October 2006
Committee Chair’s Corner
Marsha Kofman, Committee Chair, rdhetal@yahoo.com, 429-0794
Welcome back Troop 401! It is great to see everyone! Fall is always a busy time of year getting back from summer vacations and with the beginning of the new school year.
This year the Merrimack Troops are busy preparing for the Fall Camporee. Although they were prepared in the spring, everything was contaminated with poison ivy so they had to start again. The work is going well. Thanks for getting the scouts to the extra meetings for the preparation of this big event.
Parents: transportation is not your only job. We will be working the concession stand. Ed Tucker is overseeing the Troop 401 concession volunteers. If you have not yet signed up, PLEASE, we need your help. This event is right here in Merrimack, close to home. The shifts are only a few hours long. Please make sure you fit this time into your schedule for the weekend. Your help is needed.
Thank you to all of those people that have volunteered to run events this year. Unfortunately there are still many events that the boys want to attend that do not have an adult to oversee. Let’s not disappoint the kids for a valuable learning event. Please contact me to see what events still need an adult to oversee.
Many thanks.
Scoutmaster’s Minute
Mike Marston, Scoutmaster, marstonm@adelphia.net, 424-0017
Mr. Marston was busy working on the Spring/Fall Camporee, but promised to write to us next month.
Patrol Assignments
There are no patrol assignments for the month of November at this time. Patrol leaders will contact their patrols with the assignments when they are finalized.
Upcoming Events
October
2 Board of Review
9 Court of Honor
11 PLC Meeting
12 Committee Meeting
15 Corn Maze
18 Roundtable
20-22 Campout
25 PLC Meeting
30 Scoutmaster Conferences
November
3-5 Turkey Campout
6 Board of Review
8 PLC Meeting
9 Committee Meeting
11 Scouting for Food Distribution
15 Roundtable
18 Scouting for Food Pickup
20 Thanksgiving Pie Bake
22 PLC Meeting
25 Town Candlelight Stroll
27 Scoutmaster Conferences
Announcements
Committee Meetings
The Troop 401 Committee meets on the second Thursday of each month. The next meeting will be on October 12 at 7 PM, at St. James Church. All parents are encouraged to attend and participate. See you at the next meeting.
Corn Maze
On Sunday, October 15 we will be traveling to Sunderland, MA (near Springfield) to visit Mike’s Maze, a corn maze which this year is a diagram of Julia Child. This trip is open to all boy scouts and their families. The cost for youth: $6 (5-18 yrs), adults: $8, children 4 and under free. Animals are not allowed, so please leave all pets at home. If you are interested in attending, we must have your money and registration form by October 2 in order to make reservations and trip arrangements. Everyone going on the trip must have a Class 1 or Class 3 Medical form on file with Mr. & Mrs. Becker per scout policy. Forms are available online or at troop meetings. If you are willing to drive, please let Mr. or Mrs. Becker know ASAP.
Merit Badges
If you have completed merit badges during this past summer, remember to get the cards signed and turned into Mr. Tucker quickly. He must have the blue card by October 2 in order to have them for the next Court of Honor.
training
Robin Rich, ASM, Training Coordinator
r-rich@comcast.net, 880-8222.
Troop committee training will be on Oct 7 with New Leader Essentials starting at 9 am, at First Church in Nashua. Assistant Scoutmaster training will not be held until January, but you may go to the new leader essentials portion on Oct 7 from 9-11 am and then sleep in later on your January training date.
Den Chief Training will be held the first weekend in November. If you are interested, please contact Mrs. Rich for more details.
Advancements
Ed Tucker, Advancement Chair
edthepiper@verizon.net, 429-1012
All Scouts should bring their Scout Handbooks to troop meetings each week so that rank requirements can be signed off by the Scoutmaster or Assistant Scoutmasters. Periodically the books need to be turned over to Mr. Tucker so that he can record all of the completed rank requirements on the Troops computer. Eagles don’t forget to show Mr. Tucker your book once you have made Eagle. He needs this information if you are to earn any Eagle Palms.
Service Projects
There will be several service projects coming up this fall. Please watch the bulletin boards and the newsletter for specifics. Upcoming service projects include Adopt-A-Road, Parsonage Cleanup, Thanksgiving and Christmas Pie Bakes, St. Joseph’s Box Wrap and Scouting for Food. Each of these service projects needs every scout to be successful. Let’s do our best to be good citizens and help our neighbors.
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Fundraising
The annual popcorn sale is going strong. Remember to get your order forms to Mr. Golemo no later than October 23. Money should be collected and turned in with the order form. Checks should be made out to Troop 401.
Patrol News Briefs
Words From Baden-Powell
Passages from
Footsteps of the Founder
Patrol Leaders
395 (To Patrol Leaders) It is no use having one or two brilliant boys and the rest no good at all. You should try to make them all fairly good. The most important step to this is your own example, because what you do yourself, your scouts will do also.
Remember you must give them the lead, and not the push.
397 Give your Patrol Leaders real responsibility and hold them answerable for every little thing which happens in the Patrol, whether it is blameable or praiseworthy.
Newsletter Deadline
Patrice Becker, Newsletter Coordinator
pab514@netzero.com, 424-2954
The third Monday of each month is the deadline for all newsletter articles. Articles are due October 16.