It's Spring!
Spring is here for sure now and the April rains have started, so we are now officially in hiking weather. May and June will be a busy couple of months for sure.
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| October 2010 Court of Honor |
First of all, the spring Court of Honor is Sunday, May 1 at 3:30PM. We have 12 new boys and their parents to welcome and we have several senior and Eagle Scouts who will be leaving us this summer for work school and continuing adventures in life. We have a new troop staff and that group has already stepped up and are planning the pre summer camp months.
May will be especially busy—we have to have the bi annual first aid class, mower safety class and get our mowing schedules down so that we can spiff up our cemeteries by Memorial Day.
This year the Troop will be marching in the Memorial Day Parade—first time in some years. The question of why we don’t march then has no good answer, but as a vet myself—and a lucky one—we shall fix that this year. May 30th and I expect that we will march with or near the VFW. More as we hear from them on exactly the plan. If we can, we will also place a wreath from the troop which has been our custom in the past.
We are sending two candidates off to NYLT in June—Noah Modrzynski and Jamie Heydon—to learn all about leadership at the troop and patrol level. Wish them luck as future leaders of our troop. SPL Steven Verduce will also be full time staff at camp this summer so his assistants will take over leader duties in camp. With Steven out there, you won’t be able to hide out instead of training. JASM Kenny Arndt will also be on the instructor staff at NYLT this year—and he has been training every other weekend since February to learn how to do it right. By the way, NYLT is National Youth Leadership Training and the course is developed nationally and presented locally. You should all aspire to do this training in your scouting career.
Physicals. All scouts and adults need an annual physical before summer camp. This has to be done on our form (not the school sports form) and turned in to me—I will keep it in the troop records for camp. The best deal is the physical done by the walk in clinic on McCoy—costs $25 I believe and they will use our form. Otherwise, physicals need to be done by a physician, Nurse Practitioner or a Physician Assistant. That, combined with the scout medical release forms filled out and signed by parents goes everywhere with us.
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May 2010 Cleanup
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Grass cutting and clean ups. Ken Arndt (Scoutmaster) will coordinate Resurrection Cemetery this year, Eric Clink (ASM) will coordinate old St Mary and Jeff Proux (ASM) will coordinate Hayes Township Cemetery. It is absolutely essential that, if you are going to cut grass or work the clean ups in May, that you register at the mower safety class. That way we will know who to send the emails to and or call and you will get a chance to work and earn your way. Clean up pays $10.00 per hour, push mowers pay $12.00 per hour and riders (adults or those with drivers license) pay $23.00 per hour. You provide the mower and gas, as well as transportation to the cemetery. We cut the cemeteries on a staggered schedule so no two cemeteries will be being cut at the same time. It is our fervent hope that all of our scouts in the troop will participate in the grass cutting.
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| Camp Greilick June 2010 |
Summer Camp. Summer camp begins on Sunday June 26th and ends Saturday July 2nd at about 10:00 a.m. We leave about 12:30 p.m. from Bagley and return there about 12:30 p.m. the following Saturday. The total cost of camp is $215.00 per boy and the troop helps with the cost based on the gifts we receive during the year and the vote of the troop committee. Each boy should plan on contributing about $100.00 to his camp bill this summer. Most have already made a $90 deposit, except of course our new scouts. Prior to camp, each boy/family will receive a troop guide which details how to make a projection of the events to work and the money earned for scouting events. In addition, boys should also complete the summer camp worksheet (downloaded from Scenic Trails Council site—Summer Camp 2011) and list merit badges and other programs of interest. We will work on this with the younger boys well before camp—but the older boys should complete the form and get it to me at the end of May.
Beaver Creek. The boys are planning a swim day at Beaver Creek. More from the Senior Patrol Leader.
First Aid Training. At least every other year, every registered scout and adult must take the required First Aid Block of Instruction. It includes basic first aid and CPR. This training is conducted at Bagley but will not be done at a regular troop meeting since about half of the troop completed this training last year.
About our new scouts. . . I am delighted to see so many new scouts—many friends of our existing members. Older scouts keep in mind that things that you have known for years are a new experience to these boys. Same with the parents of these scouts. “The OA SLC is meeting at CG/Besser to send final SPDS to the Lodge” is not going to mean much to new scouters. Take time to explain what we are doing to the new scouters so they don’t feel left out.
Adults-if you are going anywhere near summer camp this year, don’t forget your Youth Protection Check. Go to Social Services on McCoy Road (behind Ace Hardware) and fill out the form. You must pick it up the next day and bring it to the scoutmaster who will turn it in at camp. It is not needed for troop events or the Camporee—but it must be done before summer camp.
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| Flywheelers Fall 2010 Camporee |
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Serving up Breakfast at the Fall Camporee
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Spring Camporee. May 21-22. The theme is cooking and this is an “invite a friend” Camporee. So, for any scout who has a non scouter friend, they are welcome on this trip. We are going to need to know by May 15th so that we can plan, and the boys will have to attend the troop meeting with a parent appearing some time during the meeting to sign the permission slip and the Non medical form. Without these, the boys cannot attend. If a friend feels like he can’t go because he does not have a sleeping bag—we have those to lend to the boys. There are plenty of tents and gear, so don’t worry about that. This Camporee includes a cooking contest with Dutch ovens. Each patrol will submit something and the troop will demonstrate how to prepare a turkey over an open fire.
Well, that is about it. Get those final blue cards and rank completions in and we will get them submitted to Council for issue. As always, call me: home: 989-732-3464, office: 989-732-3307; cell: 989-619-0630.
Until we meet again on the Scenic Trail,
Ken Arndt
Scoutmaster
