Troop News

Thanks to Mr. Branin, all of the tents were taken down and packed by the time the Quartermasters arrived yesterday, Oct 26, to store them.....so we started the PLC on time and well attended. The following Troop Committee meeting was also started on time and likewise well attended.

Thanks to Mrs. Kidd the grass was cut at the Hut for the last time for the season, and Mr. Smith repaired the Troop Marquis for our Annual Tree Sales coming up in about thirty days.

Though not well attended, the Trip to Oak Mountain was excellent with the accompanying weather and good spirits the Scouts had. Thanks again to Mr. Branin, Mr. Bolding, and Mr. Lepianka for assuring it was possible.

November is going to be a busy month....

November 2..Court of Honor..The Shark Patrol is the Host Patrol, so they need to arrive at the Bluff Park United Methodist Church, on Valley Street, in the Reid Crotty Fellowship Hall at 6:00 PM to assist in setting up. Mr. Simon and Mr. Frost will provide the electronics for the lights and pictures show. As usual this will be a Pot Luck Dinner, so each Family will bring an entree and the following:

Sharks... entree plus a bread side dish
Foxes.... entree plus a salad or fruit dish
Penquians.... entree plus a desert dish
Venture I .... entree plus a desert dish
Venture II... entree plus a bread and vegetable dish

The agenda for the Court, http://www.bluffparktroop21.org/PDF_secured/Court_Of_Honor.pdf
including new Scout appointed and elected Troop leadership positions, as well as Leader mentor positions, for the next six months is attached. Please make a copy for your son to read and bring to the Court, especially if he will be an assigned speaker for one of our past activities. Bring one for the family also to have on hand. Remember..this is a family affair to recognize the work the Scout is doing and to prepare for where we are going in the immediate future. Besides that it's good to see everyone in the same place to recognize the Scouts and the leaders making it all work.

November 9, Monday, there is regular meeting and pre-Shiloh briefing with two excellent guest speakers who will brief the battle and its outcome as it was fought on April 6, 1862 with a power point presentation and a great deal of "good to know information" before we leave. B Garrett and other Venture will brief on what to bring for the weekend. The Scouts will also be assigned by Mr. Frost to the Trail they will be walking this year in working toward the coveted Shiloh Veteran's Trail Certificate for completing all six trails along with the patch for each trail they walk. They will walk the National Park in their Scout uniform and dress for the predicted weather. The they should bring a day pack for carrying water and snacks. We will meet at the Hut at 5:00 PM on Friday and return between 1:00 and 2:00 PM on Sunday. Family cars can follow us or meet us there. I will have a map at the November 9 meeting.

WEBELOS will be joining us also this year. The cost is $10.00 for gas if riding the bus, 16.00 for meals and Park fees, $4.00 for camping fees..or, $30.00 person total. If you drive your car, subtract the gas cost in the total (if you are part of the early party, the troop will make up the difference for your gas costs so save your receipt). This is an annual trip for the Troop and the only time that the leaders set up camp and cook for the Scouts.

Mr. Wes Smith will be coordinating cooking for us this year at Shiloh and will head up the advance party Friday morning to set us up for the evening and secure our place at the campsite. We will need four or more leaders/parents and Scouts if excused from school to volunteer to go up with him during the morning of 13th November. He will ask for names at the Court of Honor..please call him if you will not be at the Court.

November 11..Veteran's Day parade..I will open the Hut at 7:00 AM for the Scouts who are coming to the parade rather than spending the day at home. In the AM we will split wood, clean the Hut, work on the quartermaster gear and chuckboxes, then leave on the bus for CiCi's Pizza at 10:30 PM from the Hut (he will need $7.00 cash to spend for the pizza), then we will go to the parade around 11:30 to represent the other 500 Scouts and leaders who will be there in Honor of our Veterans. The Scouts and WEBELOS and Cubs will walk with leaders who chose to or will have the option of riding the bus (Leaders). We should be back at about 3:00-3:30 PM. Please encourage attendance...rather than sitting at home for this special event....Uniform is Khaki shirt, merit badge sash, Troop neckerchief, Scout belt, Scout Socks, and either Scout Shorts or long trousers, if warm weather , they should wear shorts.

November 13-15..Shiloh National Military Park Trip

November 16.. Equipment take down and storage, PLC, and Troop Committee Meeting. Mr. Simon should be close to publishing the Tree sales assignment roster for all families this year selling trees. Remember a leader must accompany a Scout on the lot for his three or four tours of selling the trees. If the Scout cannot be present, he and the family must arrange for another Scout and family to take their place to assure we have the lot staffed.

November 22... Or as announced for time and date, if change occurs, Christmas Trees arrive...all Scouts, parents, and leaders pitch in to unload the trees at the Church Lot on Valley. This isn't a maybe I will or maybe we won't choice if you are not our of town..We have to unload the trees from a truck and the more we have there the easier it is for us....Please plan on helping out so we can get out of there in an hour or so...

November 23...Regular meeting..Scout come in full uniform, Troop neckerchief, merit badge sash for group picture by Mr. Dean Snow...whether you want to purchase the composite and individual picture of the Scout for 15.00 for the composite and 25.00 for both, leaders included, is up to the family, but please encourage attendance for the annual Troop picture (group and individual). There will probably be a make up day announced.

November 30th ...Regular meeting with a very special guest speaker.

Thanks to Mr. Young, we are still on go for Northern Tier, June 29-July 11.

......Please bring a second $150.00, per person check for partial payment for NT to the Court of Honor or mail it to Mr. Young.

.....Please call Dr. Hamilton, and tell him the number and type of wreaths/items your family sold this year for wreath sales by this Wednesday afternoon (October 28), if you didn't bring it to the Committee meeting last night..then please bring the big envelope and cash or checks to Dr. Hamilton to the Court of Honor on November 2, this coming Monday. Bring the mail order wreaths accompanying papers also..so he can meet the deadline and wrap our sales up.

.....Did your son ever borrow a loaned pack from the Troop when he first joined? If so, please return it to the Troop so we can recycle it for the new Scouts coming in this Spring. He probably needs a larger one anyway for his gear.

...We are still missing the big, white, three ring, Eagle Project Book from the Hut...Please ask you son if he has it and return it, so others can make use of it.

Please think about picking up your CDL so you can drive the bus with us..We are down to our minimum numbers now and we need to maintain the numbers to assure future trips....Call Mr. Young or Dr. Hamilton for current CDL information and scheduling...

Thanks for all your support in keeping us as strong as we are.

YiS Dan s "Delivering the Promise"

PLC, V-Day parade, Shiloh

....The campout this weekend was one of our best. Want to thank Mr. Bolding, Mr. Lepianka, and Mr. Branin for making it work. Weather was excellent for the 7-8 miles the Scouts hiked.

...We will take down and store equipment ( patrol and troop quartemasters starting at 6:30 PM with the PLC following...All patrol leaders should be present as we will be planning the Court of Honor on November 2 and the Shiloh Trip on November 13-15 with advisement from Mr. Frost. We will talk to the Veterans Day Parade also for Wed Nov 11. Since it is a Holiday, We will talk to dropping the Scouts off at the Hut in the early AM for wood splitting , Hut maintenance, Quartemaster detail work, then CiCi's pizza, the parade in Class A Plus, and bace to the Hut after 3:00 PM. Unless he has a reason not to be there for the day, please encourage attendance. Cubs are likewise welcome to attend at any time during the day and at the parade. We will be taking the bus and Frank Tank to the parade as we do each year. I will need a minimum of one leader with me.

Wreath orders are due tonight for D. Hamilton...Popcorn orders are due November 2 for Mrs. Eggers

Thanks for all your support and encouraging attendance.

If you are attending the Northern Tier trip this summer (2010) please try to be at the committee meeting for some necessary planning and decisions.

YiS Dan s "Delivering the Promise"

Backpacking @Oak Mtn Saturday

....For those going on the trip this weekend (Oct 24-25)...we changed the time to meet on Saturday morning to 7:00 AM, not 6:00 AM..We should return around 10:30 AM on the 25th.

...Remember..wreath sales orders and money is due this coming Monday (Oct 26) to Dr. Hamilton..please check the note from Mrs. Eggers about Popcorn sales.

...Veteran's Day Parade (Nov 11) we will meet at the Hut at 10:30 AM. We will eat lunch at CiCi's pizza for $7.00 per person, the n go on to the Parade....This is a School Holiday so please encourage attendance. We are pushing for more than 500 Scouts at the parade through downtown Birmingham. As you know this is the largest Veteran's Day Parade in the country... We will be taking the bus and the Frank Tank. We should return around 3:00 PM..WEBELOS are welcome to join us.

YiS Dan s "Delivering the Promise"

Popcorn Sales

Dear Parents,

Troop 21 is giving your scout the opportunity to sell popcorn this year to earn money for his trips and camps. Proceeds will go directly to the scout. Hopefully he has already picked up an order form at previous meetings and started on his sales. Please be aware of the following details.

1) Each scout will earn a 35% commission on the total amount that he sells. The 35% will be held in a scout account. It will be available to use toward trips or summer camp or Northern Tier.

2) Each scout that sells $250.00 in popcorn between October 6th and 26th is eligible for a drawing by the GAC for a $250.00 gift card. If your scout sells $250 between these dates, please notify me, Elaine Eggers, on or before October 26th so that I can turn in his name for the drawing.

3) All popcorn ORDERS AND MONEY must be turned in on or before November 2nd at the Court of Honor. No late orders can be accepted. Checks are to be made out to BSA Troop 21. If you are not going to be at the Court of Honor, please make arrangements with me to turn in your orders prior to that evening. My telephone numbers are in the troop roster

4) Popcorn will be available for pickup and delivery on November 18th.


Elaine Eggers

Backpacking this weekend

As you know, the trip to Camp Thunder, GA for rappelling, COPE, and climbing was canceled due to small numbers.

Instead, The trip this weekend will be to Oak Mountain. The cost is $20.00 per person for meals, fuel, and camp fees. Currently, we will leave early on Saturday morning (23rd) and return early in the AM on Sunday.

Plans for the trip were made last night after the trip to the Hoover City Hall for the Citizenship in the Nation requirements by those attending.

Those going on the trip this weekend will meet at the Hut at 6:30 PM Thursday (Oct 22) for packing and storing gear on the Frank Tank. Since we will be hiking several trails,

As a note: Scouts should have wool hiking socks with polyprophylene liners, a day pack for carrying lunch and water, and rain (rain suit and hat) and cold weather gear as required. Sock Liners, wool socks, heavy or light duty, are available at all sporting good stores at a resonable cost. Wearing plain cotton socks just increases the chance of discomfort and unnecessary pain with the potential for blisters.

Thanks for all your usual support and encouraging attendance in making the program work.

There will be a Quartermaster meeting at 6:30 Monday, 26 October to store gear from the trip, and the PLC that follows to plan the Court of Honor for November 2 as well as the Shiloh Trip and the initial planning for the Christmas tree lot. If the Scout is a Troop quartermaster, patrol quartemaster, or patrol leader he is required to be there to help out as part of his requirements for adavancement and team spirit to get things done.

A Committee meeting follows at 8:00 PM..if you haven't been attending please join us and helpout where possible.

We still need leaders to step up to volunteering for merit badge counselors with the Troop to replace leaders who have left and to assure numbers for flexibility for those who are assigned. There are 121 merit badges..please pick several after reviewing them on our Troop Web site and see me for the forms so we can add your name for the boys to the list. This is very important for the Troop. Thanks in advance.

YiS Dan S "Delivering the Promise"

Recharter fee

It is time to recharter Troop 21 for 2011. This is when we pay our annual fees to the Greater Alabama Council and the national BSA organization. Fees for 2011 are shown below:

Scouts $30
Additional Scouts in Same Family $20
Adult Leaders and Committee Members $15

Please make your check payable to BSA Troop 21. There are three ways to get your check to me:

1) Give it to me at a meeting. Please do not give your check to any other adult leader.

2) Put it in the mailbox in the Scout Hut library.

3) Mail it to me – Steve Frost (Check Troop Roster for mailing address)

All money is due no later than December 1, 2009. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Thanks,

Steve Frost

City Hall tonight, Backpack trip prep @Hut

If your son is going to City Hall tonight with us..the bus is leaving the Hut at 5:30 PM. Uniform is Class A with Neckerchief and Merit Badge Sash. We will be leading the Pledge of Allegiance for the Council meeting then staying a short while to earn the requirments for the Citizen and the Community merit badge. We plan to return to the Hut between 7:00 PM and 7:30 PM.

If he is coming on the back packing trip this coming weekend and not the City Hall meeting, leaders included, he needs to be at the Hut tonight at 7:15 PM tonight for a planning meeting for the backpacking trip this weekend. We will decide our agenda, meals, and equipment.

Everyone planning on being on the trip should also plan on being at the Hut with all your gear on Thursday (Oct 22) so we can pack Troop gear and meals then load for Friday

YiS Dan s "Delivering the Promise".

Wreath Sales, Backpacking@Oak Mtn, CPR, new SPL, NT, Eagle Proj

......We had one of our best attended meetings last night at the Hut. The guest speaker was Colonel Pete Quinn, a highly decorated Vietnam/Irag War veteran who will be promoted to General Officer in the next few months.

COL Quinn started his Army career through an ROTC commission. He earned his graduate degree (s) while earning his badges for Helicopter Pilot, Ranger, Pathfinder, Air Assault, and Airborne (US and Canadian). He was the pilot in a helicopter shot down in Irag and served with multiple commands as staff and commander throughout his career. As a Commander....he continues to fly the current Apache Helicopter.

A true warrior and patriot as well as an excellent speaker regarding his beginnings as an Eagle Scout through to the present giving the Scouts the impression that hard work pays off in a successful career and that active duty in any branch of the US services is rewarding for those who choose it.

.....Thanks again to Mr. Simon and Mr. Frost for the technical support and equipment in making his presentation possible and for Captain Kelly for inviting the Colonel to speak.

....It was announced by Dr. Hamilton that wreaths sales results are due in two weeks and announce by Mrs. Eggers that Popcorn sales are due November 2 at the Court of Honor.

.....We will be backpacking at Oak Mountain State Park the weekend of the 24th. Thanks to Mr. Branin for reserving Primitive Site Number 2 for camping. Since there won't be a meeting on the 19th, except for those meeting at the Hut at 5:30 PM in Class A uniform, to attend the Hoover City Hall meeting for the Citizenship in the Community Merit Badge, everyone coming on the Backpacking Trip will bring their personal backpacking gear to the Hut at 6:30 PM to pick up, pack, and load Troop backpacking gear on the Franktank.


....We completed Troop elections with P Kidd elected at Senior Patrol Leader. The complete list will be published for the November 2 Court of Honor.

Thanks to Mr. Hardy for scheduling time at the Church on Sunday to sell wreaths. Your son is welcome to assist and get credit for his target of six wreaths to support the Troop. He can call Mr.. Hardy for details for this coming Sunday.

....I can be at the Hut for the couple hours or less that it takes for a CPR certification/re-certification for those who would care to..... We have to have a CPR certified leader in all our activities.... I can be there Wed ( Oct 14) evening from 6:00 -8:00 PM;Thursday (Oct 15) 6:00 -8:00 PM; and, Saturday ( Oct 17) 8:00-10:00 AM. The certification is for two years (American Heart Assn). I can do as few as one and not more than about (4) at a time, including Scouts. If you would like to attend, please reply and I will accept on a first come first served basis until we get all who want it in the next three months before 2010, as well as into the early part of 2010 for scheduling purposes.

....We are still taking reservations and the first payment for Nothern Tier this coming summer. Please call Mr. Young and make sure you and your son are signed up to go.

...We are still missing the Eagle Project three ring binder from the Hut. We need it returned as soon as possible for others to share.

.....R Blackburn is completing his Eagle Project this coming Sunday. He needs about ten Scouts to assist. He should be called for more details. He is also taking donations for the remaining supplies and equipment he needs to complete the project.

Mark your calendars for Summer Camp during June 6-12 for Camp Sequoyah. We will be staying a Boone's Place as we did last year.

...If your son is intersted in earning some merit badges during December at the GAC Winter Blast Camp...he can start the registration process now by going to the GAC web site.

.....Remember...he should be considering signing up for being a Counselor at Summer Camp if he isn't interested in attending for merit badges..several of our Scouts have been there and done that, and are going back for more this summere....or he can sign up an earn the BSA lifeguard certification while we are at camp, or he can also sign up for the week long and highly reccommended National Leadership Course the GAC will offer three times during the coming year.

Thanks for all your support in making it work and keeping us strong......

YiS Dan s "Delivering the Promise"

Eagle Proj Book missing, MB Counselors, Bus Driver needed

EAGLE PROJECT BOOK We need some help in recovering one of the Eagle Project Books that has been missing from the Hut for almost a month now. It is important for us to have it there to give current Life Scouts an opportunity to look it over and think about what they need for an Eagle Project. I am sure someone has been looking it over at home. If your son has it, please have him return it to the Hut for others to share, or advise me that he has it and we won't worry about it. It is a large, three ring, white notebook. The books were created by Mrs Kidd with the help of all the Eagle Scout Families that gave her a copy of the Eagle Project their son completed in the past and is an integral part of the Troop.....thanks in advance for helping out...

MERIT BADGE COUNSELORS we are in general, thanks to Mrs. Phillips, in good shape regarding our Troop Merit Badge List and list of Leader Counselors located in the Troop Web Site. Thanks to Mr. Simon, it is posted on our Troop Web Site under merit badges and merit badge counselor list. As you will notice, there are some that are not listed.....there are other merit badges which no longer have a current leader/parent assigned to for a Scout to call for assistance.

Merit badges are one of the corps requirements for Eagle and earlier rank advancements for the Scouts. If you are not on the list for the Scout to call, you need to be. If you look at the list and see a subject matter you could assist with, please sign up for it. We need more than one leader for a single merit badge to give us the flexibility we need for being there for the Scouts..that also eases the burden for a leader who has several already.

Please consider signing up if you are not on the list and consider adding others if you can work it in.

Please contact Mrs. Phillips: rsphillips@bellsouth.net....... with a copy to me so we can add you to the lists on the Troop Web Site. I will give you a registration form to fill out as a registered counselor with the Troop at the Hut.

ATTENDANCE We are at times scarce on attendance at meetings, service projects, and trips. Attending 50 per cent of all of these is required for Scouting Spirit and rank advancement. Unless he just can't be there for whatever reason you find acceptable for him to be elsewhere, please encourage his attendance. If he can't make a meeting because of more other important requirements, then he should be encouraged to be present on trips, or announced service projects to help out the Troop in the announce uniform or recommended clothing. Its all part of the leadership/teamsmanship principles he can only experience by being there. It is an understatement to say that these are busy times for everyone, but they get busier as he gets older and keeps up with sports, school, social activities. Despite how easier it would be, he still can't pick up his ranks and progress toward Eagle through correspondence courses. Please encourage atttendance.

TROOP BUS DRIVERS Having a bus is part of the legacy of the Troop. Since we have no van support, I am sure how difficult it would be without the bus. We are down to about four certified drivers at this time. Please consider picking up the certification to help us out and out of a transportation jam. Mr. Young and Dr. Hamilton are our most recent graduates and can walk you through the process very easily. Thanks in advance for helping out with this.

UNIFORMS AT ACTIVITIES: Before he leaves the house, he should be in the proper uniform for the Scout activity which normally always includes the khaki shirt, the red "T" shirt, scout shorts or trousers, Scout belt, and Scout socks. Any transportation for a scouting Scouting activity, unless the uniform is not required (service project) normally requires the complete uniform. On the Bus, and in the Hut, from the Spring time change forward, the uniform is usually all the above, less the khaki shirt. At the Fall time change, on the bus, and in the Hut, the uniform includes the Khaki shirt. The merit badge sash is only worn at the Court of Honor and at announced special occasions. The Troop Neckerchief is worn at the Court of Honor and also at announce special occasions. The Order of the Arrow sash is only worn at Order of the Arrow activities or as announced for special occasions by the Troop.

Thanks for all your support , we can't do it without you and the entire family's assistance.

"Everyone knows that It seems like a lot of trouble....but earning the Eagle rank is worth every bit of all the effort when he reflects back on it in the future. Everyone I've ever met always regrets not earning it when he had the chance" Glenn McCracken, Troop 21, during a cold, wet Shiloh Trip in 1992

YiS Dan s "Delivering the Promise"

Camp Thunder cancelled, City Hall Oct 19

Because of all the Scouts and leaders who attended the annual Bluffpark Art Show, our effort was one of our most successful. Thanks for all the time and hard work for those attending to make it as recognizable as the Troop was to the community, the Art Show Staff, and the Artists who were present. We had some excellent ice cream and water sales also.

The meeting on Monday night (Oct 12) will have a special guest speaker present. Please encourage attendance to make sure its success for the Scouts. Mr. Frost will providing an overhead projector for the presentation. The Scouts will also have Troop election for leadership for the next six months.

The Council has just begun to offer the annual Winter Blast program for Scouts during the holidays. More information will be announced as it becomes available. They are also announcing a food drive for the remainder of the year for the
Birmingham community

At this time, because of low attendance, we will not make the trip to GA for the climbing and rappelling trip at Camp Thunder. We will have back packing trip to Oak Mountain the same weekend for those who can make it. We will need a headcount quickly and it will be started by the Senior at the regular meeting October 12. If you son is going or not going, he needs to call his patrol leader before the meeting on Monday in order to give B Garrett an idea of numbers.

Remember..the October 19th trip will be to Hoover City Hall. As stated in an earlier Blog on the Troop Web Site, we will leave the Hut on the Bus at 5:30 PM and return around 7:00 PM..or so. Uniform is Class A, with neckerchief and merit badge sash,

Thanks for all your support.

YiS Dan S "Delivering the Promise"