Great Southwest Council Opening Timeline

May 18   The Great Southwest Council will be open by appointment only through May 31. Appointments can be made by calling 505-345-8603 and leaving a message.

June 1   The Great Southwest Council will operate on normal business hours Monday, Wednesday, and Friday through the end of 2020. Appointments can be made for Tuesdays and Thursdays if necessary.

Please note- the 2020 Order of the Arrow Fall Conclave scheduled for September 25-27 has been cancelled.

October 19-23,  November 20 - 30,  December 16-January 3, 2021 Council Office will be closed.  The Great Southwest Council will resume Monday through Friday operations January 4 2021.

Gorham Scout Ranch will remain closed until further notice

Notes:  District Executives will continue to work from home and can be reached by calling their cell numbers:

Mary Mazza-Andersen  575-209-9004

Ethan Crisp 208-965-1224

Council meetings, committee meetings, and district meetings will be conducted via ZOOM through the end of August.

Office visitors will be asked to wear a mask and use hand sanitizer, and we may ask to limit the amount of visitors in the lobby at any given time. 

Thank you for your patience and understanding. 

Explora and the Great Southwest Council!

Our new way of engaging Scouts comes with some challenges. Explora will lead us through some fun, easy ways to use Zoom, Google, and other online tools that have become part of our lives. Get hands-on experience with things you probably have around your house: 

• paper
• books (about 4 thick ones)
• coins (pennies, nickels, etc.)
• metal frying pan
• plastic bowl or cup
• wooden cutting board or other piece of wood
• ice cubes
• straw
• tray (like a baking pan or cookie sheet)
• water
• dish soap
• clear cup
• soil
• food coloring

Copy and paste the link or go to the calendar page to register. Don't miss it!

The 2020 Popcorn Season is upon us! 

Just because it's been a challenging year doesn't mean we can't have a successful season of Popcorn selling! Now, more than ever - Popcorn can bring your units a successful year of Scouting programs. We will help get your Scouts all the resources for a great selling experience! 

Show & Sell (Storefront) will begin in October. Show & Sell orders are due into the Trail's End system by September 28th for delivery to the council on October 13th. If Smith's is on your radar for places to sell, please request your slots by emailing Caryl to get the correct form.

Packs and Troops are encouraged to start selling now!  Take order forms are available at the Council office now. Outlying districts can email caryl.sharpe@scouting.org to get their take order forms mailed. 

We encourage every Scout to download the Trail's End app and start selling through Online Direct. It's the safest way to earn points FAST! 

The Great Southwest Council wants you to earn the most you possibly can, so we've made the decision to pay for all shipping costs related to Online Direct sales during Trail's Ends promotions. That means no shipping cost to your customer, so making those sales to your friends, family and business contacts should be EASY!  Trail's End pays the credit card fees, the Council pays the shipping during those promotions instead of the customer, how easy is that?

Don't forget to join the Trail's End Facebook community for lots of ideas and tricks. 

Partnership units have the potential to earn up to 48% commission!

Shotgun Merit Badge Clinic at Tinnin Hunt Club! 

Tinnin Hunt Club is pleased to host a Shotgun Merit Badge Clinic on Saturday, November 14th. Scouts must be 13 years of age or older and present a merit badge application signed by their Scoutmaster and a signed parental waiver. Cost is $25 per Scout and parents may purchase lunch for $15.

The schedule for the day is as follows:

Time                              Task

                                 8:00 – 8:30 am             Arrive/Check in

                                 8:30 am                       MB Class Begins

                                 11:30 am                     Box Lunch

                                                                     Leadership Presentation- Shane Austin

                                 12:15 pm                     Qualification Shooting

                                 4:00 pm                       Closing-Award MB Cards

Participation is limited to the first 20 youth to sign up on the council web page. Shotguns are available on a limited basis and all ammo will be provided. Participants are asked to read the Shotgun merit badge book before the class.

          https://gswcbsa.doubleknot.com/registration/register.aspx#     

Celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the Great Southwest Council! 

BSA Restructuring Information and Updates

The national organization has established a dedicated restructuring website, www.BSArestructuring.org. 

This site includes a helpful Resources page, where you will find a short video explaining what Chapter 11 means for Scouting, as well as a FAQ. The site’s Milestones page will be your best source for the latest updates throughout this process. 

Support Scouting - Give ONLINE Today...

Please take a moment to support the Great Southwest Council through our annual giving campaign. All donations stay locally to support Scouting in the Great Southwest Council!

Returning for 2020... the Gondola Patrol! The Gondola Patrol is the Great Southwest Council's recurring gift club. Become a member by contributing $15 per month via your credit or debit card. Click HERE to complete the pledge card. Send to or drop off to the Scout Office to join today.

We need your help!

Council President, Dr. Stephen Christiansen requests our members to let us know if you are aware of potential Scout supporters in the community.  Please click here for more information

2021 Governor's Charity Ball Date Announced! 

The 2021 Governor's Charity Ball will be held April 24th at the Albuquerque Convention Center. As you remember, the Great Southwest Council and Gorham Scout Ranch are beneficiaries of Rotary Club's Governor's Ball and your support is truly appreciated. Find out how you can donate, attend, sponsor, and support this amazing event.  

More information at nmgovernorscharityball.com

2020 The Gift of Scouting Annual Auction is Coming!

STEM Scouting! 

https://www.youtube.com/watchv=2TddcH916MU

The Greater Albuquerque Housing Partnership is home to STEM Lab 1.618 - a group of Scouts learning Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math topics. Through fun and engaging experiments and modules, Scouts stretch their knowledge while learning the principles of the Scout Law and Oath.

Safe Scouting: BSA Incident Reporting

Timely, clear, concise, and complete incident reports allow for an appropriate response and an opportunity for analysis while promoting continuous improvement of our programs. You can now report incidents, near misses, and youth protection / membership infraction incidents to your local council or enter them yourself.

For information on reporting an incident, including report forms, click HERE

Read the current Trailmarker HERE

Other Announcements:

Calendar

Videos

Gorham Scout Ranch Video

Tufts Study Video

Brownsea Video