Serving: Briarcliff Manor, Buchanan, Chappaqua, Cold Spring, Continental Village, Cortlandt, Crompond, Croton, Crugers, Furnace Woods, Garrison, Jefferson Valley, Kitchawan, Millwood, Mohegan Lake, Montrose, North Highland, Nelsonville, Ossining, Peekskill, Phillipstown,  Putnam Valley, Scarborough, Shrub Oak, Toddville, Van Cortlandtville, Verplanck, Yorktown, and Yorktown Heights

Units on the Web Packs 28 Croton-on-Hudson 36 Montrose 45 Van Cortlandtville 49 Ossining 83 Ossining 103 Buchanan / Verplanck 118 Furnace Woods 134 Mohegan Lake 164 Yorktown Heights 165 Yorktown Heights 206 Chappaqua 251 Yorktown Heights Troops 1 Chappaqua 18 Briarcliff 28 Croton 38 Shrub Oak 45 Van Cortlandtville 49 Ossining 164 Yorktown 165 Yorktown Heights 173 Yorktown Heights 174 Yorktown 238 Shrub Oak 284 Peekskill 353 Putnam Valley 911 Yorktown Crews 1005 Yorktown Add a Unit

District Event Photos Webelos Klondike 2008 Klondike 2008

Pinewood Derby Final Race
It was both an honor and a pleasure for Pack 103 Buchanan \ Verplanck to host the 2009 Manitoga District Pinewood Derby. I was excited to see such an excellent turnout and the enthusiasm of the boys who attended. Most of all I was very impressed with the sportsmanship of all the racers. Having 55 racers and over 60 separate heats we encountered a few technical difficulties but the boys responded most admirably. It is clear to me that the ‘Ideals of Scouting’ are alive and well in the Manitoga District. In my book all the boys are winners regardless if they placed 1st or 55th.

Yours in Scouting,

Paul Pyrch
Cub Master
Pack 103 Buchanan \ Verplanck

Pinewood Derby Results  [PDF, 43K]
 

View Video of Final Race of Manitoga District Pinewood Derby

Pack 238 Shrub Oak Cabin Camps at Durland
The weekend of February 20th - 22nd, 2009 we held our annual cabin camping trip At Durland Scout Reservation.  Whether it was touching a snake on Friday night, making an arrow Saturday morning, strapping on a mountain climbing harness and crampons or attending a special Mass spoken by Fr Lodi (Seton's Parochial Vicar) Who was great with the boys explaining all the items used during the  mass (almost a behind the scenes look into the Mass).

As part of the weekend we had a presentation by Erin from Teatown Lake Reservation from Ossining. The presentation was an outreach program geared toward teaching the boys more about theanimals in the Hudson Valley. We also had Angelo who showed the boy show to make their own arrows and Chuck who told the boys what they would have to do to become Mountain Climbers.

Congratulations Joe Trovato

Charlie Deierlein (left), Manitoga District Cub Scout Leader Roundtable Commissioner, congratulates Joe Trovato (right) of the Roundtable Staff upon earning his Roundtable Staff Arrowhead Award for his contributions in support of Webelos Den Leaders at the monthly Roundtables. Roundtables are a great place to learn new skills, meet other Scout Leaders and share many ideas. Our Roundtables are held every first Tuesday of the month beginning at 8:00pm at Van Cortlandtville Elementary School in Mohegan Lake.

Official Notice of the 2009 Annual District Meetings
The Annual Meeting for each of the 5 geographic Districts within the Westchester-Putnam Council, Boy Scouts of America is scheduled to be held during the month of April 2009 on the date, time and location listed below:

Algonquin:   April 15, 2009, St. James the Less Church, Church St., Scarsdale, NY, 7:30 PM
Four Rivers:   April 16, 2009, Will Library, Central Ave., Yonkers, NY, 7:30 PM
Manitoga:   April 21, 2009, Van Cortlandtville Elementary School, Route 6, Mohegan Lake, NY, 7:30 PM
Mohican:   April 22, 2009, Council Service Center, Hawthorne, NY, 7:30 PM
Muscoot:   April 20, 2009, Somers Middle School (Teachers Lounge-2nd floor), Route 202, Somers, NY, 7:30 PM

The purpose of the District Annual Meeting is to:
1. Receive Reports from District Committees
2. Receive the report of the Nominating Committee
3. Elect District Members -at-Large, District Chair, Vice Chair
4. Conduct new business

Suggestions for Members-at-Large and District Committee members should be made in writing no later than March 15, 2009. Suggestions may be mailed to Westchester-Putnam Council, BSA, 41 Saw Mill River Rd., Hawthorne NY, 10532-Attention: Name of District Nominating Committee. Nominations from the floor are not permitted. All are welcome to attend, however only Chartered Organization Representatives, District Members-at-Large, and Council Members-at-Large (who live in the District) are eligible to vote.

Troop 173 Wins Klondike Derby
YORKTOWN HEIGHTS, NY: On Saturday, January 24, Manitoga District, part of the Westchester-Putnam Council of the Boy Scouts of America held its Klondike Derby at F.D.R. State Park in Yorktown. Over twenty sleds representing Boy Scout troops from Yorktown, Cortlandt, Putnam Valley and other towns served by the district were entered in the event.

Two sleds entered by Troop 173 placed first and second in the skills competition. The first place finish in the skills competition was the sixth consecutive for the Troop at this annual event. In addition, the Troop placed first in the sled race.

The Klondike Derby is a competition requiring teamwork that tests the scouting skills of Boy Scouts. Patrols of 4 to 8 scouts pull a home-made sled over a course through the park. Each patrol visits ten Klondike "towns" where the "town mayor" assigns the team a particular task or activity. Points are awarded to the team based on how well it performs the task, speed and teamwork. The day culminates in a sled race across the “frozen tundra.”

Here are the Klondike Derby results:

Skills: 1st – Troop 173 (Yorktown) – The Fighting Irish
2nd – Troop 173 (Yorktown) – The Scorpions
3rd – Troop 174 (Yorktown) – The Spartans

Sled Race: 1st – Troop 173 (Yorktown) – The Fighting Irish
2nd – Troop 2 (Chappaqua) – The “John” Patrol
3rd – Troop 174 (Yorktown) – The Spartans

Roundtables, District Commissioners, and District Committee Meetings
Manitoga Roundtable meets on the first Tuesday of each month that school is in session at Van Cortlandtville Elementary School in Mohegan Lake. The school driveway is called Constitution Drive and it is opposite the middle entrance to the Cortlandt Town Center shopping center on Route 6 between Peekskill and "downtown" Mohegan Lake. (There are 3 entrances to the shopping center, each controlled by a traffic light. For map orientation, the westerly entrance is opposite Westbrook Drive.) The school sits on the north side of Route 6, on a hill with its long side facing the road. As you face the front (Route 6 side) of the building, you enter the property at the westerly end of the building. Drive east through the main parking area, and park up the hill near the easterly side of the building. We start at 8:00pm and must finish before 10pm. We meet in a room near the middle of the right (easterly) side of the building. Cub Scout and Boy Scout Roundtables meet in adjacent rooms.

The District Commissioners meetings are held on the second Tuesday of every month at 7:30 p.m. at the Mildred E. Strang Middle School, 2701 Crompond Road Yorktown, NY 10598. The meeting is held in the library. For more information or questions regarding the Commissioners meeting contact Ernie Wieting, EFW4aol.com.

The District Committee meetings are held on the third Tuesday of every month at 7:30pm at the Van Cortlandtville Elementary School, Route 6 in Mohegan Lake, NY. For more information or questions regarding the Committee meeting contact Chris Long , (914) 260-8571 or manitogadcoptonline.net

Conservation Resource Guide
Conservation is a basic part of the BSA mission. Scouting embraces Leave No Trace, requires conservation-related activities for rank advancement, and encourages conservation service projects to the community. The new Conservation Resource Guide identifies Westchester-Putnam agencies engaged in nature and conservation activities. Organized by District, the Guide is intended to enable ‘one-stop’ access for any Westchester-Putnam Scouts and Scouters seeking sites for troop conservation projects, nature-related advancements, or outdoor activities (including William Hornaday Award, Leave No Trace Award, Boy Scout Rank Advancement Nature Requirements, and Eagle Service Projects).

Manitoga District Unit Service
Have you ever wondered who to call with Unit operation questions, or where to get resources? In addition to the professional staff of the Council, the District has a group of uniformed commissioned volunteers who are commissioned and dedicated to serve the needs of the Units that they are assigned. Ideally there is one Unit Commissioner for every 2-3 Packs, Troops, or Venturing Crews.

The Manitoga District Commissioner, Ernie Wieting, has recruited several volunteers to be Unit Commissioners. These people are to be friends and counselors of Unit Leaders. They are effective communicators, providing the resources of the District and Council to the Units they serve. Another description of Unit Commissioners is that they are Scoutings bridge to the Unit and the Chartering Organization. Specifically, the Unit Commissioners are to:
• Maintain a close liaison with the Chartering Organization of the Unit.
• Work to assure effective and active Unit Committees.
• Facilitate the on time annual charter renewal.
• Help the Unit Committee with the selection and recruitment of Unit Leaders as needed
(although the actual appointment is approved by the Chartering Organization.)
• See that Unit leadership gets adequate training.
• Cultivate and maintain the best possible ongoing relationship with the Unit Leader.

Listed below are people serving as Unit Commissioners in the Manitoga District and which
Units they have been assigned to serve. For additional information about the Manitoga District Commissioner staff, or to recommend a person for the staff, please call Ernie Weiting.

Unit Commissioners: Unit(s) assigned (P=Pack, T=Troop, C=Venturing Crew)
Adolphus Bobo: P/T28 Croton, P/T36 Montrose, P/T49 Ossining
Howard Davidson: P53 Putnam Valley, T284 Peekskill
Peter Harmon: T 1 Peekskill
Rick Kast: P238, T238
Joseph Lalak: P6 Briarcliff, T18 Briarcliff, Po 2089 Croton, C 2470 Ossining, C2051Briarcliff
Jean Line: P127 Peekskill
Margaret Lipscomb: P45 Van Cortlandtville, Crew 1005 Yorktown
Laura Trusler: Unassigned
Wayne Gable: Unassigned

Safe Swim Defense and Safety Afloat Training Online
Online Safe Swim Defense and Safety Afloat Training - Each segment of training is done separately and will take 10-15 minutes. At the end of the training you will be asked to input your name, unit number, and BSA council. After a few minutes the screen will show a completed "training card" for you to print -- keep a copy for your records, and send one copy to your unit and a copy to the council office in order to update your training files.

For over three quarters of a century, the Boy Scouts of America has worked to develop the character, citizenship, and personal fitness of America's youth - and to do it safely! As a major youth serving organization, the Boy Scouts of America has a unique opportunity to help protect the youth of our nation while participating in aquatic activities.

Safe Swim Defense and Safety Afloat Training is required to be updated every two years.

NOTE: This course uses Flash Player version 6 or better. When you begin the course the program should check your system to ensure it has the proper Flash Player installed and provide directions if it is not. However, you may wish to go ahead and download and install the latest update prior to starting the course.

www.scouting.org/pubs/aquatics

Scouts Need your Help
Manitoga District has opportunities on the following committees

• Activities & Civic Service Committee
• Advancement & Recognition Committee
• Camp Promotion & Outdoor Committee
• Finance Committee
• Leadership Training Committee
• Membership Committee

Cub Advancement Reminder
The first rank a boy earns in Cub Scouting, if he joins as a first grader, is the Tiger rank. He then must earn the Bobcat badge before starting the Wolf book. If a boy joins in the second, third, fourth, or fifth grade, he must earn the Bobcat badge before starting the appropriate book for his grade level. Bobcat is considered a rank advancement. Therefore remember to report it on your Pack advancement report, when the badges are purchased at the Scout Shop. Please remember, every second, third, fourth, or fifth grader who joins a Pack should earn their Bobcat within the first month of joining the Pack.

The Commissioner Concept
In 1911 the local Council Commissioner, called the "Scout Commissioner," was "the ranking scout master of the local council and preside[d] at all scout masters' meetings as well as at all scout field meets. It [was] also the duty of the scout commissioner to report to and advise with the Chief Scout concerning the scouts in the district." [From The Official Handbook for Boys, Boy Scouts of America, page 11 (1911)]

Not much has changed in 90+ years. Today, the Commissioner is the liaison between the local Council and the Scouting Units. The Commissioner's mission is to help Unit leaders to keep Units operating at maximum efficiency. The Commissioner is successful when Units effectively deliver the ideals of Scouting.

Unit Commissioners are assigned to one or more Units, but they are not alone. They work hand-in-hand with the District Commissioner, Assistant District Commissioners and the Roundtable Commissioners to help Units provide the best possible Scouting program, which ultimately helps assure that individual Scouts have the best opportunity of developing good character traits, participating citizenship skills, and personal fitness.

From its inception, the Commissioner Staff has been dedicated to Unit service as a friend and partner in Scouting, with a single objective - the welfare of the Troop, Pack or Crew.

We have made good progress in expanding the Commissioner Service in our District, but there are still many opportunities available for service to Scouting. Working with our Units "where the rubber meets the road" is a great way for adult volunteers to play a key role in "delivering the promise" of Scouting to the youth of our community. 

The Commissioners meet the second Tuesday of the month at Mildred Strang Jr. HS Library at 8 p.m.

If you would like to be a part of the Commissioner Service, or know of any prospects who might like to serve, please pass along contact information to Ernie Wieting, Manitoga District Commissioner.

New BSA Troop Open-House Plan 
Many Boy Scout Leaders have expressed that they are worried about the dwindling number of boys in their Troop. We have some new materials to support the Troop Open-House plan to recruit Boy Scouts. We all know that it can be difficult to recruit older boys, but it is not impossible. There are many ways to present Scouting to this age group, and if we work together, we can make sure to continue to offer the promise to all youth who are interested, as well as preserve the life of our Troops. 

Great Program
One of the ways to make sure your Scouts receive a good program is to become trained. The Westchester-Putnam Council offers several training opportunities. Information is available at the Council Office and Roundtables or here. 

Every boy deserves trained leaders. All leaders should be trained for the position they currently hold. 

• Basic Adult Leader Outdoor Orientation (BALOO)
• Cub Scout Leader Basic Training
• Cub Leader Supplemental Training
• Cub Scout Leader Roundtable
• Cub Scout Leader PowWow
• Den Chief Conference
• Fast Start Training
• Leadership Development Conference
• Scouter Wood Badge
• Webelos Leader Outdoor Training

Manitoga District Units