General News/Roundtable News
**Gander Mountain is offering a Deal on Scouting Equipment/Gear on
Feb 28, 2004. Remember to show your BSA Membership card ALWAYS for
10% off.
**WCHA Scout Day is Sat. 3/20/04 a 2 PM game. $15 buys a ticket in,
a hot dog, soda, chips and post game on ice slap shots.
**Monster Jam at the Metrodome 3/13/04 7:30 AM. Discounted prices
for Adults & Kids under 12.
**Monster, Inc Ice Show at the Target Center 4/7-4/11/04. Special
group rates.
**Scouting Day with the Gophers. Baseball agt Nebraska at the Dome
on 3/6/04 6:35 PM Cost is $6 and there is an open field clinic from
3:30-5:30 PM.
**Harlem Globetrotters at Target Center on 2/28/04. Events start at
11:45 AM. Discount tickets available.
**Scout nights with the Saints on 6/23/04. Playing the Sioux City
Explorers. Special Scout price of $15.
**Spring Advancement will be 2/24/04 at Christ the King
Church�..youth leadership roles and a free rocket kit offered.
Time: 7 PM
**District Award Dinner on Friday, 3/12/04. Register by 3/5/04.
**In addition, the 2004 Dan Patch District Klondike Derby will be
held 2/21/04 from 9-3.
Check with Kathy Burnside or the Scoutmasters for more information on
these events.
District and the Troop urge ALL Adult Leaders to complete their training. You can access the training information from the Viking Council website. Please make this a priority!
There will be a Firearm Safety course offered beginning 3/2/04. Cost is $10 and the course is on Tuesday and Thursdays. Check with Ed Schmidt if interested.
Steve Carr reminded the parents that Wood Badge Training will be offered again this summer and urged all to consider this course.
There is an opening to be the leader at District level for Boy Scouts. If interested, see Ed Schmidt.
IMPORTANT!!! Eagle Review will be at Christ the King Church on February 24, 2004 at 7:00 PM. All Life Scouts who have not attended prior need to go to this and any Star Scouts close to rank advancement should consider attending as well.
Scoutmaster Report
The Scoutmasters have asked Steve Carr, Dave Kuplic and Steve Kirchner to form a committee to examine our finances and create some policies on how we spend our funds, etc. They are charged with determining a plan and to make recommendations. The Committee was expanded and will include Treasurer, Andy Christensen and Kelan Werkmeister.
Their purpose will be to develop long term and short term budgets,
checks and balances and policies on spending. Suggestions included:
----annual gift to Normandale Hills Churrch
----increase the wreath money for Camp CCredits
----increase the Eagle Award
----pay for adult leaders who attend Higgh Adventures
----it was suggested that since we have essentially two income
streams: the boys' sales of wreaths and the wholesale business that
we consider using the boys' sales as something that can be given back
$ for $ to the kids as Camp Credits and the wholesale business money
be used to support the troop.
The Committee would be interested in any suggestions��.please contact
them direct.
Camping
The February campout is at the Isaac Walton League facilities on Bush Lake. The plans are for this to be a Son/Father campout on Saturday night with an all parent cookout that evening. The event is planned for Saturday Feb. 2, 2004 at 10 AM. Go directly to the Camp. At 5:00 there will be a small orientation for the Webelos Scouts and parents we are inviting. 6:00 PM dinner is planned. We plan a wicked Broomball game as well as a small service project to pay for the use of the facilities. There will be an ice fishing demonstration, ice football and Famous Troop Sled will be brought out��.BRING EXTRA CLOTHES, if you think a trip on the sled sounds like fun. Even if you can't sleep over, come for the steak fry and camaraderie!! Rumor has it there may be a Patrol fire burning contest too.
March campout is being planned and we are considering the campsite near Cannon Falls on the weekend of 3/19, 3/20, & 3/21. We are planning on a Rifle/Shotgun demonstration.
The April campout will be 4/16-4/19. Place as yet not picked. We'd like to use a State Park. Send your suggestions to Ross.
The May campout will be 5/7 at Cleary Lake that will include the OA
Call Out and Pig Roast on 5/8/04. Good times and Good weather!
HIGH ADVENTURES
Lou Heffernan needs payment from the Scouts attending the SCUBA Training High Adventure THIS MONDAY!! A check for $100 per Scout is required; the troop is picking up the remaining cost for this initial training and the Scouts can use their Camp Credits for this activity. See Lou on Monday.
Tim Anderson and Dave Kuplic are planning a Northern MN High Adventure. This adventure is geared for Scouts who are age 15+ or Star Scouts. The Adventure will be the same week as Many Point and the cost is estimated to be about $125 each. Adult leaders will be needed. Activities include mountain biking at Lutsen, rock climbing, sea kayaking, camping in the Boundary Waters----this trip will be about 4 nights in length. See Tim or Dave if interested.
Reservations have been sent in for High Adventure-Sea Base. This would be for the summer 2005. The total approximate cost, including airfare, will be $1000. The adventure we are looking into is on one of the Tall Ships based in the Bahamas. Scouts must be age 14 by the time they are to leave and cannot be over age 18. We will need at least two Adult Leaders. We are waiting to see what trip we get on the lottery system. If you want to read about this adventure, check out the website http://www.bsaseabase.org/adventure/sea_exp_par.htm
Scout Jamboree------we have three Scouts who have registered��John
B., Andrew K. and Chris N.
TREASURER'S REPORT
Camp credits will be given under a new calculation method to increase the amounts the Boys earn. We will still use increment levels to encourage sales and the percentages at each level will remain the same, but now the higher percentage will be applied to the first dollar and not just the money in each level. So the more the boys sold, the higher the increment level they achieved and they will be paid based on the higher % for all of their sales.
IMPORTANT!!!!! The troop has made the $50 deposit on the Two
Family Cabins at Family Camp at Many Point that we usually use. We
currently have no one signed up for the cabins. If you want to use
one or both, contact Andy immediately.
ADVANCEMENT REPORT
It is time for the yearly re-chartering of the troop. The fee of $25 per boy is due now. Make the check to the Troop and give it to Evan Newton or Tom Solberg. This would be a great time to be sure we have the current addresses and phone number for everyone too.
Secretary's Note
If you are receiving this newsletter by mail, that means I do not have your Email address. Email delivery allows you to receive the news quicker and it is cheaper and easier as well. If you have an email account, please let me know or better yet, email me the address to my account at [email protected]. Thanks.
Calendar
February | |||
| 2 | Meeting | 7:00 PM | NHUMC |
| 5 | Parent District Roundtable | 7:00 PM | CTKLC |
| 7 | Parent Planning Meeting | 7:30 AM | NHUMC |
| 9 | Meeting | 7:00 PM | NHUMC |
| 21 | Campout / | 10:00 AM | Isaac Walton Bush Lake |
| All parent steak fry | 5:00 PM | '' | |
| 23 | Meeting | 7:00 PM | NHUMC |
March | |||
| 8 | Meeting - Nominations | 7:00 PM | NHUMC |
| 15 | Meeting - Elections/Campout Planning | 7:00 PM | NHUMC |
| 19 | Campout - Rifle and Shotgun | TBD | Cannon Falls |
| 22 | Board of Review/ TLC Meeting | 7:00 PM | NHUMC |
April | |||
| 1 | District Roundtable | 7:00 PM | CTKLC |
| 5 | Court of Honor / Many Point Signup | 7:00 PM | NHUMC |
| 16 | Campout | TBD | |
| 19 | Meeting | 7:00 PM | NHUMC |
| 26 | Meeting | 7:00 PM | NHUMC |
ALL PARENTS!!! Please attend the monthly Parent Meetings and learn how the troop functions. Mark your calendar now for the March Meeting and join in.
MISC:
Have you been over to the Troop Website lately??? The newsletters
are archived there and there is helpful information on the troop for
all. Book mark this site:
http://www.geocities.com/MN_Troop469/
Thanks to Jeff Nygren who maintains the site for us.
Pine Tree Training is scheduled for Youth Leaders��see Ross Amundson if interested.