Weekly Post, Week of February 17, 2013

Post date: Feb 17, 2013 5:34:28 PM

Greetings Troop 737! Great Parents meetings this past Wednesday!!!! I want to thank everyone who attended and contributed to our planning process. One of the most urgent items that we discussed is our summer camp programs. We really need to have scouts sign up for the summer camp that they indent to go to.

Camp Delatour, the instate camp, we have one HALO and will need several others to help with the preparing and conducting a successful summer camp program. This summer camp is intended for scouts of all ages and ranks. This is a fantastic camp that has merit badge and Baden Powel programs that are second to none in the state. They also have other special programs for older scouts. We want our first year scouts to attend this program and look forward to their parents attending too. So far we only have four scouts signed up! We need all scouts intending to go to sign up ASAP.

The Idaho camp is intended for older scouts, second year and up. However, I strongly recommend that second year scouts attend the Delatour camp also. This camp is no less than 12 hours away, and therefore difficult to come get your scout if a reason like homesickness is an issue. We have 19 scouts signed up for this camp and four HALOs. We will not be limited by numbers, but rather by drivers. Right now all four parents that are HALOs are driving. If we get any more scouts signed up, we will need additional drivers, both ways. This is a two day driving trip when scouts are aboard, so up and back is difficult within the week. All parents would be welcome to stay the entire week with the troop.

This week’s meeting will be devoted to our OA elections. We need a quorum (more than 50% of the troop) of scouts to attend or we will not be able to conduct the elections. The elections are followed by an outdoor Call-Out Ceremony for our newly elected OA candidates. Please come dressed for the weather, we will be outside for 15 to 30 minutes, no matter what the weather! Gloves, winter coats and hats are a minimum!!! Heavy socks and maybe boots are highly recommended if the weather is snowy, a strong possibility last time I checked the forecast.

Upcoming Signup Deadlines (see below for details):

· Timberline District Klondike – Signup Deadline extended to February 18^th. We still have some discount spots available. The first scouts that sign up get the $5 discount!

Service Patrol:

The service patrol for February is the Falcons!! All members of the Falcons Patrol should be inside our meeting room no later than 6:15 PM to help set up for the meeting.

Please read below for details on upcoming events, and always stay current with our Troop Calendar on the web site. This is the best way to have the most current information.

Upcoming Activities:

Troop Meeting: OA Elections – Monday, February 18^th @ 6:30 to 8:00 PM at ELC:

· Dress for the weather. It may be snowing and it will surely be cold while we stand around for 15 to 30 minutes.

· OA Elections and Call Out

o We will need maximum troop attendance for the elections. We will have an OA presentation by the Running Antelope Chapter.

o We will need 4-5 current OA Members to help with the elections - please see Mr. Johnson.

· Klondike Campout Prep

Timberline District Klondike – Friday, February 22 – Sunday, February 24:

· HALO: Mr. Riley

· THIS IS IT, OUR PREMIER WINTER CAMPOUT!! If you’ve never been frozen chicken bowling, you need to come. This is one of the most popular campouts we have every year and is a chance to show off your scouting skills under Rocky Mountain winter conditions. Sign up and join us next weekend. I am planning on being there in case anyone wants to see a frozen scoutmaster!

· New Scouts and other scouts that did not complete winter campout training are invited to join the troop early on Saturday morning, for breakfast, and stay through dinner and campfire until it’s time for scouts to turn in for the night.

Troop Meeting: Troop Elections – Monday, February 25^th @ 6:30 to 8:00 PM at ELC:

· HALO: Mr. Wulff

· Troop Elections

· We will need maximum troop attendance for the elections.

New Scout and Parent Orientation – March 2^nd at ELC, 8:30 AM until about 3 PM

· HALO: Mr. Catterson

· This activity is for new scout parents and the new scouts. Parents will learn about the troop, how it is run, what their son’s will be doing, etc. Meanwhile, the new scouts will be working on their Scout Rank with some older scouts and also complete their Scout Master Conference. This will complete the Scout Rank which will be awarded at the end of the day.

· Lunch and a snack will be provided.

· Cost: $5 per new scout and parent participant for lunch and snack.

· Scout trainers show up at 7:30 PM on Friday evening for preparations and a sleepover. Eat dinner before you come and bring snacks and your movies. No cost to trainers!!

Camp Ben Delatour Summer Camp, in state, July 14-20:

· HALO: Mr. Snyder,

· Camp Ben Delatour is in the Red Feather Lakes region west of Fort Collins. This camp is for first and second year scouts and any other older scouts that will be working on Trail to First Class and/or Merit Badges.

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Island Park Summer Camp, out of state, July 6-14:

· HALO: Mrs. Fizgerald, Mr. Kleist, Mr. Martin, Mrs. Wilkinson

· This out of state adventure is mostly for mostly older scouts, year three and up. This camp is outside the west entrance of Yellowstone and is a two day trip to and from camp. The troop leaves on Saturday, July 6, and arrives back on Sunday, July 14. It is a full 12 hour drive so we need parents to drive and stay for the week.

As always, please read the troop web site, especially the calendar, for the most current information on all upcoming and scheduled events.

Mr. Hoffman

Scoutmaster

Troop 737