I received word that Northern Tier High Adventure Base in Ely, Minnesota, still has some open slots for OKPIK Winter Adventures. This would be a great opportunity for a last minute adventure trip for your unit!

The Okpik season begins Dec. 27 and ends March 7, 2010. They offer a number of adventures, such as: Cabin Stay, Skiing Expeditions, Snowshoe Expeditions, Musher Camp, Dog Sled Expedition, Webelos OKPIK Weekend, and Cold Weather Training.

Here is some additional information from Vern Miller the Okpik Chief Interpreter:

Okpik at Northern Tier High Adventure Base in Ely is one of Scouting’s best kept secrets. Okpik was featured in this month’s (October 2009) Boys’ Life Magazine and recently on the Outdoor Channel’s Scouting for Adventure program.

We offer weekend and weekday customizable trips featuring: winter camping, cabin stays, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, dog sledding, ice fishing, and leave-no-trace. Last year we introduced our Webelos Okpik Weekend (WOW) to encourage young scouts to take advantage of this amazing program.

Okpik offers an exciting and varied program, if you know of any scouts wishing to have an extreme high adventure experience please consider passing along information on Northern Tier High Adventure’s OKPIK Program. Feel free to contact me with any questions.

Vern Miller

(218)-365-4811
www.ntier.org
okpik@ntier.org

Learn more at the Northern Tier Website.

Popularity: 5% [?]

If your unit wants to attend Philmont Scout Ranch in 2011, its time to get planning!

Registration requests for 2011 Expeditions for Philmont Scout Ranch will be made on the internet beginning November 1 thru December 5, 2009. Please see the 2011 Philmont Registration Packet (pdf) for additional information.

Unit representatives will log into a special website during the week that corresponds to their BSA region, or during the open week.

Week One: Northeast Region – Nov 1 -7
Week Two: Western Region – Nov 8 – 14
Week Three: Southern Region – Nov 15 – 21
Week Four: Central Region – Nov 22 – 28
Week Five: Open Week – Nov 29 – Dec 5

Once the registration request process is completed, the computer will randomly select units to receive reservations. When 2011 reaches capacity, groups will be placed on a waiting list for 2011 in the event of
cancellations.

Please see the 2011 Philmont Registration Packet (pdf) for additional information.

Popularity: 5% [?]

The National BSA Museum has announced some new Webelos workshops for November.

New Geologist Workshop Dates/Times
November 8 2pm

New Scientist Workshop Dates/Times
November 21 10:30am
November 21 12pm
November 21 2pm
November 21 3:30pm
November 22 1:30pm
November 22 3pm

Registration Information
Payment must be made at the time of reservation—no exceptions. There will be no refunds if you cannot attend the workshop for which you registered. Changing or switching reservation dates and times is not allowed.

Please note that during workshop registration periods, we receive a high volume of calls. If your call is answered by voice mail, please leave a message with your name and contact information. Calls will be returned in the order they are received. This includes voice mail messages.

To enroll in a Webelos workshop, please call Kevin Stanislawski at 972-580-2476. The cost is $10 per Scout.

You will need to provide the following information when calling to make a reservation.
Scout’s name:
Pack number:
Phone number:
E-mail address:

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. How long does the workshop last?
A. Geologist: 2 hours, 30 minutes
Scientist: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Q. Are there charges for additional people to attend?
A. There is no charge for leaders or parents to attend the workshop with their registered child. Additional children attending will be charged the regular rate, but they cannot participate in the workshop.

Q. Do I have to pay to go in the museum?
A. Scouts attending a workshop receive free admission to the museum. Leaders and parents will need to pay admission.

Q. When is the new schedule coming out?
A. We do not announce dates that workshops are going to be released. Workshop instructors are volunteers, and new classes are announced often.

Q. Are all the requirements completed?
A. Scouts will complete all of the requirements for their Webelos activity badge in the workshop.

Q. Do I have to sit with my son in the workshop?
A. Leaders and parents are invited, but are not required, to sit in the workshop that their son is attending. There is no charge for them to sit in these workshops. They may also sit in the canteen or lobby or pay admission to visit the museum.

For more information visit the National Scouting Museum website.

Popularity: 4% [?]