Troop 131,
I hope you’re having a great weekend. I also hope everyone who participated in the NCAC Orienteering Orientation Day at Prince William Forest had fun—and, more importantly, learned a lot about orienteering. Looking forward to awarding more Orienteering Merit Badges soon!
Please sign up for the 20-mile hike this Saturday if you haven’t already. It’s also great training for our Philmont Scouts.
TROOP MEETING – Skateboarding
We will have a Troop meeting at 7:30 PM this Monday at Immanuel Church on the Hill. Back by popular demand, the youth leadership team is bringing back the Skateboard Meeting!
If you have a skateboard and helmet, please bring them. Any Scout who rides a skateboard (MUST) wear a helmet – 100% no exceptions! If a Scout does not follow this rule or behaves unsafely, they will sit with the adults for the rest of the meeting. I want everyone to be safe and then have fun!
Don’t have a skateboard or helmet? No problem, we’ll have extras available so everyone can participate.
JOHN WELLS EAGLE!
We are very pleased to announce Troop 131’s newest Eagle Scout – John Wells! John’s journey has been one of persistence, having been a member of two troops in two different states (during COVID no less) before joining Troop 131 as an 8th grader. John quickly rose to major leadership positions, becoming an ASPL within 2 months of joining 131 and then SPL 6 months later! The last scout remaining from the storied Nylon patrol (he still wears the patch), his path to Eagle culminated in a project for the ACHS Garden Club, building 6 large raised beds at the community garden on Chinquapin Circle.
Many Congratulations, John!
Kathryn Farmer
Advancement Chair, Troop 131
20 MILE DAY HIKE TO MT. VERNON AND BACK- MAY 9TH
We have 10 scouts already signed up for this, and a very healthy contingent of older scouts. Remember, this is one of the tougher requirements for the Hiking Merit Badge to earn, so now is the time to lock that one in! Fingers crossed, but right now the weather looks great!
… We’ll be hiking to Mount Vernon and back. This is a 20-mile hike to meet the merit badge requirements. Participation is highly encouraged for all Philmont Scouts, but all are welcome. We’ll start again from Jones Point Park and if we get road support some people can just do the first half. Please sign up below and let me know if you have any questions.
Who: Open to All Scouts
What: Philmont Training Hike
When: Saturday 9 May @ 0800
Where: Mt. Vernon and Back (20 Miler)
Why: Need it for the Merit Badge
Cost: FREE
https://forms.gle/o1SS88iQ4PQyxosX6
Thanks,
Chris Grocki
Outings Coordinator
Boy Scout Troop 13
FOUR MILE RUN ANNUAL GEAR GIVEAWAY – MAY 14th
See below, this will be right before the monthly Four Mile Run Roundtable. If you need gear or have gear to donate, this is the place for you!
Annual Gear Giveaway – Open to All Four Mile Run District and former Chain Bridge District Units AND SCOUT FAMILIES – The May 14 District Showcase” marks the return of the Annual District Gear Giveaway – an opportunity to donate unwanted or unneeded Scout and camping items to fellow Scouts and Scouters, and/or to pick up needed items. Weather permitting, the Giveaway will be in the parking at Our Lady of Lourdes (830 23rd St South, Arlington, VA). Setup starts at 5:45 PM and runs until 8:00. All items are free, and there are no limits on what can be taken. Literally everything related to Scouting and/or camping has been offered at past Giveaways, so there’s no telling what might show up. Some years there is a lot of gear; other years not so much – but you never know. If the weather is uncooperative, the Giveaway will be postponed to the June 11 Roundtable.
*POINTERS:*
No items for sale – Everything is FREE.
“Cherry-picking” starts at 6:30 pm. If you have items to donate, please bring them EARLY (by NLT 6:15 would be best) to maximize the chances of someone grabbing them. If you cannot make it that night, please arrange an advance drop off at Bob Klein’s house (contact HERE.
The Giveaway is not a table-top dumpster – Please be reasonable. Moldy tents and tarps, delaminated, low quality or worn-out backpacks, bent tarp poles or pack frames, mangled stakes, badly dented cookware, worn-out or unwearable uniform parts, water-soaked books or paperwork items, and so on, are very unlikely to be claimed.
Unless you’re-claim your items before 8:00 PM, they will be discarded, recycled, or given to Units outside the District. Be aware, past experience has proven many times that items not taken by 7:45 pm are not going to be claimed.
GOSHEN CAMP UPDATES
It is hard to believe that camp is just over two months away. See note below from your summer camp coordinators!
Also, if you paid $100 when you signed up, we will apply this $10 toward the camp T-shirts. Please note, the T-shirts will likely be a bit more than $10 each, so we may ask for a supplemental payment after we order them.
Transportation: The bus to Goshen leaves early July 5 from the Fairfax County Government Center. Bus tickets this year cost $90; if you haven’t already, all scouts need to pay the treasurer via Zelle: treasurer@t131.org so we can register for the bus in early May.
Medical Forms: To attend Goshen, campers need to have Form A, B and C filled out — Form C MUST be filled out by a physician based on a physical within the past year, so will require parents to contact a medical professional.
All the medical forms needed for camp can be found here. We’d like to have these documents completed and collected by June 15. Mike or Meghan will be available at the end of each Troop meeting to collect forms. This paperwork must be on hand for campers to board the bus to camp on July 5.
Thanks much!
Meghan
SCHEDULE: One Month(ish) Look Ahead
Monday, May 4th – Troop Meeting – 7:30 PM – Immanuel Church on the Hill
Saturday May 9th – Day Hike – 20 Miles Jones Point to Mount Vernon (round trip)- Alexandria/Fairfax
Monday, May 11th – Troop Meeting – 7:30 PM (BoR) (PLC 6:45) – Immanuel Church on the Hill
Friday May 15th -17th – OA Conclave – Rodney Scout Reservation
Monday May 18th – Swim Test – Minnie Howard Campus Pool
Friday May 22nd -26th – Multi Day Backpacking Trip – Dolly Sods Wilderness
Monday May 25th – No Troop Meeting – Federal Holiday – Memorial Day
Monday, June 1st – Troop Meeting (TROOP ELECTIONS) – 7:30 PM – Immanuel Church on the Hill
Saturday, June 6th – Day Hike – Billy Goat Trail
Sunday, June 7th – Taste of Delray Service Project (8:00-10:30)
Sunday, June 7th – Gabe Muldoon Eagle Court of Honor (2:00-4:00)
Monday, June 8th – Troop Meeting (BoR) – 7:30 PM – Immanuel Church on the Hill
Friday, June 12th – ACPS – Last Day of School 😊
Friday, June 12th – 14th – Fishing Trip – Double M Farm- Mt. Crawford VA.
Monday, June 15th – Troop Meeting – 7:30 PM – Immanuel Church on the Hill
Monday, June 22nd – Troop Meeting – 7:30 PM – Immanuel Church on the Hill
Monday, June 29th – Troop Meeting – 7:30 PM – Immanuel Church on the Hill
Sunday, July 5th – Start of Summer Camp – Camp Olmsted – Goshen, VA
Monday, Jule 6th – No Troop Meeting
Sunday, July 11th – End of Summer Camp – Camp Olmsted – Goshen, VA
