Our annual Recognition Dinner is coming up in just a few weeks -- March 11 -- and we want to see you there! We'll be recognizing many deserving scouters, and want to make sure every Pack, Ship, Troop, Post, Crew and Club has someone honored, as every unit has leaders worthy of recognition. This year we are also doing a special recognition for the significant others that often make our scouting volunteerism possible. Come for fun and fellowship!
New for 2025: We will have a pop-up Scout Shop featuring branded Norcal Scouting apparel. Very cool!
This email goes to all registered adult leaders in the Golden Gate District (San Francisco/Daly City). Want an easy way to share this with others who may be interested?
For March, we'll be back in-person for Roundtable. Thank you to Troop 29 for letting us use your meeting location at the Buddhist Church, 1881 Pine St, San Francisco, CA 94109 (entrance is at 440 Austin St). Roundtable starts at 7pm and we'll have a Normal Friend Activity afterwards (so bring a t-shirt to change into after Roundtable). See you there!
IN PERSON: BALOO and IOLS Training Mega Super Regional List
Various Dates
Need to complete BALOO training so your Cub Scout Pack can go camping? Want to tackle IOLS to complete your ASM/Scoutmaster Position-specific training? Well, you're in luck -- this is the MEGA list of all regional offerings currently available. You will find this list NOWHERE ELSE.
Don't procrastinate in signing up as these trainings WILL fill up!
IOLS 2025 - for Scoutmasters/Assistant Scoutmasters
3/1/25 + 3/15/25-3/16/25 @ Camp Chesebrough (Note: Chinese language course) - Register
3/5/25 + 3/21/25-3/23/25 @ Rancho Los Mochos - Register
Range & Target Rangemaster Training Available (PacSky)
Various 2025 dates
The Pacific Skyline Council offers a number of Rangemaster and related trainings through their rich Range & Target Activities Program. If you have any interest in helping out at District or Council events with Cub, Scouts BSA or Explorer shooting sports, get trained today!
Scouts Trash the Trash Day is an international Messengers of Peace project for Scouts around the world, where each Scout is challenged to bring a friend or family member along and pick up at least one Kilo (2.2 pounds) of trash each on the first Saturday in May.
The idea for Scouts Trash the Trash Day came from the scouts of Troop 1206 in Helena, Montana after realizing that there are several days throughout the year that Scouts get together and do the same thing on the same day. Days like Jamboree on the Air and Internet, Jamboree on the Trail, Trees for the World, World Neckerchief Day, but there was not a day for Scouts to all get together and clean up their communities. Thus Scouts Trash the Trash Day was started. Scouts are asked to bring a non-scout with them on this day of service in order to double the impact of their trash cleaning effort.
Scouts Trash the Trash Day is about more than just cleaning our planet, it is a day to show the world what Scouting is about, educate individuals about Scouting and recruit new boys, girls and adults into the Scouting movement.
UPCOMING: Warriors Scout Day - Tickets now on sale
April 13, 2025 @ Chase Center, San Francisco
Gather your family and friends and join us for Scouts Night at Chase Center as your Golden State Warriors take on the Los Angeles Clippers! A limited number of tickets are available. Enjoy exclusive savings and pay NO taxes, surcharges, or fees when securing your tickets through this offer.
MORE INFO ADDED: There will be a Scout Night t-shirt given for FREE to all those who purchase tickets through the special link below.
Questions? Want to buy more than 20 tickets? Contact Andrew Sheets, Warriors Group Sales: asheets@warriors.com
UPCOMING: SF Bike Rodeo
May 10, 2025 @ Stonestown Back Parking Lot
Save the date! We will be holding our annual SF Bike Rodeo on Saturday May 10 at the parking lot behind Stonestown. More details including registration launching soon!
NEW: We Need Your Scout Stories!
This year, we want to expand our outreach on social to get more youth into Scouting and get more donations from the community. Golden Gate Area Council is collecting Scouting stories from all our Cubs, Scouts BSA, Sea Scouts, Venturers and Crews.
But we need your help. Please tell us a good Scout story.
If you have a funny, heroic, crazy, run from storm, rained out, helped someone, community service, Eagle project, Scouting for Food or any interesting story, please submit it to us using the link below.
February saw the celebration of Scout Sunday by several Troops and Packs, including Troop 14 (featured here). Learn more about Scout Sunday including Scout Sabbath and Scout Jumuah at Aaron on Scouting.
President's Volunteer Service Awards
Six scouts from Troop 88 and 88G were awarded Bronze, Silver and Gold President's Volunteer Service Awards at their Court of Honor earlier this month. In total, these 6 scouts provided more than 850 hours of service in 2024, both in and out of scouting. The President's Volunteer Service Awards are available to any eligible youth or adult leader, and our Council is a certified approver. Note that the awards do not carry the President's name nor signature. You can learn more about the awards here, and contact Alan Young at GGAC to get awards approved.
Annual Klondike Derby a Snowy Success
Troops from across GGAC gathered at the Tahoe Valley Campground over President's Day Weekend for the annual Klondike Derby. Our own Troop 29 took it away in the Sled Race -- congrats T29! More photos from the Klondike Derby here; great job by the Order of the Arrow Yerba Buena Lodge in holding another excellent event!
Crab Feast Raises Money For T29 Japan Trip
The 24th Annual T29 Crab Feast was another success! Thank you to all the entire T29 Community and the Buddhist Church of San Francisco for hosting our favorite community event of the year!
Reminder: Do you have a unit fundraiser? Let us know! We'll post it in the newsletter.
Cub Scouts
NEW: Pinewood Derby Design Contest
Ends February 28, 2025
Get Your Pinewood Derby Design on a Race Car!
Send in a photo of your Pinewood Derby car design for a chance to win an awesome prize pack from NASCAR® ARCA Driver and Former Cub Scout Zachary Tinkle!
NEW: Bullseye Bonanza 2025 (Archery, BB and Slingshot for Cubs)
May 3, August 9 and September 13
This fun-filled day will teach safety and proper air-powered BB, archery, and slingshot shooting techniques as well as give Lions through AOLs an opportunity to focus on their Rank Specific Shooting Sports adventures for Archery, air-powered BB or Sling Shot. This program offers two separate sessions each day. (Air-powered BB, Archery are offered each session, and Slingshot is offered as listed). Each scout only chooses one activity per session. The morning session will run from 8:30 am for check-in to 12:00 pm. The afternoon session will run from 12:30 pm for check-in to 4:00 pm.
Join us for our incredible Cub Scout Day Camp from June 16th to 20th 2025 in Golden Gate Park! You may reserve your spot with a $25 deposit and finish your regular registration price payment by March 1st (an additional $250)
This Cub Camp is open to all Boys and Girls (Cub Scouts) entering the 1st – 5th Grade in Fall 2026.
A truly amazing all-inclusive opportunity for any aspiring Eagle Scout!
Come up to Camp Hi-Sierra’s Eagle Achievement Camp.
Limited to the first 125 scouts, this camp has three scouts for each instructor to emphasize quality education. Eagle required badges typically not available at camp are offered because of the unique circumstances. You won’t miss out on amazing program opportunities like forging, shooting, climbing, or stargazing – those are included as well!
NEW: Changes to Eagle Letter of Recommendation Process
The Scouts BSA advancement committee has created two documents to assist Councils in updating their policies for Eagle Scout letters of reference. This chart details the changes in the process of obtaining letters of recommendation for the rank of Eagle Scout, comparing pre- and post-January 1, 2025.
This document details some of the things Councils may want to share with their Eagle Scout candidates to maximize their chances of successfully obtaining letters of recommendation.
The Scouts BSA Test Lab is an exciting way to help in the development of fun and interesting new topics unique to the Scouts BSA program. The requirements for each badge have the look and feel of merit badges, but instead of a printed pamphlet, you will find links to digital resources to help you complete the requirements.
Featured this month: Paul Lanzi, District Commissioner
This weekend I had the opportunity to attend the annual NorCal Commissioners College -- a day of focused training for Commissioners across all of Northern California. It was, as always, an enormously educational and entertaining day.
One of the most impactful courses I took was on Joining Conferences. What is a Joining Conference? It's a meeting between the parents of a scout joining a unit (Pack, Troop, Ship, etc.) and one of the unit leaders -- ideally, the unit leader themselves (or one of their assistant leaders). The purpose of the Joining Conference is for the parent(s) to share with the leader the information that the leader needs to know about the new scout to make that scout's time in scouting most successful. This might be information about a medical condition they have, medications they take, or simply information about hobbies they have outside of scouting. The purpose is to avoid surprises on future scouting outings, and to establish an open line of communication between the parents and the unit leader(s).
What a great idea! If you do Joining Conferences and have some tips to share, or want to learn more about them, come to our March in-person Roundtable meeting. It'll be part of our broader conversation about inclusive scouting -- a topic many of us have strong feelings about. Come JOIN us!
Find the latest stories and photos on a variety of platforms
Follow us on Instagram and Facebook using the buttons below. Want to see your own unit's photos and adventures featured in the GGD social media? Send photos to ggd.communications@gmail.com and/or tag 'BSA Golden Gate District' in your unit's or your personal posts.
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