Troop News

Congratulations to E Kidd and D Lepianka for completing last Saturday's merit badge day at the Hoover Fire Department, Station # 7) and for Dr. Hamilton, Mr. Hardy, and Mr. Smith for re-certifying in CPR the same day at the Hut. Need to update your CPR with the newest and more simple technique? Will announce the dates for the next few months after the next Troop committee meeting.

The heater was on for the meeting..Pilot light had to be re-lit.....Left rear blinker, brake light, and back-up light are repaired on the Frank Tank (bulbs). New Troop 21, green numerals with the designated 90 year of charter time sewn on are in for $3.00 apiece. Same for Troop neckerchiefs for $10.00 per. Thanks to Mr. Young the Troop has a 24 inch television in the Hut for viewing. Thanks to Mr. Smith all the plumbing is running as normal in the Hut.

Don't forget the University of Scouting is coming up this Saturday at Gadsden State Junior College...There are several of us going..hope to see you there...if you haven't registered you can still walk in.....

WEBELO leaders coming in to the Troop this Spring should plan on attending the New Leader Essential Course (about one hour at the up and coming leader District Leader Training coming on on March 28. We have copy of it at the Hut if you wish to view it at home....it is required of all new leaders at the Cub or Scout levels. I believe you can also take the course on line at olc.Scouting .com....Remember Scouts deserve trained leaders. This courses are important for getting to the purpose of the Scouting Program and why it is coming up on its 100th year of success as the largest, most successful youth organization in the united States/world.

Please think about getting certified to drive the bus....it is important for us to keep our driver pool numbers up to continue our success with the bus. Mr. Young and Dr.Hamilton are our most recent certified drivers....please speak to them about it.

If you have not paid the Scout's re-registration fee yet..please make a point of taking care of it. Don't forget summer camp fees can be paid in increments or a complete sum...Mr. Lepianka is the coordinator for that and will accept your checks in the mail or in person at meetings.

A parent asked the other day if his son could start his Eagle project before he completed his required merit badges. The answer is yes and the recent blog indicated sources of projects available and limited only to his imagination. The Bluff Park Elementary School and the Southern Museum of Flight in Birmingham are looking for Scouts now for some very worthy projects. The Scout needs to contact Mr. Harbin, Mr. Davis, or Mr. Houlditch to get started on on the right path. There are a lot of Life Scouts out there who need to be seriously thinking about this.

There are a number of Life Scouts who are falling off in attendance at regular meetings and trips....Scout Spirit is inclusive of attendance at both of these for all Scouts in order to advance and support the Troop...please encourage attendance in order to meet the best interests of the Troop in terms of expected leadership/camaraderie and esprit...he can't do it at home on Monday nights and on Troop weekends.

The Vulcan District Eagle Boards, Mr. Don Russell (don.russell@compassbnk.com) chairman, are constantly recruiting leaders to fill the role of sitting on Eagle Boards which meet regularly each month or so. You can also just call and get on visitor status to see how they work. This would be a very good opportunity for you personally to see what the Eagle Project process is about and the types that are completed in other Troops. The Scout also needs to review the two large Eagle Project books in the Hut which Mrs. Kidd laboriously put together for this very purpose. We are fortunate to have Mr. Harbin's broad experience for getting all of our most recent Eagle's through and Mr. Davis and Mr. Holditch, Eagle Scouts, willing ness to advise also.

Saturday, April 4 is the Vulcan District Advance O'Rama at Canteberry United Methodist Church..They are having a large variety of Eagle required and non-required badges during the day for a fee of $12.00 ....good opportunity here for the Scout...contact...www.meritbadge.info or bpritchard@1bsa.org or 205-970-0251..

What else.....
As mentioned..new leaders should all consider attending the Scoutmaster Leader Specific Training (SMLT) March 28th at 0900 AM as well as New Leader Essentials at 0800 AM, lasting until about 5:00 PM at Canteberry United Methodist Church in Mountain Brook (Cost is $7.50) . The companion course (OLS) Outdoor Leadership Training) will be conducted on April 1`7, 18, and 19 at Camp Sequoyah (cost $17.50). You can register at dsnow@snowsonline.com pr call Dean Snow at 205-617-3820.

If your son is not coming to summer camp because he doesn't feel like it, do him a favor and enroll him in the Greater Alabama Council National Youth Leadership Training Course for a week ( contact wshaw3410@charter.net or 205-979-5286) the cost is $205.00 and slots are competitive. It is the best thing you can do for him rather than sitting at home. It is one of the best conducted, excellently curriculmed, one week courses, he will attend as a youth in learning leadership skills for the rest of his life. This course ( NYLT), combined with the Eagle, membership in the OA (having his brotherhood also) is his ticket to success for a lifetime in terms of job interviews, jobs, and having a handle on being prepared.

Finally, if he is not attending summer camp or the NYLT, he should be applying for a job as a counselor at summer camp (Sequoyah or Comer) to also give him that extra opportunity for leadership and partnership in learning as a youth in preparing him for his adult roles (Contact the Greater Alabama Council (Bpritchard@1BSA.org. The camp provides room and board plus some remuneration to make it worth while.....great experience..great times...a great asset for the Troop...great people for a life time...and he won't be sitting around the house. Slots are still available all summer long.

Take a look at the last Troop blog for the schedule coming up for the next few weeks.....

We have to have maximum attendance at the March 9 meeting to have effective Troop and Order of the Arrow elections..please encourage that with him...

No meeting on March 16

We also need maximum attendance on March 23rd for the WEBELO Crossover at the BPUMC Reid Crotty Fellowship Hall to continue our strong recruitment from Pack 321. Remember...drop him off at 7:00 PM at the Church in Full Class A Uniform/with neckerchief and merit badge sash..pick him up at 8:00 PM.

Thanks for all your support...

YiS Dan s "Delivering the Promise"