Committee Chairs Corner
The leaves have fallen and the clocks have been changed so we know it is time to settle in for a long, cold, New England winter. But the Scouting schedule is just heating up. The boys have traveled from the "shore" of NJ, to one of the "notches" in the White Mountains. "Outing" is a large part of Scouting. With the holidays coming you may want to check with your scout to ensure that they have the correct gear for their outings. The Boy Scout Handbook is a great reference tool. Very informational!
The ideas for events come from the Scouts. They are doing the planning and preparation for these events. It is crucial that your sons have adult support. The adults are needed to provide the transportation, assist with arrangements, manage the fundraising to help pay for these events and support the boys in their adventures. The boy’s lead, the adults follow. It is vital that all parents provide some assistance, no matter how large or small, so these adventures can take place. To rely on the work of only a few to do numerous tasks, proves to be overwhelming and exhausting for those few individuals.
Get involved. You will be surprised as to what you will learn about your scout, your son. It can be truly amazing.
Marsha Kofman, Committee Chair
Rechartering
As the Troop Committee prepares the paperwork to recharter or re-register the boys and the Troop, I would also like to encourage the adults to register as well. As a registered adult, you can attend campouts with the troop, assist with Boards of Review for the scouts advancement, be a merit badge counselor for a special interest or skill you would like to teach the scouts. The fee is free if you have a position of responsibility or you become an Assistant Scoutmaster. Otherwise, there is a $10.00 registration fee, to be paid to the troop in order that we may register you as a member of the Troop Committee.
Come join the fun. Register today! See Marsha Kofman for an application.
Committee Meetings
The monthly Committee Meeting takes place on the second Thursday of each month. We meet at St. James Church at 7 PM. All parents and Committee Members are encouraged to attend.
Scoutmaster’s Minute
Hello fellow Troop members,
We are getting into the time for some cold weather camping. A couple of weeks ago we had our first campout in the snow for the year. The trip to Crawford Notch was a great weekend. When we got up on Saturday morning there was about 1/2" of snow on the ground. This made for a very interesting day. The hike was an easy one or at least should have been. With the snow and rain the trail was very slippery. We were all hoping to see some nice fall foliage and all we saw was white. Even though this was a very pretty sight it is a little early. We all had a great time even though we decided to come home on Saturday night. Unfortunately a few people did not have enough or the right gear for the weekend.
With more of the cold weather campouts coming up in the next few months, I hope more scouts can acquire the correct equipment. The holiday season is almost here and some of this equipment could be a great present. Not everyone wants to stay outside in a tent in the winter and we realize that. The campouts we have coming up all have cabins that we can stay. The problem with that is the cabins can only hold so many. Once we get to that number then someone will have to stay outside in a tent. With the correct equipment you will be as warm or warmer than everyone in the cabin. If any of you parents have any questions as to what to buy or where to get it, please see one of the leaders. They will be more than happy to assist you.
Over the next few months we will be doing a few community service projects. They are Scouting for Food, Pie baking, yard cleanup, and holiday box wrap. This is something that we all need to participate in. Maybe not all of them but as many as you can. The hours all count toward your next rank's requirement for service hours. There are merit badges that also require service hours. So keep this in mind.
I would like to congratulate Daniel Milton and Chris Long on attaining the rank of Eagle Scout. If you can make it you should attend the Eagle Court of Honor for these Scouts. They have worked very hard on this and we shouldall be there to help them celebrate their accomplishments. I hope what they have done inspires you all to reach this same plateau. Once you get there you will all understand just why it is such an important step that was taken. Good work guys. Their parents also deserve congratulations. Without you they would not have been able to make it this far. So if they haven't said it yet I will, Thank You.
Over the next couple of weeks you may see the patrols changing a little. This will happen for a couple of reason. These will be explained as things happen. The Troop Leaders would like to have all patrols working as a patrol and hopefully be a very strong patrol. One way to do this was to make a few changes. Like with everything else some of you may not like them but I'm sure once this has taken place you will agree that they are a stronger patrol. If anyone has any questions or comments please give me a call (424-5968) or send me an email (a76eagle@aol.com). Well keep up the great work guys and let's have some fun.
Mr. Courtemanche,Scoutmaster
Upcoming Events
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