I hope everyone is doing well. Thank you to all the scouts and adults who showed up on Saturday to support the church and the pumpkin unloading. I think it was done in record time!
Just a quick update from the Climboree last weekend. While we certainly had some challenges, all in all, I think it was a great success. There are lots of photos posted to Facebook for anyone interested in seeing what the scouts were up to! Except for your scoutmaster (who came home with a couple of cracked ribs) everyone came home healthy. We still have some work to do with respect to cooking and specifically cleaning up so let’s all remember that for the next time.
There were a few lost items (including a scout belt and coffee mug) from the trip, see photo below and let me know if any of these are below to you.
Which brings me to the next topic, the CAMPOREE! Yes, this is a very busy month, and we need the full troop involvement with the Camporee as we are running the program! This is also an important event for recruiting and where we have Webelos/Arrow of Light Scouts visit us. Your attendance on this camping trip is necessary! See below.
TROOP MEETING
We will have a Troop meeting at 7:30PM at Immanuel Church on the Hill this Monday.
In addition, we will have a Board of Review for two scouts as well.
Please note, this is the LAST meeting before the Camporee. So, we need to do meal planning, visit the shed, and grab gear. If you borrowed gear from the last camping trip, then please return it clean and dry!
The good news on meal planning is that you only need to plan for THREE MEALS, Saturday Breakfast, Saturday Lunch and Sunday Breakfast. Saturday Dinner will be provided by the Troop/Adults (how lucky are you all). This is so that we can have dinner with the visiting Arrow of Light Scouts and engage them. For those that were not at the Climboree, we instituted a new rule after last week, which is that we are going to discourage the use of pancakes. There are plenty of other warm options for breakfast, let’s try one of them!
Just as a reminder (and for the new patrols) each patrol has a plastic bin/chuck box in the shed with a list of items that you should bring/might need on camping trips for cooking and cleaning. You can also use this bin to put your food into. Except for backpacking trips, you should use your bin on camping trips for your gear.
SUMMER CAMP COORDINATOR NEEDED
It is that time of year to start our planning for summer camp. As a placeholder (since it fills up quickly) I reserved a spot for the troop at Camp Olmsted (Goshen) for the first week of Camp (week of June 23rd). While we will not change the week of summer camp, we can certainly explore other locations if there is a desire. For those that went on the Climboree last week, we were treated to Camp Mountaineer, which frankly has amazing facilities.
Daren Devlin planned summer camp for the last two years (and did an amazing job) but we are looking for someone to take over the responsibilities from him. He set up a great system, so any new person will have lots of amazing tools to build upon. Please let me know if you are interested.
WREATH SALE
Don’t forget to start your Wreath Sales! We have lots of great things planned for next year and the proceeds from the sales help fund this. See message below from Mrs. Irwin our wreath sales coordinator! Remember the top three sellers get to put a whip cream pie in my face!
Hello Scout Families! I hope this finds you well.
It’s that time of year where we are getting our Scouts ready for one of their biggest fundraisers – Evergreen Sales. Last Monday, all attending scouts received a set of sales materials including a clipboard with one order form; friends and family flyers attached to door hangers for houses where no one is home (your scout will need to fill out their information), and laminated brochures featuring this year’s selection of items. Also attached to the board will be an envelope for them to collect order forms and payments.
We’re offering multiple ways for customers to pay this year: Cash, Check and Zelle – all preferred; and a QR code for credit card transactions, which though available, isn’t the best due to the fees the proceeds incur (3%).
The sales window will be Monday, October 2 through Monday November 13th when I will need everything back to ensure we can get the final order to Evergreen.
If you’re wondering how your Scout will benefit from participating:
- First and foremost, your scout is going to learn some great skills… knocking on a door, introducing themselves and what they represent, and advocating for what they are striving to achieve.
- Second, they are going to EARN MONEY THEY CAN USE. The proceeds from this don’t just go to the Troop – they go to individual scout accounts to help your scout pay for the adventures they seek to have. Backpacking, summer camp… all of it – 50% of their sales proceeds go to their individual accounts. I know more than one scout last year was able to pay their way to Goshen with this.
- Third, they’re doing a good turn and helping their troop! The other 50% of the proceeds go to the troop. All of those patches and badges, the scholarships, the picnics… all of that if funded partially through this fundraiser.
Finally, we will also be partnering with our sponsoring church, Immanuel Church on the Hill this year, to do sales through the online portal and during coffee hours. All proceeds from sales through the church will go 100% to the troop. More information on signing up for volunteer hours will be coming soon.
Please feel free to reach out to me with questions… I’m happy to help if I can.
HIGH ADVENTURE
We would like to start our long-term planning for High Adventure outings, including Philmont. I would like to get together with the older scouts (14 and older) at the meeting and have a brief discussion and gauge how much interest there is and for which locations.
SERVICE PROJECT- SCOUTING FOR FOOD
See note below from Mr. Moore. We have our annual council- wide service project- Scouting for Food.
Scouts and parents, please join us on Saturday, October 28th (flyer drop off) and November 4th (food pick-up) to encourage local residents to donate non-perishable food items to support Alexandria’s food pantries, meal kitchens, public schools, recreation centers and other community partners to aid those in need. This is an annual event in which the troop participates.
We will meet in the parking lot of Immanuel Church on the Hill at 3606 Seminary Rd., Alexandria, VA, at 9:00 AM, Saturday, October 28th and then return to the homes of the residents in which flyers were distributed at 10:00 AM, Saturday, November 4th to pick up donated, non-perishable food items and return them back to Immanuel Church on the Hill. For friends and family outside of the area to donate visit: https://yougivegoods.com/colonialdistrict-scoutingforfood2023.
This is a great way for Scouts to earn service hours and help those in need in our community. Parents and their automobiles are needed to drop off and pick up Scouts to distribute notices and pick up donated food items on both days. Parents, please contact ASM Andrew Moore if you are able to participate in transporting Scouts and donated food items on the flyer drop off and food collection days (andrewdmoore2@aol.com, 202-258-7103).
SCHEDULE: One Month(ish) Look Ahead
Monday, October 16th – Troop Meeting – 7:30 PM (PLC) – Immanuel Church on the Hill
Friday Oct. 20th-22nd – Colonial District Camporee- Cheltenham, MD
Saturday, October 21st – Immanuel Church on the Hill Pumpkin Drop Off 3 (8:30 – noon)
Monday, October 23rd – Troop Meeting – 7:30 PM (BoR) – Immanuel Church on the Hill
Saturday October 28th – – Scouting for Food Drop Off – Alexandria Neighborhoods
Monday October 30th – Troop Meeting- 7:30 PM (ACPS – No School) Immanuel Church on the Hill
Saturday November 4th – Scouting for Food Pick up – Alexandria Neighborhoods
Monday November 6th – Troop Meeting- 7:30 PM – Immanuel Church on the Hill
Monday November 13th – Troop Meeting- 7:30 PM – Immanuel Church on the Hill
Friday Nov. 17th – 19th – Patrol Outing or Camping Trip – Varies
