Category — Announcements

Troop Elections will be held Wednesday, June 2nd during the Troop Meeting.

The Troop will elect the Senior Patrol Leader and Patrol Leaders for the upcoming 2010-2011 Scouting season.

To be eligible for the position of Patrol Leader, Scouts must have attained the rank of First Class and be active in the Troop.

To be eligible for the position of Senior Patrol Leader, Scouts must have  attained the rank of Star and be active in the Troop.

Scouts who are interested in running for one of these positions, must submit their name to the Scoutmaster at this week’s meeting.  On the night of Troop elections, Scouts running for office will give a brief, 5-minute speech to the Troop on why they are qualified for the position.

Scouts interested in the Senior Patrol Leader position may also submit their names for a Patrol Leaders position.  If the Scout was to win the Senior Patrol Leader election, his name would be removed from the ballot for Patrol Leader.

After the elections, the Patrol Leader’s Council will meet to consider applications for other Troop leadership positions (Quartermaster, Scribe, etc.).  If you need a leadership position for advancement, you should talk with the Senior Patrol Leader about positions you might be interested in.

The full slate of Troop leadership positions will be announced at the Court of Honor.

If you have any questions, please see Mr. Jensen at the meeting.

A couple of parents have approached me about rides for their son to the Jamboree Training Campout next weekend.

If you are looking for a ride for your son – either up on Friday, back on Sunday or both – please send me an email and let me know.  I’ll try to put rides together at the meeting this Wednesday.

For all those coming on the white water rafting trip this weekend, a quick note on the weather forecast …

Unfortunately, it looks like a real Boy Scout trip … there’s rain in the forecast for Saturday!  Although the outlook is for showers, Scouts should be prepared for wet weather and chilly temperatures.

Saturday’s forecast calls for a high of 60 degrees with a 50% chance of showers.  Although rain by itself will do little to dampen the fun (it’s pretty hard to notice a little rain when you’re getting soaked by the river!), the cooler temperatures could make for a chilly and uncomfortable day if you’re not prepared.

The following is directly from the Northern Outdoors website …

You supply bathing suit, sneakers, wool or polar fleece sweater, wind breaker or rain suit. (Do not wear cotton T-shirts, sweaters or jeans on the river.) A dry change of clothes, plus a towel should be waiting for you at the base following the trip. Always wear more clothes than you think you’ll need. Our motto is “you can always take it off”. Footwear must be worn at all times while on the river (sneakers, river sandals, or soft soled shoes).

For all whitewater adventures prior to June 1st, and after October 1st, wetsuits are mandatory, and we strongly recommend them on all cold or overcast days. Under most conditions, a wet suit will keep you warm and comfortable. On very cold days, you may wish to wear a wool or fiberpile sweater and windbreaker over the suit. You may also wish to bring wool or neoprene gloves for additional comfort. A wool cap is strongly recommended. (DO NOT wear cotton T-shirts under your wetsuit. Cotton, when wet, stays cold; wool, polypropylene and modern synthetic thermal materials shed water and stay warm.)

It’s much harder to have fun when you’re cold and miserable. Be Prepared for the weather and you’ll be able to fully enjoy the river experience.

There are a few items that I need to remind Scouts and parents about prior to tomorrow’s meeting.  We have a couple of deadlines and some special activities that may require a bit of advanced preparation from the Scouts.

• White Water Trip Deadline – If you haven’t signed up and paid for the White Water trip, you must get your payment, permission slip and waiver in tomorrow.  We do require a signed permission slip and waiver from each participant.  This means 2 forms from every Scout or adult attending the trip!!
• Summer Camp Deadline – The Summer Camp deadline has actually passed, but we only have camp fees from about half of the Scouts.  I strongly suspect that there are a few holdouts in the crowd, so a reminder to get your camp fees in to the Troop this week. ($375 check made payable to Troop 591)
• T-Shirt Deadline – Troop T-shirt order forms are due this week.  You don’t have to pay anything right now, but your order must be turned in tonight if you want to order your Troop tees.  Remember that the more we order the cheaper the shirts, so in addition to a new shirt for yourself your order will help keep costs low for everyone else!
• The Great Tarp Challenge – We still have a ways to go before we’re ready for the Tarp Setup Challenge.  Most of you have the Clove Hitch down pat, but we still need work on the Bowline and the Taught-Line Hitch.  A couple of weeks back, Scouts were given a 6′ length of rope to use to practice the knots.  It would be helpful if you bring that rope (or your own rope) to tomorrow’s meeting so we can work on the knots in the meeting. Please keep practicing those knots!!!
• Personal Fitness MB – Scouts working on the Personal Fitness MB should plan on showing up 15 minutes early tomorrow night so we can get the pull-up and stretch box tests out of the way early.  Don’t forget to bring a copy of your exercise log!

A lot to remember, but these are all important items on our agenda tomorrow.  Let me know if you have any questions, otherwise we’ll see you tomorrow!

The permission slip for May’s White Water adventure has been posted to the Troop website.

You will need to log in and access the “Outings” page to retrieve the forms.

The permission form has changed slightly to align with the latest language from the BSA.  We are asking that a separate permission form be submitted for each participant – adult or Scout – attending the trip.

We also will need drivers for this trip.  I have included an additional form for parents who are able/willing to drive for this trip.  We need to have certain information from you if you will be carrying Scouts on this (or any other) trip.  This information is required for the Council’s Tour Permit which provides additional liability coverage for the Troop.

Permission slips are due at tonight’s meeting.  As I was late getting this announcement out, I will also have extra copies of the permission forms at the meeting for those who haven’t had time to print them out.

If you missed last week’s meeting, you missed picking up an order form for the Troop’s new summer T-shirt.  But fear not!  You’ve got until May 12th to get your order in.

The T-shirt design features the Troop logo on the front and the BSA 2010 logo on the back.  Celebrate the 100-year anniversary of the BSA and show your Troop pride – all with the same shirt!

We’re offering the shirt in tan cotton as well as a white-on-black version in a wicking tee (for hot summer hikes or as a base layer on cool fall nights).

Final pricing depends on the quantity ordered, but you can expect to pay between $13-$15 for the cotton shirt and $16-$20 for the wicking tee.

Both shirts are official Troop 591 Class B uniform shirts.

Order a couple for summer camp!  Parents & siblings can wear them too!  Remember these special 2010 shirts are available this one time only, so make sure you get your order in!!

Download a copy of the Troop Tee Shirt Order Form and get it back to us before May 12.

Reminder to Scouts and Parents that the registration deadline for Summer Camp is upon us.  We are at the point where we need to provide headcount and payment to the camp to reserve our spot.  It is really important that we have your payment as soon as possible to ensure our place at camp this year.

This will be our 3rd year at Yawgoog Scout Reservation in Rhode Island and we promise another exciting year at camp!

Troop week is June 27 – July 4, 2010.  The cost for a week at camp is $375 per Scout.  Due to the registration timetables, we must have full payment up front in order for the Troop to make the payments to the camp on time.  Checks should be made payable to ‘Troop 591‘.

Please check the summer camp page under “Outings” for more details on this year’s camp program!

I received an email today from my favorite outdoor store (EMS of course!) announcing their Spring Club Day event.

For those of you who need a new pair of hiking boots or a backpack or even just a spork, EMS offers a 20% discount on all merchandise for showing proof of membership in an outdoor club.  All you have to do is present your Scout ID card to receive the discount.

This is a great opportunity to get your hands on some new gear at a significant discount!

If you miss this event, EMS Acton gives Scouts a 5% discount on any other day of the year.  Stop in and chat with the staff to get some great ideas and advice on the latest in outdoor gear.

Just a reminder to parents and Scouts that there will be no Troop meeting this week due to Spring vacation.  We’ll see you next week … same time … same place … for our regularly scheduled weekly get-together.

Photos from this past weekend’s climbing trip to Quincy Quarries have been posted on the website.  Check out the ‘Photos‘ page for some great shots of our Scouts reaching new heights!