Unit registration is coming up. All adults, and we mean everyone, need Youth Protection Online Training every 2 years. Is yours current?     Leader Online Training -  Fast Start and Supplemental

Leave NO Trace TRAINER - June 8-10, 2012 at Camp Decorah.

Early FOS - Troops... conduct your Friends of Scouting drive before 12/31/11 and receive free rank advancements for all of 2012.

Gateway Today - December Edition is online, and hitting your mailbox.

2011-2012 Gateway Area Council Calendar - you can download and print the 2011/2012 Council Calendar PDF (421k), too.

PHILMONT 2013!: Each year the Gateway Area Council is asked by Philmont whether or not our council would like to sponsor a contingent for the following year.  At this time no troops have requested specific information about a 2013 trek.  The camping committee is requesting that before we reserve a Philmont contingent for 2013 that we have a sincere interest from a troop or troops willing to plan and conduct the trek.
Interested troops need to contact Chris Schabow no later than December 31st with any questions or to arrange for a contingent in 2013.  If we have received no feedback regarding this mater by the end of the year we will decline our council contingent for 2013.

Nature Center Library donations - Camp Decorah's Nature Center needs your gently-used educational materials.  Read the flyer for details.

Check our new RISK ZONE page.  Learn about Tour Plans, safety policies, insurance, and special training.

New-and-Improved Medical Form is now available.  Covers more high adventure, plus the necessary parental approval to dispense meds, etc. etc.

Effective June 1, 2010

• Youth Protection training is required for all BSA registered volunteers, regardless of their position.

• New leaders are required to take Youth Protection training before submitting an application for registration. The certificate of completion for this training must be submitted at the time the application is made and before volunteer service with youth begins.

• Youth Protection training must be taken every two years. If a volunteer's Youth Protection training record is not current at the time of recharter, the volunteer will not be reregistered.

• View more information about this change in English and Spanish .

Want to learn more about the BSA's newest high adventure base and future permanent home of the national Scout jamboree? Watch this video on The Summit Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve. The Boy Scouts of America recently announced the purchase of 10,000 acres in the Mount Hope/Glen Jean area of Fayette County, West Virginia. The property was purchased to build a high adventure base in the Eastern United States. The camp will be called The Summit: Bechtel Family National Scout Reserve. This is great news for the state of West Virginia, especially Southern West Virginia. The scouts have also announced they were moving the Boy Scouts National Jamboree to this site in the year 2013.

Council (Camp Decorah) Reservations

The 2012 Scout Leader's Guide is available, detailing the changes and excitement available for a week in the outdoors. Sign up for your troop's adventure with this registration form. 2011 Webelos Leader's Guide is available on the Camp Decorah page.

"Camp Decorah Staff Alumni" or "Gateway Area Council"

More about BSA position-specific training, or click over to our Training page.

Guide to Safe Scouting - Change regarding helmets for winter sports use. 
(Note, the searchable version has all the latest changes.)