New Scouts Troop 4 Enrollment

In addition to our 10 new Webelos cross over scouts, four additional scouts have recently joined. Welcome! We’ll use the opportunity of the next campout in May to help these very new scouts catch up with the others on Tenderfoot advancement.

Medical Training for High Adventure Trip

Reminder to all adults participating in the canoe high adventure trip: Mandatory medical training is scheduled for the parish center on Saturday May 1st. Please refer any questions to Stacey Barie at staceybarie@gmail.com.

May Camping Trip

The May trip will be Saturday, May 22nd and 23rd at the Troop campsite in Milford. We will meet at the parish center on Saturday morning at 9:30 AM. We will return for pick up at the parish center by 12:00 PM on Sunday. Scouts need to bring a bag lunch and the items listed on the Troop 4 camping equipment list. The list is available on our website.

This local campout at our secluded Troop campsite is very convenient for scouts that have sports games to attend. Scouts can check out to attend their game, and then return after it is over. Be sure to indicate on your permission slip if you arriving late, or need to leave for a period, in order to attend a game.

First year scouts are strongly encouraged to attend this campout, as we’ll cover many important Tenderfoot and outdoorsman related requirements, including safe knife, axe and saw use. This campout will have a pioneering theme where scouts will master use of pioneering equipment, and participate in pioneering projects, many of which will count toward the Pioneering Merit Badge. The troop poker table will also be brought along for a late night Venture Scout poker tournament.

We will be cooking patrol style over open wood fires for dinner and breakfast. Scout patrols will create their own menus and duty rosters at the May 13th troop meeting. Dutch ovens and dutch oven recipes will be available for scouts that have interest in this pioneering cooking technique. Scouts need to bring a bag lunch for Saturday.

In addition to pioneering, the troop will also cover other advancement requirements, hold several games and contests, and will conduct an exciting Troop campfire with (finally) new skit material. Prizes will be awarded for the best patrol skit, song and stand-up comedy act.

If your son will be attending this campout, please complete the permission slip and return it to the Troop Scribe at the May 13th troop meeting (earlier is preferred). If your son would like to attend but won’t be at the May 13th troop meeting, please call or email Phil Bedard at 508-561-7058 or pbedard1@gmail.com. We may need a few parents to drive to/from and/or stay for the event. If you can help out please indicate on the permission slip. Note that the troop’s Milford campsite has very limited parking, so adults that plan to attend are encouraged to carpool.

Order of the Arrow

For those scouts recently elected to the Order of the Arrow, the Council OA Lodge has recently announced dates for the Ordeal, which is the mandatory service weekend where you will be inducted into the Brotherhood. You have the option to attend either the weekend of May 14-16, or the scheduled weekend in September. Check out the council mailing you received, or the lodge website for more detail, and register on-line for the weekend of your choice.

Summer Camp – Resolute

Thanks to those who turned in their payments to receive the early bird discount.  First year scouts can still receive the discount.  Our website’s summer camp section has all camp dates, deadlines and details.  We currently have 18 scouts registered for camp, and expect 5-10 additional first year scouts to attend.  This will be our biggest camp enrollment in several years.  We’ve received several questions already this year on the camp’s stringent medical form requirements.  Please download the form packet  and read the instructions and checklist carefully.   The camp is very particular about the forms used, and how they are completed.  Note that they will not accept the standard medical forms that many doctor’s offices provide.  You may transcribe the medical data from the doctor’s form to the BSA form, but the doctor’s signature must be on the BSA form. 

Troop T-Shirts

The Troop is assessing demand for our famous lime green Troop T-shirts (aka Class B shirt). If interested in purchasing a shirt this summer for $10, please send a note to Phil Bedard and indicate shirt size and quantity (Youth M, L, Adult S, M, L, XL, XXL). These shirts are great for scouts, parents, and siblings. When sufficient demand is logged, the troop graphic designer will work his magic into a new order of these signature shirts.  No payment required at this time.

Relay for Life – Staff Crew

The Troop has received a long list of scout volunteers to help out as cleanup staff at the Milford relay for life on Friday May 7 from 6pm to 11pm. We may fire up some late night snacks on the troop grill, however, scouts should eat dinner before arriving. All scouts will receive service time credit.   Please come in Class A uniform, and bring a T-shirt (a troop t-shirt if you have one) to change into after the opening ceremony.

Gilligan’s Island Trip – Early Notice

Just sit right back and you’ll hear a tale, a tale of a fateful trip. Well, maybe not as fateful as it was for Skipper, Gilligan and their friends. We’ll be better prepared, and it’s doubtful we’ll run into any head hunters. The troop is planning a 2 night June 25-27 campout to Washburn Island, in Cape Cod’s Waquiot Bay in Falmouth, MA. We will be salt water canoeing and kayaking to our Troop campsite to a pristine island with our own private powder sand beach. Washburn Island is a natural wonder. It is located in the Waquiot Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, and is surrounded by rare beds of sea grass, salt ponds, and shallow sandy flats great for canoeing and kayaking, and is a great spot to see all sorts of critters like crabs, fish, clams, sea birds and maybe even a seal. This early notice is being given to assess the strength of the Troop fleet. To make the trip more affordable, we are exploring whether or not we have enough boats to avoid rentals. Please email Phil Bedard if you have a canoe or kayak that you would be willing to let the Troop borrow for the weekend. Please indicate the type of boat, the number of passengers it can safely hold, and the number of personal flotation devices you can include. Please respond by May 10th. You need not transport the boat to the Cape. Boats will be carried in the troop’s trailer. More details on this trip will be provided in the May troop newsletter.

Memorial Day Parade

The parade will be held Monday, May 31. This is the only parade that the troop attends each year. Scouts will once again meet in the Stop and Shop parking lot near the 99 Restaurant in the morning in full uniform. Exact time to be announced soon.  Scouts may be picked up at Draper Park at Noon. Please notify Phil Bedard if your scout plans to attend. It’s important for the Troop to have a good showing at this important event.

Policy Reminders

Scouts are NOT allowed to leave the premises (e.g., walks to the nearby convenience store) during troop meetings. Scouts are also reminded that fixed blade knives are not allowed at any troop events, except by specially trained and leadership-approved Life Scouts.