Following an in-depth program study by representatives of Boy Scout Councils Comanche Trail in Brownwood and Chisholm Trail in Abilene, the two councils voted October 29th to consolidate and form a new council to better serve the youth of their respective areas. The new council will serve an 18 County area in Central and West Texas with headquarter based in Abilene using the present Chisholm Trail Council facility.

     The Study Committee looked at available manpower, finance, administration and program needs of the area and recommended that Camp Tonkawa and Camp Billy Gibbons continue to operate summer camps. The present offices in Abilene and Brownwood will remain open and continue to have a Scout Shop to serve the needs of Scouters in those areas of the new council. They also recommended the hiring of one or more additional unit-Serving Executives to work closely with units and the institutions that sponsor them from the savings realized from consolidation of professionals and the elimination of one Scout Executive position.

     A transition team has been appointed from each Council to facilitate the organization of the new council. The team met Wednesday night, October 30th, in the Comanche Trail Council office in Brownwood for orientation and fellowship. Four separate committees were formed and will meet over the next month to come up with consolidation plans for Administration, Manpower, Finance and Program. The group will then come back together to report their respective recommendations for the new council. Present plans calls for the launching of the new council, complete with new name, by January 1, 2003.

     Serving on the transition team are:

Comanche Trail Council – Pat Leatherwood, Dublin: Judge Terry McCall, Comanche; Larry Smith, Stephenville; Dr. Tom Cody Graves, Goldthwaite; Jim Anderson, Lampasas; and Stanley Walker, Bob Rider, Tully Hair and Joey Ellis of Brownwood. Alternates to the team are Randy Black, Breckenridge and Frank T. Hilton, Brownwood.

     Chisholm Trail Council – Kenneth Patton, Haskell; Tersa Beard, Clyde; Judge Lee Hamilton, Dr. Miller Richert, Dr. Jerry Strader, Gary Stephenson, Dan Fergus, Jr., and Ben McAnally, of Abilene. Alternates to the team are Sue Sloan, Coleman and Wesley Helmer, Merkel. 

     Each Council has a long and distinguished history of serving Scouting in their respective areas. Comanche Trail Council was organized in 1932 following the merger of the Oil Belt Council, serving Eastland and Stephens Counties, and the Pecan Valley Council serving Erath, Comanche, Mills, Lampasas, San Saba, and Brown Counties.

     The Chisholm Trail Council was organized in 1926 and included Taylor, Shackelford, Haskell, Jones, Callahan, Coleman and part of Runnels County. In 1954, Nolan, Fisher, and Stonewell Counties were transferred from the Buffalo Trail Council, Midland, to the Chisholm Trail Council.

     A contest is currently being held to name the new council and to design a new shoulder patch to be worn on youth and adult uniforms. Entries are due into either council office by November 15th. 

November

5     Cub Scout Leader Train. Session I  7 pm/ 1st United Meth.Church/Eastland
8     Popcorm Pick-up:  10am-5pm in Stephenville at M.L. Phinney, Inc.  & in Goldth at Cent. Tx. Telephone  Coop Warehouse/10am/5pm
12   Cub/Boy Scout Roundtable/ Old Tx Bank, 422 W. Washington, Stephenville
       7pm & Cub/Boy Scout Leader Roundtable/Council Office/Brownwood/7 pm
19  Cub/Boy Scout Leader Roundtable/1st   Baptist Church, Lampasas/7pm
21  Council Annual Business Meeting & Executive Board Meeting Council  Office/ Brownwood/7pm
28-29 OFFICE CLOSED - Thanksgiving

December

6     Popcorn Pick-up: Agmart/ Bwood  10 am5:00 pm 
24-25 OFFICE CLOSED- Christmas Holiday
31 OFFICE  CLOSED- Year-end 

January

1      OFFICE CLOSED- NewYear’s Day 
14 Cub/Boy Scout Leader Roundtables/Council  Office, Brownwood 7 pm
     Cub/Boy Scout Leader       Roundtable/Stephenville/Old 
 TX. Bank
16   Executive Board Meeting 7pm 
18 Order of the Arrow Banquet
20   OFFICE CLOSED,MLK Day 
21    Cub/Boy Scout Leader 
        Roundtable/1st Baptist Church, Lampasas 7 pm
 

The Friends of Scouting Campaign (FOS) gives businesses, individuals, and families the opportunity to help support the Comanche Trail Council financially. FOS ensures that a quality program is available to all the youth in this area. The Comanche Trail Council offers a premier program, with a Council Service Center, a camp (Camp Billy Gibbons), two full time professionals, training and year-
round support. The current 2002 budget requires a minimum of $79,000 of the $273,000 needed to continue these services be raised in Friends of Scouting Campaigns. The Council budget covers such areas as office and camp operations, field service, accident insurance for the registered youth and adults of the Council, liability insurance, youth and unit assistance, Eagle award program, phone, fax and e-mail service, and essential forms anfiling requirements of a non-profit organization. The list goes on and on. The most simple way to explain why the Comanche Trail Council exists is opportunity. We provide the opportunity for youth to join quality Scouting Programs within our eight county area. The purpose of FOS and the budget is to ensure that the opportunity exists.
     The Council sincerely thanks all of our Friends of Scouting givers for their support and we thank our volunteers for their selfless gifts of time and talents.

     Again, the Fun & Son was a GREAT  event. Pam Barnes, Program Director extraodinar, once again, put together a great weekend of activities and fun. The weekend was BIGGER and BETTER  than ever before - we had over 208 Cub Scouts plus 200 Parents attend. It was  the largest event we have ever had. 
     Pam put together a great staff of adults and Venture Crew 2000 members and adults from Lampasas, who provided the majority of the staffing. All of the staff did a great job and we say “THANK YOU” for a job well done! Our Council is blessed with great volunteers, both adult and youth.  Without each working together, activities such as this could not happen.
     On behalf of all the Cub Scouts, we say THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!!
     If you missed this Fall’s Fun & Son, we are sorry…..plan now to participate in the next Cub Scout Activity, scheduled for March 12 & 13, 2003.

     Currently, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is working to develop a program for adult leaders that will help expand the education of the sport of fly fishing by creating more knowledgeable instructors / leaders. The program is not ready at this time. Until such time as the program becomes available, the Southern Council of Fly Fishers is happy to provide assistance in educating and teaching the aspects of fly fishing to the youth of  Texas via the Scouting program.

     Please feel free to contact me or any member of the Southern Council of Fly Fishers for additional information or discussion.

 Southern Council Federation of Fly Fishers Fly Fishing Clubs:
Austin; Ron Smith, Secretary
   512-869-8929 or ruston79@aol.com
Houston; Tom Lyons 281-379-7944 
   TFLyons@aol.com 
Kerrville; Gary  Harrison 
   Gunyon003@aol.com 
SanAntonio; Buddy Robichaux 
   210-492-7125 flyfshr@attglobal.net 
Fort Worth; Al Crise 
   flysoup@itexas.net or
Johnny Walker at Jwred@aol.com 
Tyler; Steve Robbins SROB@tjc.edu 
Lufkin; 139 Lancewood Circle Lufkin, TX 75904 or  Walter McLendon 
   (936) 875-3726 
   email: walterm@bigfoot.com 

What: 10th annual Open House
When: Saturday, March 29, 2003
Where: Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine
     Important Information 
Concerning the Boy Scout Veterinary Science Merit Badge Program Available through Open House:

• The program is open to 250 scouts
• Registration for slots filled on a first come, first serve basis and will not be accepted before November 15, 2002
• Letters will be mailed before January 14, 2003 to those boys who have a confirmed slot.

• The five dollar ($5) registration fee from those who have been granted a slot must be postmarked by February 1, 2003. Slots are given to alternates if registrationfees are not received on time.
• For more information please check our website at. http:/cvm.tamu.edu/openhouse/ or email Kelly Henton at boyscouts@cvm.tamu.edu. 
• …Please do not call the Dean’s office for registration information as they will refer you back to the open house office.

     Comanche Trail has been recognized as a Quality Council in 1997, 1998, 1999, & 2000. We could again reach this recognition level by working together. 

     The first four requirements include units service and growth. The requirements are: 

1.  60% Quality Units. Currently: 45%. If your unit qualified, please contact the office.
2. Growth of 2% in Membership. Round-up is our key success.
3. Growth of 2% in Units. Tell the Scouting story in your town.
4. End with a positive cash flow. Has your unit given an opportunity for a FOS presentation this year? Will your unit sell popcorn?

 Tell the Scouting story and support will happen. This is your Council-help it to serve more youth and be strong.

Hours:
Monday – Friday

8:30am-12:30pm
1:30pm-5:00pm

602 East Adams,
Brownwood, TX 76804 

Phone    915-646-0616
Fax        915-646-0212 

     Get ready for Christmas and your Scouting needs. We stock shirts, shorts, trousers, caps, neckerchiefs and slides, all required patches, books…AND MUCH, MUCH MORE! 

If we don’t have what you need, let us know and we will be glad to order your needed supplies. Come visit, and ask us for a catalogue.

    Remember, by purchasing your Scouting Supplies from your Council Trading Post, you support you own local Council.  THANK YOU for your support of the Comanche Trail Council.

FMC Technologies Corporate Contributions Program
Donald L. Douglas  $500.00
David E. Swearingen $500.00
Perry A. Wakefield   $500.00
Carl Parker   $500.00
James Soltau   $500.00

The Silver Beaver Award is the highest form of recognition that can be given by a local council for volunteer service to youth. In 1931, B.S.A. President, MORTIMER L. SCHIFF, 
recommended to the National Board that an award be devised for recognition of distinguished service to youth in the area of a local council and the concept of the Silver Beaver recognition was established.
     On Saturday, February 8, 2003, our Council plans to recognize leaders who may be nominated for service through 2002.
     Although the presentation is made by the Council, all nominations submitted must be approved be the National Court of Honor before the award can be presented. Only those persons who have been nominated by their Scouting peers are considered by the local Council and the award may not be personally applied for. The selection process in our Council involves a Silver Beaver Selections Committee that meets at least once a year to evaulate the many noninations received. 
     Anyone desiring to place a nomination can do so by picking up a nomination form at the Council Office or by calling 915-646-0616, and having a form mailed. The deadline for making nominations for the Silver beaver for 2002 is December 10, 2002.
     Complete and accurate information legibly presented on the proper form is extremely important for the Selection Committee’s consideration. Nominators should take the time to research the information required so that as complete a picture as possible can be presented in the nomination.

     The Comanche Trail Council recognizes outstanding Scout Leaders annually though the Annual Recognition Banquet. The District Award of Merit is a council award presented to Scouters who have been nominated and selected for their outstanding youth service, on the district level. 

     There are many Scouters worthy of this recognition…you know who they are! Please help us to identify them by taking time to research their service to youth., To obtain the correct form, please contact the Council Office at  915-646-0616. Complete information and mail it to Comanche Trail Council
PO Box 1086
Brownwood, Texas, 76804.

The Award of Merit is a council award presented by districts in the same manner that the Silver Beaver is a national award presented by councils.
     The award is available annually on the basis of 1 for each 25 units, or fraction thereof. The district need not present all the awards to which it is entitled each year.

Eagle Scout
Congratulations!

We are proud to recognize the following Eagle Scouts who have recently earn the highest boy rank in Boy Scouting

Memorials are gifts given through the Scout Service Center in Remembrance + of a lost friend or family member or to honor * the living memory of someone.

When the great outdoors seems to beckon to me, 
There’s a place I eagerly go,
Where Nature and man walk hand in hand
Through the camp at the end of the road.

When the cares of this world seem too much to bear,
And tears too easily flow, 
At least for the moment they cease to exist,
At the Camp at the end of the road. 

Brady Creek flows with a musical sound, 
Plum Hollow’s, a balm for the soul, Spider Cave offers its mysteries,
to the camp at the End of the road.

The night sky plays hosts to a brilliant Display,
The moon has a luminous glow,
The Scent of the juniper wafts on the breeze,
At the camp at the end of the road.

For fifty plus years it has offered, Refuge for Young and old, 
Memories are there for the making
At the camp at the end of the road.

When life’s journey has ended, 
And onward to heaven I go,
I feel quite sure it will resemble, 
The camp at the end of the road.

Go to:  (Web Site Deleted) 
For information on campsite reservations already made for 2003.

If you have not already signed up for summer camp, you may do so by calling, e-mailing or writing the:

Comanche Trail Council 
PO Box 1086
Brownwood, TX 76804-1086
Phone:  915/646-0616
E-mail:  bsa479@bsamail.org