March 2007
Committee Chair’s Corner
Marsha Kofman, Committee Chair, rdhetal@yahoo.com, 429-0794
Happy Birthday Boy Scouts!
On February 8, 1910, William Boyce and a group of businessmen, educators and political leaders founded the Boy Scouts of America. To learn how this came to be, I strongly recommend you borrow your Scouts handbook and read about the scouting history on page 431. There are many interesting facts to be learned.
I would like to welcome the Webelos and their families who have recently joined Troop 401. They have bridged from Webelos to Boy Scouts. Some have earned their Arrow of Light Award. On behalf of the Troop, I would like to congratulate them on their accomplishment and encourage them to continue on the scouting path. Every scout will help them along the way. The adventure has just begun.
The Scouting adventure is not only for the Scouts. The adults are encouraged to join in the adventure with their sons. Do you have a skill you would like to share, you can teach a Merit Badge. How about teaching scouting skills, you can become an assistant scoutmaster. Do you just enjoy being involved? You can become a member of the committee. There is something for everyone.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at rdhetal@yahoo.com or 429-0794.
Patrol Assignments
The patrol assignments for the month of March are below. This month’s theme is: First Aid
5 Set Up/Opening Scorpions
Skill/Game Senior Patrol
Closing/Clean Up Invisibles
12 Set Up/Opening Invisibles
Skill/Game Scorpions
Closing/Clean Up Senior Patrol
19 Set Up/Opening Senior Patrol
Skill/Game Invisibles
Closing/Clean Up Scorpions
26 Set Up/Opening Scorpions
Skill/Game Senior Patrol
Closing/Clean Up Invisibles
Upcoming Events
March
5 Board of Review
10 District Dinner
12 Camp Deposits Due
12 Youth Protection Videos
14 PLC & Patrol Advisors
15 Committee Meeting
17 Hampshire Hills Lock-In
21 Roundtable
24 Maple Sugar House
24 University of Scouting
26 Scoutmaster Conferences
31 Eagle Court of Honor-Dan Becker
April
2 Easter Bread Bake
11 PLC & Patrol Advisors
12 Committee Meeting
14 Eagle Court of Honor-Joe Prive
15-16 Isaac Davis Trail
18 Roundtable
27-29 Spring Camporee
30 Scoutmaster Conferences
Announcements
Committee Meeting
All parents and leaders are invited to the next monthly Committee Meeting on, March 15th, at 7 PM. We will meet at St. James, in one of the available classrooms downstairs. We look forward to seeing everyone there.
New Scouts
Don’t for get your paperwork, applications, health forms, parent surveys, parent committee volunteer applications, and your dues. You can turn them in at a Troop meeting.
Scouts
Assist the new scouts that have joined the Troop. Make them feel welcome. Help them learn the scouting skills they need to have fun. Remember, you were once just like them.
Youth Protection Awareness
The Troop will be showing the Youth Protection Awareness Videos on 3/12/07 at 8 PM, after the meeting. We ask that a parent attend the showing of the BSA videos with their son. If you would like to preview the videos, please contact Mrs. Kofman.
Snow Storm Reminders
A quick reminder of the storm policy from St. James: If school is cancelled, then the Scout meetings are cancelled as well. The church parking lot is usually cleaned out last. Our cars may make this an impossible task. No School due to snow, No Scout Meeting.
Eagle Courts of Honor
Daniel Becker and Joe Prive are in the process of planning their Eagle Courts of Honor. Please remember to RSVP whether you will be attending or not as soon as possible so that the families may have a count of people who plan to attend. Daniel’s Court of Honor is on March 31 at 11 AM at St. James Church. Joe’s Court of Honor will be on April 14 at 11 AM also at St. James Church. Both events are Class A uniform events.
Pictures
Michael Dougherty, Troop Historian is looking for pictures of any troop activities and outings. If you have any pictures you would like to donate (any media) please give them to him or Mr. Marston. Michael is especially looking for pictures of recent events such as the Klondike Derby and the Snowtubing trip to Gunstock.
Merit Badges
Scouts, remember to obtain your blue cards for your next Merit Badge from an Assistant Scoutmaster or the Scoutmaster BEFORE YOU START THE CLASS.
Citizenship in the Community
If you are interested in working on this badge, please be sure to sign the notice on the bulletin board at the church.
Our very first meeting for this merit badge will take place on Tuesday, March 13 at 7:00 at the Mastricola Upper Elementary School and you should go with a parent. This is where the Deliberative Session of the Town Meeting will take place prior to the town-wide vote on April 10. As one of the requirements is to attend a local meeting, this would be an interesting experience. Once you are signed up on the bulletin board, I will send you more information regarding this first meeting.
Following this first session, we will resume our group meetings on Wednesday, March 21 at 7:00 PM at the Church, followed by the first Saturday session on March 24 at 3:30 PM also at the Church.
You might wish to secure your blue cards now and have them signed and ready. Also, if you haven’t finished Citizenship in the Nation yet, now would be a good time to get that one completed! If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Collette at 429-1045 or Mrs. Yates at 424-7158.
Citizenship in the World
If you are interested in working on this badge, please be sure to sign up on the bulletin board at the church.
We will begin to meet for this merit badge at the beginning of May and will plan to finish up before summer vacation. We will tentatively plan to continue to meet once a week either on Wednesday evenings or Saturday afternoons.
I do have six Citizenship in the World books, so if you haven’t bought one yet, you can buy one from me. If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Collette at 429-1045 or Mrs. Yates at 424-7158.
More Merit Badges
Scouts, who have already started the Reading, Scholarship, Dentistry or Family Life Merit Badge or are interested in starting, please see Mrs. Kofman. Remember, these are ongoing Merit Badges. Don’t forget to bring your Blue Card that you already got from as Assistant Scoutmaster or the Scoutmaster!
University of Scouting
University of Scouting is being held at Alvirne High in Hudson on Saturday March 24 for any interested adults. Cost is $12 to attend your choice of 6 courses or $18 for registrations received after March 7. See Mrs. Rich for the list of available courses or more info.
Outdoor Leaders Skills
Outdoor Leaders Skills is a two-part training. The first session is an orientation meeting to be held on April 19. The second session is the outdoor training which will be held the weekend of May 5-6.
Den Chief Training
Den Chief training will be held May 12 this year for interested scouts- save the date. This is the only time it will be offered this year.
Congratulations again to our new Eagle Scouts, Daniel Becker and Joseph Prive and now Scott Rich as well! We certainly have produced a lot of Eagle Scouts in the past two years! A lot of hard work from the young men, leaders and merit badge counselors as well.
I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all the people that have helped me do Board of Reviews. Without you none of the boys would advance, so you really are doing an important part of the scouting program. A BIG ROUND OF APPLAUSE!
We have just completed our first Court of Honor for this year on February 19Th. I would like to congratulate all those have achieved their next rank as well as those who have completed so many merit badges.
The new ranks are,
Second Class Holden Lambert
Star Aaron Becker ` Nathan Demers
Tyler Golemo
Jack Mulrey
Life Matthew Becker
Eagle Daniel Becker
Joseph Prive
Scott Rich
A special note to boys approaching Eagle: As you turn in your merit badges to me, please be aware that I do not go to the Scout council on a weekly basis. If you are planning on submitting your Eagle forms soon, please check with me first to be sure I have submitted your merit badge applications and any other paperwork before you do.
Service Projects
As we get closer to spring, we will be doing several service projects. Most of you need service for rank advancement, and we all need service to be good citizens. Keep watch for upcoming service opportunities in this column and on the Troop web page.
Fundraising
Dessert Buffet and Silent Auction
There is a separate page attached to the newsletter giving details about this fundraising event. Please read it. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Mrs. Dougherty or Mrs. Becker.
Fishercats Fundraiser
The Troop will be running another fundraiser this year thanks to the NH Fishercats. Be sure to keep Saturday, August 25 free on your calendars. The Troop has reserved 200 tickets for this date to watch the Portland Seadogs play the NH Fishercats. We will also be working the concession stand again this year. More details will be coming regarding the ticket sale incentives. Start making your list of your Baseball fans that would like to go to a game!!
Words From Baden-Powell
Passages from
Footsteps of the Founder
Good Turn
223. By “doing good” I mean making yourself useful and doing small kindnesses to other people – whether they be friends or strangers. It is not a difficult matter, and the best way to set about is to make up your mind to do at least one “good turn” to somebody every day, and you will soon get into the habit of doing good turns always. It does not matter how small the “good turn” may be – even if it is only to help an old woman across the street, or say a good word for somebody who is being badly spoken of. The great think is to do something.
The third Monday of each month is the deadline for all newsletter articles.
Due Date: March 19.
Spring Fundraiser
Troop 401 will be holding a Dessert Buffet and Silent Auction at St. James Church on Saturday, May 12, to help scouts earn money for their scout accounts. This event is already well underway, as letters have been sent to local businesses requesting donations for the auction. A few donations have already been received.
But we need help from parents and scouts. Parents, we need you to help contact all of these businesses to follow up on the letters that have been mailed, to encourage businesses to donate and to arrange for pickup of the donations. We need these calls to be made during the next two weeks.
Scouts, we need you to spread the word about our event by selling tickets. We are asking each scout to sell five tickets for $5 each. The money earned will go directly into your scout account. So if you sell all five tickets, you will earn $25 for your scout account. The tickets you need to sell are for neighbors, relatives, teachers or your best friends, but not to your immediate family.
Tickets for scouts and their immediate families (parents & siblings only) will be sold separately by Mrs. Dougherty and Mrs. Becker. These tickets are specially marked and are $2 per person. The money raised from the family tickets will help defray the costs of the event.
We also need scouts and their families to donate items for the auction. The auction will be on Mother’s Day weekend, and a short time before graduation, Father’s day and summer vacation. Keep this in mind while you think about what you can donate that other people may want. What about a good book to read on the beach or while taking that long trip to Grandma’s house. Does Dad need new gardening tools or gloves this summer? What does every new graduate need---supplies for college, telephone cards, and tunes for their iPods? What about a basket of supplies for summer camp? We are sure that you can come up with wonderful ideas for our auction. Keep in mind, the more we are able to auction off, the more money the scouts will have for their scout accounts.
Don’t forget to find your favorite family recipes and plan to make something delicious. We will need goodies for the Dessert Buffet, and others to be auctioned off. We need lots and lots of desserts…including chocolate, pies, cakes, cookies, etc. No delicious dessert will be refused!
SCOUTS ONLY: On the day of the event, only scouts will be “working” the event. We expect the scouts to do setup, cleanup, greet guests, wait on tables, and do any of the miscellaneous tasks that will come up that day. We hope to keep the adult supervision to a minimum in order for the scouts to be responsible for their fundraising event. So, when the sign-up sheets are posted, be sure to sign up for a task. It is these tasks that will help you earn credits for your scout accounts.
Please feel free to contact Mrs. Becker (424-2954 or pab514@verizon.net) or Mrs. Dougherty (465-9696 or roserncs@charter.net) at any time with any questions/concerns