May Newsletter 2015

Posted on April 29, 2015 by Troop Secretary

Note: Sharing and Print functions are located at the bottom of the newsletter.

Upcoming Dates:

Planning Meetings

Committee Meeting – Second Monday, 7pm at Grace Community Church
PLC Meeting – Third Monday, 7pm at Grace Community Church

Website: www.bsa-troop111.org

Friends of Scouting

Thanks to those that have returned their pledge card. If you have not already, please return the card in the postage paid, addressed envelope that was sent with the card – even if you cannot donate anything this year. Our troop is committed to getting 100% return on cards.

Do a good turn daily

Summer Schedule

Summer meetings are at various locations from June 2rd through August 12th. Scout Class B should be worn. Bring water to drink! The full summer schedule will be published soon.

May DC Trip

The permission slip for the upcoming Washington, DC trip is attached. On Saturday, we plan to visit Arlington National Cemetery, two Smithsonian museums, and various monuments and memorials around the mall. It should be a great day. The boys should plan to be in their class A uniforms for the trip up, all day in the district on Saturday and the trip home. They should also have a water bottle, rain gear, good walking shoes, a day pack and probably a little spending money as well.

Thanks to our excellent committee chairman, Mr. Hoeing, we will be staying on private property in Northern Virginia. This will keep the cost down and allow us to have a nice campfire program Saturday evening.

The cost for the trip is $25. This includes the usual cost for food as well as about $12 for Metro passes to get in and out of the city.

Permission slips and cash (no checks) are due by the beginning of the meeting on May 12, but can also be submitted a week early, on May 5. Earlier is better.

As with all events dues must be paid and current (self -completed) medical forms must be on file in order to go. Any parents who wish to attend and drive boys in their vehicle must have current youth protection training.

Please contact Mr. D if you have any questions.

Summer Camp 2015 – Camp

Summer camp this year will be July 19 – July 25. Please complete all the questions below to help with camp registration, primarily with the selection of merit badge classes or activities. For the schedule of merit badge classes, please see page 4 of the 2015 Camp Shenandoah Program Guide. Prerequisites and descriptions of the merit badges can found later in the same program guide.

Early registration for camp Shenandoah is due 4/28 and will be $250 (total). It will be $275 for any boys adding after May 1st. There are additional fees due for some activities and merit badges. Those fees can be paid before or at the time of camp. There is a program specially tailored for the new scouts at Shenandoah (Timber Mountain) that I will be talking to the boys about in the near future. As well, Camp Shenandoah has high adventure opportunities that I can also discuss with older boys. If the fee is keeping a boy from going please let us know there are opportunities through the troop for assistance.

Adults $85 no early fee break (If you paid initial $100 fee for Ottari talk to Mr. Otto about the difference)

Please make checks out to Troop 111.

Please sign up for merit badges HERE.

Start making appointments, if needed, for your annual physicals. We need forms A, B and C up to date by the date of the trip for any trips over 72 hours.

Court of Honor, June 2 @ Chris Green Lake

In the Scouting a court of honor is a troop activity where scouts and their families come together to recognize the boys hard work, their achievements, and generally to have a good time together. It is important for the scouting family to be there for their scouts receiving rank advancement, merit badges, and other awards.

The June 2nd Court of Honor will be held at 7pm at Chris Green Lake Shelter. Park in the lot on the left after the entrance and follow the paved path to the shelter. Bring a flashlight, bug spray, and dessert to share. Families are encouraged to attend and can bring a camp chair for comfort.

Setup Patrols are FA & Cobras, be there at 6:30 p.m.
Cleanup Patrols are Frogs & Panthers.
ADDRESS: 4748 Chris Greene Lake Road, Charlottesville, VA
DIRECTIONS: Take Route 29 North towards Earlysville; Turn left onto Route 649 (Airport Road); Turn right onto Route 606; Turn left onto Route 850 (Chris Greene Lake Road).

Troop Beach Week June 21-26

If you are starting to plan your summer, make sure to reserve June 21-26 for the Troop Beach trip to Oregon Inlet.

50 Miler

8eedc5cb80a35e9ed80ff0f337ad6282[1] 50 miler is scheduled for July 5th and will be 6 nights 7 days. Trek will be on the Appalachian trail near Roanoke. Contact Dave Hietanen for more information

Time for Summer Troop Shirts

Time for summer fun and Summer Troop 111 Snoopy Shirts! If you want a new one, we will collect up to 2 clean white shirts from you at the beginning of the next two troop meetings, May 5 and May 12. Make sure that your son’s name is clearly marked – preferably write it on the inside of the shirt – so we can make sure your shirt gets back to you. Adults can also have a shirt silk-screened. The new shirts ready for pick up at the June 2 meeting.

Have you outgrown your Summer Troop 111 Snoopy Shirts? Please bring them into the troop meeting onMay 5 or 12 to pass onto boys in the troop who can wear them. Remember Scouts are prepared and thrifty.

Would you like to silk screen with Mrs. Kaczka? Join her at her house on Saturday May 16 at 2:00 p.m. until Please email me at Mrs. Kaczka if you can come. 2-4 boys and/or adults would be great!

BSA Medical Forms – IMPORTANT for SUMMER CAMPS!!!

For most Scouts, it is time to renew their annual medical forms. If a Scout is attending Beach Week or Summer Camp, they need to have Forms A, B, and C completed which includes a physical. If not attending a longer event, a parent needs to update Form A and B annually. ASMs should also update medical forms annually. Medical forms should be given to Treasurer Mr. Otto. The link for Medical Forms can be found under Scout Links on the troop website. If the timing doesn’t work for your insurance coverage, MedExpress provides physicals for $20. Call 978-3998 for the Charlottesville Seminole Square location. Make sure to bring the form with you.

Adult volunteer email list

If you would like to be added to or removed from the adult volunteer email list please send email to troop111info@gmail.com. If you are the list you can email all the adult leaders by sending an email to snoopy-troop-111@googlegroups.com. Since this goes to all adult leaders please be sure to use “email discretion”.

The $value$ of Scouting Service Hours

Independent Sector, a nonprofit network dedicated to supporting other nonprofits, recently updated its estimate for the national value of volunteer time. That new number is $23.07 an hour. That adds up to $331 million in volunteer service hours provided by scouters.

To bring it closer to home, each service project the troop does on a campout is worth over $500. That time 12 camping trips a year equals about $6000 a year. That does not include Eagle Projects, community service projects, or scouting for food. Keep up the great work Troop 111!