Last Updated March 7, 2006

Notes on Summer Camp

• Merit Badges
  

  New Scouts

  New scouts going to summer camp are encouraged to enroll in the Raven Scout Program, which will cover many of the requirements for tenderfoot and second class scout. Also, the swimming merit badge is a good one to get the first year, so that in their second year scouts will be eligible to take other water activities such as canoeing and sailing.

  All Scouts

  All scouts should be aware that our troop has adults who teach special sessions of the three citizenship merit badges, the communications merit badge, the personal management merit badge, the family life merit badge, and the camping merit badge. Thus, scouts in Troop 412 are asked not to sign up for these merit badges at summer camp.

  
  

  You can find descriptions of all the merit badges offered at camp in the 2006 Leader's Guide.
  The merit badge descriptions start on page 13 of that guide.

 
News

• (May, 2005)  Before summer camp we will place an order for Woofer shirts. See Assistant Scoutmaster Ed Freshwater to order your shirts.

• (May, 2005)  Summer camp payments are due in the upcoming weeks.
  Check the complete fee schedule for Summer Camp 2005 to find the dates and amounts of the payments.

Notes from the Scoutmaster

• Scoutmaster Conferences
  Any scouts who are ready for advancement and who need to have a Scoutmaster's conference, should make a request directly to me for a conference. New scouts who are ready for their "Scout" rank should take note of this procedure. Also, all scouts should be in class A uniform for any Scoutmaster's Conference or Board of Review.

  
  

• Camping Notes

  Campout Check In / Check Out

  All scouts should check in with the boy leaders or an adult leader upon arrival at the church. Please check out with the boy leaders or an adult leader before you leave at the end of the campout. This is a safety issue….. the leadership needs to ensure everyone is accounted for before the church is locked!

  Loading / Unloading Camping Gear

  There is a considerable amount of equipment that must be moved each time we camp. All scouts are needed to help load and unload the bus as directed by the Quartermaster. If a scout arrives late or leaves early, his portion of the work must be divided among the remaining scouts. The fastest loading and unloading occurs when everyone does his share. If you have a conflict please notify the Scoutmaster ahead of time.

  Arrival Time

  The church parking lot is full every Sunday until about 12:40pm. We plan our arrival after this time to avoid scouts carrying gear through a busy parking lot into the church. Unloading typically takes 40 to 50 minutes after our arrival, if all scouts participate. After we arrive at the churchScouts may use the church telephone to notify their parents of the expected pickup time .

Suggestions for Stocking Stuffers for Scouts

If you're looking for some ideas for gifts for a scout, Tod Puckett has some suggestions:

• An orienteering compass. (An example is one made by Sylva.)
• A mess kit. (It does not need to be the official Boy Scout kit.)
• Wool socks for the "freezeree" camping trips in January and February.
• Polypropylene sock inserts for cold weather hiking. These inserts absord moisture from the feet, so the feet stay warmer.

A Suggestion for Parents of New Scouts

Bobby Stockberger has a suggestion for parents of new scouts:

As you begin to take patches and other items off the boys' uniforms, I really recommend keeping it all. If you'll put it in a shoebox or scrapbook somewhere, then later in life, the boys will be able to look back and find it. I wish I had done a better job of keeping those things when I was a kid!

Troop 412