Advancement

Council Advancement and Recognition Committee

The primary responsibility of this committee is to support the Advancement and Recognition programs of the Pacific Harbors Council.

This includes:

Supporting Eagle Scout Boards of Review.
Eagle Advancement Training held every May and October, required for Eagle Advisors.
Overseeing the presentation of special awards like the Lifesaving and Meritorious Action Award.
Rank extension and alternatives requests, taken into consideration on a case by case basis.
Approvals of STEM Nova Counselors and Supernova Mentors.
General questions about advancement and recognition within the Boy Scouts of America.

Meetings are held every other month alternating locations in the Tacoma and Tumwater areas.

Below you will find important information regarding the committee.

The Pacific Harbors Council, Scouts with Disabilities Committee is committed to making Scouting accessible and enjoyable to all boys and Venture age girls regardless of their abilities.

Since its founding in 1910, the Boy Scouts of America has included fully participating members with physical, mental, and emotional disabilities. The BSA’s policy is to treat members with disabilities as much like other members as possible. It has been traditional however, to make some accommodations in advancement if absolutely necessary. By adapting the environment and/or our instruction methods, most Scouts with disabilities can be successful in Scouting.

The basic premise of Scouting for youth with disabilities is full participation. Youth with disabilities can be treated and respected like every other member of their unit. They want to participate like other youth- and Scouting provides that opportunity.

An individual is considered to have a “disability” if she or he:

has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities- seeing, hearing, speaking, walking, breathing, performing manual tasks, learning, caring for oneself, and working,
has a record of such an impairment, or
is regarded as having such an impairment.

Here are some online resources to get you started:

Guide to Working with Scouts with DisAbilities
National Council scouting.org resource page
To receive the quarterly newsletter “Abilities Digest” send a message to disabilities.awareness@scouting.org This newsletter focuses on helping Scouting leaders to include and provide service for Scouts who have special needs. If you would like to learn more about this area of service and the resources available.
Abilities Digest Facebook page
Autism and Scouting Facebook page

Contact Kathleen Bastien, Scouting with DisAbilities Committee Chair.