Troop News

The Patrol Leaders Conference was well attended last night with the following information and planned schedule:

Congratulations again to Mr. Elmore, Crabtree, and Bennett for attending the Outdoor Leadership Program over the weekend. The course and it's companion will be offered again in the Spring. As many leaders who have not attended in the past should plan to attend in Spring '11 to give the boys the depth and training they deserve. Everyone should also consider the Wood Badge Courses being offered by the Council for even more fellowship and training.

23 September: Scout Exhibition Prep: Those who will help set up the Troop Monkey Bridge on the 25th at Brookwood Mall for the Vulcan District Scout Exhibition would be at the Hut at 6:30 to 7:30 Thursday for an hour to gather our gear and load the Frank Tank. We will take the bridge, a tent, a tarp, and a chuck box. We are thinking about a charcoal fire, with a dutch oven meal/kool aid drink for the spectators.

25 September: Meet at the Hut at 8:45 AM to leave on the bus for the Scout Exhibition at Brookwood Mall. Will be returning at around 4:00 PM or sooner. He needs to bring lunch money, chair to sit in, water bottle, and work gloves (to set up bridge). Uniform is class A, but we will do the set up in the Red Troop T Shirt, then host with the Class A on. Will Bring our own water for drinking Families are welcome to visit to take a look at all the exhibits put up by all the other Troops.

27 September: Regular meeting. We will be having Troop Elections for the next six months and setting the Schedule for the Art Show coming up on October 2. This is a required meeting as we need to vote in Scout Leadership positions and assure we have the Scouts scheduled for Saturday's Art show. This is an annual event for the Troop and all scouts are expected to be there all or part of the day. We will start at 6:30 AM with the set up and take down at 4:30 - 5:00 PM. We will need uniformed leaders also to assist with the set up and to assist the Scouts as required.

October 2: Bluff Park Art Show in the area in front of the Hut. Uniform is Class A. We will serve as the service Troop for the Art Show by having a presence in the community center building, assisting staff as required, and picking litter and trash. We will also be selling Ice cream, cold water, and hot coffee. If a leader or the Scout can't be there in the morning, he is expected to help out during the afternoon.

October 1-3 Order of the Arrow Fall Fellowship. Mrs. Kidd will be driving up to the weekend at Camp Comer with her Eric and Patrick...I will be driving up in the afternoon on Saturday for any leaders or Scouts who wish to go. This is an annual, fun, fellowship event for members and the only reason not to have to be at the Art Show with us.

October 4 Regular Meeting with a special guest speaker, Andrea Ambercrombie, for personally surviving with wilderness first aid when help is delayed.

October 11 Mountain Biking program Mr. Camp and Mr. Berry in preparation for the Oak Mtn ride on 22-24 October.

October 17 (Sunday) Eagle Court of Honor at the Bluff Park United Methodist Church, in the Old Sanctuary for D Peterson, B Preston, Z Harbin, and J Hamilton. We will begin at 1:00 PM and end at 3:00 PM. Uniform is Class A Plus (Troop neckerchief and merit badge sash).

October 18: Regular meeting with film on edibles in the Alabama forest/wilderness and preparation for the Wilderness Survival Merit badge during 22-24 October

October 22-24 Mountain Biking/Wilderness Survival Campout at Oak Mountain State Park. Leave at regular time on Friday (5:00 PM) and return before Noon on Sunday. The plan is for all the Scouts who do not have the Wilderness Survival Merit Badge to earn it Saturday, and for the Scouts who have earned it, to either soak up the information again or ride the Oak Mountain mountain bike trail with Mr. Camp and Mr. Berry. We will need a hauler to carry the bikes. Dr. Nelson and Mr. Bill Benefield will the survival course instructors.

October 25 Troop Court of Honor, Bluff Park United Methodist Church, Reid Crotty Fellowship Hall..Host Patrol is Venture II. Host patrol arrives at 6:00 PM to assist with set up...Court begins at 6:30 PM. Pot luck dinners for all families as usual. We are normally finished by 8:30 PM

Fox Patrol: Entre and salad or bread
Sharks: Entre and salad or vegetable dish
Phoenix: Entre and vegetable or bread
Venture i and II Entre and desert dish

November 1 PLC and Committee meeting. Take down and Storage of Wilderness Survival weekend.

The Month of November will also be a busy month....We will have our regular meetings as well as the following activities:

Shiloh 12-14 November..

Order of the Arrow Ordeal at Camp Jackson 12-14 November

Pick up Scaffolding for Tree Lot on the Nov 19th (Mr. Madison/Mr. Strunk)

Trees Arrive for unloading on the Nov 20th ( Troop turnout)

Tree sales begin on the 26th once we set up the Lot at the same location at the Buff Park United Methodist Church, starting at 8:00 AM..First shift starts at Noon. Sales make up the greatest portion of the Troop's operating budget.

The Tree Schedule is being drawn up at this time by Mr. Simon and will be published shortly. A scout and a parent will be scheduled with three or four other families on each day through about the 18th or 19th of December.

Don't forget Pop Corn Sales and wreath sales.....there is more information from Mr. Eggers on pop corn sales, and the brochures and tracking sheets are available at the Hut. As earlier noted, the prices of each piece on the brochures are listed on the Troop web site. Remember..all the profit he makes for selling pop corn is his for Scouting and all the profit we yield from wreaths assures a strong operating budget for 2011 for the troop.

Whew!.....a lot of activity before we get started for next year.

Thanks for all your support and for encouraging attendance.

Leaders..you can make a difference for the Troop by attending our Committee Meetings each Monday for an hour or so after each trip, or by becoming more active through attending some trips, and other activities as the arise Your assistance and comments often make a big difference in our plans for assuring the right direction for the Troop. The strength and power of diversity in our leaders make a big difference in assuring role models for the boys.

YiS Dan s "Delivering the Promise"