2016 Canoe Trip

This year we will change it up a bit...

We will leave after work on Thursday night +- 5:30pm  , its 2 hour drive so we will be in camp by 7:30pm. We are camping in the Mill Race Group sites , so no portage across the river this time.

Friday Morning we will have an early Breakfast , and head UP River , and do the short haul from the Austinville Boat Ramp back to Foster Falls , this takes about 3.5 hours, so we will be back by lunch time.

This gives us the afternoon to swim , tube down the falls, and fish (need a Va Fishing License)

A very hearty dinner will follow (Patrols will be given a meal task)

Saturday we will paddle down river from just below the campsite all the way to Allisonia , about 6- 7 hours on the river

Chicken Dinner Fundraiser April 23

Ticket sales started last night.

Tickets can be bought from our scouts or online
 Online Ticket Sales

Most popular merit badges of 2015

any guesses ? 

2015-merit-badge-rankings

Chicken Meal Fundraiser- April 23rd

We have agreement from all parties to go ahead to raise money for High Adventure and Outdoor activities, by holding a Chicken Dinner fundraiser on April 23

Lots of work is needed before this time though. We will need all families to help the troop make this a success.

The decision has been made to only pre-sell tickets for this event, and we will even have some online sales through Eventbrite . By pre selling it gives us a clear goal of what we have to do on the day.  I believe we may have a few meals for sale on the day , but very limited in qty.

Expectations We would like all scouts to sell at least 10 tickets, and as each family should buy 3-5 for themselves , this should not be a difficult goal at all. With 25 Scouts , that is 80% of our goal of 300 meals. Our stretch is 400 meals and a max cutoff will be 500 , as we feel this is our capacity.
We will need to make bulk Potato salad, and Bulk Sauce too, and this will need all the families to help us.

We now have a new Facebook page for friends and Family to follow us and we will also use to drive some fundraising : https://www.facebook.com/groups/476382029236814/
This is public so please share with all your friends and family .

What does a meal consist of ???  
Half chicken ,  scoop of potato salad, and two dinner rolls - all for $8
We can also sell sauce in bottles for an additional $2.50

The Church will allow the selling of tickets and also putting up a banner to advertise the fundraiser so we can reach the bigger community with this fundraiser. We will embrace the future by selling tickets after Church and accept Credit Cards too.

Work to be done :
Creation of tickets
Advertising and setup of Eventbrite for online sales
Purchasing of supplies - Meal boxes, Sauce bottles, Bread rolls,
Cooking and making Potato salad
Making of sauce
Purchase of Chicken from Hopkins Poultry (they will deliver on the morning)
Building of new cooker (Drum is sourced and Rick will lead)


This is our long term goal :
Local scout troop have been doing this for over 30 years, they did 2600 half chicken meals this last November ,  and raised a substantial $$ amount for their troop

BUT 

This is where we will start , with maybe 3 or 4 cookers like this one , with the ability to cook about 120-160  portions at any one time (across the 4 cookers), with a cooking time of 90-120 minutes in open cooking or 60 minutes with a closed lid system. This cooker can cook about 50 pieces at a time
 

I'm a great believer in using real charcoal and brickets , because of the superior flavor it gives to the chicken.

On the outbound side ,
             we will need help:
             putting the meals together after the chicken is cooked,
             manning the pickup lines
             and we will also do drive through pickup. 
Obviously the Scouts will help manning the fires, moving cooked chicken into where the meals will be prepared and the biggest task , the clean up afterwards.

The aim is to start cooking early Saturday morning, with first pickups starting at 10 or 11 am with a 4 hour window.
We suggested that the ticket stub would define first or second pick up ie 11am till 1pm and 1pm till 3pm


A small sub committee will meet this Friday after work 5:30pm at a local place on New Garden rd
Please contact Rick if you would like to be part of this effort.

Troop leadership training

New SPL

We wish James all the best as our new Senior Patrol Leader

ELECTIONS !!! - Parents please make sure scouts read this !!!!

Next week we will hold our elections for new leadership positions, at both Troop and Patrol Level.
You, the Scouts will elect a new Senior Patrol Leader and Assistant Senior Patrol Leader. In addition Quartermaster and Scribe will also be elected, and it would be really nice if we had a webmaster who really wanted to look after our Troop blog and Facebook page

Then you will head off into your patrols and elect a new Patrol Leader and APL

Read the descriptions below , and make sure you are voting for someone who you honestly believe can do the job well.

Positions with ** should attend PLC meetings monthly or delegate to their assistants.

Senior Patrol Leader**
• Preside at all troop meetings, events, activities, and annual program planning conference.
• Chair the patrol leaders’ council.
• Appoint Scout leaders with the advice and consent of the Scoutmaster.
• Assign duties and responsibilities to other Scout leaders.
• Work with the Scoutmaster in training Scout leaders.
• Set and enforce the tone for good Scout behavior within the troop.
• Set a good example.
• Wear the Scout uniform correctly.
• Live by the Scout Oath and Scout Law.
• Show and help develop Scout spirit.

Assistant Senior Patrol Leader **
• Be responsible for training and giving direct leadership to the following appointed Scout
leaders: historian, Order of the Arrow troop representative, scribe, librarian, instructor,
quartermaster, and chaplain aide.
• Help lead meetings and activities as called upon by the senior patrol leader.
• Guide the troop in the senior patrol leader’s absence.
• Perform tasks assigned by the senior patrol leader.
• Function as a member of the patrol leaders’ council.
• Help set and enforce the tone for good Scout behavior within the troop.
• Set a good example.
• Wear the Scout uniform correctly.
• Live by the Scout Oath and Scout Law.
• Show and help develop Scout spirit.

Patrol Leader **
• Plan and lead patrol meetings and activities.
• Keep patrol members informed.
• Assign each patrol member needed tasks and help them succeed.
• Represent the patrol at all patrol leaders’ council meetings and the annual program
planning conference.
• Prepare the patrol to take part in all troop activities.
• Show and help develop patrol spirit.
• Work with other troop leaders to make the troop run well.
• Know what patrol members and other leaders can do.
• Set a good example.
• Wear the Scout uniform correctly.
• Live by the Scout Oath and Scout Law.

Assistant Patrol Leader (**Attend PLC if PL not present)
• Help the patrol leader plan and lead patrol meetings and activities.
• Help the patrol leader keep patrol members informed.
• Help the patrol leader prepare the patrol to take part in all troop activities.
• Lead the patrol in the patrol leader’s absence.
• Show and help develop patrol spirit.
• Represent the patrol at all patrol leaders’ council meetings in the patrol leader’s absence.
• Work with other troop leaders to make the troop run well.
• Set a good example.
• Wear the Scout uniform correctly.
• Live by the Scout Oath and Scout Law.

Quartermaster
• Keep records of patrol and troop equipment.
• Keep equipment in good repair.
• Keep equipment storage area neat and clean.
• Issue equipment and see that it is returned in good order.
• Suggest new or replacement items.
• Work with the troop committee member responsible for equipment.
• Set a good example.
• Wear the Scout uniform correctly.
• Live by the Scout Oath and Scout Law.
• Show and help develop Scout spirit.

Scribe **
• Attend and keep a log of patrol leaders’ council meetings.
• Record attendance  of all troop members.
• Record advancement in troop records and on the troop advancement chart.
• Set a good example.
• Wear the Scout uniform correctly.
• Work with the appropriate troop committee members responsible for finance, records,
and advancement.
• Live by the Scout Oath and Scout Law.
• Show and help develop Scout spirit.
• Handle correspondence appropriately.

Order of the Arrow Troop Representative
• Serve as a communication link between the lodge or chapter and the troop.
• Encourage year-round and resident camping in the troop.
• Encourage older-Scout participation in high-adventure programs.
• Encourage Scouts to actively participate in community service projects.
• Assist with leadership skills training in the troop.
• Encourage Arrowmen to assume leadership positions in the troop.
• Encourage Arrowmen in the troop to be active participants in lodge and/or chapter activities
and to seal their membership in the Order by becoming Brotherhood members.
• Set a good example.
• Wear the Scout uniform correctly.
• Live by the Scout Oath, Scout Law, and OA Obligation.
• Show and help develop Scout spirit.

Webmaster **
• Establish and maintain a safe and secure troop website.
• Ensure the troop website is a positive reflection of Scouting for the public.
• Manage the troop’s electronic communication tools.
• Work with the Scouts to provide up-to-date troop information.
• Work with the scribe.
• Set a good example.
• Wear the Scout uniform correctly.
• Live by the Scout Oath and Scout Law.
• Show and help develop Scout spirit.

Ten Tips for Being a Good Patrol Leader

	Keep Your Word. Don't make promises you can't keep.
	Be Fair to All. A good leader shows no favorites. Don't allow friendships to keep you from being fair to all members of your patrol. Know who likes to do what, and assign duties to patrol members by what they like to do.
	Be a Good Communicator. You don't need a commanding voice to be a good leader, but you must be willing to step out front with an effective "Let's go." A good leader knows how to get and give information so that everyone understands what's going on.
	Be Flexible. Everything doesn't always go as planned. Be prepared to shift to "plan B" when "plan A" doesn't work.
	Be Organized. The time you spend planning will be repaid many times over. At patrol meetings, record who agrees to do each task, and fill out the duty roster before going camping.
	Delegate. Some leaders assume that the job will not get done unless they do it themselves. Most people like to be challenged with a task. Empower your patrol members to do things they have never tried.
	Set an Example. The most important thing you can do is lead by example. Whatever you do, your patrol members are likely to do the same. A cheerful attitude can keep everyone's spirits up.
	Be Consistent. Nothing is more confusing than a leader who is one way one moment and another way a short time later. If your patrol knows what to expect from you, they will more likely respond positively to your leadership.
	Give Praise. The best way to get credit is to give it away. Often a "Nice job" is all the praise necessary to make a Scout feel he is contributing to the efforts of the patrol.
	Ask for Help. Don't be embarrassed to ask for help. You have many resources at your disposal. When confronted with a situation you don't know how to handle, ask someone with more experience for some advice and direction.