TROOP MEETING – MARCH 30
If anyone has Shiloh paperwork, please bring it to this meeting. Mr. Dix will be working with those who went on the Shiloh trip to get it all in order so he can send in your patch or pin order.
If you have borrowed a troop backpack or tent or have any other troop equipment, please bring it in so it can be accounted for. If you plan to go on the Virgin Falls backpacking trip in April, you can check it out again.
Last chance for early registration for Summer Camp; give your $20 to Mr. Holtman. (This will save you $20). $250 is due if you are going on the canoeing trip to Canada this summer.
I suggest that we designate Monday, April 6th as a planning night. We will have a PLC with all youth leaders attending. the rest of the youth would have a night off. A troop Committee Meeting could be held if needed. It would also be an opportunity for us adults to spend some time planning for the future. I would like to do this one Monday per month for a few months and see how it works. If there are no problems, please have the SPL make this announcement.
MARCH CAMP OUT
The cost for food and camping for the Shiloh trip was $13. Pay Mr. Holtman or let him know to take it out of your scout account.
PASSPORTS FOR CANADA
Youth and adults will need a passport or Pass Card to enter Canada. Mr. Perkins reports that the processing time for passports is five to six weeks. You need to get your paperwork in as soon as possible. The passport is $40 more than the Pass Card, but there is a rumor that they may do away with the Pass Card at some unknown time. It might be safer to go ahead with a regular passport. You can go to Walgreens and get passport photo made for $7. Take both copies of the photo along with an original of your birth certificate to the County Clerk's Office. The passport will cost $85.
NATIONAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP TRAINING
This year's course will be held on July 12th througth the 18th at Boxwell Reservation. A scout must be 13 years old and a First Class Scout. If you are not going to Canada, this would be a fun thing to do. The NYLT program is designed to teach a scout everything a polished scout should BE, KNOW and DO in order to have an exciting Scouting Program. Over the course of the week, scouts meet and work in patrols with other scouts from the Middle Tennessee Council. They will gain experience in goal setting, planning, decision making and a host of other leadership skills. Upon completion of the course, scouts will be better prepared to assume leadership positions within the troop. Matt Fowler attended last year and can tell you more about the course. Interested scouts should see the Scoutmaster for an application. If you are accepted in the course, the troop will pay any registration fee.
LATIMER OPEN HOUSE
Several adults have asked when our new wilderness reservation will be open. Scoutmasters and Assistants are invited to an Open House at Latimer Reservation, Saturday, May 2 from Noon until 3:00 PM. Lunch will be provided. Some of will be hiking in to Virgin Falls which is about 2 – 3 miles away on Saturday. It would take some uphill bushwacking to make it to Latimer but it is possible! If you want to attend let me know so I can RSVP.
SERVICE PROJECTS
Michael Daniel s doing his Eagle Scout Project this Saturday, March 28 at the Stones River National Battlefield, volunteers will be working on seeding an area with indigenous plant species, clearing the area of invasive plant species, and removing modern fencing. It will start at 8:30 AM on March 28 at the information center across from the cemetery. The only things you need to bring are a pair of leather gloves and yourself. Lunch will also be provided.
ORDER OF THE ARROW
The following scouts were elected to be candidates this year: Mike Montalbano, Asher Paxton, Alex Riner, Sidney Roy and Reed Spivey. Don't forget that the OA Tap Out will be at 7:00 PM on April 4 at 7:00 PM at Camp Stahlman. Candidates should plan to attend the Ordeal Weekend May 29 -31 at Camp Stahlman.
APRIL CAMP OUT
We will do a back packing trip to Virgin Falls on April 18 and 19.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Troop 398 News - March 27
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Troop 398 News -March 14
TROOP MEETING THIS WEEK
This week we have a Troop Court of Honor in lieu of a regular troop meeting. We will meet in the worship center at St. Mark's at 7:00 PM. Wear Class A uniform.
TROOP ELECTIONS
Troop elections were held last Monday night. Our new Senior Patrol Leader is Jared Dix. Anyone interested in serving on his staff should see him at the next troop meeting or email him at jareddix@comcast.net. New Patrol leaders and Assistant Patrol leaders are: Raven – PL Michael Hahn, APL Kellum Johnson ; Tiger – PL Josh Meyer, APL Ben Honey; Wolf – PL Alex Riner; Viper – PL Asher Paxton, APL Matt Fowler, Rattlesnake – PL Karl Klaus, APL Luke Clement. Our new leadership will take over on Monday March16. Congratulations to our new leaders and thank you to Daniel Moreland and his staff and Patrol Leaders for a job well done!
Order of the Arrow
OA elections were also held last Monday night. The following scouts were elected to be candidates this year: Mike Montalbano, Asher Paxton, Alex Riner, Sidney Roy and Reed Spivey. The OA Tap Out will be at 7:00 PM on April 4 at 7:00 PM at Camp Stahlman. Candidates should plan to attend the Ordeal Weekend May 29 -31 at Camp Stahlman.
WEBELOS CROSS OVER
We had 5 new Webelos Scouts cross over to our troop Sat 14th: Michael Gray, Trey McAdams, Griffin Dodd, Tyler Croney, and Jim Allen. Please make them welcome to our troop.
ADULTS
We had a great District Awards Banquet thanks to Gary Wiser and his crew of troop volunteers. The food was absolutely great! We picked up our share of awards. Our troop picked up a Quality Unit Award, and national camping awards for 2007 and 2008. Asst Scoutmasters Jeff White and Mark Perkins each received the Scouter Training Award. Asst Scoutmaster Steve Dix and Committee Member Dr. Russ Galloway received the District Award of Merit also known as the Long Rifle Award. Asst Scoutmaster Dorsey Horne recently received the Bronze Pelican Award which was presented at the Scout Mass for his service to youth.
There will be an Adult Rapelling Certification Weekend on March 27th and 28th. Another course will be held on April 24 and 25. If any adults are interested, sign up on the council web site under High Adventure Adult Training.
The Adult White Water Course will be held May 15 -17 at Boxwell Reservation and May 29 -31 at the Hiwassee River. If any adults are interested, sign up on the council web site under High Adventure Adult Training. You will have to choose either kayak or canoe training at the time of registration. You must complete both sessions to receive certification.
The troop will reimburse adults for training fees upon completion of either course.
MARCH CAMP OUT
March 20 - 22 camp out at Shiloh National Battle Field. We will meet at the Eagle's Nest at 5:00 PM on Friday, March 20. Try to grab a sandwich before you show up – it's about a 2 ½ hour drive and we won't stop until about half way. Bring comfortable walking shoes as we will be doing the 14 mile hike through the battlefield on Sat. Be sure to bring a day pack, a canteen, and rain gear. We will wear Class A's on the hike. We will cook as a troop since we will be pushed for time. Sign up on the bulletin board. We plan to return at 1:30 PM on Sunday, March 22nd. We will have a sign up sheet at the troop Court of Honor.
SERVICE PROJECTS
Michael Daniel s doing his eagle scout project on March 28 at the Stones River National Battlefield, volunteers will be working on seeding an area with indigenous plant species, clearing the area of invasive plant species, and removing modern fencing. It will start at 8:30 AM on March 28 at the information center across from the cemetery. The only things you need to bring are a pair of leather gloves and yourself. Lunch will also be provided. There will be a sign up sheet on the board at the next few meetings before it happens so if you can go please sign up.
There is another great opportunity to improve our natural and cultural landscape on April 18th. Stones River National Battlefield and Murfreesboro Greenway and Wetlands Program are holding a joint work day at two sites. Wal-Mart and Sam's Club will provide lunch for all volunteers. Work will include planting of native plants to restore the floodplain of the Stones River and Lytle Creek, remove invasive plant species, remove old agricultural fencing from the cultural landscape of Stones River National Battlefield, and pick up trash from the greenway and the battlefield. Registration is from 8:30AM to 9:00AM. Lunch will be served at noon. Wear boots, long pants, and bring gloves. Be prepared to get dirty and make a positive change in your public lands!
When: Saturday, April 18th, 8:30AM to 12:30PM
Where: Stones River National Battlefield, Tour Stop 6 (DIRECTIONS TO THE ARTILLERY MONUMENT: Broad Street (41/70S) toward Nashville, Cross intersection with Thompson Lane, Pass the GE Plant on your right, Cross railroad tracks, Take an immediate Right onto Van Cleve Lane, Follow Van Cleve Lane as it curves to the right, then left into the NPS parking lot) and Old Fort Park Pavilion 2, Overall Street
APRIL CAMP OUT
We will do a back packing trip to Virgin Falls on April 18 and 19.
MAY CAMP OUT
This will be May 1-3. We are planning a fishing/canoeing camp out probably somewhere on the upper Caney Fork River near Rock Island
BSA WHITE WATER PADDLING CLINIC
This is two days of white water canoe and kayak instruction on the Hiwassee River on August 1st and 2nd. This is on a first come, first served basis, so you need to sign up right away. This is great preparation for our troop white water trip later in August. More information and signup sheets are on the bulletin board.
CAMPMOR ORDERS
We will place an equipment order with campmor this week. Anyone who wants to place an order needs to write the item number, size, color and other information on the sheet on the bulletin board or email Mr. Warren. You can check out the on-line catalog at www.campmor.com.
SUMMER CAMP
We will depart for Summer Camp on June 7, 2009 and return on June 12. The cost this year will be $165 if you register by April 1. The fee is $185 after that. Anyone wanting to apply for financial help for camp should see Mr. Warren as soon as possible. Get with Mr. Ervin as soon as you know what merit badges you want to take.
CANADA HIGH ADVENTURE
July 4 – 15. Based on recent communications, I have updated our trip roster. Please review this for changes – several from the standby list have been moved onto the trip roster. Please get with Mr. Holtman if you have not made your $250 payment.
Trip Roster (Let Mr. Warren know if your plans have changed)
Names (Listed in the order you signed up)
Scouts Under 21:
1 Jimmy Mansfield
2 Jared Dix
3 Thomas Simmons
JT Waldron (Withdrew)
4 Reed Spivey
5 Josh Perkins
Thomas Dugan (Withdrew)
6 Asher Paxton
7 Cristian Quiterio
8 Parker Sherer
Justin Jones (Withdrew)
Alex Galloway (Withdrew)
9 Michael Dodson
10 Sidney Roy
11 Josh Meyer
12 Drew Hinds
Standbys
13 Alex Riner
14 Brandyn Whitaker
Adults 21 and over:
1 Dennis Harden
2 Gore Ervin
Brian Ervin (Withdrew)
3 Hal Taylor
4 Mike Warren
5 Rick Mansfield
6 Steve Dix
7 Tom Falana
8 Everett Simmons
9 David Spivey
10 Jane Paxton (Added Back)
Standbys
11 Chantal Quiterio (Added Back)
12 Patrick Horne
13 Dorsey Horne
14 John Meyer
15 Gary Whitaker
Monday, March 2, 2009
Troop 398 News - March 1
TROOP MEETING THIS WEEK
There have been a number of new changes this year – so even if you've been to camp before, be sure to attend our Summer Camp Kick Off meeting this Monday, March 2. We will meet in the Worship Center at the church.
TROOP ELECTIONS
Elections for Senior Patrol Leader and Patrol Leader will be held on Monday March 9th.
FEBRUARY CAMP OUT
Those people who purchased food for the cooking groups should see Mr. Holtman to be reimbursed. The cost of the meal will be split up among the members of the group and charged to their scout account. Each person will also be charged $4.72 for campground fees. Adults, check with Mr. Holtman to see what we owe for food.
MERIT BADGE UNIVERSITY
CUMBERLAND MBU will be held on Sat., March 14. See Mr. Horne as soon as possible to sign up.
WEBELOS CROSS OVER
There will be a District Crossover for Webelos scouts at Barfield Crescent Park on March 14th at 6:00 PM. Any scouts who want to assist Mr. Warren will receive service credit.
ADULTS
March 13 is the Trail of Tears District Adult Awards Banquet. It will be held at St. Mark's again this year. Once again Gary Wiser is heading up a cooking crew from Troop 398 to prepare the steak supper. All registered adults and their spouses are invited to attend. See Mr. Warren for a registration form. The cost is $17.00 per person.
MARCH CAMP OUT
March 20 - 22 camp out at Shiloh National Battle Field. Sign up on the bulletin board.
SUMMER CAMP
We will depart for Summer Camp on June 7, 2009 and return on June 12. The cost this year will be $165 if you register by April 1. The fee is $185 after that. Anyone wanting to apply for financial help for camp should see Mr. Warren as soon as possible. Get with Mr. Ervin as soon as you know what merit badges you want to take.
CANADA HIGH ADVENTURE
Troop 398 has confirmed reservations for two crews of 11 members each. A high adventure base staff member (Interpreter) will be added to each crew making a total of 12 members in each crew. Each Interpreter will have a satellite phone for use in case of an emergency. Each crew will travel three people to the canoe, making 4 canoes for each crew. Crews cannot travel together – they must travel different routes. Our crew designations are B070709 A & B. We will depart Murfreesboro on July 4th. We have to report to Bissett Base Camp in Manitoba, Canada between 1 and 3 PM on July 7, 2009. The next morning, we will fly out by float plane to Scout Lake where we load canoes and begin paddling. We will return to Scout Lake on July 13 where we will be picked up by float plane and return to Base Camp. We will clean up and turn in gear and depart early the next morning, July 14. We will return to Murfreesboro in the evening on July 15.
For more information on the base camps go to www.ntier.org. Check out the Outfitter link for trading post items. (They have jungle boots for sale for $59.95)
Fee Payment: Our next payment of $250 per person is due March 16, 2009.
Travel Arrangements:
Highway mileage from Murfreesboro to Winnipeg is 1360 miles or about 22 hours driving time. We are checking airline costs as well as van or bus rental costs. Comercial air lists roundtrip tickets in the $750 range. We could possible get by with one night lodging in Winnipeg and save on meals, but we would have to arrange transportation from Winnipeg to Bissett and back. If we drive, we are looking at 3 days going up and about 2 days returning. This is our lowest cost option, but it extends the trip by two days. We'll have more on this as we gather our facts. We always try to stay overnight at military bases or churches to keep our cost down. Meals on the way usually average about $25/ day. Best information on the float plane is about $200 per person round trip.
Passports:
If we fly, everyone will need a Passport – Cost: $100 for adult and $85 for youth $ 75 to renew. If we drive, we can get a Passport Card – Cost: $45 for adults and $35 for youth.
Medical
We now have copies of the special medical form that we must use for this trip. Pick one up from Mr. Warren. (You can use this for Summer Camp also)
Trip Budget (per person)
Northern Tier Fees $ 422.00
Float Plane 200.00
Group Photo 11.00
Transportation (van) 236.00
Lodging enroute (estimated) 50.00
Food enroute 150.00
Crew Supplies 10.00
Total $1079.00
Other:
Fishing License ?
Passport or Passport Card ?
Spending Money ?
Trip Roster (Let Mr. Warren know if your plans have changed)
Scouts Under 21:
1 Jimmy Mansfield
2 Jared Dix
3 Thomas Simmons
4 Reed Spivey
5 Josh Perkins
6 Thomas Dugan
7 Asher Paxton
8 Cristian Quiterio
9 Parker Sherer
10 Justin Jones
11 Michael Dodson
12 Sidney Roy
Standbys
13 Josh Meyer
14 Drew Hinds
15 Alex Riner
16 Brandyn Whitaker
Adults 21 and over:
1 Dennis Harden
2 Gore Ervin
3 Hal Taylor
4 Mike Warren
5 Rick Mansfield
6 Steve Dix
7 Tom Falana
8 Everett Simmons
9 David Spivey
10 Patrick Horne
Standbys
11 Dorsey Horne
12 John Meyer
13 Gary Whitaker