This Saturday, December 11, our campout will begin by traveling from the VFW to Blaze Academy for two hours of conservation work. They have asked for our help with spreading mulch on trails and cutting cedar saplings growing under established trees.

Mark your calendars for this event that was just added to the calendar. Christmas cookie decorating, snacks, an ugly sweater contest, and a white elephant gift exchange ($15 maximum cost) are on the agenda.

The best way to advance your rank is to attend as many meetings and campouts as possible. Make a plan to look at your scoutbook before each troop meeting to see if there are requirements you have completed and are ready to get signed off. Make a small dot next to those so you won’t forget. When you are looking through the requirements you will see that some require work outside of meetings and campouts. For example watching the personal awareness videos and reviewing the youth protection packet. Tenderfoot, Second Class and First class all require fitness logging and cooking skills. When you volunteer to help cook at a campout, or are the patrol’s grubmaster those are opportunities to get cooking requirements signed off. If you are in a sport or do regular fitness activities at school , think about logging those activities to meet the fitness requirements. Remember we are all here to help you! And remember that advancing is important but it is only one of the eight methods of scouting.

It is important to remember that advancement is a journey not a destination. Your scout’s achievement will mean much more to them if is their journey and not yours. Try to ask questions like, “Is there anything you are planning to get signed off this meeting?” or “Do you need any help this week working on requirements?” or even “ What is your plan for advancement”? Think of yourself as a coach and try to nudge your scout not push. If you think your scout needs more support or pressure maybe reach out to the adult leadership and we can help you brainstorm or talk to the scout leadership to provide that while still keeping you more in the background. Advancement is important but remember that the value of scouting is in the process and the achievement only highlights how much progress they have made.

Typically the last few requirements for each rank up to first class will be the one about living the points of the scout law, scoutmaster conference and board of review.

Note the start time for the annual planning meeting this Sunday is at 5pm - an hour earlier than the normal troop meeting. This is so scouts will have plenty of time to plan their next year of camping.

For those going to Camp Strake! You received your MB classes this past meeting. Some of the badges have pre-work that needs to be done if you want to get the badge finished at camp. If you don't do the pre-work, that is OK, you can still do it after camp is over with a counselor from our troop! You can find that info on the Camp Strake website. Click on the link and go a little down the page....the third tab is 'Program/Merit Badges'....click there and look for your badge.

Seabase 2025 registration opens Jan. 18. Seabase is one of BSA's high adventure programs for older scouts (13+) with locations in the Florida Keys and the Caribbean. Troops interested in going must find adult leadership and enough scouts to fill a crew (8-12 people, including adults). We had a crew go to the Florida Keys Adventure over winter break 2022/2023 and it was a blast!