Winter Sports Weekend
Troop 4 is pleased to announce the return of the NH Winter Sports Weekend. The Lanciano’s have graciously invited the troop to their mountainside cabin in Alexandria NH. Venture scouts are eligible for the early departure with the advance party, and will meet at the St. Mary’s Parish Center on Friday February 6th at 6pm, for a departure no later than 630pm. All other scouts will meet at the Parish Center on Saturday February 7th 830am, for a 900am departure. Scouts will return from the event for pickup at the Parish Center at 3pm on Sunday.
The weekend will be filled with winter activities such as snowshoeing, cross country skiing, shelter building, and other activities, including the Troop’s first annual Eskimo Relay; a more frigid version of the Apache relay. Scouts will design a challenging relay course through the area’s snow fields and forest using skis, snowshoes, sleds and other implements of snow travel.
The ventures should eat dinner prior to arrival, and plan for an outdoor patrol breakfast on Saturday. All scouts should bring a bag lunch on Saturday, and will cook patrol style meals for Saturday dinner and Sunday breakfast. We’ll stop for a fast food lunch on the ride home. Meal planning will be done by scouts at the 1/22 troop meeting.
Scouts will be sleeping in the heated luxury of the Lanciano cabin ground level (aka basement). While no tents are required, scouts should bring their full complement of winter camping gear (see website checklist), including sleeping pad and sleeping bag. If you have a plastic sled, bring it along.
A permission slip for this event is due at the beginning of the 1/22 Troop Meeting, in order to allow meal planning. Remember, as with all camping trips, if you sign up to go, and something comes up at the last minute, you must make arrangements to provide your assigned food items to your patrol leader. If you can’t go to the 1/22 meeting, and want to go on the trip, you must call/email Phil Bedard before 1/22 so that your patrol leader includes you in the plan.
Presidential Range Backpacking Adventure
The Troop is planning our first ascent of the Northeast’s highest peaks, the Presidential Range. The 3 night trip is scheduled for August 7th. Advance notice is being given to allow scouts time to earn the Personal Fitness Merit Badge, which is a pre-requisite for this trip. This should be an exciting trip into alpine territory, with fine views, wildlife sightings, and waterfalls. We plan to put to practice the “travel light” skills recently learned on our Colorado trip. More information to be released late this spring, but get started on the fitness badge now! See Mr. Croteau if you are interested in signing up for this pre-requisite badge.
Advancement
Many scouts have been notified of their Board of Review scheduled for next Thursday (1/22). You can not attend your BOR unless you come with your book, and in full uniform. Don’t forget!
Court of Honor
The next Troop Four Court of Honor is scheduled for Thursday February 5th at the St. Mary’s Parish Center. We expect to award many merit badges, badges of rank, and other awards. The evening will begin with dinner at 630pm, and will conclude around 830pm. Scouts should arrive on time and in full uniform. The dinner menu is the popular Troop 4 “pot-luck” dinner. Committee members will be contacting parents with a request to bring a dinner item or dessert, and a 2 liter bottle of soft drink.
Merit Badges
Several merit badges classes are in the process of kickoff (or wrap-up). Mr. Croteau has a Personal Fitness crew wrapping up very soon. There are also plans to kick off another round of Fitness merit badge activity at the Midtown Health Club event on 2/12. Remember that the Fitness badge is mandatory for the summer Presidential Range Expedition. The Communications merit badge crew has been making progress working with Mr.Brundrett. See Mr.Bedard or Mr.Brundrett for guidance on remaining Comm. Merit Badge requirements that are unrelated to the pancake sales drive. Thanks to Pat Bedard for recently re-starting the classes for the Computer Merit Badge. The Fingerprinting Merit Badge held two weeks ago drew a big crowd and was a big success. Lastly, and most importantly for many Life Scouts, the Citizenship in the Community Merit Badge class is about to begin. Mr. Tusino has volunteered to teach classes that will help scouts earn this badge. Sessions start at the 1/22 Troop Meeting. Note that completed blue badge cards must be signed off by your counselor and turned into the Scoutmaster no later than1/29 in order to be awarded at the 2/5 Court of Honor. Also, remember that you can not start merit badge activity without first obtaining a signed blue card from the scoutmaster, and permission from your counselor.
Scout Sunday
Sacred Heart of Jesus Church, Milford, will celebrate Scout Sunday on February 8, 2009, at the 10:30 a.m. Mass. All scouts and leaders are invited to participate and to join in the procession in uniform. Attendees should gather in the chapel (lower church) by 10:00 a.m. Boy Scout Troop 2, chartered by Sacred Heart of Jesus Church, cordially invites all scouts and leaders and their families who participate in Scout Sunday to join them in the Bell Tower Room for light refreshments immediately following the Mass. Please inform Phil Bedard if you plan to attend (note: this is the same weekend as the NH Winter Sports Weekend).
Midtown Fitness Madness
As many of you may have heard, the Parish Center is closing for one week in February. This affects our February 12th Troop Meeting. Mrs. Croteau is finalizing arrangements with the Midtown Fitness Center for an exciting troop meeting alternative, with possible court games, equipment demonstrations, and for those interested, an indoor kickoff of the Personal Fitness Merit Badge, including a 1mile treadmill run. More details to be announced soon on the troop website, and at upcoming troop meetings.
Town Christmas Tree Pick Up
Thanks to Mr. Garber and the Mahoney family for single-handedly wrestling more than $300 of Christmas Trees into their trucks as part of the towns annual Christmas Tree Pickup fundraiser. Please keep this event in mind next year. The troop will need more volunteers if we are to participate in next year’s event. The funds from this event help support troop activities, and it really is a lot of fun.
Outstanding Leader Support
Thanks! Several leaders have recently been tied up on business travel. As a result, many leaders have consistently answered last minute requests to provide leadership at our various meetings, events and campouts. Thanks!
Pancake Breakfast Update
It’s almost here. Thanks to all the scouts who are working hard to sell tickets and advertisements. All scouts should have picked up an initial 20 tickets to sell for the breakfast. It’s not too late to get more tickets, and cash in on the outstanding prizes to be given out to the top salesmen. See Mr.Bedard or Mr.Brundrett if you need more tickets. Cash/checks (payable to Troop 4) from ticket sales must be turned in at either the 2/22 or 2/29 troop meetings.
The pancake breakfast is one of more important troop events of the year. All scouts are expected to participate. The venture kitchen staff should report for KP at 630 AM sharp. Please wear a Troop 4 T-Shirt. The wait staff (all other scouts) should arrive no later than 730AM and must be in regular Class A uniform. Looking forward to seeing you there!
Upcoming Event Dates & Reminders
- – January 22nd and 29th are regular troop meetings
- – February 1 is the pancake breakfast
- – February 5th is the Troop Court of Honor
- – February 6th – 8th is New Hampshire Winter Sports Weekend at the Lanciano Cabin.
- – February 8th – Scout Sunday, Sacred Heart Church
Questions?
Call Phil Bedard at 508-282-0283 or email at bedard18@verizon.net