Thanks: to all the scouts, parents and leaders who took part in the November backpacking trip. It was a great adventure for all who took part!
Parent Information Meeting for 2008 High Adventure Trip: will be during the November 29 regular troop meeting. We will have information for the 2008 High Adventure trip to Colorado. For that evening we will be meeting on the on the third floor of the parish center (the scouts on the third floor too). Please use the front door of the parish center that night – St. Mary’s is using the first floor for a play practice.
U. S. Marine Toys for Tots Drive: This is short notice, but if anyone would like to donate new toys to the U.S. Marine Corps Toys for Tots drive please bring them to the November 29 troop meeting. One of our long-time sponsors, American National Power, is collecting for the marines this year.
Communications Merit Badge: The Communications merit badge classes will start at the November 29 troop meeting! Also, classes for Oceanography, First Aid, and Computers are underway. The advancement classes for scouts working on Second Class is moving along thanks to our Venture scouts as well.
The January Winter Camping Trip: will be Saturday, January 5, 2008 through Sunday January 6. We are in the process of securing a (hopefully) new, local place (Peppercorn Hill, Upton) to winter camp for January. A separate winter camping newsletter will be out in about a week or so.
At the winter camping trip we will be doing some aluminum foil (no pots and pans to clean) and Dutch oven cooking. The winter is a great time to do this type of cooking because you need some good warm fires to cook – and to stay warm with!
Town Christmas tree Pick Up: will be Sunday, January 6. This is a combination fund raiser and service project that we participate in with other scout units in town. We are looking for 2 to 3 parents with pick up trucks or trailers to drive around our assigned territory in Milford to pick up the trees and transport them to the town disposal area. It starts about 8:00 am and ends about noon. We will be camping this weekend so we really need a few scouts and parents who won’t be camping to help out. Please call or email Dave Kirchner if you can participate. We had to schedule the camping trip the same weekend because that was the best fit for all of our winter activities.
Troop Knife Contest: will be at the December 6 troop meeting. Scouts can bring a knife that they can use under the troop/BSA rules and enter it for a variety of contests (sharpest, best looking, most functional, etc.) There will be prizes for the winners. We will also be doing some wood whittling and carving that night so scouts should bring a knife.
Troop Yankee Swap: will be at the December 13 troop meeting. Scouts who want to participate should bring a small gift wrapped with a cost of less that $10. The activity is basically a grab bag and the scouts do a “swap” as each gift is unwrapped. It’s a lot of fun. We will have some refreshments at the meeting too.
The Annual Pancake Breakfast: will be Sunday, January 13 from 8:00 AM until noon at St. Mary’s parish center. This is our big fundraiser to raise funds for our activities and for this year in particular to help offset the cost of our 2008 high adventure trip to Colorado. All scouts will be given an initial 20 tickets to sell for the breakfast. Some of the tickets were given out as swim night; the others will be passed out at the November 29 troop meeting. We will mail out the tickets to any scouts still needing them after the meeting.
Scouts who will be attending the high adventure 2008 trip must sell at least 20 tickets (or have their family buy the tickets or the unsold portion). The sale of the 20 tickets plus any other ticket sales above the original 20 will result in a dollar for dollar reduction in the cost of the high adventure trip!
Scouts can get as many tickets to sell as they want. See Dave Kirchner if you need more tickets.
There will be ticket sale prizes for all scouts, regardless if they go on the high adventure trip or not! There will be some great prizes (think of something sharp and personally engraved) for scouts who sell the most, second and third amount of tickets. For all the other scouts who sold any tickets at all, there will be a drawing of 3 additional great prizes!
Pancake Breakfast Logistics: We will need full troop participation to be successful. Venture scouts need to be at the parish center at 6:00 AM on January 13. Venture scouts should wear a Troop 4 t-shirt. The Ventures will be cooking, doing the hall setup work, and some preliminary cleanup work. We are asking the Ventures to work from 6:00 AM until about 1:00 PM. All other scouts need to be at the parish center at 8:00 AM with full uniforms (no troop t-shirts). These scouts will be waiting on tables and working with the public with games, displays, etc. Plan to work until about 2:00 PM. If a scout can only do part of the hours, that’s great – we need all the help we can get to make the breakfast a success. For all who have never participated in the pancake breakfast before – it’s a great experience and lots of fun!
Draper Park Nativity Service Project: For many years the troop has been decorating the nativity in Draper Park with pine branches. We need a few scouts and parents to help out. We will meet at the troop campsite in Milford at 9:00 AM on December 1 and gather a supply of pine. We will drive over to Draper Park and add the pine to the nativity scene. The project will be finished by 11:00 AM. If your son would like to participate please let Dave Kirchner know by the November 29 troop meeting.
Venture Scout Corner
Career Presentations: we should have one or two over the next month or so for the Venture scouts.
Life Scouts Starting on Their Eagle Projects: there will be another meeting to go over the Eagle Scout requirements for scouts and their parents.
Communications and Personal Fitness Merit Badges: classes for both are under way. If you are a Venture scout and haven’t started it yet, now is a great time!
Upcoming Event Dates & Reminders
- November 29 is a troop meeting and Parent Info Night for the High Adventure Trip
- Saturday Dec. 1 is the Draper Park Nativity Service Project
- December 6 is a regular troop meeting and knife contest
- December 13 is a regular troop meeting and Yankee Swap night
- December 20 – no meeting – Happy Holidays!
- December 27 – no meeting – Happy Holidays!
- January 3 is a regular troop meeting
- January 5 is the Troop winter camping trip at Peppercorn Hill
- Sunday January 6 is the Christmas Tree Pickup
- January 10 is a regular troop meeting
- Sunday January 13 is the pancake breakfast
- January 17 is a regular troop meeting
- January 24 is a regular troop meeting
- January 31 is a regular troop meeting and Board of Review
- February 7 is a regular troop meeting and Board of Review
- Saturday February 9 is the Winter Cabin Camping trip to Camp Split Rock
Troop Four Website: checkout the Troop 4 website at: www.troop4milford.org. We have lots of information and event calendars/dates listed.
Please call the Dave Kirchner at 508-478-5915 or email at kirchner5!!! remove this !!!@comcast.net if you have any questions.