Newsletter
October, 2004
Scoutmaster's Minute Link
Fall Pansy Sale
Semi-annual
flower sales by the scouts of Troop 629 generate income that goes directly
into a scout's unit account to be used for high adventure experiences such
as backpacking in the high rocky mountains of New Mexico, canoeing the
lakes of Canada, sailing the Florida Keys or some other great adventure.
Pansy Orders can be placed on line at www.troop629.org
. Mr. Colopy has handed out the
packets. Thanks again to Mr.
Colopy for planning, organizing and carrying this out as it is one of our
most successful fund raisers for individual scout accounts. Flower sales
are one of our biggest income producers for each scout.
If you try you can be really successful with one past scout earning
over $1,200.00 for his use in high adventure activities.
With this event and Popcorn selling which has already been started
as well through the great assistance again this year of Mr. Munoz and his team no
scout can actually miss any of our great opportunities for high adventure.
Flower
sales can also be handled on our troop web site by the scouts just by
making sure your customer knows to put your name on the form to get you
the credit.
Next Board of Review
The next Board of Review will be Monday, October
18. Once you’ve completed
your Scoutmaster Conference you must notify Mrs. Smith that you are ready
for a Board of Review.
Reminder:
Full Class “A” uniform (shirt, belt, shorts/pants,
and socks) and Scout handbook are required for participation in a
Board of Review. Future BORs
are scheduled for November 15, and December 20.
Rank Advancement
Eleven boys advanced in rank at the September
Board of Review. Congratulations!
 |
Tenderfoot: | Justin Janssen, Seth Johnson, Will Padget, and Zack Padget |
 |
Second Class: | Blake Cotney, Kevin Dekle, and Joey Hudalla |
 |
First Class: | Greg Gehrhardt and Alex Kraemer |
 |
Star: | Martin Jones and Steve McHugh |
Congratulations to all!
Troop
Outings
Fall
Camporee on the Silver Comet Trail
Troop 629 is hosting this event!
When: Saturday Oct. 23rd – Sunday Oct. 24th, 2004
Depart: Mt Pisgah Sat. 7:00 AM, October 23
Return: Sun. 2:00 PM, October 24
Cost: $25.00 ($28.00 after Oct 1st) and scouts bring a day pack bag lunch for Saturday on the trail
Practice: For
the event by using Big Creek Parkway trail every Sunday until the event to
put some miles on the bike to make sure a scout and his equipment is
really ready. Meet at 4:30 at
the lower parking lot of Parkside Terrace East, 3820 Mansell Rd. on
Sundays Oct 3rd, 10th and 17th. Patrols will be participating
by patrol in events so everyone is needed.
The older scouts will be running the events so each of them is
needed as well for this activity.
Patrol will travel by patrol along the Silver Comet Bicycle trail and stop along way at different challenge stations.
No skills beyond what is expected of any patrol with some FC scouts will be needed. However patrol teamwork and spirit is a must and weigh heavily at each stop.
Patrol suggested day pack list
is as follows:
Rain gear (prefer rain suits-ponchos can get
caught in gears), water bottle, individual lunch,
patrol bike repair items, helmet, patrol first aid supplies
and watch. Field uniform (troop t-shirt) with helmet for
the bicycle portion of the day is the appropriate uniform
Jamboree on the Air and Six Flags
We are looking at the Jamboree on the Air (ham radio event)/Jamboree on the Internet Oct 17 and Six Flags Fright fest Oct 16 and more. Ask for more details or see the bulletin board.
Looking ahead we have an AT backpacking trip in November.
Uniforms
At all troop activities a designated uniform is specified. Also during Troop meetings the proper wear of the uniform is expected and all great scouts are not without their handbook to make a complete uniform. Proper uniform includes your short tucked in and closed toe shoes!
Lending Closet
The Troop maintains a scout uniform exchange or drop off point for all to use. With growth spurts for young scouts it’s hard at times to keep them outfitted for activities. Bring in your used or any pieces you come across and add to closet and feel free to pick up an item at any meeting. Ask for other items that may be store at another of our locations.
Merit Badge Reminder
It’s hard
to believe but scouts are still coming forward to work on a merit badge
WITHOUT reading the whole MB book from cover to cover. This is not a
negotiable and it doesn’t matter where the MB was started or with who.
To complete the summer camp merit badges or any other follow the simple
rules. Read the book from cover to cover.
Bring any completed paperwork to a meeting or merit badge help
night and coordinate an approved counselor from the scoutmaster. Sit down
with the counselor and explain, show or complete the requirements as
detailed. Its not about a memory test – it is about comprehension and
covering the material as stated.
To complete the summer camp merit badges follow the simple rules. Read the book from cover to cover. Bring any completed paperwork to a meeting or merit badge help night and coordinate an approved counselor from the scoutmaster. Sit down with the counselor and explain, show or complete the requirements as detailed. Its not about a memory test – it is about covering and understanding the material.
The second Tuesday of every month the SM will be available at the Mt Pisgah chapel from 6-7 PM for those who need extra help with merit badge requirements or advancement. The next one is scheduled for October 12, 2004
Service Projects
Patrol food items: Non Perishable (left over) from camping trips that can be reused need to be turned in with the patrol gear at the end of each trip and are stored by the troop in special patrol containers. This will help cut back on some cost for future trips and eliminate some waste now ongoing. A scout buying food will get a menu to use with a budget to follow. It’s important to follow the list and items/quantities specified as the menu has been planned for patrol guest and other program considerations. Purchase slips are turned into the Troop Treasurer for reimbursement after each trip by the patrol scout grubmaster for that trip.
October brings opportunities to help at Mt
Pisgah:
District
Funathlon on Oct 9th
November 2 Election Day refreshments at Mount Pisgah
Scout Master Notes: The Troop frequently has last minute service project opportunities for scouts to participate in. Keep an eye out for them weekly, look on the bulletin board and pick up the flyers that are usually at the meeting.
Order
of the Arrow
Every month on the second Thursday there is a
district OA gathering OA members can attend.
See your OA rep for details.
Halloween Meeting
Normally
the meeting before Halloween we have an outdoor event at Newton Park.
Expect it to be there again on October 25th meeting.
JOTA/JOTI
In
October (16-17) it is normally Jamboree on the Air/Internet time where
scouts from around the world focus on exchanging information.
Look for details of this event if we can line up a “ham radio”
operator to earn a participation patch. Do
you know ham radio operators who could help us out on this event?
High Adventure Update
Planning
is well underway for the Troop to participate in any of the National BSA
high adventure Camps in 2005. Tall
ship sailing with Sea Base in the Bahamas over the summer, Philmont with
the Council contingent and a National Jamboree in Virginia.
See the notices and sign up with your deposit now
so you to can be included. Look
for details from the Scoutmaster.
We really need you to tell us now what your plans are and confirm to ensure we have you on the list.
“New and Improved” Kroger Gift Card Fundraiser
Mrs.
Terri Israeli reports that the new gift cards are working great - everyone
loves using them and more families have signed up to participate!
The new cards allow you to have the actual cost deducted on each purchase
and are much handier than the previous certificates.
If anyone would like to increase their amount, or has questions,
please contact Terri at terri_israeli@earthlink.net
or 770-643-0885 (home) 770-751-9555
(work). In April we start up with a new Kroger debit card which will allow
you to have actual cost deducted on each purchase rather than the set
amount on the gift certificates we have been using. Thanks ever so much to
Mrs. Israeli for heading this program up.
Adult Training
All adults are required by this troop to be properly trained for the event they are participating in. From being properly prepared just for a weekend outing to getting all the specialized training for high adventure now is the time to get yourself into those classes so you can help be ready on time.
Our adults
are encouraged to participate in one of the many training opportunities
available for scouting. A great way to get started is by completing the
online Boy Scout Fast Start or Youth Protection Training located at the
Chattahoochee web site via a link from our troop's web site: www.troop629.org.
Assistant Scoutmasters and Committee Members must complete the above training and New Leaders Essentials, SALT, ITOLS and/or Committee Training. Information on these training opportunities are available on the Chattahoochee District web site.
To participate in High Adventure, leaders must complete all the above along with special classes such as CPR, FA, safety afloat, and safe swim.
*
NOTE: For Youth Protection and Fast Start, print from web site your
completion form page and pass to the unit's training chairperson.
When
you have completed any of the BSA training, please notify our Committee
Chair, Linda Dembowski.
Adult Volunteers
Much adult support is essential to provide a quality program for our scouts. Even if you cannot commit to a helping on a scheduled basis, we can still use your valuable assistance whenever possible. Contact
Mrs. Linda Dembowski, Committee Chair, for a list of those opportunities which will benefit this exciting program.
On all trips we request that adults clearly state their intentions if providing transportation support. Please indicate on the permission slip the number of passengers that you can handle in the vehicle being used.
Planning for a very special event is in the works: Troop 629 will be hosting the
Fall Cycling Camporee the weekend of October 22nd. We will need many adult volunteers to assist the scouts in running this Chattahoochee District event. Please mark your calendars! We will be looking for
materials and supplies along with ideas for a special nighttime activity at the campground in Rockmart, GA area.
If you are interested in helping out, please email Linda Dembowski
to volunteer.
Religious Award Program
Each scout can earn a specific religious award and medal based around their own individual faith. These are self-paced booklets and work is done over the year with a religious counselor. The annual “Duty to God” campout at Bert Adams to help work on your award is set for Oct 8-10th. For details or to get started contact your Scoutmaster.
Scholarships
The Troop has set up a scholarship fund for all Scouting activities to help any individual who may not otherwise by able to participate in a specific activity. This is available through a service hour trade-off agreement with the Scoutmaster. Let the Committee Chair know you if you have any individual needs. Our goal is to not deny any Scout an opportunity he truly wants to participate in.
The High Adventure bases and camps also normally have scholarship applications available for those individual events.
Just ask the Scoutmaster for the form if help is needed for a particular event.
Patrol Leaders Council
Once
a month our SPL leads his PLC to formulate the plans for meetings and
activities. Changes and or
improvements are discussed at that time and all scouts should be making
sure their representative is up to date on issues, concerns and program
request. Another reason to check the Troop bulletin board or web site to
keep the ever dynamic and fluid scouting calendar up to date.
“View the bulletin board and troop web site for latest details.”
Questions concerning this publication?
Joe and Neal Ruggles
Receive this by email, just send your email address to joe
@ joeruggles.com
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