Northern Trail News: May 31, 2026
📌 Action Items
- 📝 Cub Scout Crossover Reminder: Please ensure all Cub Scout advancement is recorded before a youth is registered with a troop. Many Scouts crossing over have already paid their national dues at the end of 2025; those dues should not be collected again by the troop. ➡ Need arrows for your crossover? Contact Arapaho chapter advisor Kristine Schowope Kschwope@hotmail.com or 214-734-2281.
- Northern Trail District Committee meetings - Have a Voice in Your District!
- Northern Trail Roundtable - Are you making it to your district roundtable meetings?
- Post photos on the District and Council Facebook pages.
- Share this newsletter – Make sure new members are in the know - Forward to others in your unit. Sign up here.
- New Merit Badge Counselor Contact Jayde Hawkins.Send the merit badge form along with a multiple application and a copy of your ypt/sy. Training is available at Merit Badge Counselor Position Specific Training
| 🚨 ACTION REQUIRED BEFORE MAY 31, 2026 🚨 |
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| New Safeguarding Youth Training (SYT) |
ALL previous Youth Protection Training (YPT) certifications will expire on May 31, 2026. If you have not ever completed the new Safeguarding Youth Training (SYT) training, you must take the full 90min Y01 SAFE Guarding Youth Training by Sunday, May 31. Please note that clicking to renew your training takes you to the 20min annual refresher. That will NOT count and your YPT will expire. Even if your YPT training is less than two years old, it will still expire on May 31, 2026.If you have not yet completed the new SYT course, you must do so no later than May 31, 2026. SYT is available now on my.Scouting.org . |
| 📅 PLAN AHEAD FOR 2026-2027! |
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| Program Preview for the 2026-2027 Scouting Year 📍 Location: FUMC Richardson, Room 230 📅 Date: June 4, 2026 🕖 Time: 7:00 PM Key 3 leaders from all units are encouraged to attend to review the upcoming council calendar, major events, training opportunities, and key dates for the 2026-2027 Scouting year. This is an opportunity to identify when your unit may want to participate in council and district activities, avoid scheduling conflicts, and begin planning for a successful year. All Scout volunteers are welcome to attend. |
📣 Recruitment & Promotion
🎓 Training & Leadership
- Please note that Youth Protection Training(YPT) is being sunset as of May 31. – Even if you took YPT less than two years ago it will expire May 31 and you will need to take the new safeguarding youth training. The training can be found online at my.scouting.org. 🚨 Deadline: May 31, 2026
- Health and Safety – Safety is a value that must be taught and reinforced at every opportunity.
- Check out all the new training classes added to On the Calendar!
- Share Your Skills – Mentor new leaders; contact bramfranklin@gmail.com.
🍿 Fundraising & Volunteering
- Tentative 2026 Popcorn Calendar Now Available. Time to start preparing for the Fall!.
📰 Newsletter & Content
- Have Content? – Send items for the newsletter to news@ntrail.org.
📅On the Calendar 
- 📆District Calendar
PROGRAM PREVIEW FOR THE 2026-2027 SCOUTING YEAR! June 4 at 7:00pm, FUMC Richardson, Room 230.Key-3 Unit leaders for all units need to see what is on the calendar and when they may want to be involved in advance. This meeting is open to all Scout Volunteers.
Northern Trail Roundtable - August TBD at FUMC, room 230 7:00 pm.
2026 NYLT - Session 1 & 2. National Youth Leadership Training (NYLT) is an exciting, action-packed six-day council-level program designed to provide Scouts in troops, crews, and ships with leadership skills and experience they can use in their home units and other situations demanding leadership of self and others.
Wood Badge 149 - Philmont Scout Ranch: Wood Badge is Scouting America's ultimate leadership training designed to meet the advanced leadership needs of Scouters. August 2-8, 2026.
Becca Bradley from NT invites all parents and leaders who have not attended the course to come. Family cabin camping and programming is available simultaneously, so there will be fun for the whole family.
2026 UNIVERSITY OF SCOUTING Save The Date October 10, 2026
Wood Badge 150 - Trevor Rees-Jones Scout Camp:October 23-25, 2026 and November 7-8, 2026
| 🏕️ Have a Voice in Your District |
Northern Trail Scouters, are you satisfied with the district activities? Do you want a voice in deciding future events? If so, you are encouraged to attend our next District Committee Meeting sometime in August in room 230 at the First United Methodist Church of Richardson. All Scouters are welcome, and your unit’s Charter Organization Representative is especially encouraged to attend as a full member of the district committee. |
| Local News and Notes |
| 🌄 Scoutmaster Minute: The View from the Trail |
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| Have you ever noticed that the best views are rarely found at the trailhead? The trailhead is comfortable. It is where the parking lot is. It is where the map is posted. It is where everything feels familiar. But the view everyone talks about is usually farther up the trail, after a few hills, a little sweat, and a decision to keep going when it would have been easier to turn back. Scouting is much the same way. Growth rarely happens in our comfort zone. It happens when we try a new skill, take on leadership, meet new people, or attempt something we are not sure we can do. Sometimes we succeed right away. Sometimes we struggle. Either way, we learn. Summer is full of opportunities to step farther down the trail. Maybe it is earning a challenging merit badge, leading your patrol, spending a week away from home, or helping a younger Scout succeed. Each of those experiences helps build confidence and character. As you head into summer activities, look for opportunities that stretch you just a little. Say yes to the hike. Volunteer to help. Try the activity you've never done before. The greatest rewards in Scouting are often found just beyond where you thought you could go. When summer is over, the accomplishments you remember most may not be the easy ones. They will be the moments when you chose to keep walking and discovered what was waiting around the next bend in the trail. |
📚 Upcoming Training
| Upcoming District and Council Events |
Arapaho Chapter News
The Order of the Arrow is an honor camper service organization. Each district has a chapter and members are chosen by their peers.
Contact arapaho@miki.org with questions.
It's not too late to renew your OA membership go to: miki.org/event-registration/ and pay your dues.
Other Important Information
Cub Scout Camping
Cub Scout Camping is fun and only allowed at approved camps. Make your reservations in advance for your whole pack to enjoy the outdoors. Click on Circle Ten Camps for information on the 4 Circle 10 camps and all the other approved Cub Scout Camping locations at the bottom of the page for your Cub Scout Pack to have an adventure.
Northern Trail has an active commissioner staff with deep scouting knowledge. Get to know your commissioner. Your commissioner can help you and your unit resolve problems and pass along some ideas to make your program even better. Our District Commissioner is Bram Franklin, who may be reached at: bramfranklin@gmail.com.
If you are having trouble reaching your commissioner, contact Bram and he will assist you.
Looking for a way to give back to scouting? New unit leaders need mentors who can help them navigate the trail. As you know it can be a little overwhelming. Training is available! Contact our district commissioner Bram Franklin bramfranklin@gmail.comfor more information.
Help Shape Scouting — Become a Unit Commissioner
Many of us have Scouts who have aged out but still want to contribute to the values and ethics Scouting instills in our youth. We are looking for two new commissioners for Northern Trail. If you have Scouting experience and want to help beyond your Pack, Troop, Crew, Ship, or Post, please consider becoming a unit commissioner.
If you have questions or would like to suggest someone for this role, please contact:
Bram Franklin
214-609-9089
BramFranklin@gmail.com
Website and Newsletter
Our newsletter and website reach a very large audience in Northern Trail. If there is something scouting related which needs to be on the website or the newsletter, please do not keep it to yourself, let us know. news@ntrail.org
If we need to fix a broken link or have incorrect information, please take a moment, and let us know. news@ntrail.org
Do not keep the newsletter to yourself! Everyone in your unit should be receiving the newsletter and be aware of the website. sign up is easy, just send them to: Newsletter sign up . Do not forget to sign up on Circle Ten to receive updates from the council.
Looking for something in a recent newsletter? Several years of past newsletters may be found here.
Yours in Scouting,
Tammy Pitt
Northern Trail Communications Committee
