2009 NJCOS Scholarship
Winners Announced

Jay Schnapp, Chair of the Scholarship Committee, has announced that the NJCOS has awarded $7,000 in college scholarships to the following 2009 recipients:

Chester M. Vernon Memorial Eagle Scout Scholarship ($1,000/year for 4 years)
- Samuel J. Weinzimer, Nashville, TN

Rick Arkans Eagle Scout Scholarship ($1,000)
- Seth J. Alson, Fresno, CA

Frank L. Weil Memorial Eagle Scout Scholarship - First Place ($1,000) -
Steven N. Levitt, Creve Coeur, MO

Frank L. Weil Memorial Eagle Scout Scholarship - Second Place ($500)
- Evan L. Mielke, Lawrence, KS
- William R. J. Whiting, Bloomfield Hills, MI

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Click here to see patches from past Scout Shabbatot.   

     

                               
Has your Cub Scout earned a Jewish religious emblem?  Find out more about the Maccabee and Aleph Emblems?  Click here for the Maccabee workbook or the Aleph workbook. 

Over 700 Jewish Scouts and leaders gathered in Leeds, England on May 22-25, 2009 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Scouting's oldest Jewish troop.  The event was covered by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).
View the Video

According to Andrew Marks, Chairman of the National Jewish Scout Fellowship, the UK Scout Association, "produced the incorporation documents for the troop and we can now confirm that this scout troop is the oldest Jewish Scout Troop in the world."
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Western Region NJCOS
Announces Appointment
 of Local JCOS Chair

Ellen Marks, Chair of the Western Region Jewish Committee on Scouting, has announced the appointment of another council Jewish Committee on Scouting Chairman.

Tim Thornton, Scout Executive of the Ventura County Council (located northwest of Los Angeles)  made the appointment of John McBride as Chair of the VCC Jewish Committee on Scouting. 
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NJCOS Annual Meeting
Held in Orlando, Florida

The National Jewish Committee held its annual meeting at the Marriott hotel in Orlando, FL May 20th, 2009.  The meeting was held in conjunction with the BSA Annual Meeting.  The committee approved the minutes from its February meeting. 

Work is continuing on the Yad Award for chairs of council Jewish Committees on Scouting.  In addition, the committee preliminarily approved revisions to the Ner Tamid emblem which will be phased in during 2010.  More information on the modified requirements will be available this Fall.  Scouts working on the emblem will be able to finish under the existing requirements.

A. J. Kreimer, chair of the NJCOS, announced that nearly 900 Scout Shabbat patches had been sold representing an increase of 200 patches over 2008.  In addition, there was a 30% increase in the number of Jewish youth religious emblems and awards that were earned.

The Northeast Region, led by Jeff Goldsmith, and the Western Region, led by Ellen Marks, continued to form new units sponsored by Jewish temples, synagogues and Community Centers.

Rabbi Peter Hyman -
NJCOS National Chaplain
Representing Jewish Scouting:




Delivers Invocation to the U. S. House of Representatives

On July 30th, 2008 Rabbi Peter Hyman delivered the opening prayer to the United States House of Representatives in Washington.  Read the text of his prayer as published in the Congressional Record of the 110th Congress, Second Session.

Appointed to National BSA "Speakers Bank"

Chief Scout Executive Robert J. Mazzuca has announced that Rabbi Peter Hyman, NJCOS National Chaplain, past Chairman, and a 2006 recipient of the BSA's Silver Buffalo Award, was appointed as one of the four charter members of the newly established "Speaker's Bank" along with former National BSA President Rick Cronk and former National BSA Commissioners Don Belcher and Earl Graves.

Listen to Rabbi Hyman's moving keynote address to the "Duty to God" breakfast at the 2006 National Meeting in Washington, DC.