All: February 9th is “Blue and Gold” night- we will be celebrating 100 years of scouting. The cubs are preparing for this event and we will party from 8:00pm to 8:30pm!

Cubs: Tonight we talked about different forms of energy: from our bodies, from the ground- fuels and gases. The boys had to come up with and list 25 things in a house that uses electricity!

The cubs will be planting a tree, dedicating it to Tyler Presbyterian Church.

Boy Scouts: Scouts need to sign up for the Merit Badge workshop.  Bring $25/scout to the next mtg.  Event is Feb 19-20 at Camp Tyler.  We will likely meet there. No cooking.  Eat dinner before arriving at 5/6pm.  Philip Greenwell will spend the night with us.  Mr. Smith is teaching on Sat.



All:

  • Blue and Gold party: All scout families are invited to a special celebration of 100 years of cub scouting! Mark your calendars for Tuesday evening, 2/9/10. The cubs will be arranging and planning this party, so they need a idea of how many will come. Would you rsvp Todd ( tb@horizonbusiness.com) if your family plans on attending? Again, all scout families are invited!
  • We will be having our own 2nd annual Pinewood Derby race! The date is yet to be determined, but it will be in March. Todd will have the cars next week; they are $4 each.

Cubs:

Tonight we talked about the importance of listening in communication: when we read God’s Word, are we listening to what He has to say to us? How about when our parents speak? Are we really listening?  To reinforce this in a practical way, we played the game, “telephone”.

Boy Scouts:

Congratulations to Ellery Carpenter! He has the new scout position, “Quarter Master”. The Quarter Master is in charge of all the camping equipment.

Tonight the boys discussed how they would be better prepared the next time they camp out:

  1. There will be no more disposable cups, plates & utensils. Each boy needs to bring his own plate, cup, bowl and utensils. This is sold as a “mess kit” that can be found at Walmart, Gander Mountain, and even on Amazon.  Also it’s suggested to buy a “lingerie bag” for wet clothing.
  2. Another change: all boys will need to obtain permission from the scoutmaster before bring any raw meat on a camp out.
Looking ahead:
James will be out of town on scout meeting night, 2/9/10. Please email Mimi (mimi@ipog.com) to let her know if you can be present while the scouts meet. We just need a couple of adults to supervise.
Merit Badge Workshop: February 19-20. We still need 1 dad to go with James - the boys cannot go without meeting this requirement.  The cost of $25 per scout is due 2/2/10. It will be held at Camp Tyler located in Whitehouse, meals provided.
Some exciting things:
  1. Boy Scouts’ Leadership Rotation is coming up in late February.
  2. Mr. Wes Volberding will be teaching the Law Merit Badge.
  3. Mr. Don Smith will be teaching the Communications Merit Badge (eagle required).
  4. All Scouts will be gearing up to be physically fit before summer camp.



Cubs & Webelos:

  • Tonight we starting planning for the Blue and Gold party and we played Bible Trivia.
  • Blue and Gold party: All scout families are invited to a special celebration of 100 years of cub scouting! Mark your calendars for Tuesday evening, 2/2/10. The cubs will be arranging and planning this party, so they need a idea of how many will come. Would you rsvp Todd ( tb@horizonbusiness.com) if your family plans on attending? Again, all scout families are invited!

Boy Scouts:

Camporee this weekend!

  • Transportation is not provided - Please bring your scout to Camp Ford Friday night, 6pm. James plans on being there at 6pm, so if your scout is earlier, someone there should show him where our troop 131’s campsite is.
  • We will pack up by 5pm, Saturday. Please be sure to pick up your scout by 5pm.
  • Camporee 2010 details are available in this document:
    Please print them out and go over them with your Scout.  Note that we will NOT be having a fire at our campsite for this event — thus, all cooking will be done on stoves.
    FOOD — Our scouts divided into their patrols at the last meeting, created menus, and then distributed the ingredient list amongst themselves.  Please make sure your Scout knows what he’s bringing and that it is on his checklist.
    WEATHER — It looks as though it will be wet & chilly for the Camporee.  I see good chances for rain and temperatures in the 40’s.  Please have your scout pack appropriate clothing.
    OUR EVENTS — Our Troop is hosting TWO EVENTS at Camporee.  (Please see the details link for descriptions).  During the Pioneering session, our Troop will demonstrate how to use lashings to create a tripod capable of holding a dutch oven over a fire.  During the Competitive portion of the day our troop will host the COMPASS ORIENTATION event.
    Looking ahead:

    – MERIT BADGE WORKSHOP –
    You probably recently received the Merit Badge Workshop flyer in the mail.  If not, I am providing a link to similar information.
    This is MB Workshop is offerring 18 merit badges!  So there is something for everyone here.  We need to register by February 8th to avoid late fees.
    The Signup Sheet for the 2010 Feb. Merit Badge Workshop is at:
    (Let me know if the link doesn’t work.  Remember to SAVE after your edits.)
    Let’s commit to getting all attendees on this list before February!   $25/scout, $15/adult.  (Covers food.)
    NEED: One or two fathers to commit to camping with me Friday night at this event.
    Don Smith will be teaching on Saturday, so that will cover us for the day if the dads need hop off to work that morning; but I do need one parent (at minimum) to stay with me on Friday night.
    – SUMMER CAMP (JUNE 6-12) –
    NEED: One or Two Dads to attend this event with me.  (Prefer 2, as one of us might become ill or have a last minute conflict.)
    Dads: Please review your calendars and let me know if you can support this event with me.  I attended with Mr. Don Smith last year, but he will not be able to attend this year.  Our Troop typically attends the first week as it is the least crowded and the least hot.  To secure our spot for this week we want to be able to pounce on registration as soon as it is available.  To enable that fast response to registration, I need to know that we can field the required adult participation.  So, please make room on your calendars and let me know.  This is a great opportunity to spend a week camping with your son at a beautiful, well-run camp.



All: Please be in prayer for the Daniel family as they travel to China next week to pick up their new son, Josiah.  You may read more about their journey at lovetakesyouin.com.

Cubs: In John’s absence, we could really use help in the following events: Blue and Gold Banquet (in February) the Pinewood Derby Race, 3/13, and the Family Campout in April or May. Please let John know what you can do. His email address is j.daniel@scouts131.com.  Read this month’s newsletter here

Bears: Tonight we talked about resolutions: what it means and what we can do better as scouts in the area of our country, family and God. We also met our game requirement by playing Whoonu it!

Webelos: We worked on our traveler badge. Learned how to plan trips, read maps, book tickets.

Boy Scouts: Our focus this week and next will be training for the camporee next weekend, 1/15-1/16 at Camp Ford. Tonight we also planned our meals. Your scout knows what he needs to bring for food. He should also remember to bring the usual camping equipment- only tents and cooking equipment are provided. The boys chose “Campus Orientation” as the event to lead for the camporee. James is getting the supplies for this station, but may need help. Look for an email from him soon.

Looking ahead:

  • The Merit Badge Workshop will be on February 19-20, ending at 5pm on the 20th. We must complete signups and register by FEB 2.The Signup Sheet for the 2010 Feb. Merit Badge Workshop is at: http://tinyurl.com/ycn4kty
  • DADS: Please prayerfully consider a leadership role in Boy Scouts. You don’t need any special skills, just come and learn with the boys! We wouldn’t want James to be the “Lone Ranger”! On that note, summer camp has a HUGE need. We need 1 more dad (besides James) to go. We know it is a big commitment to make (having to take a week off from work). The boys cannot go to camp unless there are 2 leaders. We plan on going the 1st week of camp (early June).