Troop 874 June 14, 2007 Meeting Notes

 

Troop 874 Baseball Night - Fifty tickets were available this evening for the Baltimore Orioles baseball game on Saturday, June 16th, at 7:05 p.m. The troop subsidized part of the cost and is selling them for only $5. Mr. Mike Meister still has about 13 tickets available. Call and tell him how many tickets you need and he will meet you at the statue of Babe Ruth at Camden Yards. The troop is not providing transportation to the game. So, call your friends and car pool! See you at the park!

 

Peter H's Eagle Court of Honor is Sunday, 24 June at 2:30, in the Fellowship Hall at Glen Mar UMC. All boys and families are invited to celebrate this great achievement. This also counts as an outing for those boys going to First Class! Congratulations, Peter!

 

Troop Hats and T-shirts are available during the troop meetings. These are required items for summer camp! If we run out of your size, we will place an order for more. Please see Mr. Gajewski.

 

Senior Patrol Leader Elections are next week – Elections could not be held this evening because of technical difficulties. Boys who wish to be the run in the election for SPL must talk with Mr. McGovern. Be prepared to tell him why you want to run for this position.

 

Medical forms for boys and adults attending summer camps – More information is needed! – In addition to the medical forms that Mrs. Bietry will review with you during troop meetings, all summer camp participants will need a copy of their medical insurance card and a "Blue Ridge Mountain Council Medical Supplement form. That form is available at the troop meetings and will be posted to our web page shortly. Reminder… The Class I physical must be updated annually. A valid Class II physical is required for boys and adults below the age of 40. The Class II physical is good for 3 years. A Class III physical is required for adults 40 years of age and older and for all youth and adults who are engaging in a high adventure activity ( e.g., COPE, Sea Base, Philmont, etc.). The Class III physical is good for one year. Medical forms can be found on the troop's web site at: http://troop874.com/policies.htm.

 

Adult Training Information: Every boy really does deserve a trained adult leader and every registered parent should take the Fast Start training at a minimum. (You can do that on the web!) Please read the paragraphs below and, If you have any questions concerning this information, please contact Bob Johnson .

 

Boy Scout Leader Fast Start - This is the first step to take for any volunteer new to Boy Scouting and this course should be taken before beginning youth activities. You'll learn the aims and purposes of the Boy Scouts of America's core program. You'll cover the seven parts of the troop meeting, the troop committee, outdoor program, and other basic concepts of Scouting, all in one short online experience. It's the best way for someone new to the program to quickly grasp how troop Scouting works and where additional resources can be found. The course is on-line and it typically takes no more than an hour to complete. Those taking it for credit in local council records must provide their official BSA registration number as part of the user profile. (If you don't know your registration number, Mr. Aissi should be able to help you with this.)

 

The next Wagon Wheel (Scouting Fundamentals for Adults) training course is on October 6th, 20th and November 19-21, 2007. This course is open to all registered adults. You will learn BSA objectives and methods to implement a quality program for the scouts. Parents will benefit by understanding how the program operates, allowing them to better support their sons and this will keep boys interested in scouting. The registration form is attached and will soon be available on the troop's website at http://www.troop874.com/training.htm. Troop 874 may require successful completion of this course before adults will be allowed to take boys on high adventure outings (e.g., Sea Base, Philmont, etc.). The troop will pay 100% of your registration fee for this course!

 

Wood Badge - The course for the Wood Badge is the premier advanced leadership training program for adult scouters. It provides scouters with leadership skills necessary to significantly improve the area of scouting they serve. It gives scouters the opportunity to experience a "mountaintop experience" and the joys of scouting. Participants must have completed "Wagon Wheel" and must have a current class 3 physical. The training dates are 23 August 2007 (orientation), 15-17 September and 19-21 October. The troop will pay one half ($112.50) of the $225 registration fee. Registration is extremely limited and as of 12 May the course is already half full. More information on Wood Badge and the registration form can be found at http://www.trainingbacbsa.org/fl yers/CourseFlyer-202.pdf.

 

Eagles Nest is a new course within the BAC where adult leaders can refine their advanced skills and learn to teach scoutcraft and outdoor skills. This course complements Powder Horn (see below) and provides an outdoor experience for hands-on training in scoutcraft, backpacking and advanced camping skills. A class 3 medical and a physical capability for backpacking are required. Dates are 26 April 2008 and 2-4 May 2008. The registration form is at http://www.trainingbacbsa.org/eagles-nest/images/EaglesNest2008.pdf.

 

Powder Horn - This exposes Venturing or Boy Scout leaders to activities and resources necessary to operate a successful high adventure program. It teaches them how to safely conduct outdoor activities that challenge the youth and it is an introduces the leaders to resources necessary to help scouts through a high adventure program. To take this course, you must have completed Wagon Wheel or Adult Venture Leader Basic Training and have a current class 3 medical. Enrollment is very limited and the course is not offered every year. The closest offered this year is with the National Capital Area Council and the registration form is at http://www.powderhorn-bsa.org/PDF/NationalCap_07.pdf. Training dates are August 23-26 and September 14-17, 2007. More information on Powder Horn is at http://www.powderhorn-bsa.org/.

 

One final note, the new owners of the church are making a lot of changes to the building. Please be respectful and be careful with the new carpet, new paint, etc. Thanks!