September notes from the Scout executive.

Membership Fee Increase Announced

Membership fees support the services that are necessary to provide Scouting to youth from 7 to 21 years of age. From education to high-adventure experiences you can’t get anyplace else, the BSA provides unique growth opportunities at a great value. To do this — while delivering the nation’s foremost youth development program — the BSA must remain vigilant in controlling costs. Although we have been successful in reducing our expenditures in many areas, it has become necessary to evaluate our annual membership fees.

The National Council has announced an increase in the membership fees, and the Georgia Carolina Council has approved the following, effective December 1, 2017.

Membership Fee: $33.00

Insurance Fee: $7.00

Total Annual Fee $40.00

Please note that over 90% of this fee is received by the National Organization. Your continued support of the council is needed, and appreciated. It is through the support of so many that we are able to develop new leader and family tools such as the Unit Leader Planning Guide and Website.

Again, thank you for all you do for Scouting. I look forward to working with you to deliver a great Scouting experience to our youth in 2018. 

2018 Knox Scout Reservation Open

The system is now open for troops to register for summer camp in 2018 at Knox Scout reservation. Registrations will be taken through the new website. Your unit already has a log-in and password. If you have not received yours yet, please contact your District Executive, or the council office. You will need this password to register for a variety of events in the future. 

We will be doing a session on how to use the new website at your October Roundtable, so it would be great to have every unit attend the October Roundtables! 

Campsite Names Announced

The camp is divided into 3 camping areas, currently named Yamasee, Dyess and Aquatics. In the coming months the sites will be further developed with additional picnic tables, bulletin boards and name plates installed. Each area has a theme, and the names are as follows:

Yamasee Area (Native America Tribal Names)

• Oconee
• Yuchi
• Westoe
• Apalachee
• Catawba
• Cherokee
• Shawnee

Dyess Area (Local Animals)

• Coyote
• Armadillo
• Osprey
• Fox Squirell

Aquatics Area (Local Trees)

• Live Oak
• Palmetto
• Dogwood
• Loblolly
• Cedar

Camp Projects

The camping committee has been working hard and have completed several projects in the past few months. Here's what were working on!

We are in the early stages of developing a plan to build a dining hall at camp. More details to come!

• Added new shelving to the Schwab Maintenance Center
• Purchased new tents and mountain bikes
• Completed Survey, and named the campsites
• Began replacing the roof on the chapel at Camp Daniel Marshall
• Began developing a campmaster program (Details coming soon)
• Received approval, and funding to add electricity to the boat house
• Building a storage facility for the shooting range
• Work on COPE course. 

The Bob White Lodge also completed these project sat the recent Ordeal Weekend. 

• ·       Dyess Pavilion – trenched and installed railroad tie extension of the retaining wall to prevent water from overflowing the wall into the pavilion.
• ·       Dyess Pavilion – trench work around the pavilion to help better water runoff.
• ·       Dyess Pavilion – moved wall tent frames from the far side of the pavilion to the Hammock Island area.
• ·       Dyess Pavilion -Picked up downed limbs around the pavilion area.
• ·       Sport Field Pavilion – painted picnic tables
• ·       Sewell Center – painted picnic tables
• ·       Sewell Center – painted hall and classroom interior walls
• ·       Aquatics and Boathouse – trench work done near the Boathouse to redirect water away from the Boathouse
• ·       Boathouse organized and inventoried
• ·       COPE had new ropes installed