Weekly Post, February 1, 2015

Post date: Jan 31, 2015 8:30:36 PM

Hello Troop 737,

Monday night is our Winter Court of Honor (COH). All scouts who have achieved a new rank or merit badges since our last Court of Honor will be recognized. The theme for this COH is the Super Bowl. So bring your Super Bowl party “extras” (the PLC did not want me to ask for leftovers?) for the celebration afterwards.

If you are going to be going on the Quinzee camping trip please sign up as soon as possible. We will be preparing the food next Monday night.

Advancement night is changing a little bit. We will only be offering two merit badges; First Aid and Family Life. Scouts who do not want to take these merit badges are encouraged to finish other merit badges that they have started in the past but not completed. Scouts could also organize a group of scouts do to a merit badge that is not offered. You can do this by working with troop merit badge counselors during Advancement night or some another time. Advancement Night is next week so it time to start contacting the counselors. The list of merit badge counselors is on the website; look for the tab on the left side of the home page. The list will also be in the sign up book at each meeting. All Troop Guides and Instructors will be expected to help with our bran new scouts. This is one of your main responsibilities so please participate.

This will be the final drawing for this session of the raffle. To earn your final raffle tickets you need to be on time and in full uniform. Remember to bring all the tickets you have earned over the last month. The final prize for this session’s raffle is especially for all you snow moles!

URGENT NOTICE! We currently have only 4 scouts and one adult, signed up for Medicine Mountain Scout camp in South Dakota. If we do not get at least 3 adults and 9 scouts signed up and paid for by February 3^rd, we are going to cancel the trip to SD. That gives you tomorrow’s meeting to sign up and pay a $135 deposit. Adults owe just $65. This is for scouts who are currently in the seventh grade and above. The dates are July 12 – 18. So talk to you buddies and sign up!

If we do not get enough signups, there will only be one summer camp option. This is the instate option and we only have 27 spots total, including adults. If money is an issue, please contact me; we do have scholarships available

REMINDER To be included in the Troop 737 group text messages, text @troop737 to (303) 625-7829. This is mainly for Scouts but parents are welcome to join. You can opt-out of messages at any time by replying, ‘unsubscribe @troop737’.

Upcoming signup deadlines

February 3 for Medicine Mountain Summer Camp in South Dakota, see above.

NOW Boundary Waters sign up now see below. We still have open spots for Boundary Waters. Where are all the 14 to 16 year old scouts? Don’t miss this chance of a lifetime! See info below

February 9, we would prefer you to sign up this week for the Quinzee camping trip on February 14 -16.

Scoutmaster Minute Review

How would you like to get up at 4:30am, drive to Denver to a sketchy part of town, help prepare a meal, serve that meal to 150 homeless people, pick up all their dishes and clean up after them? Does that sound like a good time? For my daughter, Maddie, serving breakfast at the Denver Rescue Mission is one of her favorite things to do. Over the years I have gone with her quite often and I enjoy it also. There are many reasons that we enjoy it but I think the biggest reason is because you feel like you are really helping these people. Some of these guys are REALLY down on their luck. But if you smile at them with a positive attitude, they will smile back. If you treat them with respect and dignity they will treat you the same by being polite and appreciative. A scout is helpful and kind. I encourage you to find some way to volunteer, to give back, that you are passionate about … that you enjoy doing. It might be building trails, introducing kids to nature, protecting the environment, working in a senior center or even working with Boy Scouts. If you do this, it might help you have a more balanced and fulfilling life and if you get a chance to serve in a soup kitchen, DO IT! You might like it as much as my daughter Maddie.

Here is a list of upcoming events:

You can always check out the full schedule on the Troop website at: https://sites.google.com/a/themountaintroop.org/troop-737-home/troop-calendar

February 2 Court of Honor 6:30 – 8pm ELC Service patrol is the PLC. Please show up 15 minutes early to help set up. All scouts who have achieved a new rank or merit badges since our last Court of Honor will be recognized. All parents are encouraged to come, especially Mothers. Theme is Super Bowl. Bring any extras from your Super Bowl party.

February 8 Scout Sunday Please attend your church of choice in your uniform and see if you can help with the service. Scouts can also attend the Evergreen Lutheran Church and help with the service.

February 9 Troop Meeting 6:30 – 8pm ELC Service patrol is the Diamonds. Please show up 15 minutes early to help set up. Advancement night and campout prep for Quinzee. Only First Aid and Family Life will be offered. Scouts are encouraged to contact other merit badge councilors for merit badges that they have started in the past to finish up. New scouts will be working on Trail to First Class. Quinzee participants will need to prepare retort cooking.

February 14 - 16 Quinzee campout Meet at ELC at 7:30am Saturday morning leave by 8. Build Quinzees on Saturday. Explore area on Sunday. Return Monday, Presidents day noon. Location not finalized but probably up on Guanella pass. I realize this is over Valentine’s Day and I am sorry. Maybe you can go out on Friday night on find another special night with your loved one.

February 16 Patrol Leaders Council (PLC) meeting 6:30 – 8pm ELC If you are a Patrol Leader or in a troop leadership position please come and help plan the upcoming Troop activities. If you are a Patrol Leader and you cannot make it to this meeting you need to talk to your assistant Patrol Leader or someone in your Patrol so that all Patrols are represented at the PLC.

Summer camps.

Sign up early and make your payments. The troop will not be fronting costs. If you do not make your payments on time you will not get the early discounts and you may not be able to go. There is plenty of time for scouts to make money for summer camp. If money is an issue please contact me, we can make it happen

For the out of state we will be going to Medicine Mountain Scout camp in the Black Hills of South Dakota. This is for scouts who are currently in the seventh grade and above. The dates are July 12 – 18. We have reserve a total of 25 spots. The first 20 scouts who sign up and pay the deposit will be set to go. The other 5 spots are for adults. We are looking for a HALO (Head Adult Leader Organizer) to head up this group. Here is a YouTube video about the camp. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EEWMdCk6uY

Medicine Mountain Scout Ranch in SD – July 12 – 18 Maximum 25 total slots

Early Bird Scout Payment schedule

First deposit due 12/31/14 $125

Final payment due 3/15/15 $135

Early Bird Adult Payment schedule

First deposit due 12/31/15 $60

Final payment due 3/15/15 $35

Deposit due at initial sign-up scouts $10.00

Deposit due at initial sign-up adults $5.00

Early Bird Scout Price Due March 15, 2015 total $245 after initial deposit $235

Early Bird Adult Price Due March 15, 2015 total $100 after initial deposit $90

Standard Scout Price Due May 1, 2015 total $295 after initial deposit $285

Standard Adult Price Due May 1, 2015 total $125 after initial deposit $115

Late Scout Price After May 2, 2015 total $320 after initial deposit $310

Late Adult Price After May 2, 2015 total $150 after initial deposit $140

Include all merit badge costs

NOTE: This does not include transportation and food costs to and from camp.

The instate camp which is for all Scouts is Camp Alexander, which is about 45 miles west of Colorado Springs. The dates for this camp are July 26 – August 1. We have signed up for a campsite that accommodates 21 to 27 people. So again, first come first serve. Here is a video about Camp Alexander https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=lfDd-s9_AkQ See costs and payment dates below.

Camp Alexander in Colorado – July 26 – August 1 Maximum 27 slots

Total Costs Scout $320 Adult $235

Payment Schedule:

Initial deposit due upon sign-up $35

Due January 5, 2015 $75 per camper

Due March 2, 2015 $100 per camper

All remaining fees due April 27, 2015 $110 per scout, $25 per adult

Some merit badge costs are extra.

Boundary Waters: It is time to make your deposit of $100 so that the planning can start on crew make-up, transportation and entry points. As it now stands we have 19…only 8 scouts and 11 adults.. (Isn’t this supposed to be a trip for the older Scouts?). Parents need to understand and encourage the older scouts to attend.. where are all the 14-16 year old Scouts… It is the best way to keep those older scouts in Scouting and moving towards achieving Eagle. We need at least 5 more scouts to sign up so we can have 3 full crews of 8. The deadline has been extended to January 1^st. Please sign up or let me let me know if you are interested. The dates are 6/9/15-6/18/15, which includes one travel day each way to/from Minnesota. The final cost will be determined after we buy group-plane tickets, which won't be until spring, 2015, but the total cost will be about $900 per person. A deposit will be needed by 12/1/14 (expect about $100 down). This is a trip NOT to be missed by any Scouts at 14 ages or above (13 years old is allowed with a parent).

Big Horn Training. This is the preeminent Boy Scout leadership training. All the scouts that have attended this training have had a great time and found the training to be invaluable. All scouts who are 13 years old or older and have achieved at First Class can attend. I know I wish I had the opportunity to take this training when I was in school. Here is a link for more info: http://www.denverboyscouts.org/openrosters/view_homepage.aspx?orgkey=1897

As Scoutmaster of a very active troop, I am constantly being approached about our troop helping out in the community. The troop policy has been to give our Eagle projects the priority over any other service opportunities. Instead of bombarding you all with these other opportunities I will keep a list and if a scout wants to participate in a service project or he needs service hours for rank advancement, he can email me for the list.