I hope everybody has recovered and is ready to start up again after our closer-to-home camp. The scouts were able to complete 36 merit badges With 16 partial's. Out of all of the partial merit badges most of them are straightforward and without a lot of hassle. Having a day camp over at LeRoy Oakes gave us a much greater ability to do things without the cost or the confines they would have had going to Freeland Leslie. As I'm sure all the kids noticed, they where able to have free time to just goof off, walk around and have a little bit of freedom to explore.
The final summer camp cost
The original cost estimate was going to be placed at $50 per scout. After all the expenditures I am happy to report that the cost of camp will be cut to $40 per scout. Those who already paid the $50 will be refunded the overpayment. Those who still owe for camp please remit your $40 as soon as possible.
Monday meeting - merit badge Monday
Monday 8/3 evening we will be trying to finish off some of the merit badges that the kids started at camp. If for some reason we cannot work on the badges because of rain we will be updating scout books and recording requirements for advancement. The boys were able to complete a fair few rank requirements during camp.
As everyone knows this is the final meeting before our summer court of honor. If you have any outstanding merit badge cards or rank advancements that need to be taken care of please let me know. We already have 2 boards of review and a few merit badges scheduled on the docket for our Monday meeting so please come prepared. The deadline for any awards will be the close of Monday evening's meeting. If I do not have the paperwork in my possession by that time you will have to wait until our December Court of Honor to receive your award. Listed below is the updated list of requirements from camp. Check to see if this information is correct. Please contact me if you have any questions or corrections.
Model Design and Building
Charles, Anthony and Porter
# 5 and 6
Note: Use any readily available materials on hand. Legos, wood, clay, plastic or cardboard whatever is plentiful.
Automotive maintenance
Wyatt, Porter
need blue cards
Anthony, Joey and Charles
#11- A
Joshua
#11-A and #11-C
Engineering
Joey
#6, 7, 8 and 9
American business
Jonah
#3, 5 and 6
Crime prevention
Wyatt and Joey
#6 and 7
Woodwork
Porter, Charles and
Anthony
#4, 5 and 6
Fire safety
Anthony
need blue card
Joey
#6a, b, 7c and 11
Archeology
Wyatt and Porter
need blue card
Charles
#8 and 11
Jonah
#8, 9 and 11
Summer Court of Honor
Our court of honor will be at LeRoy Oakes forest preserve on Sunday the 30th at 3:00. It is at the same pavilion that we held our summer camp (shelter #1) so everyone should be able to find it easy enough. Because we had to skip our Spring court of honor we have a back log of awards and recognition to give out. Attached below is the merit badge and rank advancement read out for the summer court of honor. Just because you don't see your name on this list doesn't mean we don't have awards for you. If you have not been to a court of honor in a while please come anyway we may just have some awards for you.
Court of Honor potluck meal
After our award ceremony a late lunch (early supper) will be held around 5pm. Please remember to sign up on our website so we can know how many people to cook for. If your last name begins with an A - M please bring a side to pass around. If your last name starts with an N - Z please bring a dessert.
Monday Aug 31st
For the last meeting in August we will be holding a flag retirement ceremony at the park. We will be starting at 7 o'clock and retiring as many flags as we can up until 8. This is a class A event so please make sure you wear your
I wanted to thank everyone that came to the court of honor this evening. We had a fantastic turnout and amazing participation.
Monday Aug 31st
For the last meeting in August we will be holding a flag retirement ceremony at the park. We will be starting at 7 o'clock and retiring as many flags as we can up until 8p. This is a class A event so please make sure you wear your class A.
We are expecting guests from pack 260 to join us tonight. As of now we have three that are coming.
I wanted to start tonight's letter off by saying thank you to everyone who was able to attend Jack Drake's Eagle project. Because of all the help Jack was able to get his project was finished Saturday morning before noon. He and his family had done some pre-work on the site and all of that pre-work paid off. In all the time that I have been helping out on Eagle projects I haven't ever helped construct a ga-ga ball pit. The principal of Lincoln Elementary School was very happy with the final result.
Race Into Scouting was a hit!! Most of the scouts attended, had never been, and definitely said they would come back again. Our troop was thanked immensely for helping out, and we even made new friends with a troop just immediately north of us. We are hoping to connect without new found friends and have them join us in a meeting or two in the near future.
We have only one week till we have our next court of honor and we want everyone to have the best chance to complete the badges they started.
Next Saturday will be our swimming and lifesaving merit badge work day. We will also have the leaders on hand to work with you on requirements and objectives. Everyone that may have something to do could get something done during the day.
We also have a cub scout Munhall meet and greet night that Mr.Browne can talk more about on Monday.
Swimming and lifesaving merit badge pre-work day. (and working on other stuff)
Camp Kane historic site
south side of langum park by 25 and Devereaux way
Aug 18th, 7p - 8:15p
*C.O.H. prep
*Merit Badge prep
*Cave camp-out prep
Swimming and Lifesaving merit badges
The Ottos house (It's really the neighbors)
1228 Easton Dr, Carol Stream
Aug 24, 11a - 4p Do you have the Swimming badge? Do you have the Lifesaving badge? You can and will be able to get both badges if you try and want to! The cost will be 5.00 per person for pizza and drink. The Swimming merit badge: Swimming Merit Badge (usscouts.org) The Lifesaving merit badge: Lifesaving Merit Badge (usscouts.org)
Court of Honor
Veterans Hall
311 n 2nd street
August 26, 6:30p - 8p
Everyone must RSVP on the troop website. If you need assistance, please ask.
This fundraiser is a little bit of work, but it is a fantastic way of supporting the troop and the VFW. This fundraiser is a subscription-based sale and is an ongoing chance for us to do some good and make some money. This is a St. Charles specific fundraiser so please read the notes and see if you can help us out.
If you have a family member, a friend, an acquaintance, a Cub Scout, or someone wishing to join you as a transfer from another troop please let us know. We all know that the only way for the troop to survive is for more people to join over the long run. If you know of anyone that could potentially be interested in joining, please have them come to a meeting, outing, camp-out or just for a visit.
Casey’s Safe Haven is a 501(c)3 non-profit holistic equine rescue dedicated to healing horses, ponies, donkeys, and mules in need. We will accept equines from animal control facilities, pony ride facilities, horses being retired from lesson programs, police force, and the race track. We also accept healthy animals donated by loving owners that for reasons beyond their control can no longer provide care. Our mission is to be a part of the solution by educating the public on the responsibilities and proper care of each equine so they receive the respect and dignity they deserve as living beings.
For more than fifty years, Anderson Humane has been the leading animal welfare organization in our community. We have been dedicated to creating positive connections between people and animals from day one because animals make us better! Today, we place more than 4,000 pets into loving homes each year. Our innovative programs make the healing presence of animals available to seniors, veterans, and those in crisis.
News Around Town:
Festivals and gatherings abound around town! Go out and seize the day!
In closing:
As always if you have any questions let us know. We will see you all Monday evening!
This week we have a lot of info and some really good news on the fall / winter meetings front. Some of these sections have been updated and/or re-posted from earlier newsletters. I have made updated headliners to let you know which ones are older or more current. Tomorrow evening will be our Zoom P.L.C. and Tuesday will be the Zoom C.M. I'm going to start tonight off with an eagle project notice.
Brock D Eagle Project
Brock has received the green light to begin his Eagle project. This Saturday (9 -19) at 3p to 7p and again on Sunday (9-20) from 8:00 a.m. To 5P. His project will be at the Camp Kane Historical Site in lingam park, East Side off of Riverside Ave. He will be refurbishing and repainting the 1840s law office.
2nd Monday P.L.C. and C.M.
The Patrol Leaders Council meeting this month (September 14th) will be on the Zoom account and the Committee Meeting will be moved to Tuesday the 15th also on Zoom. The P.L.C link will be sent out Monday afternoon. You can also check the troop calendar for the meeting link. It is already posted there. The link for the C.M. will be sent out Tuesday morning and again check the website calendar for links.
September Calendar - "re-posted from last week"
We all know that this fall and winter seasons will be very strange compared to what we are used to. In an attempt to keep us going down the road of In person meetings we will be meeting at Good Temper Park at 6:00 for the September 21st and September 28th meetings. I hope that since these are outdoor meetings, bumping up the time by an hour will allow us to use all daylight possible before it starts getting dark.
This troop update is a little later than normal because I spent all day with Brock and his family working on his Eagle project. I want to thank everyone who had time to stop by at some point during Saturday evening and today. We got the building stripped, sanded and painted with only a few sections left to do. Brock will probably be having another work day in the near future so if you have the ability to help him out I strongly suggest you come out and do so. Service hours performed over at Camp Kane are eligible for use in rank advancements and merit badges.
Monday's meeting 9 - 7
This Monday we will be meeting at Good Templar Park at 6p rather than 7p. It will be a challenge but hopefully this change will allow us to hold a meeting while staying ahead of the dark. This meeting will pertain to what we will be doing next weekend and what date we pick for the Wisconsin bike trip.
The original idea for our end of the month trip was to go out to Galena for a camp out weekend which turned into a day trip. If there are not enough participants for that, we can pick a different outing. It is not the place that we go to that matters. It is only that our troop is able to go to some place and do something.
The gentleman that I spoke to at Fort Mccoy in Sparta Wisconsin said that most weekends in October were wide open for campers. The original date for the bike trip was supposed to be the 16th 17th and 18th of the month. If a majority of potential participants are going to be out of town that weekend but not the weekend prior or after we will switch around some dates so as many people as possible have the chance to participate.
Fall Wreath and Popcorn Sales.
As we all know it is now time for popcorn and a wreath sales for the troop. Because 2020 has been the strangest year in living memory we are going to be streamlining our fall sale season to something a little more compact. Unfortunately we will not be participating in the popcorn sales this season. Instead we will be focusing mainly on our Christmas wreath sale. Get the 411 at Monday's meeting.
It's almost the end of September and in this month alone we have done a whole heck of a lot of things. We have a lot more coming up as the weeks go on.
Stay tuned and don't get lazy. There is so much more just around the corner
Gratitude
I want to thank everyone that helped Brock out over these past few weeks getting his Eagle project completed. The weather was excellent. Which made the whole experience very easy. From conception to completion the project was roughly a month. In the 20 years that I have been helping on Eagle projects this was probably the fastest turnaround time that I can remember.
Tonight's newsletter will be longer than a lot of the others. The 1st half will be going over the fall popcorn / wreath sales and our fall activity lineup. The 2nd half I will be talking about our fall into winter meetings. If you have already read my letter from Friday you can skip to the end after I go over the field outings.
Monday's meeting 9 - 7
Because tomorrow is Labor Day and because we usually take that off there will not be a scout meeting. Enjoy your night off and do something productive or kind for somebody else.
Fall Wreath and Popcorn Sales.
As we all know it is now time for popcorn and a wreath sales for the troop. Because 2020 has been the strangest year in living memory we are going to be streamlining our fall sale season to something a little more compact. Unfortunately we will not be participating in the popcorn sales this season. Instead we will be focusing mainly on our Christmas wreath sale. We hope to have all of the details ready to go by the September committee meeting.
Fall Field Trips / Outings Trips
As everyone here is aware most of our spring and summer plans were terminated by current events. With most of the area in some form of reopening we just may have a chance to resurrect a fairly good Q-4 field outings. As I have said in the past keep checking our website calendar for details and updates as things open up or become available to us. Here is a heads up for what I hope to bring to everyone in the next few weeks (fingers crossed).
Friday September 18
The Camp Kane organization has invited us to a meet and greet with the 8th Illinois Cavalry reenactors over at Langan Park (West side off of 25). This will allow the boys to get to know more about this organization, what they do and how we can team up with them. One of the things that I have always wanted to do is become more educated on St. Charles's past. By joining up with the Camp Kane foundation we finally have the ability to do that. Through the Camp Kane foundation we can learn more about St. Charles's history and the Fox Valley area before, during and after the Civil War.
Saturday September 19
The Camp Kane foundation will be holding a public Civil War encampment at Camp Kane from 9a to 3p. They have invited our troop to participate and help them out. The boys will be able to rack up some service hours and become a little more educated in St.Charles history. As most of the boys know by now we have a miniature cannon at our disposal. Fingers crossed we may be able to use it this weekend in a demonstration.
Saturday September 26
After one heck of a year and a lot of inability to do things we will be going out to Galena for a day trip and hike. The boys will be able to work on rank advancements and get out and about for the day.
Friday thru Sunday October 16 - 18
We will be traveling up to Fort Mccoy in Southern Wisconsin and hiking/biking on the Elroy Sparta bike trail. This will be a straightforward and easy camp out. Let's go get back outside with a back to basics camp out.
November-ish, For November I hope to schedule a time at Cantigny where we can tour the museum and grounds for a day outing. We haven't been there in a long time and it's about time that we as a troop go back. Other day trips will follow whether they be a hike on the bike path, a trip out to Brookfield Zoo or something completely different.
Meetings this fall, if you have already read this portion you can stop here.
Fall Meetings
I have received word from St. Marks Church that for the time being all outside groups are prohibited from using the church. At this time scout troops would be considered an outside group. This decision is not only pertaining to St. Mark's Church but all churches in the area. This also means that our ability to meet at the church has been put on hold for this fall into the winter season.
September Calendar
We all know that this fall and winter seasons will be very strange compared to what we are used to. In an attempt to keep us going down the road of In person meetings we will be meeting at Good Temper Park at 6:00 for the September 21st and September 28th meetings. I hope that since these are outdoor meetings, bumping up the time by an hour will allow us to use all daylight possible before it starts getting dark. The P.L.C. this month (September 14th) will be on the Zoom account and the committee meeting will be moved to Tuesday the 15th also on Zoom. Both Joyce and I will be out of town helping family that weekend and thought it better and easier to do the P. L.C. & C.M. online.
Into October
As we get closer to October we will have to go back inside. I think I may have found a solution for our meeting venue issue. The Campton Township Community Center Is hosting people for the fall into winter season. Their pricing is $20 for the full day use. Their pricing is a lot more flexible for long forum meetings and merit badges during our inside meetings. The drawback in using the Campton Center is we would have to move our meeting day to either Friday, Saturday or Sunday. In all honesty a weekend meeting could theoretically be a fun pastime if there are no extra curricular activities through District 303. It keeps everybody busy and away from idle hands.
The troop has not had to meet on a weekend in a very long time but it is not unprecedented. Having a location that we can use on a weekly basis without any extra permissions is exactly what the troop needs going into the winter. If any member of the troop has an alternative solution or has the ability to host the troop for standard Monday meeting(s) please let me know. As the programming director I am definitely not opposed to ideas and other solutions.
I am hoping to come up with the schedule that will be able to accommodate everyone as much as possible, even if we have to switch over to a weekend meeting. I do not believe it will detract from our troops' passion for scouting. After you read this please let me know what your option would be. We need to lock in a reservation as soon as possible to make sure that we have a meeting location throughout the fall and winter
Like manna from heaven it is finally raining again. Let the cool showers wash away the dust and feed the plants that need a cool drink.
As we officially enter fall the brisk winds and chilly nights return to us. The days become cooler and shorter, the evenings longer and more ominous for the pending winter. The spirits of the past months linger like the fog over the fields before burning away in the daylight. The smell of fall and the taste of pumpkin spice everything creeps into our lives. 31 days of being spookie, 30 days of thankfulness and then the most wonderful time of the year is at our doorstep. How fast has this year gone and what still lies just around the next corner no one knows. We have a lot coming in the next weeks and days. Let's start this week by gathering round and partaking in the weekly letter.
