shotgun, archery, sporting arrows), climbing, rappelling, boating (canoeing, kayaking, paddle boarding), swimming, ATV riding, ziplining, merit badge classes and more.

Learn More and Register       Summer Camp

Website Feedback

If you find an error on the district website or any of the council websites, please let us know. 

Submit corrections needed, information updates, broken links, or even suggestions on how to improve. 

Website Feedback

National Scout Jamboree

July 19-28, 2023  |  Bechtel Summit, West Virginia

Scouting’s flagship event is one-of-a-kind. Over the course of 10 summer days, once every four years, the Boy Scouts of America comes together for a gathering of approximately 40,000 Scouts, leaders, and staff that showcases everything that is great about the BSA and its members. The result is the national Scout jamboree. To keep up with the latest information, visit the Summit website. Scouts and Scouters will explore all kinds of adventures—stadium shows, pioneer village, Garden Ground hikes, adventure sports, patch trading, and more—in the heart of one of nature’s greatest playgrounds. With 10,000 acres at the Summit to explore, there’s no shortage of opportunities to build Scouting memories.

The council will take approximately 200 Scouts to the national jamboree as part of the council contingent. The contingent will head to the Summit for 10 days of activities ranging from shooting sports, mountain biking, zip-lining, rock climbing, white water rafting and more!  The jamboree is open to youth who meet the participant qualifications, are physically fit, and agree to the jamboree code of conduct on a first come first serve basis. All Scouts BSA youth must be currently registered in a troop and be a minimum of age 12. All Venturers must be currently registered in a Venturing crew and meeting Venturing age requirements.

Learn More & Register

#16 SHAC Communication for COVID-19 Response

The leadership of the Sam Houston Area Council would like to present this, our sixteenth update, on our response to the COVID-19 outbreak and protocols for Scouting operations going forward. We appreciate your continued patience as we navigate this situation.

  • Unit programming should be conducted under current guidelines from the State of Texas and the CDC with the approval of the unit’s chartered organization and subject to the current COVID-19 protocols of any meeting or activity facility.
  • Face coverings should follow the new CDC COVID-19 by County guidance.  In short, all US counties are classified as low-, medium-, or high-risk.  There are no mask recommendations for low-risk areas. For medium-risk areas, if you are at high risk for severe illness, talk to your healthcare provider about whether you need to wear a mask and take other precautions.  In high-risk areas, wear a mask indoors in public when social distancing is not possible.
  • District and Council meetings and events may be conducted in person and will utilize the same face-covering policy, unless held at a facility that is not council-owned, as those facilities may have additional restrictions that should be followed.
  • We recommend that units utilize the updated pre-event medical checklist for activities. These forms are no longer required to be turned in when visiting council camps.
  • Social Distancing should be followed in all situations where it is feasible.
  • Overnight district and council activities and trainings are allowed for all Scouting programs. Districts are no longer required to submit activity plans to the Council ERM Committee. Districts should continue to have their District ERM Chair review program plans for district activities. 
  • If you were exposed to or test positive for COVID-19 then you should follow CDC Quarantine and Isolation guidance. 

Learn More

BSA Brand Guidance Training

To ensure that we promote our programs in a clear and Scout-like manner, it important to remind units to follow BSA Brand Guidelines and use approved materials from the BSA Brand Center in developing their recruiting materials. This includes following the requirements included in the Scouts BSA Branding Dos and Don’ts Guide and the associated Brand Training Guide.  

The Scouts BSA Brand Guidance Training is one of the efforts underway to be sure Scouters have a clear understanding of what they can do. This training should be shared with all volunteers to bring this understanding to all parts of our community.

BSA Brand Guidelines     BSA Brand Center    Scouts BSA Branding Dos and Don’ts Guide    Brand Training Guide

While our goal is to encourage youth to join our program, we must always be clear in our communications about the program they are joining.

  • We are The Boy Scouts of America.
  • The Boy Scouts of America and Girl Scouts of the USA are different organizations.
  • We support all other youth organizations and do not disparage them.
  • We encourage parents to enroll all youth in a character development program that meets their needs – and the BSA is certainly ready to welcome them.

District Committee Meeting

First Thursday of the month

The district committee meeting is an opportunity to learn about and help coordinate the Scouting programs in our district. Program activities such as day camp, New Scout Adventure Day, Webelos Woods, and camporee are just a small sample of the programs and trainings the district supports. The committee is volunteer-based. At least one member from each pack, troop, and crew is encouraged to attend. The committee typically meets the first Thursday of the month at 7:00 pm at the First United Methodist Church of Missouri City (3900 Lexington Blvd, Missouri City, TX 77459).

Life to Eagle Scout

After a Boy Scout has completed the requirements for any rank, they appear before a board of review. Its purpose is to determine the quality of their experience and decide whether he has fulfilled the requirements for the rank.

Eagle Scout Boards of Review:  At least one district or council representative must serve as a member of an Eagle Scout board of review. Find out more about how to request a district representative for an Eagle Scout Board of Review on our advancement page.

Eagle Scout Service Project: While a Life Scout, plan, develop, and give leadership to others in a service project helpful to any religious institution, any school, or your community. The project must benefit an organization other than Boy Scouting. A project proposal must be approved by the organization benefiting from the effort, your unit leader and unit committee, and the council or district before you start. Find out more about how to request a district project approval meeting on our advancement page.