Weekly Post, June 19, 2011

Greetings Troop 737! Summer is in full swing and we have only a few events left for the summer, including Summer Camp. Please read the details below.

I would like to continue to remind everyone that I have a new email address that I use for Scouts. Again, this is a big advantage for me as I can access this while I am on the road. My new email address is: choffman@themountaintroop.org.

Troop News:

• News from the Ely Crews from Patrick Riley: It was fun! We caught lots of fish and got our 50 miler. It's good to be back!
• News from the Ely Crews from Mr Ballantyne: Another great trip!!
  • There were basically 5 crews of 8 people (Scouts and Adults) for a total of 40 of us. Each crew went their own way and planned their own routes. Travel to Minneapolis Minnesota started very early on June 07 (5:00am at DIA). The plane ride and bus ride to Ely, Minnesota went very smoothly. We all got to the “outfitters at about 5pm” and then spent the next 4 hours selecting the routes, eating pizza, getting our food and equipment for the week… a long day ending at about 11pm when we all got to bed.
    • The next morning we were all off on a great week of canoeing. All 5 Crews (1 from T888; 1 from T400, 2mixed T737 and T400 and 1 mixed from T737 and T888) had a great time; weather was great; very few bugs, a lot of fish and an experience of a lifetime. The Scouts and Adults all learned valuable life lessons and experienced the beauty of the Boundary Waters.
    • All 40 returned safely. Almost everyone expressed a desire to “go again”!!! So there is talk of another trip in 2013.
    • We are planning a presentation of some of the best photographs (it would take hours to show them all) at a future Troop meeting.
    • Scouts that will be 13yrs old or older by June of 2013 (and Adults too) should talk to the Scouts and Adults that went this year to get more information.
    • Anyone wanting more information about the next trip, should contact Mr. B at 303 838 1240.
• I have updated the troop calendar through October 2011, please take a look and let me know if you see anything wrong, spelling, dates, etc.

Service Patrol:

None needed until we start meeting in August.

Activities:

June 21 & 28, 2011 Golf Clinic!!: Golf- A great way to enjoy the outdoors! All over the world!

Josh Miller will be offering (2) 90 minute golf clinics at a golf range.

Dates: June 21st , 28th ; 1:30-3:30 pm.

At: Indian Tree Golf Course

7555 Wadsworth Blvd

Arvada, CO 80003

303-403-2542

Cost is $50.00 per Scout for (2) 90 minute clinics. Signup sheet in binder! Dead line to sign up and pay is June 20th!

Golf Merit Badge

For those of you who are working on your Golf Merit Badge, be sure to get your blue cards from Mr Riley before the clinic. Also bring your workbooks. Mr. Josh Miller can sign off what you achieved at the clinic. If you cannot attend the clinic, I can sign blue cards when you complete the achievements. However, we will be moving in mid July, so the sooner you get the blue cards and get them signed the better.

June 29, 2011 Golf Outing. HALO: Mr Rebollo

Tee Time: 11 am

18 holes

$13.00 for Scouts, walking

$36.00 for adults including golf cart

Deadline to sign up and pay is Monday, June 20th. Signup sheet is the binder!

This is a separate outing. You are not required to do Golf Merit Badge or attend the golf clinics. But they are recommended if you have never played golf before. Parent and adult participation is encouraged. Please sign up in the binder, so I can have a complete count.

July 10 - 16, 2011: Summer Camp, San Isabel. We are less than two months away, time to prepare! A few items from our summer camp Head Adult Leader Organizer (HALO) Assistant Scoutmaster Bart Sperry, bart@ntmwater.org, 303-435-2894

1. All new scouts should be going on this. It is a great way to bang our the requirements toward First Class rank and work on merit badges. Badges? We need dos stinkin badges!
2. We have a few meetings set up just for summer camp. The first is June 6 (at the regular troop meeting time) just for parents The second on June 13 is for both the scouts AND their parents.
3. A current Class 3 Colorado State Medical Form (both sides of the form with a physical and doctor's signature) or National form (Parts A, B and C with a physical and doctor's signature) will be required for summer camp. Mr Smith has taken over the role of managing health forms, so please see his recent email. Also keep in mind that we are slowly migrating to the National form.
4. Adults going to camp are required to be current on Youth Protection Training. This is an easy 30 minute online course. If you do not have printed proof of Youth Protection Training good ahead and retake it. It is relatively painless. http://olc.scouting.org/index.html
5. A few adults have asked about staying at camp. I would like to start collecting a list of names and days that adults are interested in staying. Let me know if you would like to stay the whole week or half week and if you have a preference for first half or second half. Remember it is also an option to just drive down for Friday dinner, camp fire and spend the night ($5/meal and $10/night fee).
6. A heads up on refunds. There is a $50 deposit per scout that is non refundable. If you cancel 30 days before camp you can receive $160 back and up to two weeks before the trip you will receive $80 back.
7. If you missed your swim check like I did, you can join me summer camp getting a check in the cold mountain camp lake. This of it not as cold, rather it will be refreshing...
8. There is an opportunity to go on a rafting trip mid week. I think this would be a great opportunity for our older scouts to get away for a little high adventure. there is an additional cost of $45 per person and we will have to work out the transportation, however, Mr. Sperry is taking sign ups and will continue to do so. Stay tuned for more information coming on this.

August 8-12. ELC Grove Sale. This is an annual event that we are asked to support by our Church sponsor. We have not done a very good job of supporting our sponsor and they have called us on it. The committee has decided to make three church related events a priority each year for our troop: Scout Sunday, Church Cleanup Day and the Grove Sale. The cleanup day and the grove sale are both service projects and hours count. We will have a sign up sheet for two, four hour shifts for each of the five days. We are requiring that all scouts sign up for one or two shifts, and that they bring a parent to help. This is a good opportunity to bond with your son and help him server our sponsor. We do realize that it is summer time and some families will be out of town, but we need every scout and family to participate if at all possible. More on this at the court of honor.

August 5 - 7; Rescheduled OA Coney Party: We have rescheduled the cancelled Ordeal for later this summer. The new date for Cony Party #3 is August 5-7 (Friday 7p — Sunday 10a) at Camp Tahosa. If you were previously registered for Cony Party #3, you are automatically registered for Cony Party #3 (you don't need to do anything). If you would prefer to be moved to Cony Party #4 (scheduled for Sept 30 - Oct 2 at Camp Tahosa, as well), please let us know and we'll make that change. We are excited about having you participate in your Ordeal — it's an experience and organization that can change your life greatly for the better! We will be sending out information after July 4th for the weekend (logistics, what to bring, etc.). If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact our lodge and chapter officers, as well as me, and we'll be happy to help in any way we can. Details are on our calendar.

I think that's all for this week!