Weekly Post, Week of July 22, 2012
Post date: Jul 22, 2012 3:23:46 PM
Greetings Troop 737!
We have now successfully completed our summer programs; Peaceful Valley Summer Camp and Philmont Scout Ranch.
I had the honor of returning to Philmont for a trek into the backcountry for the first time since I was there as a scout from New York State in 1974. It was a real pleasure to be able to revisit the same places that I remember so well. This time I was able to see our scouts take this challenge and was rewarded beyond anything I could imagine. All scouts and leaders in both crews completed their treks with only minor physical problems. I am more proud of these two groups than I can say, great job all.
A little more than a week ago, I had the opportunity to deliver some ice cream sandwiches and participate in the final flag ceremony at Peaceful Valley Scout Ranch. I want to let you all know that seeing over 40 scouts from our troop having fun and participating in a summer camp program was wonderful. We will be working towards a repeat performance next year.
I am preparing to get the program year started on time this year and have already updated the calendar with what I think is the plan. I have not shared this calendar with the church yet, because I would like the troop leaders and parents to take a look and see if there are any glaring errors that need to be fixed before I make it final. Please take a look at the calendar and read below on our first few activities this year.
Upcoming Activities and Sign up & Payment Deadlines:
Evergreen Lutheran Church Grove Sale; August 6 - 10, 8 AM to 4 PM at ELC:
This is our charter organization’s big annual fund raising event for the year and they are always looking for help. The grove sale is one of the area’s largest “garage” sales each year. The sale is on Saturday but a five day period of preparation precedes the actual sale.
· This is an individual activity where our scouts show up and work for a few hours on a few days to help them organize the donations as they come in. I would like to ask that all scouts plan on putting in at least two hours during this week. Get together with your friends and work as a team; it’s a lot more fun than being on your own. If you can’t get a group of friends, ask your parents and family to help, they are more than welcome.
· Uniform: Class A without neckerchief.
· Please let me know via email or phone when you are planning on going and with whom. After you complete your work, let me know via email that you have finished and how much time you spent volunteering.
· I will publish more details in the coming weeks.
SM & ASM & HALOs for Upcoming Events Meeting/Committee Meeting – August 9, 2012 at 6:30 at ELC:
The ASM meeting starts at 6:30 PM and the committee meeting starts at 7:00 PM. There will be quite a bit to talk about to start our program year. If you are at all interested in how our troop will be run in the next program year, please join in and be heard.
Special Scoutmaster Conference Meeting – August 13, at 6:30 to 8 PM at ELC:
Every year we get in a time crunch trying to get scoutmaster conferences and boards of review done prior to the first Court of Honor. This year I am going to conduct this meeting to see if it helps.
Here is how this is going to work:
· Scout Master Conferences are by appointment only. If you want to participate in this meeting, please email me and I will schedule you for the next available appointment. Appointments will start promptly every 15 minutes, with the last one starting at 7:45 PM. There will be a total of 8 appointments accepted for this meeting.
· I will schedule each scout in the order that I receive the email requests.
· You do not need to stay the entire time, but your parent(s) need to stay with you because I need two deep leadership for YPT.
· This will leave you three regular troop meetings to schedule your Boards of Review with Mr. Sperry before our first Court of Honor.
Scoutmaster Invitational Backpacking Trip – August 17 to 19:
This special all expense paid trip is by invitation only. Those scouts and adults that went beyond the required participation to help our troop run have been invited in a separate email. I will discuss what it takes to get an invitation at our first meeting.
Annual Parent’s Only Potluck – August 19 from 4 PM until about 6 PM at ELC:
Every year the troop’s parents gather prior to the beginning of the program year and go over the activity calendar, ask for volunteers to help plan and conduct activities, join the committee or volunteer in some other way. We also share some good food and have fun getting to know each other.
It is troop policy that all families volunteer in some way to help us run this troop and put on the program that the scouts developed. This is your chance to come and volunteer for the job that you want and that suits your talents and interests.
Your scoutmaster has become less inhibited with asking for help from adults that are not already volunteering. If you are not present at this even, please expect to get one of the jobs that are not filled on this evening.
First Patrol Leader’s Council (PLC) Meeting – August 20 at 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM at ELC:
The Senior Patrol (SPL), Assistant Senior Patrol Leaders (ASPL), Troop Guide and all Patrol Leaders (PL) are required to attend. If you cannot come, please let me know who will be going in your place. For the SPL, choose one of your ASPLs, for PLs, choose your APL.
First Regular Troop Meeting – August 27 at 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM at ELC:
The PLC will set the agenda. Plan on getting all your summer advancement to Mr. Riley and schedule Scoutmaster Conferences and Boards of Review.
Troop Garage Cleanup – September 8 at 8 AM to about 10 AM at the troop garage:
Details are TBD – this date may change to the 15th, stay tuned.
Fourteener Day Trip – September 9:
All details are TBD – We need a HALO for this to happen. Adults; please let me know if you would like to organize and lead this trip.
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