Elmhurst Girls Exploring Club Opens Up the World of Boy Scouts

Elmhurst, IL -- A new Scouting unit in Elmhurst will encourage girls to learn and practice the same outdoor and leadership skills taught in the Boy Scout program. It is the first group for 6^th through 8^th grade girls of its kind in the city.

The G.O. Exploring Club #1 boasts six founding members who are all middle-school aged girls. G.O. Exploring, or Girls Outdoor Exploring is a pilot program housed under the co-ed Exploring division of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA.) 

The program encourages outdoor exploration and prepares girls to join the BSA’s co-ed, high adventure program called Venturing when they turn 14.

The young women in this club are learning valuable skills such as overnight camping, first aid, and emergency response. The program also promotes participatory citizenship, community service, and career exploration and preparation.

  

“We wanted to give girls the same opportunities for outdoor adventure and learning as the boys,” said John Lothian, a volunteer adult leader with the club and a former Scoutmaster of Boy Scout Troop 117, which is based out of Christ United Methodist Church.

“The Exploring club allows us to open up the world of Scouting to girls with the same trained leaders and program,” Lothian said. “We also wanted to welcome a steady pool of girls to help grow our local Venturing program and the club experience helps prepare them for the rigors of high adventure.”

Many of the six G.O. Exploring Club girls are also Girl Scouts, and some of the club activities will help them in their work toward their Girl Scout achievement levels.

The club is based out of the Christ United Methodist Church, and includes girls from all of Elmhurst. In addition to Lothian, leaders also include Vanessa Clohessy and Germaine Yang. 

G.O. Exploring Club #1 welcomes new members. Contact John Lothian at lothian.john@gmail.com for details.

Trading Tech 300 is Reinventing Scouting and Exploring Programs in Chicago

We are re-inventing Scouting and Exploring programs in Chicago and need your help.  Four  Chicagoland area councils merged together to form the Pathway to Adventure Council. We are taking a new direction with Scouting and Exploring here by emphasizing STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) related merit badges and activities. We are trying to help encourage and develop the interest and talent   to build the STEM workforce of tomorrow.

We are seeking 300 volunteers and are looking for 10 volunteers from 30 different firms to take part in our new and innovative  Trading Tech 300 initiative.  

We are asking interested companies to participate in the Trading Tech 300 initiative by simply planning and executing a  Trading Tech 300 day in their offices during 2015 prior to the LaSalle Street After Hours Affair in November.  Firms and the volunteers that impact the most number of Scouts and Explorers will be recognized at the LaSalle event in November.

We want you and your colleagues to compete with the other 29 firms and plan and execute the best Trading Tech 300 program to attract and teach the most number of young women and men in the field of trading technologies.

There are activities you can hold for Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Venture Scouts (boys and girls) and Explorer units (young women and men).  There are new STEM Nova Awards that can be earned by each as well.

The Boy Scouts of America and Exploring have a long history of STEM related activities, including a commitment to the environment, numerous astronauts who were Scouts and today over 10,000 STEM awards have been awarded to Scouts in PTAC in the last year..

Have you ever heard of Paul Siple? He was an Eagle Scout who accompanied Admiral Byrd to Antarctica as part of a BSA program in 1928. He went on to become an expert on Antarctica, and designed cold weather gear for soldiers in Korea, and is credited with the development of the wind chill scale. Five geographic features in Antarctica are named on his behalf.

We are asking for you  to help  in taking the next step  to create  interest in STEM careers  to keep the U.S. and the trading industry competitive in the world’s marketplace.

Promoting STEM Education is Important

Mish Malyshev of Teza Technologies wrote this article last summer: http://www.sbnonline.com/article/misha-malyshev-supporting-stem-education-industry-good-business/

He laid out the reasons promoting STEM is an important economic issue for the United States.

Additionally, it is an important national security issue.  Over 50% of the aircraft flown by the U.S. military today are done from behind a desk.

Tell your firm’s contact that you are interested in the program.  Some volunteers may need to become registered Adult Volunteers with the Boy Scouts of America and/or our Exploring program.  We will support you in training you to work with Scouts and Explorers.  We will come right to your offices and train you and your colleagues.  You can be a Merit Badge Counselor, a STEM Nova Counselor,STEM Super Nova Mentor or an Exploring Advisor.

You get to choose the program you want to offer, to which Scout or Exploring group; Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Venturers and Explorers.  You get to choose what badges you want to be a counselor for -one that you have personal or professional interest in.  You and your firm get to choose what date you want to hold your Trading Tech 300 day in your offices and we will promote your event

You can make a difference  in the lives of young people in Chicago and give them a better vision and path for their future and help keep kids off of the streets.  You can help change lives and  develop the future workforce needed here in Chicago and in our industry.

Please contact us today at Nancy.Elder@Scouting.org and volunteer today!

STEM In Chicago, Abbott Labs BSA Explorer Program

Here is a video from 2012 about Abbott's BSA Explorer program.

LaSalle Street After Hours Event in Chicago

Supporting the Chicago Council of Boy Scouts of America

The LaSalle Street After Hours event is a continuation of a long history of the Chicago financial district supporting the Boys Scouts of America and the Chicago Council.

Joe Guinan, a former Scoutmaster, is chairman of this year's event.  We talked to two of his former scouts, who are now employees of Advantage Futures, about their experiences in Scouting and that that means for them today.

Troop 117 Ties for First in 2013 Bi-District Ranchoree Milk Jug Race

The scouts from Troop 117 in Elmhurst took 1st Place in the 2013 Ranchoree Milk Jug Race at the Adventure Camp in Rochelle, IL over the weekend.

Robby Lothian and two other scouts rowed the 2x4 and milk bottle craft to a tie with another troop in the final race of the championship bracket.

Troop 117 also took 1st Place in the Trebuchet Pumpkin Chuckin contest at the Ranchoree, earning two 1st Places out of the three events they entered.

~John J. Lothian
Scoutmaster, Troop 117
www.elmhurstscouts.org

Troop 117 Retires Colors at Abraham Lincoln Birthplace

Troop 117 of Elmhurst, IL had the honor of retiring the colors of the U.S. from the flagpole of the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace, a National Historic Site, on Tuesday, June 2, 2013.

Early Rank Requirement Videos

Here is a link for videos about Early Rank Requirements: http://www.scouting.org/sitecore/content/Home/Applications/RankVideo.aspx