Hiking Trips This Weekend - Pack Inspection Thursday!
Wreath Fundraiser
Cooking Merit Badge
Life to Eagle Seminar
Dates to Save This Fall
No Troop Meeting on Halloween!
Hiking Trips, October 19-20: New Hampshire
There are two hiking trips this weekend, both beginning Saturday morning and going for only one night. For those signed up for either trip, there will be a backpack inspection this Thursday night. Carpools will be determined and final arrangements made. Remember that each scout is responsible for their own food on these hikes. If you have any questions, please speak with Angelika or Karl on Thursday night.
Wreath Fundraiser: Ends October 24!
Each scout has been provided with an order form/envelope, catalog, and other sales materials. This was a great fundraiser last year, so if you need tips on how it works, please reach out to other scouts. Wreaths are sold door-to-door, through e-mail, on-line orders, and through a gift ordering program. These are all explained in the packets. If you have not received your sales packet or need mail-order forms, please contact Aaren Lonks (aelonks@verizon.net). Each scout is required to sell a minimum of six items. Last year, the winning scouts sold more than 20 each! All orders are due back to the troop by October 24
Cooking Merit Badge w/ Dr. Paul
Assistant Scoutmaster, Angelika Paul, would like to put on several sessions before troop meetings to cover all theoretical work for the cooking merit badge. Session 1 (10/3 at 6pm) Health and Safety (THIS WEEK) Session 2 (10/17) Nutrition Session 3 (10/24) Food Management Session 4 (11/7) Planning for Cooking at Home Session 5 (11/14) Planning for Camp Cooking Session 6 (11/21) Planning for Backpacking Cooking There are also several practical components. Scouts need to cook a breakfast, lunch,dinner, and dessert using 5 different methods at home for at least themselves + one adult. On a campout and a hike, each scout needs to plan 5 meals and cook 2 for each. We would hope that the home cooking happens, well, at home, but the other two requirements might take a couple of months for everyone to get a turn. Right now there are 4-6 scouts interested. Please email angelika.paul@gmail.com if you are also interested.
Life to Eagle Seminar, October 23rd
If you are currently a Life Scout or will be soon and plan to start work toward your Eagle Scout, then this is a must go to seminar. This is also an excellent seminar for leaders and parents to understand what their scout must accomplish. This seminar will help you understand the steps from Life to Eagle, review the requirements for Eagle Scout, and review the Eagle Scout Project. Assist you in understanding the time line to complete your Eagle Scout Service Project, Scoutmaster Conference and successfully complete the Eagle Board of Review. Please join us on Wednesday October 23rd at 7:00PM and the American Legion Post 221, 357 Great Rd, Bedford, MA 01730
Save These Dates for the Fall:
November 2nd - Scouting University (Adult training)
Also November 2nd - Hands-On First Aid Training (for the Scouts)
November 11 - Veterans Day Volunteer Opportunity
November 15-17 - Turkey Jam 2019 in the Town Woods
December 7-8 - Hut Trip, Carter Notch
Important Reminders: (1) All scouts, and any adults that attend trips with the troop, must have an up-to-date medical form, parts A/B, on file with the troop. Marcy Nelson is updating our records and collecting medical forms from anyone for whom they have expired, and she will contact you directly. The medical forms are available by this link: https://filestore.scouting.org/filestore/HealthSafety/pdf/680-001_AB.pdf. Without an updated medical form, your scout will be unable to attend trips. (2) All adults over 18 that attend any scouting function - troop meeting or trip - during which they interact directly with the scouts must have taken the Youth Protection Training (YPT) on-line course. Upon completing the course, please e-mail your certificate to Nicole O'Neil (nobo22222@gmail.com). The course is accessed through this link: https://www.scouting.org/training/youth-protection/. Without this training, adults will be unable to attend trips with the scouts or act as a merit badge counselor.
Also Remember:
Troop Meetings are every Thursday at 7:02 pm, unless there is no school. Class A uniforms should ALWAYS be worn to Troop Meetings, including the uniform shirt, Scout shorts or pants, socks, neckerchief, belt, etc. Shirts should be tucked in and neat. Neckerchiefs should be secured by a BSA slide, not tied in a knot. If you've heard any differently, it's bad information. We're going to be sticklers on this this year!
Committee Meetings are open to ALL ADULTS. Leadership positions are filled, so don't fear that you'll be asked to volunteer. But these meetings are a great time to pick up a lot of information and share your own ideas for the program. The dates for this Fall's meetings: October 7th @ the Scoutens' House 664 Pearl Street, November 4th @ the Church and December 9th @ the Rogers' House 88 Colburn Road. Meetings begin at 7 pm.
I do want to be sure that we recognize and thank our adult leadership, and provide you with their contact information. This group represents the formal Troop Committee, but is supported by a larger group of adults that play active roles to make the program fun and safe for the scouts.
Our semi-annual Courts of Honor are where we honor and celebrate the rank advancement and merit badge achievements of the Scouts. The Fall Court of Honor is next Thursday, and it is expected that ALL SCOUTS and PARENTS attend. Scouts should wear full Class-A uniforms. We also ask that everyone bring snacks to share:If your last name ends in A-G, please bring drinks; H-P, please bring dessert; and Q-Z, please bring chips or other snacks.
Just a reminder that there is a committee meeting tomorrow night at Brian Scouten's, 664 Pearl Street, starting at 7:02. Committee meetings are open to all parents, and we encourage you to attend. When "off site," as we are this month, we try hard not to discuss too much business and take the opportunity instead to socialize. Join us!
8:00 AM: meet at the Reading Town Common to help set up pop-up tent and tables for the vendors. Wear Class B tee shirts!
10:00 AM: meet at the Common to set up the warped wall and monkey bridge for the Reading Scouting area. Class B shirts.
11:30-5:00: there will be plenty of volunteers needed from all Reading scouting groups to lead the warped wall and monkey bridge activities. Come by for a half-hour or hour shift! Wear Class A uniform when working in the Scouting area.
12:00 noon: gather at Town Common to be "arrested" for Understanding Disabilities. We will be walked to the jail on Haven Street, where we encourage passers-by to donate "bail" for UD. Wear Class A uniforms!
4:00 PM: meet at the Town Common to begin diassembling the monkey bridge and warped wall, and then we will assist by taking down the tents and tables. Wear Class B shirts.
Committee Meeting - Monday, Sept 9th @ 7:00
Town Woods Campout - Fri-Sun Sept 13-15
Please be sure to sign up for the campout through SignUp Genius using this link (https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E094BAEAF28ABFF2-acadia) - yes, it says "Acadia" don't worry, it's the right link. This way we will know who will be at the campout and when, so we can plan activities and meals. It is truly okay for you to come and go from this campout throughout the weekend - we understand that it is a busy time of year for everyone!
We have an opportunity to be part of Camp Sikorsky. This is an event that held at Sikorsky Aircraft, in Stratford CT on Sept 20-22. Each Troop may register a patrol of 8 Scouts and 2 adults. We have 6 Scouts signed up, so space is extremely limited and is at a first come first serve basis. You must be at least 14 and a first class scout. See the attached flyer for more information. If you would like to attend Email me jmeyers@barlettaco.com with your merit badge choices(read the flyer) and if you want a shirt and/or hat preordered. The current list of attendees is as follows;
