Troop News

We had a great turn out for B Garrett's Eagle project...His his plan was to place 31 signs up in the Moss Rock Park and he got up 21 concreted in..will finish the others tomorrow with another crew....it was the first time we ever saw two horses and a mule working on a Eagle Merit badge..they helped carry all of the required equipment and tool...including the cement and lumber...

The mule, Ruth, wandered off and after a brief search, we found her at the end of Sevier Rd trimming a lawn....the Hoover PD and Fire Dept were glad to see the signs up as they are going to attach numbers so that when a person has an emergency in the park, they can tell the emergency service what marker they are near for a response.... Thanks to all the Scouts and leaders who attended.to make it as successful as it was.

The Annual Cub Pinewood Derby at the BPUMC was never better attended and operated better than ever thanks to Mr. Cox, Mr. Stocks, and Mr. Turner's efforts as well as all the other leaders who assisted.

Mr. Dean Sessaman's memorial and funeral was also well attended and represented by Scouters and Scouts alike today at 11:00 at his church on Lakeshore as well as at the service at Elmwood where he was buried. He had actively served as a leader for more than 40 years.

Thanks for all your support and for encouraging attendance.

Our next meeting is Monday night at the Hut.

YiS Dan s "Delivering the Promise"

District Banquet

The Vulcan District Banquet was held tonight at the Trinity United Methodist Church in Homewood..from about 6:30 PM until 9:00...

Thanks to all the leaders who were present from the Troop in making it one of the best for attendance ...will post some pictures, thanks to Mr. Hutchens, on the Troop Web site..special thanks to S and S Hardy, E and P Kidd, C and F Hutchens, for being there with the OA in serving for all the leaders. Thanks to Mr Hardy and Mrs. Kidd for transportation requirements for the Scouts.

Mr. Mark Branin was awarded the distinquished Vulcan District Award of Merit for more than twenty years of service to the Troop and the District/Council. Thanks to Mr. Frost's work as Advancement Chairman, the Troop was submitted for and awarded it's Quality Unit Award for 2010....and thanks to the continued hard work of Mrs Elaine Eggers, the Troop picked up it PoP Corn sales pennant for 2010 also.

Congratulations again to Mr. Branin for his service and to all of our leaders/parents for assuring the Troop's continued legacy for "Delivering the Promise."

Several of our leaders from Pack 321 received numerous awards and uniform knots for service excellence also.

Thanks for all your support and for encouraging attendance.

YiS Dan S Delivering the Promise"

Upcoming events

As you know by looking at the Troop Schedule for 2012, there are some activities coming up pretty quickly other than meetings on Monday nights...

January 22 Winter Order of the Arrow Fellowship Banquet at the Mt. Vernon UMC in Gardendale (Coosa50.org for information)

January 27th Vulcan District Banquet at Trinity UMC in Homewood...I have our nine leader reservations, but Order of the Arrow Scouts are asked to assist in serving . they will also be able to eat there as quests (call Mr Brett Melton).

January 29th B Garrett's Eagle Project at the Moss Rock Preserve (see latest Troop Blog for details)....this counts as service and activities for advancement as well as helping Brittan complete the project).

February 3 District Round Table for Leaders, same location and time.

February 5 Three Rivers Merit badge day at Jefferson State Junior College. We will be taking the bus at an announced departure time by Mrs. Kidd. Lunch is provided.. Will return around 4-4:30PM. Fee for fuel is $5.00 per person.

February 12 Junior Leader Training for those Scouts who have not attended. This is required to run for Senior Patrol Leader and a pre-requisite for the National Youth Leader Training given at the Council Level...we will start at 8:00 AM provide lunch an be completed around 2:00 PM. This is a basic leadership course that should be attended to round out the program for his Eagle. Cost is $5.00 for lunch.

February 13 Scout Sunday..We will meet in Class A Plus (Troop Neckerchief and merit badge sash) at 8:30 AM for the 8:45 AM Service at the Bluff Park UMC for our annual service with the congregation. We need to have as many Scouts present as possible for a good representation of the Troop on this Day of national recognition of Scouting. Please encourage attendance..WEBELOS are welcome to join us..we are normally out by 9:45 AM.

Feb 18-20 Camporee at Tannehill State Park

March 5 University of Scouting at Culman High School If you aren't coming back packing with us, this is a good time to attend for basic leader certification courses.

March 5 Troop Back Packing Trip:

It is likely that we will back pack the Pinhoti Trail from the vic of Coleman Lake to our usual take out at Pine Glen camp site after spending the night at Sweetwater lake. Back packing will require a back pack, hiking boots w/wool socks and Polyprophylene sock liners, a compressible sleeping bag, and a backpacking air mattress or foam. The Troop provide all cooking gear, tarp, and the tent. We will talk to all of this at Monday night meetings. Most of this is written in the Troop Guide as information for a beginning hiker.

March 19 Scoutmaster Leader Training Designed for teach in one day all the fundamentals of working with a Scout Troop, its purpose, it's benefits. If you are a leader with us and have not attended this, please make plans to attend. The companion course, Outdoor Leader Training will be taught at Camp Sequoyah on April 15-17...it is required also in order to be consider "trained" and to wear the "trained" patch and green leader's knot. Both courses will round you out in Scouting's purpose at the troop level as well as introduce you to many contacts and reference for the future. Please plan on attending both if you have not at this time.

Thanks for all your support and for encouraging attendance.

YiS dan s "Delivering the Promise"

B Garrett's Eagle Project Jan 29 9am @Preserve Pwy

Troop 21-ers!



Thank you all to everyone that have been able to contribute to my project

in some way. It is set in stone that the project will be on January 29th

at the Preserve. We are starting at 9:00 that morning and meeting at the

parking lot near the boulderfield(the one on Preserve Parkway). According

to the Head Forester for the City of Hoover, there will be news coverage

for this project. Anyone that would like to help will need a pair of

gloves, good shoes, and a water bottle. I will be providing lunch(which is

still to be decided, suggestions?) We will work from 9 until 12 then take

a lunch break and resume as soon as everyone is finished. We will probably

work until it gets dark. If you can only come for part of the time that is

perfectly fine. Please let me know if you will be able to help out.



Thank you all again,

B Garrett

B Garrett's Eagle Project (Jan 29)

Dear Fellow Troop 21-ers!



I am beginning my long awaited Eagle Project at Moss Rock Preserve this

month and need your help. Im a Life Scout, a member of the

Order of the Arrow, and work in the Eco-Lodge at Camp Sequoyah in the

summers.



My project consists of putting trail signs up through the park to replace

older signs and those that have been stolen. As there is to everything,

there is a cost to this project and I am humbly asking for a donation of

any kind whether it be manpower, money, materials, or tools to borrow. The

total cost of this project is $500 if we use plastic signs. However, if we

can raise twice that amount then we can make metal signs that will last

much longer. I am hoping to begin the project to begin the project on the

last weekend of January(the 29th). Please let me know if you can

contribute or attend in anyway and if not, please pray that the job is

done safely and correctly.



Thank you for your time,



B Garrett

New Orleans trip

We returned from New Orleans at about 4:15 PM tonight .

The trip was one of our best with about 36 Scouts and Leaders. It was a break-even as budgeted adventure which kept us busy the entire time.

Thanks to Captain Kelly Gandy for coordinating the agenda and for Major Baillee for making his Armory available, the time spent was a good as it could have been for not only for Chalmette National Historical Battlefield and the WWII D-Day Museum, but for all the sightseeing and meals we participated in while there.

Thanks to Mr. Simon, as usual, the pictures of Chamlette, the WWII museum, and our ramblings in downtown New Orleans are posted on the Troop website now.

Remember our next meeting is next Monday...in beginning in the continued preparation for the annual February Camporee at Tanneyhill.

Thanks for all your support and encouraging attendance.

YiS dan s "Delivering the Promise"

Troop News

As mentioned, the Planning Conference this past weekend was one of our best attended in recent memory and the year looks like a best one coming coming. Mr Simon has already posted it on the Troop Web site along with the Troop Goals for 2011. Please take a look at it and post it on your calendars.

1. I am attaching a copy of the Troop Roster and a copy of the last Court of Honor. The roster is for you to check for current information, phone numbers, and emails, The Court of Honor is for you to make a copy of the current Scout and leader mentor responsibilities until the Court of Honor coming in April.

Please make a copy of the job list from the Court of Honor Agenda for the Scout so he can remember who is doing what (especially what he is supposed to be doing). If a leader is assigned as a mentor..nudge the Scouts to make sure they are thinking about their responsibilities and contributing to the Troop during his tour.

2. On January 22, all Order of the Arrow members are invited to the Winter Fellowship at the Mt. Vernon UMC in Gardendale. Reservations are required as stated in Coosa50.org.

3. Sam Hardy will be conducting the annual Troop Junior leader Training (JLT) at the Hut on February 12 at the Hut from 8:00 AM until about 1-2PM. Uniform is Class A. This is required of all Scouts, especially if they want to be the Senior Patrol Leader.....so please urge attendance. We only do this once a year and it is a pre-requisite for the NYLT (National Youth Leadership Training). It is an excellent boy run program that talks directly to group leadership..He will have to attend the entire morning program to get credit.

4. Scout Sunday this year will be held at the Bluff Park United Methodist Church in the main Sanctuary at 8:30 AM on February 13. This is important for us as the Church of course is our Charter Organization and we need a good showing in representing the spirit of scouting. The service lasts for one hour or less. Uniform is Class A plus (neckerchief and merit badge sash). We will sit in the front pews on the left as you walk in as usual as we come in as troop from the back. the entire family is invited to attend and sit with us for the service. We meet at 0830 for the service which begins at 8:45AM. Please plan on his joining us.

5. Mr. Mickey Harbin, the Troop's former Eagle Coordinator has been awarded this year the Silver Beaver Award by the Greater Alabama Council for his work over the past twenty years in Scouting. There will be a ceremony for he and the fourteen others who have earned the Award as noted in the recent Council Digital Eagle on Friday, March 25, 2011, at the Mt Vernon UMC in Gardendale. The ceremonies begin at 7:00 PM. a reservation can be made by contacting Carol Ashworth at: cashworth@1bsa.org or 205-969-4250.

6. There are opportunites for Eagle projects at the Red Mountain Parks program...Life Scouts should always be considering these and other opportunities all of the time in order to head that direcdtion. The Digital Eagle also noted several other opportunities for projects just waiting to be picked up by the boys. Please keep encouraging them.

7. The New Orleans Trip.

We will leave on the bus after meeting at the Hut at 8:00 AM, Saturday, January 15. We will head that way with Mr. Gunn as a follow on vehicle with what appears to be between 30-35 Scouts and leaders.

We will stop first at the Chamlette National Park in Chamlette, LA then go on to the National Guard Armory for lodging. We will leave for a local restaurant for the evening meal then return to the Armory.

On Sunday, the 16th, we will spend the day at the D-Day museum, have another restaurant meal, and head back to the Armory after a tour (of the City) for added adventure.

On the 17th we head back and return to Birmingham seven or so hours later... (3:00PM).

Uniform for the trip is Class A, including Scout socks, belt, tan shirt, Scout trousers or shorts...wearing sweats or jeans under the shorts won't be permitted..so if its going to be cold wear long trousers. Dress for the weather to include a coat when outdoors..there is always a Scout who comes ill prepared and usually remains miserable in the cold....He can dress into informal clothes in the Armory.

Travel is light as we will be limited to space on the bus only...we will sleep on cots, so a mattress isn't required. We will be indoors, so he should bring a lightweight sleeping bag and the minimal amount of baggage for personal use.

We will need his copy of his BSA physical form in case of an emergency along with the inclosed medical release that the parents sign for physician (we should already have this now). Remember...He will need a 2011 Medical form for summer camp.

Please go to the Troop web site and make a copy of the BSA release form so as to save time when he arrives to sign in..rather than filling it out at the Hut...please print clearly so we can read it.

He should bring a lunch unless he will eat at McDonalds when we stop there for lunch on Saturday.

Have him google/ wikipedia the DDay WWII museum, WWII (DDay Museum.com), and Chamlette National Military Park so he will have a good idea of what he is seeing historically....

Cost for the Trip:

We need a check or cash for $60.00 made out to the Troop when he gets to the Hut for:
$10.00 Museum
$30.00 for two evening meals including tip..the Troop will use credit card for one tab for the meals
$20.00 for fuel @ 800 or so miles for the bus and one follow on vehicle
In addition:
The Scout will have to have his own cash to manage for:
(2) two stops for lunch at McDonalds
(1) one lunch at the Museum (usually $10.00 or less or so) There is no McDonalds close by.
(2) two stops for breakfast at McDonalds
Souvenir cash

Meetings:

First meeting is February 21, then back to regular Mondays after that.

The next trip is the Camporee at Tannehill State Park. The meetings preceding the Trip will be focusing on preparing our quartermaster needs and for game competition at the Camporee. We will line up most of this during a PLC on the trip during the evenings after meals.

Thanks again for all your support and for encouraging attendance to assure the program is fullfilling its purpose in Scouting.

YiS Dan s

"Delivering the Promise"

2011 Camporee guide book posted

Below is information about the Vulcan District Camporee coming up in Feb 18-20 (guide book is the attached document)....Mr. Simon will be putting this guide book on the Troop Web Site as soon as he has a chance for our further review and beginning preparations for it. The next Mondays for meetings( in Troop News Letter on Jan 10) will talk to our using them for Camporee preparation as we do every year.

I will need some one or a couple to attend the meeting on January 18th a Dawson Memorial to keep us up to date. Please reply if you can.

In noting the newly added competition (Geocaching) ,,we need a knowledgeable leader to step up who can serve as mentor for the Troop with this we can get a team of Scouts working on it.please reply if you interested.

We had a great planning conference yesterday with about 35 in attendance....will have more and final details on this and the New Orleans trip tomorrow in the January 10 Troop News..

There is no meeting Monday January 10 at the Hut.

Our first regular meeting will be January 24th at the regular time.

There will not be a Committee Meeting or PLC on the 17th after the Trip..We will have the PLC Sunday night in New Orleans in our overnight lodgings with the Scouts who will be there on the trip.

A Troop Newsletter will spell out the remainder January and into February meetings and Troop activities.

Thanks for all your support last year and especially the beginnings of 2011. Thanks especially for encouraging attendance at our activities.

Go Tigers!

YiS Dan s "Delivering the Promise"

New Troop Advancement Chairman

Mr. Stacy Cole will begin transitioning into the role as Troop Advancement Chairman, replacing Mr. Steve Frost, who held the position since March, 2005....Scouts, parents, and leaders should begin calling Mr. Cole for Boards of Reviews, advancement questions, and other questions pertaining to the BSA Advancement Program....his info is in the troop roster.

We appreciate Mr. Cole stepping up to this role as much as we certainly appreciate all the work Mr. Frost has contributed in making the Troop Advancement Program as successful as it has been over the past five years.

Thanks for all the support in assisting Mr. Frost in keeping the legacy and for all the anticipated support we will be contributing to Mr. Cole for passing the legacy and assuring its future.

YiS Dan s "Delivering the Promise"

APC @BPUMC Saturday

On Saturday,January 8, at 3:00 PM, as noted by Mrs Eggers to Troop Committee members, we will have a Troop Committee meeting to finalize the January 8 planning during the morning and early afternoon session. While that is going on, Mr. Simon will teach the BSA Youth Protection to the Scouts. If you haven't attended our regular Committee Meetings recently, please join us for this one. Once completed will will be heading to dinner and you are welcome to join us for that also with the Scouts and leaders attending. We need as many leaders/parents as possible to attend the Youth Protection and merit badge counseling for about an hour and a half with Mr. Simon..Both are reguired by BSA guidelines. The training will start at 1:00 PM at the Bluff Park United Methodist Church in the family room adjacent to the Gymnasium. Park in the area of the Troop bus side of the church and come in the new south entrance way where we usually entered in the past.

Mr. Bennett has volunteered to do a make up for the Aviation Merit Badge once we finish some leadership training after we get back from dinner. If your son missed the Aviation Merit Badge program at the hut, this will be a good time to catch up on it..It will take about an hour, then he can join the free time for the rest of the evening.

There won't be a regular meeting on the 10th of January at the Hut and we won't have a PLC or Committee meeting on our return from New Orleans at the Hut on the 18th.

Out first troop meeting at the Hut will be January 24 at the Hut at 7:00 PM . If the Scout is an OA Member he should consider attending the January Fellowship in Gardendale as explained in the Coosa50.0rg newsletter and calendar. It is a one day event. I can take three in my car if any need a ride.

YiS Dan s "Delivering the Promise"