October 2008 News

 

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Happy Fall Everyone! The colors are beautiful all around us, even in our own back yards! Be sure to take a moment to look up and enjoy the view, without spending the gas to take a ride and see the colors!

 

In order for the Scouts to be successful, it takes work and planning from everyone. Scouts and families need to attend the meetings and the campouts. Leaders and adults arrange for use of the church for the extra meeting times. Leaders schedule guest speakers to work with the scouts to teach skills. The scouting program can not run by a few people. It is a collaborative effort of everyone to make the program a success for the Scouts...ultimately your son.

 

Please come forward to help run an event. There are still a few events that need an adult to oversee the event.

 

The one thing I have not mentioned is fun. The scouts and ADULTS are having fun! It is amazing how learning can take place, especially when it is done when we are having fun.

 

Join in on the next event. Come have some fun!

 

Marsha Kofman, Committee Chair, rdhetal@yahoo.com   429-0794

 

 

Training Opportunities

 

·         New Leader Essentials – October 11^th

·         Den Chief – November 15^th

·         January 2009 - Boy Scout specific training…stay tuned for details

 

You can obtain applications and more information from Troop Training Chair, Robin Rich or from the DWC web page (www.nhscouting.org).

 

 

 

October

 

10/25 – PMEC Community Service

10/27 - Court of Honor

 

November

 

11/1 – Scouting for Food: Bag drop off

11/1 – Parsonage Cleanup

11/8 – Scouting for Food: Bag pick up

11/12 – Roundtable

11/13 – Committee Meeting

11/22 – Hiking Club: B&M or Sheldrick trail

11/24 – Thanksgiving Pie Bake

 

December

 

12/6 – Heald Tract Backpacking/Snowshoe Campout

12/7 – Holiday Parade

12/10 – Roundtable

12/11 – Committee Meeting

12/13 – Chunky’s Cinema Pub

 

 

 

Forms, Forms, Forms

 

To all of those that have turned in their orange forms stating that you have read and reviewed the Policies and Procedure, and have received permission from your parents for your pictures to be taken for the troop web page or newspapers, THANK YOU.  To those scouts that have not turned the paperwork in, please get those forms to Mrs. Kofman ASAP. 

 

Dues and Registration Fees

 

Are you current? As stated in the Troop 401 Policies and Procedures, dues and registration fees must be paid to date in order to participate in an event and/or campout. Please make sure you are up-to-date! You can pay weekly, monthly or a one-time payment. Please see Mrs. Kofman or Mr. Allard with questions.

 

Family Life Merit Badge

 

For all those scouts interested in working on this merit badge, please contact Mrs. Kofman.  This is an Eagle Required Merit Badge.

 

Arrowhead District Roundtable

 

This is a valuable meeting held monthly, run by the Arrowhead District Staff. Come hear the events announced directly and learn what is going on around Arrowhead District.  They are scheduled for the second Wednesday of each month at the Church of Latter Day Saints in Nashua (next to Greeley Park) at 7 PM.

 

All adult leaders are encouraged to attend this valuable training. Parents are also welcome to attend these meetings to learn more about the scouting program.

 

Next Roundtable:

 

November 12^th – Cold weather preparedness training with Klondike training stations

December 10^th – Webelos transition/Holiday Party

 

Recruiting

 

Scouts are always encouraged to bring a friend to scouts so they can join the program.  They are able to join at anytime.  Speak with Mr.Sanborn or Mrs. Kofman if you have any questions or would like an application packet.

 

Scheduled for the second Wednesday of each month, the meetings take place at the Church of Latter Day Saints in Nashua, next to Greeley Park at 7 PM.

 

All adult leaders are encouraged to attend this valuable training.  Parents are also welcome to attend these meetings to learn more about the scouting program.

 

Committee Meetings

 

The Troop is always looking for new ideas and input to help make the program more exciting for the boys and simplified for the adults.  Bring any input you would like to share to the monthly Committee Meetings, held on the second Thursday of each month at 7 PM at St. James Church. Occasionally the date or location needs to change due to a church or school event. Please consult the Troop Web Calendar on a regular basis for any schedule changes. Please contact Marsha Kofman, Committee Chair, with any questions 429-0794, rdhetal@yahoo.com.

 

Hiking Club & Backpacking Club

 

Mark your calendar with the following hiking/backpacking dates.  Please forward any hiking trail suggestions to Mr. Seeley at kseeley2005@yahoo.com.

 

Hiking Club

11/22 – B&M or Sheldrick Forest Trail

 

Backpacking Club

12/6 – Heald Tract-Snowshoe Overnight

 

Pictures Needed

 

Nathan D. is working on updating the Troop’s pictoral history album.  If anyone has any pictures that they’d like to contribute to the album, please contact Nathan at hmcnate@comcast.net.

 

 

 

Late October and November are full of important community service opportunities. These can all be great opportunities for those Scouts working on the Citizenship in the Community merit badge and those needing hours for rank advancement.

 

The first event, trail work Peabody Mill Environmental Center, will occur on October 25^th at 1pm. Next comes Scouting for Food. The bag drop-off will be November 1^st with bag pick-up on November 8^th.

 

Also on November 1^st will be the parsonage cleanup….a great way to welcome St. James’ new pastor.

 

Lastly, get ready for those wonderful smells coming from the St. James kitchen with the first of two holiday pie bakes. Mark November 24^th on your calendar for this popular event.

 

 

 

Grocery Receipts

 

Please continue to bring in all the receipts that you have collected during the summer.  Look for the new collection box located at the church next time the troop meets there.

         

Popcorn Sales

 

Scouts can continue to sell popcorn until late October. This is an excellent way to earn money for your Scout Accounts and the troop and fulfills one of your two required fundraising events if you turn in a full page. Scout accounts can be used to pay for your own Scout activities, equipment and summer camp.

 

Thank you to Mrs. Beck for, once again, organizing the Troop’s popcorn sales.  If you have any questions, please contact her at ingaa@msn.com or call her at 759-6784.

 

Wreath Sales

            

Again this year the troop will be selling Christmas wreaths obtained from Wilson Farms. Order forms have already been distributed on October 13th to those that wanted to participate. This is an optional fundraiser. This fundraiser allows the scouts to earn 100% of the profits for their Scout Accounts. “A Scout is thrifty.”  (Pays his own way.)  Start to earn some money for your scout activities and summer camp now. Speak to Mrs. Meighan or Mrs. Seeley if you would like to sell wreaths.  All orders are due during the November 3^rd Troop meeting.

 

We will be selling wreaths at the November Presidential Election on November 4th, at the Mastricola location. We will be looking for Scouts and adults to oversee this station during the day and evening. There is no school that day for JMUES students. Look for a sign up sheet next week.

 

Thank you in advance for you help and support.

 

 

 

American Stonehenge/Orienteering

 

Robert, Tom and Logan setup and ran an orienteering course at the American Stonehenge monument in Salem, NH.  Conor, Holden, Nick, Conor’s sister, Andrew, Paul, Kyle and Jackson completed the two mile course and honed their orienteering skills while enjoying the mystery of the site and the fine fall weather.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Camp Falling Leaf/Mount Cardigan Hike

 

Perfect Fall weather (no rain) greeted Troop 401 on our first annual Fall Foliage camping weekend.  The scouts:  Jackson, Logan, Max, Brendan, Kyle, Austin, Matthew, Eric and Nick learned the fine art of gathering wood, building their own cooking fires and preparing meals over the fire using mess kits.  No one got burned, sick or went hungry so it was a complete success.  We climbed to the top of Mount Cardigan and the blue sky accentuated the vivid fall colors.  Mrs. Volante brought a group of Webelos  and Mrs. Seeley brought the sherpas up for the hike and we look forward to doing something like this again next year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Purgatory Falls Family Hike

 

A cool, crisp but sunny fall day greeted Conor and family, Holden, Paul and friend and Logan and family for a short hike on the other side of Amherst.  The group hiked parallel to Purgatory River to the falls and beyond through some wicked awesome boulders. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Troop Birthdays for November are:

 

Ethan                11/6