Troop News and Views
Troop 1, Gaylord
December 2009
We wish all of our scouts and scout families a very Merry Christmas and a rewarding scouting experience in the coming year. We are sending along a few notes for immediate digestion and notes to supplement the troop calendar which our troop scout staff has developed for the coming 10 months. Summary of these activities will be posted by Mr. Neff on the calendar as he gets time.
First, tree sales. Sales are going very well so far, except that we are not getting participation from a broad enough base of our scout families. It is essential to have the support of scouts and families selling and supervising the tree lot in regular shifts. We guess that each family should be taking about 3 shifts the way things are set up now. Remember, the troop functions on the money we make on the tree sales. If we don't sell all of the trees, then the troop will not have the funds to operate—that means money for the camperships this summer for each scout going to Greilick, awards, group transportation to places like the submarine Silversides (which the boys have planned for this summer) and a whole bunch of other activities. All of the other events that we do to raise money go right into the scout's accounts—the troop keeps nothing from those money earning activities.
So please lend a hand—especially this weekend. This may be our biggest weekend and we are the only tree lot in town to boot. One adult can supervise two or three scouts—and the scouts have fun at the lot loading trees and shoveling snow—and some scouts have even gotten tips this year. Pop over on the sign up sheets and add your name.
Remember, the key is at Kmart at the service desk. The green plastic box in the trailer holds the cash and checks. That box stays in the locked trailer at the end of the shift and the key goes to KMART. Sandy empties the cash box every day so there is no need to worry there. HELP—thank you.
Wednesday the 9th meeting is the end of the radio merit badge. If you cannot be there, let me know and I will get your worksheet graded after the class is over. We will also make special preparation for the troop Christmas party the following week. We also have a board of review that night for several of you.
Stop and congratulate Kevin N. our newest Eagle Scout—as of this month. Where's the party Kevin—no, at the tree lot won't do.
We are processing the Fire Safety Merit Badges from the Fall Camporee now, which entails transferring the camp cards to blue cards. Tedious. But you who camped and do the radio worksheet will get two badges the Spring Court of Honor.
Kiwanis gift baskets are due for loading and packing again—its that time of year. Judy Doan says she could use help on the 17th for about 2 hours from 6:00PM to 8:00PM. 4 or 5 scouts will be appreciated by the people who pay our registration fees and send you Boy's Life.. That is the day after our Christmas party. The SPL will be asking so be ready if you need those service hours—and even if you don't. This year we load food and pack baskets at the Gaylord school system office building in the activity room. It is behind the Intermediate School and across the street from the United Way building.
No meetings the week of Christmas or New Years—the 23d or the 30th of December. The first meeting of the New Year is January 6th.
Meeting Cancellation policy for weather: we cancel a troop meeting when Gaylord Community school closes for weather. If there is no school because of weather, then there is no scout meeting. Otherwise we will cancel with the scout phone fan. The fan is now being updated by the SPL so if you have a new phone number, let him know at the meeting this week.
Adult Party. Say what? We are going to have a first ever adult hail and farewell party (no scouts) hosted by the troop January 14th. This will be an evening dinner (we buy the food, you bring refreshments). I am guessing 6:30PM to about 8:30 PM. Now I know that some of you have young kids who need watching---let me know by email how many you have and we will provide a solution to that problem. We don't want you staying away to watch the younger kids. All parents are welcome, encouraged, cajoled, begged and otherwise invited to attend. I promise not to talk long but we do have to recognize some people—outgoing leaders and incoming leaders and get input on the program the scouts put together for the year. We will be asking for a response at the first troop meeting in January and finalizing the plan at the first committee meeting on January 10th. Think a Tiger Cub's first words: Mama, Papa, Buffet.
Headlands, January 15-17. This is a classic Troop 1 Trip and this year should be no exception. We leave Friday night and come back Sunday morning. Outdoor activities will include a project for the preserve on Saturday which usually degenerates into anything but service, but indoor activities usually take the form of games, fiddling around (adult terminology) with electronics which are required on this trip. So tune up your games—Play Stations and Xbox 360's—adults get out the cards. Sign up on the 6th of Janaury. We may need an additional driver or two depending on the sign ups. This year I think we may take the troop trailer for gear and sleds. This is the perfect outing for those adults of you who have trouble reclining on the ground without benefit of a house wrapped around you. We have a 10 bedroom house and it is heated, so no walking to the porta potty unless you just can't camp without the plastic privy experience—we'll have one delivered for you.
Pinewood Derby Car Races for Pack 1 will be in January. We usually provide help with set up, car weigh in and running the race. Stand by.
February 6th-Council wide Klondike Derby; The annual derby always gets a good showing by our troops. Kenny and his staff will begin planning in January. How many sleds to we have now I think 4—so no chance we will be short of snow transportation. This is council wide and in Cadillac this year—so we will need help with transportation. More in early January. You can peek at activities on the Council web site.
February 26-28. Winter camping at the Adirondacks in CG. Supreme winter experience. Wood stoves and shelters that sleep 8 each. We have room for 16 scouts this year plus adults. A little ice fishing, wood stove cooking, land navigation and for those of us with pounds of hair on our chests, shelter building and sleeping (aka a Polar Bear). Are you kidding me—sleep outside?? The opportunity is yours if you want the patch. The shelters are heated by the wood stoves, so its not really like Robert Byrd at the pole in 1923, but its not like the Headlands. Plastic potty shelter—you bet.
Sledding Party. Somewhere in here the boys want to have a sledding party. Ideas on where would be most appreciated. We are trying Michaywe's old ski hill, the old Ski Village in Waters and (just kidding) Deadman's Hill. Do the last hill on a saucer and you get the survival merit badge?
March 20th is our Sportsplex Lock In under our departing committee chair Tom Wagar and Venture Leader Jim Marsh and our awards chair Ann Wagar and it looks like another big hit. This thing has grown from 200 kids to last year's total of 456—that is a lot of syrup flasks Tom. Band director will be Jim Marsh, as usual. All night swimming, hockey, skating, bowling and eating. It is an all-nighter for sure. Adults in shifts—I bet you can't wait to be asked. Where else can you get free popcorn.
March 25th 2010 is also the date of adult leader training (indoor) up in Petoskey. This is the easy part of adult training. This is one day from 9:00AM to about 3:00PM. Janice Adams and Jeff Poux went last fall and thought the information presented was very useful. There are needs for leaders in the troop and that will require the training—will you consider coming along? The second phase of the training is Outdoor training and it is in April 16 to 18 probably near Gaylord—the outdoor training is much more fun. . . . have I mentioned that? Plus, we have a nice warm tent for you and cool cooking utensils and pots. Just ask Kathy Arndt how much fun it was.
April 17th--Lansing Tour. The boys are planning a Lansing Capital tour on the 17th, as well as a visit to two of the museums that feature the history of our state. Well we will need drivers, unless Zack, Caleb, Mike O and Kenny can fill the bill. I can see the heads shaking no already. More as the event gets firmed up.
100th Anniversary Spring Camporee is April 30 to May 2 this year, and that is when the camping season officially opens. This will be a big deal this year. That means that cooking gear comes out of the trailer for the first time, so plan on it now. This is a Council wide event celebrating the 100th anniversary of scouting and it should be well organized as opposed to some of the seasonals in the past.
May 15th is the Opening of Grass Cutting Season. It also means scout opportunity to earn money for scouting. This year both Hayes and Old St Mary will need new leaders and we are thinking about how to organize it. Your thoughts would be appreciated.
Summer Camp for Troop 1 is June 27th to July 3d. Our younger scouts should all attend camp with us. We are going to make a special effort to really coach our scouts this year. Last year all scouts qualified as blue swimmers and thanks to excellent coaching by Janet Hancock every boy earned at least one promotion and many merit badges. We are thinking about the activities and advancements now and I can assure you that no scout that goes to Camp with us will have a bad experience. Late February this year we will have a meeting for parents on summer camp-especially the new Weblos 5's we hope to have join us.
Silversides and Michigan Adventure Park. July 17 & 18 The Boys are planning on doing the water park and submarine tour, assuming we can rent the submarine. We are checking. I can see a few heads with the say what??? This trip takes the form of a day trip to Michigan Adventure Park in Muskegon and in the evening we go down to the harbor and stay overnight on the SS Silversides, a WWII submarine. It is really a wartimes sub—and it is just like it was during the war. We have the run of the interior and exterior of the sub—really. There is also a museum there. This really is one of the coolest things we do. Mr. Oakley is a Navy submariner and he always goes along to explain the pipes and tubes and valves to the boys. This year "Foghorn" Jeff Riley may also go along—that man can snore, especially when you are trapped in the rear torpedo room with him.
6 to 8 August we are planning a Pigeon River camping trip. This is 3 days of camping in a primitive site with hiking, camp cooking and exploring. Not much we can say but its an end of summer "almost back to school" trip close to home so travel is not a big issue.
This year's Hessel Trip is September 10th. We don't know the theme yet, but this is one of the highlights of our camping year. Hessel is near the old National Forest Campground—and there are girl scouts and venture crews there. Work all day, try to get a girl to dance with you all night. We hear very good stories about Hessel, but the truth always comes out around the campfire. It's a scout's life.
Is that enough for now? I think so. It is easy to write these ideas on paper, but it takes all of us to make them come true. Thank you for your support—now and next year. I appreciate it and the boys appreciate it.
As I write this, Jim Salem is probably out in the storm at the tree lot shoveling out the trees. We owe Jim a big thanks for all that he has done. We will have to get him some Tim Neff sunglasses, but for now we send along a big thanks. Headlands and Daks are firm now, as is the Klondike, so set your sail for those events now.
Let me go down and see what he is doing. As always, call with concerns or suggestions.
Yours from the Scenic Trail,
Ken Arndt
