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I support the Boy Scout Program. I have many wonderful memories of trips with my son’s and their friends on scouting activities. My three son’s are Eagle Scouts. My wife Cathy has served as a Den Mother besides being a major influence in helping our son’s obtain their Eagle Scout awards.Currently I am serving as a Unit Commissioner in the Monterey Council. It is very important to be a BSA Trained Leader if you plan to be a volunteer. I have attended most on the online training as well as leader Specific and Outdoor Training. Check out the Training offered in this article.
 
The following has been provided by the BSA Santa Clara County Council. For questions about this information, I would refer you to them. This is posted as a community interest article.

CUB DAY CAMP
Has your Cub Scout decided when and where they want to go to camp?  Registration opens on April 5, 2010!
Cub Day Camp is truly the best part of a Cub Scout’s summer!  Each camp is 5 days long and filled with activities including games, archery, BB guns, sports, and Scout skills. 
To sign up your Cub Scout please click HERE.  Don’t wait either, get the early registration discount if you sign up between now and April 15.
NORCAL JAMBOREE
Don’t miss Northern California’s biggest event this year, the NorCal Jamboree on April 14, 15, 16.
Program Volunteers Needed

Arts & crafts 2 more each for Friday, Saturday morning and Sunday
Raingutter Regatta- 3 people for Fri, Sat and Sun–I have NO confirmed volunteers
Gold Panning -Need at least one to cover all Friday and Saturday morning
Mountain Boarding (snowboarding on dirt) Youth needed
BMX – 10 for Fri/Sat/Sun; 4 for construction Wed/Thurs
Disability Awareness Challenge - 2 more needed Fri/Sat/Sun
Stage Managers – 1 needed for Park Bandstand Fri/Sat/Sun
Scout’s Own -  9-11 needed Sunday morning only
Friday night Campfire – (acts needed)
Memorabilia Security (minimum needed)Friday – 6 ;Saturday – 10 ;Sunday – 6
Geocaching  – Fri/Sat/Sun
Kim’s Game – 2 Needed Fri/Sat/Sun
Action Castle – 2 Needed Fri/Sat/Sun
Order of the Arrow -  10 minimum must have people

ITEMS NEEDED

Display Cases
two person saws
tables
folding chairs
Scrap Paper

To volunteer, please click HERE.
Click on Program Overview
Click on Volunteer to help out
Put PROGRAM VOLUNTEER and specific activity in your comment line!
Leaders Guide is now online.
GOOD TURN FOR SILICON VALLEY
Don’t miss out on being a part of our largest Good Turn for Silicon Valley!  Please visit the Good Turn for Silicon Valley web site to view the many service projects available for Scouts to participate in.  As part of celebrating our 100th anniversary, we hope to accomplish more than 100 service projects over the course of this year.  Please take a look at the Web site by clicking HERE.
2011 FRIENDS OF SCOUTING PATCH DESIGN CONTEST
Are you artisiticand passionate about Scouting?  We are looking for someone to design our 2011 Friends of Scouting patch!  The Patch Design Contest will run from April 2 through April 20 and is open to anyone with a passion for design and art.  We are very fortunate to have the 2011 FOS patch flown in space by Eagle Scout, Gregory Chamitoff, who was also keynote speaker at the 2010 Council Dinner.  Dr. Chamitoff has graciously offered to take the patch design on his mission, which is scheduled to launch July 29, 2010.  It would be good to incorporate the 2011 theme in different ways (for example…”To Bravely go where no Scout has gone before…”).
Here are the contest guidelines:

You must incorporate the 2011 theme – A Scout is Brave – in the design
The patch should have our council name on it
 Design must be within the patch dimensions listed on-line
Detail should be minimal as the design will be on a small patch

Please visit us online for more details by clicking HERE.  All finished designs should be sent to Shannon Shaffer at shannon@scccbsa.org.
TRAINING CORNER
April 3 – Venturing Leader Specifics Training
April 23-24 – Outdoor Webelos Leader Training
April 23-24 – Outdoor Webelos Leader Training
May 1 – Cub Scout Specifics
LOVE SCOUTING?  KNOW JAVA?
We are looking for a volunteer that can help us update our unit locator map.  We need this volunteer to provide JAVA script code to our Webmaster.  We will supply the locations and unit information as it is available by e-mail.  Please contact Victoria Esquivel at victoria@scccbsa.org or              408.280.2154  408.280.2154    408.280.2154  408.280.2154      408.280.2154  408.280.2154    408.280.2154  408.280.2154        408.280.2154  408.280.2154    408.280.2154  408.280.2154      408.280.2154  408.280.2154    408.280.2154  408.280.2154          408.280.2154  408.280.2154    408.280.2154  408.280.2154      408.280.2154  408.280.2154    408.280.2154  408.280.2154        408.280.2154  408.280.2154    408.280.2154  408.280.2154      408.280.2154  408.280.2154    408.280.2154  408.280.2154 x36 for additional information.
SCOUTING FOR ADVENTURE  – MUST WATCH TV!
The Boys’ Life television show - the action-packed, original series “Scouting for Adventure” – is back on the Outdoor Channel in reruns, Thursdays at 1:00 p.m. Eastern and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. Eastern.  All-new episodes for season three will kick off this summer coinciding with the 100th Anniversary celebration and the 2010 National Scout Jamboree.
Season three will continue the adventure, taking viewers on spectacular treks to the BSA’s national high adventure bases and giving them an inside peek at “the best, most exciting, fun-filled safest jamboree ever.”
SCOUT SHOP NEWS
Scout Shop Hours
During the NorCal Jamboree – April 14-16, the Scout Shop will be closing 1 hour earlier, at 5:00 PM.  See you at the Jamboree!

The Historic Merit Badge program is back!
Four vintage merit badges that will count toward rank advancement are being released for the centennial year only, giving Boy Scouts a hands-on opportunity to experience the exciting past of the Boy Scouts of America!  For more information and to view each merit badge, please click HERE.
New Merit Badges coming!
Scout Heritage – April 19
Inventing – June 8
If you have any questions, please contact our Scout Shop at      408.279.2086  408.279.2086    408.279.2086  408.279.2086      408.279.2086  408.279.2086    408.279.2086  408.279.2086        408.279.2086  408.279.2086    408.279.2086  408.279.2086      408.279.2086  408.279.2086    408.279.2086  408.279.2086          408.279.2086  408.279.2086    408.279.2086  408.279.2086      408.279.2086  408.279.2086    408.279.2086  408.279.2086        408.279.2086  408.279.2086    408.279.2086  408.279.2086      408.279.2086  408.279.2086    408.279.2086  408.279.2086 .
FOLLOW SCOUT EXECUTIVE, JASON STEIN, ON TWITTER!
Stay in the know about council news by following Jason Stein’s tweets!  Click HERE to log onto his page and press the ‘follow’ link.
SCOUT NOW
Scout Out the Boy Scouts of Santa Clara by joining our own private social network, www.scoutnow.org.  Whether you are a new member or returning one, this is the place to stay connected!  Start your own blog, comment on someone else’s blog, join or start discussions, post information about your Eagle project or read about someone else’s, and post and check out upcoming events.  Whatever you decide to do, Scout It Out and don’t forget to get your badge!
Click HERE to join.
EMAIL
If you have Scouter’s in your units who are not receiving our Weekly Scouter Update or Santa Clarion Newsletter, please have them sign up at our council homepage www.scccbsa.org. The e-list sign up is located in the lower right corner of the screen.

If you believe that you received this message in error and/or do not wish to receive further emails please click here.

My wife Cathy and I have enjoyed obtaining our Technician Class Amateur Radio (HAM) license. I am KJ6AMZ and Cathy is KJ6AMY. In April we will attempt to obtain our General Class Amateur Radio (HAM) license which will allow us a wider radio experience.
A great way to obtain your Amateur Radio License, many times referred to as HAM Radio, is by visiting the following site: http://baears.com/info.php  We attended a  Baers license class and in one Saturday were able to obtain our Technician Class License. After obtaining our license we were mentored by many helpful and friendly local “HAM’s”.

You’ve decided to purchase a home and take advantage of the Extended Home Buyer Tax Credit. Here’s what you have to do to get your benefit:

Close on your home purchase between November 7, 2009 and April 30, 2010, or have a binding written contract in place by April 30, 2010 with a closing date no later than June 30, 2010.
 Decide whether to: 

apply the credit to your 2009 tax return, filed on or before April 15, 2010;
 file an amended 2009 return; or, 
apply the credit on your 2010 return, filed on or before April 15, 2011.

      3.   Attach documentation of purchase to your return.
When to Apply the Credit
Buyers purchasing in 2010 will have the option to:

 Claim the credit on their 2009 return, even if the purchase is completed after December 31, 2009;
 File an amended return for 2009 if their purchase is completed after April 15, 2010; or,
 Claim the credit on their 2010 tax returns.

Applying the Credit to Your 2009 Taxes
You will need to do three things to claim the credit on your 2009 tax return:

Fill out Form 5405 to determine the amount of your available credit;
Apply the credit when you file your 2009 tax return or file an amended return;
Attach documentation of purchase to your return or amended return.

How do I obtain an IRS Form 5405?
Go to: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f5405.pdf
How to Apply the Home Buyer Tax Credit to your 2009 Return
To claim the credit as part of your 2009 return, you will need: The standard Form 1040 and Form 5405 for the home buyer tax credit.

First begin Form 1040.
Be sure to take note of your adjusted gross income, which you enter on lines 37 of the form. Form 5405 actually requires you to note your modified adjusted gross income, but that affects few people, so most will just use their adjusted gross income.
When you come to Line 69 you’ll be asked to enter your tax credit amount. To do that, you’ll need to first complete Form 5405. 
Once you complete Form 5405, enter the amount on Line 69, then complete your return.
Attach Form 5405 to your return.

Collecting Your Refund
Any refund for which you qualify will be sent to you.
Determining Your First-Time Buyer Credit Amount: Form 5405
Regardless of whether you’re applying the first-time home buyer tax credit on your 2009 return or your 2010 return, you’ll need to visit the IRS Web site and download  Form 5405:  http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f5405.pdf . This form has just six lines and takes only a minute to complete. 

On the first line enter either $8,000 or 10 percent of the home purchase price, whichever is smaller. Since the national median home price is around $175,200 (March 2009), in most cases the $8,000 will be the smaller of the two. In order for 10 percent of the home price to be smaller, the home purchase price would have to be $79,999 or less. 
On the second line enter your adjusted gross income. You will find your gross adjusted income on line 37 of Form 1040, which you submitted when you filed your 2008 return. The tax credit form actually requires you to note your modified adjusted gross income, but that affects few people, so most will just use their adjusted gross income.
If your adjusted gross income is more than $75,000 (individual) or your income is more than $150,000 (joint) you’ll have to complete some additional calculations to determine the credit amount for which you qualify.
Everyone else will simply enter the tax credit amount on Line 6.

The information in this Blog was condensed from a recent NAR article. Please do not consider this article as income tax counsel and please verify the above information with your CPA or other Tax Advisor.