ANNOUNCING THE 2013 NERJCoS CONFERENCE
The 26th Annual NERJCoS Conference will be held on Sunday, March 10, 2013 at the InfoAge ( Camp Evans), 2201 Marconi Road, Wall, New Jersey 07719. The academy is located in near I-195 and Route 18.
The fee is only $36 and includes all materials, a handsome patch, morning snack and a Kosher luncheon. This event is an excellent opportunity to exchange ideas with others who also want to increase Jewish participation in Scouting and we invite you and others from your council to attend.
One of the highlights of the day is the presentation of the NERJCoS Chai Awards. This is an award unique to the NERJCoS and is only presented at the NERJCoS Conference. For the Bronze Chai award, the nominee must have served at least two years on the local Jewish Committee on Scouting or on the Region or National Committees. Work should be of an outstanding and exemplary nature. All volunteers and professional BSA personnel who have done exemplary work toward the betterment of Scouting within the Jewish Community over a two-year period are eligible. The Gold (after two years after the Bronze) and Silver (after an additional two years) Chai Awards are also presented. All nominations will be given appropriate consideration and can be submitted on the application found at on the website.
Signed completed nominations must be received no later than March 1st by snail mail to Jeffrey H. Goldsmith at NortheastChair -at - JewishScouting.org. Awards will be presented only if approved in advance and in writing by the Council Scout Executive, and only to paid participants actually in attendance at the conference.
If you have further questions, you may contact me at NortheastChair - at -JewishScouting.org, Alan Grossman Conference Chair at alang1- at - optonline.net, Bruce Streger Program Chair at WB2ADF- at - aol.com, or Stan Weinstein Facilities Chair at sawlb693 - at - aol.com.
This year's conference will have new seminars, course offerings and a diverse exhibitor and display area. We are also offering special sessions and activities for local Council JCoS Chairs as the plan is now to have the former NJCoS Local Chairs training done on a regional basis. The location is close to major transportation hubs and many major interstate highways.
Please spread the word, circulate and post on your websites, put them in your Council newsletter or send them in other mailings.
2013 JCoS Conference Application Form pdf
Chai Award Application pdf
2013 Calling All Scouters pdf
SCOUT'S MOTTO: HE'S PREPARED
Rabbi Rachmiel Tobesman, a Pikesville resident and chaplain of the Jewish Committee on Scouting has taken the Boy Scout credo, "Be Prepared" to heart. The scout chaplain recently completed intensive training through the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Department of Homeland Security, the National Incident Management System and the National Disaster Interfaith Network to receive his certification in disaster spiritual care, field operations and disaster mental health.
Rabbi Tobesrnan, who's been involved with the Boy Scouts of America for a decade has frequently been called on to help out spiritually when tragedy has struck. In 2007, he spoke with youngsters after a lightning strike injured 14 scouts. Two years later, following the death of a 14-year-old boy during a mountain hike, he counseled scouts.
So how does being • Jewish chaplain differ from non-Jewish ones? 'It's surprising,' says Rabbi Tobesman, who also serves as the head chaplain at Broad Creek Memorial Scout Reservation in Harford County. I bring a different perspective. Judaism has an emphasis on 1he preservation of life and comforting those in need I. It’s part of our tradition and is codified in Jewish law. With other faiths, they take a much different view, putting things in the hands of God. We believe in a proactive process.
- by Rochelle Eisenberg, reprinted from the Baltimore Jewish Times, 12 January 2012 pg. 15 pdf
REVIEW OF THE 2011 NERJCoS CONFERENCE
On April 3, 2011, East Brunswick Jewish Center served as the backdrop for the Northeast Region Jewish Committee on Scouting's (NERJCoS) 24th Annual Conference. About 80 volunteer Scouters and Scout Professionals from 27 councils of the Northeast Region were in attendance - 40% of the 67 councils in the region. That is the highest number of participating Councils we have ever had at the NERJCoS Conference. Attendees from Massachusetts to Virginia and from the Jersey Shore to just short of Pittsburgh shared best practices in Jewish Scouting. We hope to soon post on the NJCoS web-site (www.jewishscouting.org) materials from the 16 hours of plenary and break-out sessions available to the conference attendees.
The conference received financial and exhibit support from local vendors who offer useful programs to Scouts. Trails End Popcorn not only sponsored the morning breakfast and an exhibit table, but also made sure that all conference participants left with their great Trails End popcorn.
The conference also received the support of both the NER and NJCoS who served as break-out session leaders, conference participants and speakers during the plenary sessions. In attendance were:
Don McChesney, Northeast Region Director
A.J. Kreimer, National JCoS Chairman
Keith Walton, National Staff Advisor to the NJCoS
Jeff Goldsmith, National JCoS Vice Chairman & NERJCoS Chairman
Paul Kramer, National JCoS Vice Chairman for Membership
Jay Schnapp, National JCoS Vice Chairman for Scholarships
Daniel Chazin, Secretary National JCoS
Alan Grossman, National JCoS member and NERJCoS Conference Chair
Elliot Klugman, National JCoS member and National Conference Chair
David Talbot, National JCoS member and Area 7 President
Ian Lilien, Scout Executive, Central New Jersey Council
Lee Marconi, Scout Executive, Monmouth Council
Northeast Region Director Don McChesney provided opening remarks and focused on our role as volunteers to take the leadership role in increasing youth membership with the professionals in building the future of Scouting under Jewish auspices. Since 2005, we have seen 49 new units sponsored by Jewish entities formed in the Region. Central New Jersey Council Scout Executive Ian Lilien spoke about his days as a Jewish youth in Scouting and the need to reach out to Jewish Scouts in all Scout units.
Our D'var Torah was given by Tzivos Hashem (Chabad-Lubavitch) and as they have for the past 15 years, they also provided all conference participants with Shmurah Matzah to add to the meaning of each of our Seder celebrations.
Special recognitions were also a major component of the plenary sessions. We recognized and thanked Alan Grossman for dedicated service as 2011 NERJCoS Conference Chairman and Bruce Streger for serving as 2011 NERJCoS Program Chairman. We also thanked the conference host Central NJ Council JCoS. Lastly, Scouters received the Northeast Region JCoS' Bronze, Gold and Silver Chai Awards recognizing their on-going support for Jewish Scouting.
Next year's conference will be held in the Southern New Jersey or Philadelphia area on Sunday, March 18, 2012. Please hold the date and plan on joining us for some truly special surprises that are planned to keep this conference vital and of importance to all in work within the world of Jewish Scouting.
JCOS KIPPOT AVAILABLE
The NE Region has specially designed JCOS kippot for sale. Click <here> for details.
PROGRAM MATERIALS FROM THE 2010 NERJCoS CONFERENCE
These are program materials from the 2010 NERJCoS Conference:
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New Scout Unit Under Jewish Auspices Presentation pdf
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Summer Camp Shabbat Service pdf
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NERJCoS Membership Plan pdf
- How to Conduct a Kinus for all Jewish Scouts pdf
- Jewish Games and Other Fun Stuff pdf ppt
MULTI-COUNCIL JCOS EVENTS
New Jersey Kinnusim
Information about the 2011 New Jersey Kinusim is now available online on our website, www.njkinus.org.
The Boy Scout Kinus will be held on Memorial Day weekend, Friday, May 27th to Monday, May 30th.
The Cub Scout Kinus will be held on the pevious weekend, Friday, May 20th to Sunday, May 22nd.
Both Kinusim will be held at Camp No-Be-Bo-Sco in Blairstown, New Jersey.
Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts and their families from New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Connecticut, Massachusetts and elsewhere are encouraged to attend. Delicious kosher meals, as well as a great program, will be provided. There will be both Traditional and Egalitarian services.
For more information, browse to www.njkinus.org or contact Kinus Chair Daniel Chazin, DChazin@aol.com
Keystone Klondike
Troop 1015 of Birth of New Freedom Council will host the 11th annual Kosher Klondike Derby from friday, January 13th through Monday, January 16th at Camp Hidden Valley in Loysville, PA. Please download these files for further information:
2012_kosher_klondike_derby_general_info.pdf
2012_kosher_klondike_derby_rules__events.pdf
2012_emergency_info__waiver_form.pdf
Directions_to_hvsr.pdf
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