Newsletter Highlight
Planning Survey
Our Troop plans its calendar at planning meetings held in July of each year. To prepare for the planning sessions, a survey has been developed to gather input from Scouts and Parents on activities to be considered for the next year. The survey will be open until Friday, April 10th. Take the survey so that you can help us to plan our activities for the next year. The survey can be found at this link:
Calendar Reminders
Mark your calendars for the important Troop events described below. As always the official troop calendar has the latest information on these and all troop events at www.bsatroop1424.com
Pack 282 AOL Ceremony
Saturday, April 11th at the Sienna Amphitheatre
SM Corps Meeting (April)
Sunday, April 12th from 1:30 – 4:30pm
FCE / MB Workshops / LTE Coaching (April)
Sunday, April 12th from 2:30 – 4:30pm
SHAC Scout Fair
Saturday, April 18 at Reliant Park
April Campout
Canoeing on Village Creek April 24 – 26
Thunderwolf District SMS & IOLS Training
Friday, May 1st through Sunday, May 3rd
Sprint for Life Service Project
Saturday, May 2nd at M.D. Anderson
SM Corps Meeting (May)
Sunday, May 3rd from 1:30 – 4:30pm
FCE / MB Workshops / LTE Coaching (May)
Sunday, May 3rd from 2:30 – 4:30pm
Court of Honor
Tuesday, May 5th starting at 6:30pm
Troop Web Site
Advancement and Merit Badges
Court of Honor
The next Court of Honor (COH) will be held on Tuesday, May 5th. Liam Balaski will be the Master of Ceremonies. Cynthia Balaski will support Liam as the Master of Ceremonies Coach.
Deadline for earning all rank advancement and merit badges will be Tuesday, April 21st. This is two weeks prior to the COH since the week prior is the PLC and Committee meetings.
Camping Fees and Troop Annual Dues Reminder
Annual Troop Dues
If you did not pay your Troop Dues Tuesday November 11th they are overdue. Annual dues are $85 per Scout.
If you did not pay your Troop Dues Tuesday November 11th they are overdue. Annual dues are $85 per Scout.
Spring Camping Fees
Spring Camping fees were due on January 13,2015. Based on 5 campouts planned for the Spring the fees will be $15 / campout x 5 campouts = $75.
Summer Camp Payments
First half payments of $249 for Summer Camp are past due.
Second half payments of $249 for Summer Camp are due by April 20th.
Order of the Arrow Update
Arrowman Bash
Arrowman Bash will be held May 1-3, 2015 at Bovay Scout Ranch. Activities include games and competitions, giveaways, free stuff, shooting sports, rock climbing, American Indian crafts, American Indian Pow-wow, Service Projects, Special Guests, and much more…
Call-Out
There will be a call-out ceremony on Sunday, April 19th at St. Catherine of Sienna to identify the Scouts that were elected as Ordeal candidates in the Fall of 2014.
Ordeal
OA members that were elected in the Fall of 2014 are signed-up to attend their Ordeal on May 1-2, 2015 at Bovay Scout Ranch. Participants may also stay overnight on Saturday night and participate in the Bash activities.
Brotherhood
There will be a Brotherhood ceremony on Sunday, April 19th at St. Catherine of Sienna at 6pm and also on Saturday, May 2nd at Bovay Scout Ranch as part of Arrowman Bash for those that completed their Ordeal prior to August 2014.
Camping
April Campout is a canoeing trip to Village Creek SP. Robert Steffen is the leader.
May Campout is to Hamilton Pool near Austin and camping at El Rancho Cima. Alex Fuhrmann is the leader.
Summer Camp 2015 will be at Camp Hale near Talihina, Oklahoma from June 28th through July 4, 2015. Robert Steffen is the campout leader.
High Adventure 2015 – The Summit Bechtel Reserve. Mike Schultz is the leader.
High Adventure 2016 – We have received a reservation for 2 crews for 12 day treks in July / Aug of 2016. Deposit of $100 / attendee has been paid.
High Adventure Winter 2016 – We will begin gauging interest in the winter OKPIK high adventure program at Northern Tier High Adventure base in Minnesota for December 2016. The minimum age for this trek is 13. Dates will be departure on Dec 27, 2016 with return on Jan 1, 2017.
High Adventure 2017 – 2019
Long range plans include:
Florida Sea Base in the Summer of 2017
The Summit Bechtel Reserve in Summer of 2018
Philmont Scout Ranch in Summer of 2019
Fundraising
Kroger Community Rewards program is a benefit to the troop for all families that have tied their Kroger rewards card to the troop account. 1% of the amount spent by each family is donated to the troop. Please register your card with the troop and consider shopping at Kroger to support the troop.
Service Projects
We have several upcoming service opportunities that you should know about. Please RSVP to jdean@proconsrv.com to be added to the roster for any of these events.
Special Olympics
We are scheduled to volunteer with the Special Olympics soccer team. Practices are from 6-7:15pm on Tuesday, April 7th and April 28th. We are in need of at least one additional trained leader to assist with this service project. Please reply to jdean@proconsrv.comif you would like to be added to the roster.
Sprint for Life Annual 5K Run/Walk – The Troop has participated in this event since its inception in 1998. The event has raised over $4.3M for Ovarian Cancer research over the years. The Troop participates in the opening ceremony and passes out water to the runners / walkers in the event. This event will be held on Saturday, May 2, 2015 at the M.D. Anderson campus in the Texas Medical Center.
Missouri City Fallen Officers Ceremony – The Troop has participated in this ceremony for the past 4 years. The Troop participates in the opening ceremony and helps to distribute flyers to the attendees. We have also helped by placing blue ribbons on all the trees along Cartwright Road the week prior to the ceremony.
Training
Assistant Scoutmaster Training
To be fully trained you need to have current Youth Protection Training (YPT), complete Scoutmaster Specific (SMS) class, and Introduction to Outdoor Leader Skills (IOLS) training. See below for training dates.
Introduction to Outdoor Leader Skills (IOLS)
Thunderwolf district will have their next semi-annual IOLS training session on May 1-3, 2015 and the location is still TBD.
Scoutmaster Specific (SMS)
Thunderwolf district will have their semi-annual SMS training class for the Spring on Saturday, May 2, 2015. Location is still TBD.
First Aid Training
First Aid/CPR/AED: American Red Cross (ARC) First Aid, CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and AED (automated external defibrillator) training is universally recognized for its effectiveness. It can help ensure that everyone from the Boy Scout working on a First Aid merit badge to a Scouter leading a unit on a high-adventure trek is fully prepared. Next SHAC offered training is April 16 in Spring, TX. To register, contact John Fiala 281-413-4540. A class will also be offered in Rosenberg on April 28th by Hal Fuglaar. To register, email hfuglaar@hotmail.com.
Wilderness First Aid (WFA)
WFA is the assessment of and treatment given to an ill or injured person in a remote environment where definitive care by a physician and/or rapid transport is not readily available. During the 16-hour course, participants will learn how to assess, treat, and (when possible) contain emergencies within the scope of their training. Current certification in an adult CPR course and completion of AED training are prerequisites. Participants must be at least 14 years old or a registered Venturer. WFA will be offered on the following upcoming dates:
April 11-12 at the Cockrell Scout Center by Susal Yeldell (adult leaders only)
April 25-26 in Spring
April 25-26 in Tomball
May 2-3 in Spring
May 2 and 9th in Rosenberg
May 9-10 in Spring
May 16-17 in Missouri City
National Youth Leadership Training (NYLT)
NYLT is the second step in the youth training program. It is provided by SHAC and takes place on a campout over 5 days in both the summer and winter. Our Troop had 6 Scouts complete NYLT last summer and 4 more complete the training in late December. They are all fired up to put their new leadership skills to work with our Troop. Several of the Scouts have even returned with so much enthusiasm they are planning to volunteer as “Staff” for a future NYLT course. If you aspire to run for ASPL / SPL then you should sign-up for NYLT at your earliest opportunity. It will provide you with many tools to make your leadership opportunities a success. Minimum requirements for NYLT are to be 14 years of age, First Class Scout, have completed Troop level training (ILST), and be approved by the Scoutmaster. You may attend at 13 with permission from the Scoutmaster. Registration is currently OPEN for the Summer 2015 classes. Classes fill quickly so if you want to attend please contact Mr. Schultz at your earliest convenience to confirm you meet the minimum requirements and get signed up today. The training dates for 2015 are as follows:
Summer
June 7-12, 2015 at Bovay Scout Ranch.
June 14-19, 2015 at Bovay Scout Ranch
Winter
December 26-31, 2015 at Bovay Scout Ranch
National Advanced Youth Leadership Experience (NAYLE)
If you have completed ILST and NYLT and are interested in experiencing the ultimate in youth leadership training that BSA has to offer consider attending NAYLE. This training is now held at all 4 of the BSA high adventure bases – Philmont, Florida Sea Base, The Summit, and Northern Tier. Contact Mr. Schultz for more information.
If you have news you would like added to the next newsletter send an email message to the troop email account at bsatroop1424@gmail.com