Troop 42 - News and Announcements - Troop 42 of Easton, BSA

Court of Honor on Monday

6/26/2015

As a reminder, Monday the 29th is the Court of Honor, and last meeting until September. All Scouts are expected to attend this important end of year event.

1. Scouts, especially those with parts in the COH, should be there for 5:30 pm upstairs to practice. I know we said 6:30 start, but we really need a few dry runs before everyone else arrives. Please plan to eat first as snacks will not be available until near 9 when the ceremony ends.

2. As usual, it would be great if each Scout could bring a desert to share. There will be a reception at the end of the ceremony to snack and socialize.

3. Dress Code : Please wear neckerchief and slide; no jeans, sweats nor gym shorts. Pants preferred. Basically represent your Troop well :-)

4. Parents and Siblings : are welcome. Bring them along!

Camp Sayre Update

6/26/2015

While the day hike at Blue Hills is a go, the overnight is canceled. The weekend the forecasts are calling for 2 inches of rain near Camp Sayre to occurSaturday night with heavy rain and wind into Sunday morning, and possibly up to 3 inches. If it were to be normal rain showers or even a passing thunderstorm we would keep the plan in place, but coupling the rain with the possibility of flooding, it is a bit excessive. So while we never like to do this - especially when I look out the window and see clear skies and bright sun while writing this - we will cancel the overnight portion of the trip.

Any Scout who wishes to participate on the day hike may do so, even if you were not on the initial list. Just let me know so we can ensure sufficient drivers. The new plan:

a) Schedule : Start gathering at the Church at 9:00 am, we'll depart at 9:30. Blue Hills by 10:00 am and start hiking; be back to the Church around 3-330 pm - but we'll call when we leave.

b) Lunch - Scouts will still bring day packs and we'll still use the light weight stoves. However, Scouts should plan to bring snacks to augment the planned hot soup. Still need two nalgenes of water, and the 10 essentials; minimally: a compass if you have one, sun protection, rain protection, headlamp/flashlight, hiking first aid kit, and snacks.

c) Driving Logistics : I am assuming our drivers are still available - please let me know if that is no longer the case.

d) class B's : Wear your class-B's please.

e) SMC's and BOR's : Scouts who were going to do Scoutmaster Conferences and Board of Reviews on the campout will still be able to do them on the hike during lunch. Please bring your books.

Camp Sayre Plans, June 27 & 28

6/24/2015

a) Schedule: Saturday morning gather at the Church 8:30 am, departure by 9:00 am. We will be at the camp by 9:30 and plan to begin the day hike from Camp Sayre at roughly 11:00, after setup. The day hike will include lunch on the trail courtesy of light weight stoves; the Troop will finalize meal plans at tonight's meeting. Departure from the camp is Sunday morning. We expect to return to Tedeschi's by late Sunday morning.

b) Fee - There's a $10 fee to cover food.

c) Class B's: Please be sure to wear your class B's for the day hike.

d) Day Pack - Because we are doing a five mile day hike, all Scouts should have a day pack with their ten essentials: minimally with a Full Nalgene, compass if you have one, sun protection, rain protection, headlamp/flashlight, hiking first aid kit, and snacks.

e) Cell Phones: As a reminder, cell phones are not permitted on campouts as our focus is on outdoor activities. They must be left in the vehicles or left behind altogether.

Meeting Reminders

6/22/2015

There is a meeting at the church tonight at the usual time. Please keep in mind the following for this meeting:

1) Leadership Elections : For tonight's meeting, candidates for SPL and ASPL are reminded to arrive with speech in hand. Goal is to ensure that these potential leaders are preparing for these critical positions. We will also elect Quartermaster, Webmaster, Scribe, Patrol Leaders, and Assistant Patrol leaders. **Important** If you plan to run for one of these offices, but cannot attend tonight for unavoidable reasons, please let me know asap, otherwise only those that are present can run for this anticipated year-long office.

2) Court of Honor Practice - please plan to attend tonight as we will practice for next week's Court of Honor.

3) Compass - if you're not attending the campout, do try to bring a compass for some map and compass work tonight.

4) June 27/28 Campout signup : Our June 27/28 campout sign up sheet will be posted, we'll need final count tonight to ensure appropriate quantities of food. There will be a nominal $10 fee for food. Stay tuned for a followup email with details. 12 Scouts have signed up so far.

5) Please bring in all troop gear today. We need the gear for next week's camp out.

6) Scouts and Adults who have not provided medical forms for summer camp, please bring in the forms today. We want to send all remaining med forms this week to the camp. If we can get all the med forms sent and reviewed quickly, it will avoid a long wait on Day 1 of the camp during check in. Any mistakes/issues or delayed med forms causes 3-4 hour delay during check-in. Everyone has to wait until the check-in is completed to go to the campsite.

Car Wash: Saturday, June 20, 9 AM - 1 PM, Center School

6/19/2015

The troop will be having a car wash this Saturday to raise money for summer programs: camp and a week-long canoe trip up in Maine.

Please come and support our troop!

Reminders for tonight's meeting

6/15/2015

Tonight's meeting is packed once again, same time, same place!

a) If the weather agrees somewhat we will hold our meeting outdoors. Scouts should be prepared for slight rain. If it downpours we'll come inside.

b) Scouts are suggested to bring their compass if they have one.

c) We'll have signup sheet for Jun 27/28 campout at Camp Sayre. We'll need our Scouts and Adults to please signup, as we need to be sure we have sufficient drivers.

d) Thank you to everyone who volunteered to help Mrs Weatherby with Board of Reviews. It does provide parents with an opportunity to see what other Scouts like or dislike about the program.

Weekly Updates

6/15/2015

Only two completely-packed meetings and a COH left, summer is almost here. Here's our weekly update:

1) Car wash - Be sure to signup for Troop Fundraising carwash on June 20. Two shifts : 8am-11am, and 11am-2pm.

2) MHA - Crew Meeting at the Church June 18th 7 pm. Please plan to submit the remaining payment of $250 at the end of the month.

3) Summer Camp - Please provide any outstanding medical forms to Mr Shaji at the next meeting. He's sending them out next week.

4) Jun 27/28 Campout - The Scouts have spoken. We will camp at Camp Sayre, do a five mile hike with map and compass, and work on Patrol building activities. We will start planning and hang a signup sheet at the next Troop meeting.

5) Spring Court of Honor - Everyone - Scouts and Parents - should plan to attend this COH. We have much to cover this particular night, including recognizing Ben Tran and Andrew Ciulla for reaching the rank of Eagle! We plan to start at 6:30 pm. Please stay tuned for additional information.

Reminders for tonight's meeting

6/8/2015

Wow, what a great weekend! The weather was perfect, the Scouts cooked some incredible meals, I saw lots and lots of Scouting activities underway, and the football and Ultimate Frisbee games looked great.

Tonight's meeting is the usual time, usual place.

a) Please try to bring back Troop gear, as we need to turn it around quickly for our next campout June 27/28.

b) Scouts are reminded to propose a Scouting Activity to focus the next campout. As I said during our mini-crackerbarrel, if we have an acceptable Scouting activity, the Troop will do a car camping trip that focuses on that.

c) Scouts should review CPR and signs of heart attack as Mrs Nipoti will be there tonight for First Class First Aid review. Scouts should also bring their neckerchief because we may likely use it to make splints.

d) There will be signup sheets tonight for Scoutmaster conferences and Board of Reviews. If you have completed requirements for Rank Advancement, be sure to put your name on the list.

d) There will be a signup sheet for a Troop Carwash fundraiser on June 20th (yes, it has been moved back one week.) Please consider signing up. There will be an early morning shift and a late morning/afternoon shift.

June 6/7 Campout final prep Information

6/5/2015

a) Schedule: Saturday morning assemble at the Church 8 am, departure at 830 am, exact time. Postal Museum will run approximately 10am - 2pm. We plan to be at the camp by 3 pm. Departure from the campground is Sunday afternoon, after lunch cleanup. Plan to return at Tedeschi's mid Sunday afternoon.

b) Class A's: We will be representing our Troop and BSA when visiting a museum, be sure to dress in your Class A's. We can change once we reach the camp and setup tents. Consider the weather forecast for the weekend. There is a chance of rain. For the newer Scouts, that means be prepared with rain gear.

c) Bag Lunch: Scouts and Adults will need a bag lunch for Saturday afternoon at the museum.

d) Homework: The Stamp Collecting Merit Badge Councilor has assigned a quick and easy assignment for the Merit Badge - Each Scout must design his own stamp, any country and subject, but with proper denomination. Please see http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/BoyScouts/AdvancementandAwards/MeritBadges/mb-STAM.aspx for more information on the Merit Badge. Everyone should be able to do this and bring it with them on Saturday, and will be able to complete the Merit Badge.

e) Location: Please check you email for Mr. Rhodes cell phone and information about where we are going.

Tonight's Meeting

6/1/2015

Monday's meeting at the usual time and usual place will focus on campout prep. At this time, 21 of 22 Scouts have signed up to attend. That is a fantastic turn out. Planning for the campout in tomorrow's meeting will be based on this count. We will need a final, accurate count by Monday's meeting as well, as we need to prepay fees to the Hale Reservation and to the Museum based on head count.

a) Scouts should come prepared with their book to sign up for requirements discussion on the campout. This will give those that want to show they know Leave No Trace principals, Safe swim defense, and so forth, the opportunity to discuss these with the Adult leaders.

b) Scouts please bring payment of $25 for this campout. This includes costs of food and the Postal Museum/Stamp Collecting Merit Badge fees. Attending adults, please bring $10 to contribute to food costs.

c) Adult leaders & Scouts who have the "The Scout's Outdoor Cookbook", please consider bringing this tomorrow as our patrols will be selecting recipes from this book. I have a single copy, we need at least four copies.

d) Please bring medical forms for summer camp and fees if you have not paid already. Shotgun merit badge needs an additional $25.

e) Scouts who have not returned troop equipment, please bring it in today.