T1424 Weekly Newsletter – March 29, 2015

NEWSLETTER HIGHLIGHT

Youth Leader Training

We completed our semi-annual youth training class – Introduction to Leadership Skills for Troops or ILST this afternoon. The new Youth Leaders will begin their term at the next Troop meeting on Tuesday, March 31, 2015. Please congratulate the following youth leaders the next time you see them:

Senior Patrol Leader Ben S
Asst. SPL & SPL – elect Ronald H
Asst. SPL Blake B
Patrol Leader – Eagles Ben A
Asst. Patrol Leader – Eagles Joey C
Patrol Leader – Phoenix / Red Tails Will S
Asst. PL – Phoenix / Red Tails Kyle F
Patrol Leader-Atomic Llamas Charles D
Asst. Patrol Leader – Atomic Llamas Ethan N
Patrol Leader – Manatees Daniel J
Asst. Patrol Leader – Manatees Jack S
Chaplain’s Aide Kyle F
OA Rep Ben A
Librarian Liam B
Historian Carlos C
Quartermaster Ethan N
Scribe Carter R
Instructor Grant S
Troop Guide Kyle S
Troop Guide Matthew A
Troop Guide Garrett B
Bugler Matthew A
Den Chief Elvis D
Den Chief Christian H
Den Chief Connor H
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
                   
Thunderwolf District SMS Training
Saturday, April 11th. Location is TBD
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 20 – 22
Thunderwolf District 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
 
ILST Training Materials
The Youth Leader training materials from the ILST training course on Sunday, March 29th have been posted to the Troop website in the Troop Information section at the following link:www.bsatroop1424.com/links 
ILST Training Presentation r6
Breakout Group Planner r3
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.
 
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.
 
The Summit Bechtel Reserve Payments
Airfare costs are past due. Full transportation costs are due no later than March 24th. Second half of the program fees are also due no later than March 24th.
 
 
Order of the Arrow Update

Arrowman Bash
Arrowman Bash will be held May 1-3, 2015 at Bovay Scout Ranch. Ordeal and Brotherhood opportunities are also available May 1-3, 2015 at Bovay.​
 
OA Dues
If you have not paid your 2015 dues, pleaes visit oa.shac.org to pay your dues online. You should not be wearing your flap or sash if your dues are not current.
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 either El Rancho Cima or another nearby location.
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.

Time is running out to sell Scout Fair coupon books and add money to your Scout fundraising account.

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.
 
Sienna Dreams Team
The Sienna Dream teams are looking for youth and adult volunteers for their baseball games this Spring. If you are interested in helping out as an individual or family please contact Alicia Dague atalicia.dague@sbcglobal.net for more information. We will make an announcement at a Troop meeting to see if we can gather a group to participate as a Troop.
 
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, April 11, 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 Cockerel Scout Center by Susal Yeldell.  Registration at this link: http://samhoustonbsa.doubleknot.com/event/enterprise-risk-management-registration-411-122015/1668303
April 25-26 in Spring by John Fiala.  Contact John Fiala at 281-413-4540
April 25-26 in Tomball by Jan Hackett.  Contact Jan Hackett at hackett.jan@gmail.com 
May 2-3 in Spring by John Fiala.  Contact John Fiala at 281-413-4540
May 2 and 9th in Rosenberg by Hal Fuglaar.  Contact Hal Fuglaar hfuglaar@hotmail.com
May 9-10 in Spring by John Fiala. Contact John Fiala at 281-413-4540
May 16-17 in Missouri City.  Contact Jan Hackett at 911-475-3150
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 atbsatroop1424@gmail.com