January 2006

 Happy New Year! 

The hustle and bustle of the Holidays is a distant memory. The New Year holds many new and exciting adventures in all aspects of our lives. Family, school, sports, work and scouts, are just a few.

The Boy Scouting Program, although it is a “boy run program,” requires support from the adults in their lives. That does not just mean filling out an application to show your support. That means rolling up your sleeves and learning how to tie a bowline, or build a fire using only one match; learning how to provide First Aid miles away from the nearest medical facility or even a cell phone tower to get help. This means learning about Coin Collecting, how our government works, team work, snow boarding, and swimming. You may say that you don’t know anything about scouting, you weren’t a scout. The only thing you need to be able to do, is know how to have fun. We can direct you to the training programs so you too can join in on the fun with your scout.

Ask questions about the scouting program of your scout and the adults at the meetings. Find out how you can join in on the fun and help improve the program with your special and unique talents. Everyone has them.

January

 2             Board of Review

 4             Spring Camporee Meeting

10           District Eagle Banquet

11           PLC Meeting

12           Committee Meeting

16           Court of Honor

18           Roundtable

25           PLC Meeting

27-29     Sun in the Fun Campout

30           Scoutmasters Conference

February

1              Spring Camporee Meeting

3-4          District Freeze-Out/Klondike Derby

6              Board of Review

8              PLC Meeting

9              Committee Meeting

12           Scout Sunday

12           Webelos Bridging Ceremony

15           Roundtable

20           Scoutmasters Conference

22           PLC Meeting

28           Ice Fishing

March

1              Spring Camporee Meeting

4              Maple Sugar House Tour

6              Board of Review

8              PLC Meeting

9              Committee Meeting

15           Roundtable

22           PLC Meeting

25           Wood Badge Dinner

25           YMCA Lock-In

27           Scoutmasters Conference

The patrol assignments for January are as follows:

Opening and Closing ceremonies will be planned by Mrs. Becker.

Skill Instruction/game will be planned by Mr. Sanborn.

Jan 2      Set Up/Clean UP                 Badgers

Jan 9      Set Up/Clean Up                 Lizards

Jan 16    Set Up/Clean Up                 Vipers

Jan 22    Set Up/Clean Up                 Dragons

Jan 30    Set Up/Clean Up                 Badgers               

Committee Meeting

The Troop 401 Committee meets on the second Thursday of each month. The next meeting will be on

January 12, 7 PM at St. James Church.  All parents are encouraged to attend and participate.    See you at the next meeting.

Summer Camp Reminder

Although the snow & ice is piling up, summer camp will be arriving soon.  The deposit for summer camp of $25.00 will be due at the beginning of March. Just as a reminder you should check your Scout account to see what money you will have available to pay for camp. Please see Mr. Allard, the Troop Treasurer for this information.

Medical Forms

At the same time you are thinking about your camp deposit, remember that camp physicals are required also.  Scouts and adults under the age of 40 need a physical every two years.  Adults age 40 and over need a physical every year if they want to participate in scouting events and campouts.  If you are not sure if you need a physical this year, please contact Mrs. Dougherty.   It is easier to schedule appointments for physicals completed during the winter and early spring than to wait until the forms are required.   Class 3 forms can be found on line. 

Family Life Merit Badge:  For all those scouts interested in working on this merit badge, please contact Mrs. Kofman.  This MB is ongoing.

This fall the troop started working on several  merit badges during troop skill instructions.  It is your responsibility to continue to work on the requirements on your own and then meet  with the merit badge councilor to complete the requirements and getting the blue card signed. 

 Adult trainings

Jan 14 at First church in Nashua will be Scoutmaster, Troop Committee and Venturing training.  Cost is $6 for those that pre register or $8 at door.   Check in begins at 7:30 for New Leader Essentials.  Dome at 10 AM if you have already been trained for another position and want only the specific portion.   Troop committee  training ends at 2:30 PM.  SM and Venturing end at 5 PM.   Register with Pam Rawnsley, 6 Christina Rd. Merrimack, NH  03054   889-7983.   There will be one more chance to do the indoor training on March 4 prior to the outdoor training portion.

Trainer Development Conference
Jan 21 at Camp Carpenter is the Trainer Develop-ment Conference where you can learn about how adults learn, training technology and methods, and ways to be a more effective presenter.   This training is helpful with any position, and even with work if you must make presentations to others.  Contact Robin for more information.

Lastly, Boy Scout and Venturing units will have a chance to meet and greet Cub Scout leaders and hand out flyers about their units at the January Roundtable  Blue, Red, and Green banquet.      Tickets are $7 for the event to be held at the Elks Hall on Daniel Webster Highway in Nashua on Wednesday night, January 18th.    Purchase tickets by calling Tami Bohnert at 882-2130.   Further questions should be directed to Robin Rich at 880-8222

Scouts working on the ranks of Scout, Tenderfoot, Second Class and First Class should bring their Scout books to the weekly meetings so that achievements can be signed off in your book.  Books should also be given to Mr. Tucker at least once a month so that he can update the computer files.

The next Court of Honor will be held on Monday, January 16. 

Congratulations to the following boys for reaching their next badge of rank.

Michael Dougherty, First Class

Aaron Becker, First Class

Tyler Golemo, Tenderfoot

Thank you to all the boys and adults who baked pies at home for the St. James Food Pantry.  In total we baked 26 pies.

Thank you also to the boys and adults who went to St. Joseph’s for the Box Wrap. 

Summer camp deposits will be due soon.  If you need an opportunity to do fundraising to help pay for camp, please let Mrs. Kofman or any committee member  know of your need so that the committee can look into fundraising options.

Life Scouts – If you are planning a fundraising event for your Eagle project, please remember to let Mrs. Becker know so that the event can be listed in the newsletter.

Patrol Leaders Council (PLC) 

The PLC will be held on the second and fourth Wednesday of the month.  The members of the Senior Patrol, Patrol Leaders and/or Assistant Patrol Leaders, the Scoutmaster, Patrol Advisors and anyone who has business to be discussed by the PLC should attend these meeting. 

The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don’t do anything about it.

                                                Albert Einstein

The third Monday of each month will be the deadline for all newsletter articles.  The next date is January 16.