DOC Minutes 2024-11-07

Alameda Area District
Meeting Minutes 2024-11-07

Commissioner Meeting 

Attending:

• • Rose Godfrey, District Commissioner
  • Mari Obledo, District Director
  • Clark Cole, District Commissioner
  • Sean McQuillan, Pack 73 CC
  • Charles Hoffman, Unit Commissioner
  • Yoshiko Bertetta, Crew 726 CC
  • Steve Bertetta, Crew 726 AA
  • Robin Rees, Unit Commissioner
  • Michael Wrenn, Roundtable Commissioner
  • Richard Christman, ADC

Agenda Items

• • Membership Renewal
    • Automated renewal notices for individuals and units have been sent from BSA National.  
    • If there are any issues with individuals having multiple member IDs, please contact Mari before contacting the council registrar.
  • Council Strategic Plan
    • Council strategic plan will be to focus on four areas: Membership, Leader Training, Service Hours, Finance.
    • Commissioners are requested to send Rose our goals to support our units in these areas of focus.  Request to also set a timeline for these goals.
  • Future Topics
    • Rose requested that commissioners propose topics for future meetings.
  • Commissioner Summit
    • Postponed.  Reasons given are lack of interest, and no date or location.
  • Nor Cal Commissioner College
    • Feb 22, 2025
    • Tentative location is Plumbers Union (SF ??, Burlingame ??). Same location as last year.
    • We are the host council, and requests were made to help support the event.  Contact the Council Commissioner to volunteer to help.
  • Roundtables
    • November topics.  Managing unit volunteers.  There is a red flag warning in the Oakland hills so the start of the meeting may be in a different portion of the facility to allow the Cub Scout pack to hold its meeting.
    • December.  Non-uniform Social Gathering only.  Possible location is Drake’s in San Leandro.  This will be discussed at the November Roundtable.

Action Items

• • Commissioners requested to submit their unit goals to support the council strategic plan to the District Commissioners.

District Operations Committee Meeting

Attending:

• • Susanna Martin, District Chair
  • Rose Godfrey, District Commissioner
  • Mari Obledo, District Director
  • Clark Cole, District Commissioner
  • Sean McQuillan, Pack 73 CC
  • Charles Hoffman, Unit Commissioner
  • Yoshiko Bertetta, Crew 726 CC
  • Steve Bertetta, Crew 726 Assoc Advisor
  • Robin Rees, Unit Commissioner
  • Michael Wrenn, Roundtable Commissioner, Training Chair
  • Richard Christman, ADC
  • Henri Elkaim, Troop & Pack 78, Kawaeh Village Advisor
  • Marcin Owczarz, Crew 726 MC,  Wakemnayon Village Advisor
  • Linda Owczarz, Special Needs Committee
  • Jessica Sims, Pack 1076 CM

Agenda Items

• • Training Report
    • 46.15% trained leaders
    • YPT is 99.3% trained, missing are only those whose certificate recently expired.
    • The Training Chair will update records for those whose records are incorrect.  Unit Commissioners can do this as well.   A Scouter is Trustworthy, so no cards are needed if the Scouter states that they have taken the course.
  • Membership Renewal
    • If Scouters have issues with multiple membership ID’s contact the District Director, Mari Obledo, before contacting the Council Registrar.  
  • Scouting for Food
    • The city of Alameda has its own food bank   The planning for legacy Alameda is going well.
    • Legacy Tres Ranchos units have received the door hangers from Yoshiko Bertetta.  Drop off is at the 3 Crosses Church in Castro Valley
    • Legacy Peralta units have received the door hangers from Mari Obledo.  Drop off is at the Grocery Outlet on Broadway in Oakland.
  • Friends of Scouting
    • Alameda Area District has collected over $74,000 with a goal of $113, about 65%
    • Legacy Alameda and Peralta units have had presentations.  A few legacy Tres Ranchos units will have their presentation done by the District Director.
  • Advancement
    • Two Eagle Scouts may have their Board of Review date changed, so they can annotate their college applications to indicate that they have earned the Eagle rank.
  • Popcorn
    • Alameda Area District has sold $152,000 of a $175,000 goal, about 87%
    • Many units are still selling.
    • Some units have funded their summer camp entirely through popcorn sales.
  • Training
    • October SMS and IOLS were a success.  17 SMS and 30 IOLS participants
      • Deadwood is getting tight with this many participants,  may need to find a larger site.
      • There is a need for more staff.  Especially as much of the staff is also staffing Woodbadge.
      • Goal is to again hold these training in Sep/Oct of 2025
    • Cub Scout Cubmaster and Den Leader training 
      • Will have sessions for both of these courses in November, and again in December.   Same material  will be presented in both sessions for each course.
      • Combination of in person and online training.
    • Committee Training
      • Currently our unit committee members have a very low trained percentage.
      • L.E.A.D will have committee training.
  • Nominating Committee
    • This committee is being formed.  ADC Tom Farris is the chair.  They are looking for members.
    • Current focus is to recruit a new District Chair as Susanne  Martin’s term expires 12/31/2024.
    • Rose has hinted that Cole Clark will succeed her as District Commissioner.
  • Special Needs – Linda Owczarz
    • Need more active members, currently operating as part of the council special needs committee but would like to have a more active district presence.
    • Table discussion about Special Needs Scouts and the Citizenship in Society merit badge.
    • Linda passed out a sample intake form, requesting units to provide the council Special Needs committee with information about the number of special needs Scouts  in each unit and what type of needs they have.  Information will be used to provide unit support of these scouts.
  • Webelos Woods
    • This legacy Alameda recruiting event was a success and will continue in the future.
    • 3 dens and 5 troops participated.
    • Issues included late registration of participants, which made it difficult to facilitate their access to Coast Guard Island.
    • We now have a helpful contact in the installation administration to help make next year’s event easier to coordinate.
    • Highlights included overnight camping on the installation, breakfast at the Coast Guard galley, and a tour of a Coast Guard Cutter.
  • Cub Scout Shooting Sports
    • 80 participants,  ¾ from our district, ¼ out of district.
      • 90+ signed up with a large wait list.
      • Many last-minute cancellations, especially from out of district.  These also included wait list registrations which prevented those wanting to attend from registering.
      • The spring event will be at Camp Herms on the 5th of April.
      • The fall event will be in conjunction with Family Camp at Rancho Los Mochos.
  • Peralta Cup Pinewood Derby
    • https://www.peraltacup.com/
    • Saturday, Feb 22.  Impound at 8:30 a.m., racing starts at 10:00 a.m.
      KaiserAir, Inc., Oakland Jet Center, 8735 Earhart Rd. Oakland CA, 94621
    • Build Your Car Nights:  6:00 – 8:00pm on January 22 and 23, 2025. Location: Montera Middle School woodshop classroom at 5555 Ascot Dr, Oakland, CA 94611
    • Open to all, but focus is Packs racing as a team.
    • Expect over 100 racers.
  • Camporees
    • The Council Camping committee has approved budgets for two camporees next year.  One to be in the spring and the other in the fall.
      • Both OA villages have the youth working on planning the events.
      • April 4-5th  legacy Peralta / Tres Ranchos camporee was Rancho Los Mochos reserved.
      • May 2-4th legacy Alameda camporee has not finalized the Camp Tamarancho site.
      • The District Chair has asked the District Camping committee to decide which event will be held in the spring and which in the fall.
  • Advancement Day on the USS Hornet.
    • May 10th. 
    • Susanna Martin is the chair, seeking committee members to help with logistics and recruiting amazing merit badge counselors to come out and teach our Scouts.
  • Day Camp Program – Michael Wrenn
    • 2025 planning is ongoing.
    • Tom Farris and Michael Wrenn will be participating in a council meeting at Camp Herms to discuss this.  The meeting is this coming Saturday.
  • District Recognition Dinner
    • Target is May 14th.  It will be held at the Elks Lodge in Alameda
    • Volunteers needed to help at the event.
  • Order of the Arrow
    • Winter Camp Awareness on the USS Hornet.  January 11th.  Best to register early, as last year the limit was reached and some were turned away.
    • Klondike Derby, Feb 14th-17th, Tahoe Valley Campground
    • Spring Induction, March 28-30th, Wente Scout Reservation.
    • Check out the Lodge website (via the council website) for information.
  • Annual Girls in Scouts BSA Picnic.
    • This year’s district event at Lake Chabot was a success.  
    • Alisa Finch is planning next year’s event.
  • Combined Troops
    • Expect a decision from National in February 2025.
  • California Mandated Reporter Training (AB-506)
    • Regulations have changed yet again.
      If Scouters have taken the training in 2023 or later, then they do not need to retake it until the course content changes.
  • Recruiting
    • Our council has a patch program for recruiters.
      • If a scout recruits 3 youth to join, they can get a special silver patch.  5 youth recruited earns a gold patch.  Submit a request for the patch on Black Pug (link forthcoming)
    • Our council has a limited number of gifts for brand new Scout Youth.
      • A SF Giants camp with a special GGAC patch embedded.   
      • Contact Mari Obledo, the District Director, for more information.

Action Items

• • The District Camping Committee needs to determine locations, hosts, and dates for 2025 camporees.  
  • The District Camping Committee needs to determine dates and locations for unified 2026 camporees.