general frequently ask questions
Council General – Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Can I get the Council’s Federal Identification Number for an in-kind donation that my unit or a young man working on his Eagle project is going to give to the donor (usually a retail outlet)?
A. Under IRS policies since the Council is not receiving the in-kind donation directly and cannot attest that it will be used for tax exempt purposes we cannot release our Federal Identification Number. If your sponsoring organization is a tax-exempt, it is best to get their Federal Identification Number since they have control over donations in-kind.
Q. When is Scout Sunday observed?
A. Scouting’s anniversary date is on February 8th. Scout Sunday is observed on the Sunday that includes February 8th.
Q. How do I nominate someone for the Silver Beaver award?
A. Nomination forms are available via our website www.saltlakescouts.org. Select “Council” then “Associations” then “Silver Beaver Association.” Scroll down to the bottom of the page and select “forms.” You can then print the .pdf copy of the nomination form. If you are in one of our offices, they should have forms you can pick up.
Q. When are nomination forms due?
A. The nomination forms are collected from December to the 1st Tuesday in November of the following year.
Q. How are the Silver Beaver nominees selected?
A. Copies of the nominations are prepared and given to a selection committee. Following the review of the nominations by committee members, the selection is made as to who will receive a nomination from the Council for that year. Those selected should be notified of their nomination by Christmas Day of that year. A list of those received Council nominations is available after Christmas.
Q. When are the awards actually given to the recipients?
A. The Great Salt Lake Council has held their recognition evening the first part of March in the following year.
Q. Are they printed in the local newspapers?
A. We do prepare a new release for local papers. However, printing of the information is generally done at no charge to the Council so we are at the mercy of the publisher as to when and if the information is printed. The best thing to do is just watch the papers just prior to and several months following the recognition evening.
Q. Where will the recognition ceremony be held?
A. the past few years the ceremony has been held at the Bountiful Regional Center, (835 N 400 E, North Salt Lake, the old Valley Music Hall) with a starting time of 7:00 p.m.
Q. Where do I get a “Unit Money Earning” application?
A. With access to the internet, the form can be downloaded from www.scouting.org/forms. We do have some three part NCR forms available in the Secretary’s office.
Q. Who approves the application?
A. In the Great Salt Lake Council, it is generally approved by the Director of Field Services.
Q. How long does it take to have the application approved (Unit Money Earning)?
A. It can be processed within a few days after it is received in the Council office.
Q. We are going to be driving our boys around the neighborhood to pick up Scouting for Food items and also selling Scout-o-rama tickets. Do we need permission slips from the parents to do this?
A. Yes. Anytime you are going to be transporting boys you need to have a signed Informed Consent Agreement for each boy. Make sure you are not transporting kids in the back of pickup trucks or on the tail gate.
Q. What training is required for climbing and rappelling? Do you have to take Climb On Safely training even if you are going to a climbing gym?
A. Yes. Climb on Safely would be required for any climbing activity. The leaders would know that by complete the course they would be considered the qualified supervisor for the event. However, they would not be a qualified instructor unless they are trained as a BSA Climbing instructor or an equivalent. Both are required for a climbing program activity. Someone also needs to be CPR trained. Climb on Safely training is approximately a 40-minute training, that can be taken through roundtables or arranged by your District Executive.
Q. Where do I look for Centennial Quality Award Program requirements?
A. Go to our website www.saltlakescouts.org select the forms section and click, “Here to find out more…”
Q. Does the Council have GPS units for unit checkout?
A. No. We have radio telemetry devices that units can check out. There are transmitters that the boy (and leaders too) can wear. You can track each individual with a telemetry “gun” that is also available for checkout.