With planning, Scouting can be safe during COVID. Staying vigilant and informed are key.

1. Communicate with your Chartered Organization to learn what requirements they might have in place, and to engage them in your plan.
2. Group size is currently limited to a maximum of 75 persons indoors, 150 outdoors.**
3. Anyone with COVID-19 symptoms or questionable exposure must stay home. The GMC Pre-Event Screening Checklist is a tool for communicating this to participants, and for documenting compliance.
4. The Checklist is a required document for District and Council events to aid in contact tracing, if necessary, as required by the Health Department. Units are encouraged to use this tool, as well.
5. Individuals shall wear a cloth mask covering nose and mouth, whether indoors or outdoors, when physical distancing (at least 6 feet between non-family members) cannot be maintained.
6. There must be facilities or supplies to allow for frequent hand washing and/or sanitizing, and frequent reminders to do so.
7. Shared equipment and surfaces must be sanitized frequently.
8. Participants must be limited to those residing in counties with less than 400 active cases of COVID-19 per one million residents. (See https://accd.vermont.gov/covid-19/restart/cross-state-travel)
9. Camping: tents must be set up 6 feet apart, and each person must have their own tent, unless a family unit. The Guide to Safe Scouting applies.
10. Dining: Avoid serving styles where diners use shared utensils and condiments; discontinue use of group beverage dispensers.

Obviously, all must adhere to the guidance provided by the State of Vermont and VT Department of Health.

In the event that a participant exhibits COVID-19 symptoms during or following the activity, report to the activity/event leader, who will follow the BSA procedures for reporting injuries and accidents. See https://www.scouting.org/health-and-safety/incident-report/. The participant should follow up with their primary care provider.

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* Operations at our Council-owned properties may be subject to more stringent guidelines.
** Vermont’s Be Smart, Stay Safe guidance (accd.vermont.gov) currently specifies occupancy limits at

• 50 percent of approved fire safety occupancy to the set maximum below; OR
• One customer/person per 100 square feet of customer facing space to the set maximum below if no fire safety occupancy is established.
• Occupancy may not exceed 75 total people for inside operations or events even if their fire safety occupancy or square footage calculation would otherwise permit a greater amount of people.
• Occupancy may not exceed 150 people for outside operations or events.

A PDF file of this, for distribution to all activity leaders, is available HERE.

Since his earliest days in Richmond, Clint Buxton has yearned to conquer the Long Trail.  When COVID-19 dashed his final season as summer camp director at Mt. Norris Scout Reservation in Eden, the suddenly-unemployed 61-year-old decided to lace up his hiking boots to raise awareness and much-needed support for Vermont's outdoor Scouting programs.

"Summer camp is always the highlight of the year for our kids and COVID robbed that from them," said Buxton, who has led programs at Mt. Norris since 2017.  "I'm doing this to prove that even at my age, Scouting can help take you where you want to go in life."

The forced closure of the Green Mountain Council's summer camp operations at Mt. Norris and Camp Sunrise in Benson impacted the plans of nearly 3,000 local families this summer.  Without summer programs, the organization is bracing for a $160,000 camp operating deficit to maintain nearly 1,200 acres of wilderness.

"Our camping properties are critical to our mission of preparing boys and girls for life," said Mark Saxon, Scout Executive and CEO of the Green Mountain Council.  "We hold a sacred duty to steward these properties for the benefit of all Vermonters for generations to come.  Clint could have folded his tent, but when he realized the family farm would be threatened without a summer harvest, he set his mind to inspiring others to act."

Buxton - who will adopt the trial name Hawkeye - will begin the 272-mile northward through hike on Saturday August 29, near Williamstown, Mass.  He and his family have pledged to donate $2 per mile to help sustain Green Mountain Council's outdoor programs.  Buxton is encouraging others to pitch in financially, through service, or by hitting a trail and posting an adventure with a 'Flat Buxton' cutout to social media using #BuxtonHikesLT to help raise awareness for the effort dubbed Buxton's Trail Champions.

"In addition to pursuing a lifelong personal goal, I wanted this hike to serve as an impactful opportunity for our Green Mountain Council, and most importantly our Scouts," said Buxton, who plans on arriving at Journey's End near the Canadian Border by September 25.

Follow Buxton's journey and become a Buxton Trail Champion at www.scoutingvermont.org/BuxtonHikesLT

Mount Norris Camp Director Clint 'Hawkeye' Buxton prepares for his Long Trail through hike.

There will be a Council Roundtable held on August 25th at 6:30. This will be held via Zoom and the link will be emailed out. If you do not receive the link and want to attend, please contact me (Shannon McCullen at shannon.elizabeth.mccullen@gmail.com) and I will send it to you.

Agenda:
Introductions and Announcements
Pledge, Scout Oath, and Scout Law
Safety Moment
Popcorn Update
Clint Buxton Hiking
Camp Reopening Update
Recruitment Ideas with Cub Scout and Scouts BSA breakouts
Closing

If you are unable to attend, the Roundtable will be recorded and shared. I hope to see you there!

Check out https://www.scoutingvermont.org/2020-council-summit.html. This page highlights some of the topics covered in the August 15 gathering that drew nearly 60 Scouters to the grounds of the Vermont Granite Museum in Barre.

There are not only links to the afternoon's handouts, but also VIDEOS! Many thanks to Kevin McCullen for his equipment and expertise in making that happen.

Mt. Norris Scout Reservation has re-opened for unit tent camping by Troops and Crews (sorry, no Packs at this time), family tent camping (each family in its own site), and day use for outdoor unit or District activities.

So as to comply with current COVID guidelines and operate with existing staff, all buildings (including dining hall, kitchen, health lodge, guest restroom, showerhouse, camp offices) and program areas (Rifle, Shotgun, Archery, Waterfront, Climbing Wall, Econ Lodge) remain closed. Use of outdoor areas will be permitted, including the outside deck of the Camp Office and the pavilions located at Jay Peak, Handicraft, and First Class Adventure.

Reservations must be made in advance by contacting the Council Service Center. There is a fee of $25 per site per night. Further information is available in this Mt. Norris Property Use Update.

Camp Sunrise remains closed to all youth at this time. Service projects at both camps remain limited to adults only and may proceed under COVID-safe conditions. E-mail Scout Executive Mark Saxon (mark.saxon@scouting.org) to discuss your project.

In compliance with Vermont's re-opening guidance, all participants at all gatherings should complete a health survey. A GMC Pre-Event Screening Checklist has been developed for your use that should be collected by unit and/or activity leaders. The dual purpose of this form is to gather the information needed in the event that contact tracing should be necessary.

Good News from our Green Mountain Council Popcorn Kernel, Dan Manz ...
 
I am excited to report the 2020 popcorn sale is happening!  As you can imagine, there have been a few changes with this year’s campaign, including a new popcorn supplier, Camp Masters.  With that said, you may be pleasantly surprised to learn this can be the best sale your unit has ever had.
 
After working a career in public health, my first priority was making certain this year’s sale can be done safely.  We have several new sales models that put safety first.  These include:

• Have your Scouts sell over the phone to customers on last year’s take-order forms.
  
• Do a carefully engineered Show 'n Sell.
  
• Do a new form of door-to-door take-order sales.  Use door hangers with order forms and other techniques to minimize face-to-face contacts.
  
• Expand your online sales and accept credit cards for payment.
  

 
Our popcorn team is committed to helping your unit achieve a couple of goals.  We all want the best parts of scouting in Vermont to continue and grow. Yes, things may be a little different but perhaps some of the program will be even better.  We also want your unit to be able to financially support the activities your unit values and delivers.  Now more than ever, the 2020 popcorn sale is a part of both these concepts.
 
Now is the time to begin getting organized for this year’s sale.  Click on the attached links to sign up your unit for the Show 'n Sell and the Fall Take-Order Sale.  When you sign up online be sure to  register to participate in one of the four Zoom training sessions.  As much as Laurie and I have enjoyed meeting everyone in person for the past several years, we just couldn’t see bringing large groups together indoors with she and I being potential vectors to spread COVID.  If you can’t make your District’s specific date, feel free to attend the training on any other convenient date.
 
Our commitment has always been to help you conduct the most successful sale possible for your unit.  This year, more than ever, we are doubling down on that promise and will be there to help you.