Thursday, December 30, 2010

recharting, Annual Planning Conf. Jan 8 @BPUMC

So far only about 1/2 of our families have paid their dues for re-chartering for 2011..the fee is $30.00 for the Scout and $15.00 for a parent/leader...

if you are assisting the Troop as an active Assistant Scoutmaster, Committee member, or merit badge counselor..you have to register and be certified with Youth Protection..if you are a merit badge counselor for the Troop, you have to be annually certified also (YP is every two years).....You are probably listed as a Counselor and you can check that by going to the Troop Web Site and checking the merit badge counselor contact list. If you are not on it and should be..or would like to be ...please reply with the subjects you want to counsel with for the Scouts.

Please send your checks to Mr. Steve Frost in the next few days so the Troop can annually qualify as a "Quality Unit" in the District.

Please also plan on attending Leader training for Troop parents and leaders on January 8 at 1:00 PM, same place in the Bluff Park United Methodist Church vic the Gymnasium, for the Annual Planning Conference, w/Mr. Simon who will certify us with Youth Protection (YP) and Merit Badge Counselor in less than two hours.....The Scouts will also receive YP information during the day.

These dues and course are vital for the Troop....thanks in advance for helping out with your usual support.

YiS Dan S "Delivering the Promise"

Monday, December 20, 2010

No Meeting tonight

Remember there is no meeting tonight and the first time we will meet again in January 8 for our Troop Planning Conference described in an earlier blog....

Please make sure you have mailed in your Troop Registration fee for 2011...$30.00 for the Scout..$15.00 for a leader...If you are going to assist us this year as an active leader ..or if you will assist us as a Troop Committee member or Merit Badge Counselor you need to be registered, complete Youth Protection every two years and Merit Badge Counselor training every year (January 8 at the Church). You can get Youth Protection on line at:myscouting.org but I am not sure about Merit Badge couselor for the same..that is why we are offering it at the Church on January 8 for about less than an hour.

The D-D Museum trip in New Orleans is coming up.....as stated in an earlier Blog, we will leave on the bus and a follow-on vehicle on Saturday, January 15th and return on the 17th..Details and times will be further discussed with the Scouts at the January 8 meeting regarding what activities we will be doing.....we will return in the afternoon of the 17th. He will not be camping as we will be in National Guard quarters for both evenings and eating restaurant/fast food while there.

We will want a definite head count on January 8 for both leaders and Scouts. the Group Rate is $10.00 per Scout ..$12.00 per leader..if we do the Confederate Museum Hall on Saturday the cost is $5.00 per Scout and $7.00 per leader...Chamlette is a National Park and is free.

I am speaking to Mr. Snow about picking up the Troop Pictures today... I will announce quickly when I will be at the Hut for you to pick the up....for those of you who wanted them for Christmas.

YiS Dan S "Delivering the Promise"

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Troop News, Annual Planning Conference Jan 8

Well, thanks to those who helped out today, we closed down the lot..in about an hour and a half... with about 50 trees placed on the side of the road. Thanks to Dr. Hamilton for the effort in ordering the trees and to Mr. Oliver for assuring a track on the cash flow and accounting. We are in good financial shape for next year.

Our next activity is January 8, as explained in earlier blogs....The leadership training for leaders will begin at 1:00 PM, on January 8, in the family room facing the gym, Bluff Park United Methodist Church, or if not large enough we will move at that time...Mr.Simon will be taking an hour or so to cover Merit Badge counseling and Youth Protection..these are both required for all our leaders if you are registered with the BSA and are active with the Scouts in the Troop. Please try to attend so we can get this behind us.

Please remember to send in the Scout's and your registration fee this week to Mr Steve Frost..this is important for us to retain our Charter and Quality Unit status. A previous blog on the Troop web site stated his address and phone number. We are not up to par with this for our numbers yet.

Thanks again for all your support his year. Have a Merry Christmas and News Years Holiday. Looking forward to our best year yet in 2011.

YiS Dan s "Delivering the Promise"

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Troop news and upcoming events

Families need to make sure they are mailing a check to Mr Frost (his address is in the Troop Roster), this week, if you haven't earlier, for the Troop's annual re-chartering. We have to get this in by January 1. The fees are $30.00 per Scout and $15.00 per Leader. Please call Mr. Frost at 441-6689 for any questions or further details.

I am attaching the current Troop roster. Please check the details and reply with any changes on phone numbers or email addresses.

Also don't forget that the Scout and Leader is going to need his BSA annual physical form completed for summer camp this year as it is required in order to be there. Make sure all the pages are attached on the form as they are all required by the Camp Staff. The fees this year are $205.00 and we will began collecting in February or March for part or all of the fee. The BSA physical form is required by the Troop for all activities.

Well, thanks to all who planned and participated, we had one of our best Christmas parties yet at the Hut Monday night. Thanks to all the leaders who helped in its preparation with the Scouts.

We will keep the Tree Lot open through this coming Saturday, December 18, night to assure, despite how slow it appears, to sell off as many trees as possible as all the trees sitting on the lot remain part of the budget for next year. We will meet on Sunday, December 19th, at 1:00 PM to take the lot down. We will need some volunteers to help out transporting the marquis and scaffolding.

Thanks to Dr. Frank Nelson and Bill Benefield, we are still planning on putting a rebuilt engine or rebuilding the Frank Tank current engine for use for the Camporee in 2011.

The first activity coming up in 2011 will be the Troop Planning Conference on January 8. As earlier stated, this is a Troop activity where the Scouts plan our activities for 2011. The Scout should plan on attending. Leaders are encouraged to attend and participate also to add to the ideas and thier practicality for the Troop.

We will start at 8:30 AM in the conference room adjacent to the Gym in the Bluff Park United Methodist Church. As this is a lock-in activity, the Scouts should bring a sleeping bag and informal clothes for the evening.

Uniform for the activity is the Class A uniform, with the red "Troop "T" Shirt worn under the tan shirt, until we return from Dinner Saturday evening, when they can change to regular clothing.

The cost is $15.00 to cover lunch, dinner, and transportation. We will have lunch at the Church and dinner at the Golden Corral in Hoover. Evening activities for the Scouts will be some leadership training and games. They need to be picked up at 8:00 AM on Sunday, January 9. I will need one or more leader to spend the evening and Scouts will not be permitted to leave without the Scoutmaster's approval.

Also on the 8th, Mr. Simon will be giving two classes: Youth Protection for the all the Troop Leaders who are due for it (each two years or through myscouting.org). The same will also be given to the Scouts that evening. Mr. Simon will also give the certification class for the Troop's merit badge counselors, which is an annual BSA requirement and all our leaders listed on the Troop merit badge counselor list on our web site need to attend this. If you are a leader and teach a merit badge and are not on the Troop list, you need to attend this training also. Please make plans for attending these classes at a time that will be announced by Mr. Simon. If I haven't added you to the merit badge counselor contact list, and you would care to participate and/or have the skills/knowledge to increase our depth on the badges, please call me.

The trip To New Orleans, during the Martin Luther King Holiday weekend is still being planned for less the costs at this time. We will be leaving on January 15th and returning on the 17th. We will not be camping, but rather staying in National Guard buildings for the two evenings along with fast food for meals . Fees will be for fuel for the bus and a follow-on vehicle, fast food, and entrance fees.

The Annual District Banquet is coming up on January 27 at Trinity Methodist in Homewood, usually at about 6:30 PM with meal included. There is not cost. We will have a table for eight and need to know who will be attending with me. Please call if you can make it now so I can register our names and reserve our table.

The Annual District Camporee (18-20) is coming up for February..Mr. Simon will post it on the Troop Web site from the GAC Web site for us to start looking over activities the Scouts will be competing in.

The District Advance O' Rama is coming up March 26th. Mrs. Kidd will provide more details for merit badge registration in the near future.

The annual University of Scouting for leaders will be held in the Spring at the Cullman High School Campus. More details of this will also be announced by Mrs Kidd in the near future. This is a good time to pick up leader certification courses needed by the Troop.

Finally, we will be announcing a wilderness survival first aid course ( two Saturday's) in the Spring or Summer. As in the case of CPR, we have to have a leader with this certification on all trips the troop makes, and with each crew on any high adventure trip that we go on. Please plan on attending to assure our numbers will be where they need to be.

We still need CDL drivers for the bus, as we are diminishing as we speak each year. Please call Dr. Tracy Hamiliton for details since he is the most recently certified.

Thanks for all your support this year and for encouraging attendance. It has made a difference in what we are doing for the boys and portends a great coming new year.

On behalf of our Troop Committee Chairman, Mr. Ken Madison, Reverend Reid Crotty, Pastor, Bluff Park United Methodist Church, the Greater Alabama Council, and all the Scouts and their familes, here's wishing you and yours the best of Merry Christmas's and the Happiest of New Years.



YiS Dan s "Delivering the Promise"

Monday, December 06, 2010

Troop Picture tonight

Don't forget that tonight is the Troop Photo Composite night that we have planned for.

1. He doesn't have to purchase a picture...but he needs to take one to complete the composite for the Troop. Please encourage his attendance. He can leave when it is complete.

2. If he would like a copy of the Troop Composite, the cost is $20.00 tonight as cash, check, or credit card. The check can be made out to Scout Shots, Inc.

If he wants a single portrait in addition to the composite, the cost is $10.00.

3. The uniform is Class A plus, or tan shirt, merit badge sash, Troop neckerchief, belt, trousers/shorts/ socks.

Friday, December 03, 2010

Troop News

Thanks to Mr. Phillips, Mr. Crabtree, Mr. Branin, Mr.Scott, and Chief Cole we had a good representation at the Round Table tonight and all have their certifications for Merit Badge Counselor.

What the BSA wants is for all the merit badge counselors we have in the Troop to be certified with a thirty minute or so course, as well as having certification with Youth Protection.

Mrs. Kidd is going to do both of these certifications with the help of Mr. Simon's technology at our Planning Conference on January 8..the time to be announced ( probably in the early afternoon.) All of you who are merit badge counselors in the Troop ( you can see where I have signed you up on the Troop merit badge counselor list on our web site for starters) need to be at the Planning Conference in January to have this not-much- more than an hour or so training behind us so we can be where we need to be in terms of our certification and Youth Protection. Unfortunately, this is an annual requirement, inclusive of two blank forms for us to fill out each time.

Mr. Nevin and Mr. Scott...you may as well invite all of the new parents coming in from WEBELOS to attend this also as to save us the repetition in the Spring as YP will be required of them before they can register..and soon thereafter as they become Counselors for us.


If you are a leader and can help out by becoming a merit badge counselor in the Troop, if you are not now, please plan on attending the January 8 training...

Remember... in order to be registered as a leader in the Troop, you have to have your Youth Protection Training updated every two years with a copy of it in Mrs. Kidd's Leader's Training Records book. If you can't make the January 8 training you can go to:myscouting.org for being certified with YP. You will have to listen to Mrs. Kidd for the merit badge counselor training as it is not on line.

Finally, we have to have our 2011 annual registration fee of $30.00 per Scout and $15.00 per leader in to Mr. Steve Frost by the end of December. The Scout is also going to need his annual physical form ready for summer camp with all the included pages filled out and attached..there are no exceptions to the rule for this and he won't be able to go without it.

Cehck Mr. Frost's address from the Troop Roster.

Remember the Dates for Summer Camp are June 12-18, 2011. I believe the cost is $205 ( to be announced) and Mr. Simon will be calling for the first payments or pay the total if you want in "February." to assure our reservation.

For those interested, the Winter Camporee 2011 is on line on the Greater Alabama Council Web Site. Mr. Simon will get around to putting a copy of it on our own Troop Web site shortly.

The Tree Lot:

We need an electrician to look at our first string of lights over the white pines to see what the problem is.. (they) have checked for bulbs and loose ends to no avail so far.

Please don't drop your son off at the lot if there are no adults present...they cannot be there without leader supervision..If you are going to be late make sure the team leader has that type of problem taken care of...Please remember, Scouts are not permitted to use the chain saws, even with leader supervision. They can use the tree hole punch, but only with adult supervision.

Saturdays are busy days for us at the lot..sometimes overwhelming.....if you and your son can come out and work some extra time that would really help out the crew on duty...same for Sunday afternoon.

If for the worst reason you don't open the lot due to sever weather conditions, or you do not make any sales that night, call Mr. Oliver so he won't have to make the pick up trip.

Please remember that all the equipment we use has to be locked up. Make sure the lock is locked and set on odd numbers to discourage an easy pick by a vandal. During the day on Saturday or Sunday, except for the marquis, the lot lights should be off to save on power.

When you take the lock off the hasp at the beginning of your shift, please lock it back on the hasp, so it can be readily found by the person locking for the night.

There are some Scouts still showing up ill prepared for the cold or rain. Please double check to make sure he is dressed for the weather as the four hours he is there doesn't have to be cold or wet for him in enduring the shift.

By the way..Mr. Smith is at home with light duty for the next couple of weeks recuperating from his surgery. He is doing fine and again said thanks to all for the card the Troop sent. His appetite has returned and he will be watching the game on Saturday.

Please remember to make sure the Scout shows up for his picture Monday in the class A uniform for the Troop Composite. It won't be complete without him.

Thanks for all your support and assistance in making the lot work as well as it is and for the spirit in assuring that it will.

YiS Dan s "Delivering the Promise"