Troop 398 News - Jan 20

TROOP MEETING
The PLC voted to have a troop meeting Monday, Jan 21^st.   We'll see you there!

SUPERBOWL SUNDAY BBQ FUND RAISER
Please come by the Troop Meeting and pick up tickets to sell if you didn't get them last week. We are trying to sell as many tickets as possible by Next Monday, January 28, so we can decide how much meat to order.

SECOND ANNUAL SKI TRIP
Ladies and Gentlemen: Step right up and prepare yourself for a skiing bonanza at Paoli Indiana University - Fri/Sat - Feb 8 &9. Cost: $75.00 covers lift tickets/ski or snow board rentals Fri. nite 8pm - 2am and Sat. 10am-5pm - plus Snow Sports Merit Badge session Sat. 9am-10am w/ ski patrol instructor. Lodging will be $15-$20 per person at the studio bunk house on the square (same place as last year). Mansfield will coordinate transportation like last year. Email rickbms@comcast if you are interested - and/or if you have questions about clothing etc. Total Estimate $90.00 plus food. We will exit Paoli Sat. anywhere 3pm-5pm for arrival in M'Boro at 8pm Sat nite. Note: Drivers will be responsible for their crew and individual decision when to leave Sat Nite.   We will plan on leaving Friday Feb 8th at approx. 2pm, however, you may arrive anytime Friday evening and get your passses from Mansfield or ticket office. We must execute group waivers/scout forms and related docs before we go. See Mansfield. Trip is apprx. 4hrs. near Louisville, Ky.

NEED A BACKPACK?
We got David a backpack for Christmas, which he decided that he wanted to exchange.  Before I send the original one back I thought I would give someone an opportunity to buy it.   Here's the information on the pack:   Kelty Trekker 3950, color evergreen, external frame.  It is brand new (tags are still on it).   Cost $109.99 (Campmor price).  Call Harriet Reagan if you are interested.

Troop 398 News - Jan 4, 2008

Happy New Year to all! I hope your Christmas Holidays were merry and safe! I hope you rested up, because we are going to get real busy real soon!

FIRST TROOP MEETING OF 2008
We will resume meetings on Monday, Jan. 8.  This will be our only meeting before the Winter Camporee, so we have a lot of planning to do and a short time to do it!

PATROL LEADERS' COUNCIL
PLC meeting 7:00 pm Tuesday, January 8th at the Eagle's Nest.

JANUARY CAMP OUT - JAN 11-13
Yep, that's right, next weekend!  This is the Trail of Tears District Winter Camporee held at Camp Tubbs in Rock Island, TN. Winter Camporees have always been memorable for those hardy souls who can convince their mothers (or their spouses) to let them brave the elements. More times than not, we've had at least a little snow to add excitement to the week end. Nothing compares to crawling out of your tent to find a silent world covered with a blanket of snow! I remember one year when we were blessed with almost 10 inches of snow! We can drive right up to our campsite, so bring plenty of warm clothes and an extra blanket to put in your sleeping bag and come on along with us. Cooking is the theme and there'll be all kinds of demonstrations of techniques and meals that you can add to your cooking skills. We will participate in the Great District Cook Off and we expect to win! The main course will be "Tripod Turkey" ( I don't think we have any current scouts who were around the last time we did this - you will be amazed!) We will spread the cooking duties around to all scouts.

I'd like to see a really good turn out for this one - for whatever reason, turn out has been awful for the last few camp outs. Put away the electronic games and come on out for some real fun. Please sign up Monday night, or email me if you can't make it to the meeting so we can plan for our food.

The cost of food and camporee registration will be approximately $15 ( we may have to adjust once we finalize our menu).  We will meet at 5:00 PM on Friday, Jan 11 at the Eagle's Nest, we need to depart NLT 5:30 PM. we will stop for food along the way, so bring extra money. We will return by 1:30 PM on Sunday.

Driving directions: Follow Hwy 70 to Woodbury and on to McMinnville. Take the Hwy 70 bypass toward Sparta. Approximately 8‑10 miles watch for a Rock Island State Park sign. Turn left at the sign on highway 136. Continue on highway 136 approximately 5 miles past the entrance to Rock Island State Park cross the bridge over the Caney Fork River. The entrance to Charles E. Parish Reservation (Camp Tubbs) will be the first road on the right. Follow gravel drive past ranger =s house about 3/4 mile.

NEW MIDDLE TENNESSEE COUCIL CHIEF SCOUT EXECUTIVE
The selection committee, chaired by Rob McCabe, is pleased to announce today the employment of Hugh Travis as the new Scout Executive to lead the Middle TN Council, effective January 16, 2008.  Hugh is a native of Nashville and a product of the Metro Nashville Public School System and Tennessee Tech in Cookeville.   Hugh is an Eagle Scout from Troop 252 sponsored by Rosebank Elementary School.  This lifelong Scouter will be a valuable leader of this council for years to come.   Hugh and wife, Diana, have family in Middle Tennessee.  Hugh joined Scouting as a professional in the Middle Tennessee Council in January, 1976.  Hugh is currently the Scout Executive of the Baltimore area council and has done an outstanding job of increasing membership, programs and service to youth and adults.   Prior to that, he was the Scout Executive in the Western Los Angeles County Council in Van Nuys, CA.  Travis comes to us with a strong record in the Scout Reach program with lots of new ideas.   Please join us in welcoming Hugh and Diana back home to Nashville.

TROOP HISTORIAN BLOG
Our Troop Historian, Thomas Dugan reports that Mr. Wells has created a historian blog for the troop.  The site is  http://scouts398.blogspot.com/
Thomas plans to keep it updated for every big events.

PHILMONT SLIDE SHOW
Jay Gieske has prepared a slide show with photos from our trip to Philmont last summer. Check it out, you will really enjoy it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IlKISj7sNQ

KROGER GIFT CARDS
This is our easiest source of funds.  If you are not already participating, consider picking up a troop Kroger Gift Card.  Kroger's Gift Cards are $20 and come with $20 already on them. Your scout account will be credited 2% of what is reloaded onto your card as well as the troop will get 2%. The money will be transferred into the accounts once the troop receives a check from Kroger's which is usually around once a quarter. Please email Dane Carey dcarey@ncamfg.com ) or Kathy Daniels ( kcdohs@comcast.net ) with your request for Kroger's Cards.  These cards are good at other stores like Fred Meyer, Ralph's, King Sooper's, Fry's Food and Drug, Food 4 Less, Hilander, Pay-less Supermarkets, Smith's Food and Drug, etc. There are other places listed on the back of your card that you can use this card at.

MERIT BADGE UNIVERSITIES
Tenn Tech Sat. Jan. 26
MTSU Sat. Feb. 23

SUPER BOWL SUNDAY BARBEQUE
Please start spreading the word about this fund raiser. We provide take out barbeque on Super Bowl Sunday. This is perfect for parties, or just to give your mom a break from the kitchen. We will have tickets printed by Jan 14.

HIGH ADVENTURE PLANNING
Each summer we plan a high adventure trek for our experienced scouts. Our goal is to provide a once-in-a-lifetime experience that brings to bear all the skills that our scouts have learned and practiced over the years. These trip last one to two weeks and generally cost between $700 and $800.

Here's what we have in mind for the next three years:

Summer of 2008 - Sailing probably from Key West to the Dry Tortugas. Our Bill Riner is a highly experienced sailor and he will be lining up 30 - 40 foot sail boats to make the trip. We are looking at a 10 - 12 day trip with 5 to 7 days on the boats. We will learn sailing and navigational techniques and do a lot of snorkeling along the way. This is the least demanding physically of all our high adventure treks. Minimum age is 13 by the time of the trip or if space is available 12 years old if accompanied by a parent. We sleep and cook on the boats which will usually accommodate 8 people. We are tenatively looking at June 20 - June 29 for this trip.

Summer of 2009 - Canoeing in Canada, probably out of Bissett BSA High Adventure Base. The trip will probably take a total of two weeks with 10 days canoeing. One of the highlights will be a float plane flight in a remote lake where we will pick up our canoes. This is a physically demanding trip that requires carrying 60 - 70 pound loads from one lake to another. Minimum age is 13 by the time of the trip. We will plan this trip for early July or late June. Lots of good fishing, clear lakes and beautiful scenery.

Summer of 2010 - Backpacking at Philmont Scout Ranch in Cimmaron, New Mexico. This trip takes a total of 17 days, 12 of which are spent at Philmont known as  "Scouting Paradise". It is very hard to get reservations at Philmont, so hopefully, we'll get lucky. If we get reservations for 2010, we'll try for 2010. We usually plan this trip for the first half of July. This is a very strenuous trip that involves carrying 40 - 45 pound packs while hiking 5 to 15 miles per day in altitudes ranging from 6,000 to 12,000 feet. Minimum age is 14 by Jan 1, 2010 or 13 and complete the 8th grade by the date of the trip.

Please email me right away if you are interested in any or all of these trips so that we can get an idea of the size groups to plan for. We have to start our planning for these trips well in advance. We will need to reserve sail boats in the next month or so and make reservations for Canada this April and apply for Philmont in November. This is for planning only and will not lock you in.