Hello Thunderbird Family,
First, my apologies that this week’s Tuned In is arriving a little later in the day than usual! It has been a busy start to the week, but I couldn’t let Tuesday end without sharing all the exciting things happening across Thunderbird District.
I truly believe we are entering one of the most exciting seasons our district has seen in years. We wrapped up an incredible Friends of Scouting campaign, and now our full attention turns to our #1 priority… Membership Growth!
This fall, we’re not just recruiting new Scouts… we’re building the future of Thunderbird District. Every new family we welcome means another young person discovering leadership, adventure, service, and lifelong friendships. I can’t wait to see what we accomplish together!
Upcoming Events
July 15 — Camping Committee Meeting (Virtual) July 30 — Join Scout Night (JSN) Training
Looking Ahead
September 25–27 — District Camporee
October 3 — Scouting 101
October 15 — Scout Shop Road Show
November 14 — SpeedFest @ Circuit of the Americas
February 4, 2027 — Distinguished Citizen Award Luncheon
Membership Growth — Our District’s #1 Focus
Now that Friends of Scouting is wrapping up, it’s time to focus on our next challenge…
Growing Scouting!
Before I go any further, I want to give a huge Thunderbird shout-out to Pack 82 and Pack 12 for staying on top of their new youth applications and continuing to welcome new Scouts into their units!
Recruiting doesn’t end after a Join Scout Night. Following up with interested families, getting applications processed quickly, and making new Scouts feel welcome is what turns interest into lasting membership. Thank you both for setting the pace and showing what strong unit leadership looks like!
I hope more of our units will join them over the coming weeks as we work together to make this our strongest recruiting season yet.
We’re currently sitting at 76.3% of our annual membership goal, and I know that number is only going to keep climbing.
Over the next several weeks we’ll be ramping up:
Join Scout Nights School recruiting Community outreach events Fall recruitment planning
Our Membership Team is going to be a huge factor in helping us achieve these goals, and we’d love to have more volunteers join us.
If you’ve ever wanted to help grow Scouting but weren’t sure where to start, this is your opportunity.
Whether you can help at one event or throughout the recruiting season, we’d love to have you on the Membership Team.
Unit Meeting Information Needed
As we get closer to recruiting season, it is vital that we know when and where your unit meets.
This information allows us to coordinate:
• Commissioner visits
• Membership support visits
• Recruiting assistance
• Friends of Scouting presentations
Please take just a couple of minutes to complete the Unit Information Form.
The more information we have, the better we can support your unit throughout the year.
Camporee Planning Meeting — Tomorrow!
Our next Camping Committee Meeting is tomorrow evening, and this is shaping up to be the most important planning meeting we’ve had yet!
Wednesday, July 15
7:00 PM
Virtual Meeting
Join here:
With Camporee quickly approaching, and especially with our new location, we would LOVE to have every troop and crew represented on the call.
We’ll be discussing:
Finalized activities
Campsite assignments
Event locations throughout camp
Logistics and planning updates
We’re also expecting to have special guests from Colorado River District joining the conversation as we continue exploring opportunities to work together.
Your ideas and your unit’s voice matter, so please make every effort to have someone represent your troop or crew.
Important SYT Reminder
Current Safeguarding Youth Training (SYT) status is required for all registered adults participating in Scouting activities and helps ensure we continue providing the safest possible environment for our youth.
Training Updates
The training system has now been corrected and will automatically assign the appropriate course based on your training history.
Never completed the new 90-minute course? You’ll receive the full course.
Previously completed the 90-minute course but it expired more than six days ago? You’ll retake the full course.
Still current or expired within the last six days? You’ll receive the refresher course.
To access your training:
Log into My.Scouting.org Open My Training Select Take Course or Retake Course
If you completed the refresher without first taking the full 90-minute course, you will still need to complete the full course.
Please complete this training as soon as possible.
One additional reminder: I pull my weekly email distribution directly from the current list of adults who are compliant with SYT. If someone mentions they haven’t been receiving these weekly updates lately, this is likely the reason.
Help Wanted — Merit Badge Team & District Volunteers
Thunderbird continues to grow, and with that growth comes more opportunities to serve!
We’re currently looking for volunteers interested in:
• Teaching Merit Badge Classes at Roundtable
• Unit Commissioners
• Roundtable Commissioner
• District Committee Members
• Additional Pack representation on district committees
Teaching even one Merit Badge class each year can have a tremendous impact on our Scouts.
If you’re interested in serving, we’d love to hear from you!
commissioner.tbird@gmail.com districtchair.tbird@gmail.com Sherrick.West@scouting.org
Together, we’re building an even stronger district.
District Notification Text Messages
Thunderbird District now has the ability to send District Notification Text Messages for important information including:
• Weather alerts
• Event changes
• Important reminders
• Time-sensitive district announcements
Subscribe here:
We will begin actively using this service in August, so now is the perfect time to subscribe and make sure you don’t miss important district updates.
The future of Thunderbird District has never looked brighter. We have amazing volunteers, incredible momentum, and a recruiting season that has the potential to be our best yet.
Let’s continue building something special together. I can’t wait to see what we accomplish over the next few months!
Thank you for everything you do for the Scouts and families of Thunderbird District.
Yours in Scouting,
Sherrick West | Thunderbird District Executive
