Scouts are back and rolling again! Our opening meeting for the new year will be on Thursday, September 25th starting at 7:00 P.M. For those of you who are interested (attention: Francis O'Byrne!!) the church women will be holding their rummage sale the week before. "Advance Showing" Thursday night, the 18th. Do your Christmas Shopping early.
Then on Thursday, October 2nd, we will hold our annual Court of Honor. This will start at 7:30 PM and end about 9:00 PM. For those of you who have never attended one of these events, here is what goes on: First, we award the boys the merit badge cards for the badges they earned at camp: after this we announce the Senior Patrol Leaders for the coming year: after this we give out a few small prizes for various things, and then, if it comes to pass, we shall show pictures from our year at camp. I say "if it comes to pass" because it all depends on Mike Bujewski, Anne Sanders and Francis O'Byrne, because they have the pictures and Mike puts them together. I took a lot of pictures this year but I forgot to put film in the camera.
Now note that I said above that the boys will receive their merit badge cards, not the badges. The troop will buy the badge if it is required for Eagle (Life Saving, Swimming, Environmental Science, First Aid, Citizenship, etc.) But if the boys want the other badges, like Climbing, Pioneering, Basketry, Leatherwork, et. al., they must give Russ the merit badge card along with $1.00 for each badge they want. The troop will pick up the additional $1.10 or whatever the price is now.
Our first Campout for the year will be at McQueen on the weekend of October 17-19th.
As you know, Jimmy Broccolino has retired and moved to Las Vegas, so we had to get a replacement to lead our 20 mile hikes. We have a winner!!! Steve Bujewski, an Eagle Scout from the 1960's has agreed to take over, and Steve says that he will be doing 2 or 3 a year. He wants the boys to know that the Dunes and other Dearborn Hikes will not be done for a while - instead he will lead you to more distant and romantic places, taking hikes that he remembers me taking him on when he was a lad. So get those hiking boots broken in, guys!
In November, we will be having Citizenship in the Community merit badge classes. Sean C., Craig D., Sean G., Chris G., Grant K., Ryan L., Ian S., Jacob T., Alex J., and Eric S. should all make these sessions if possible, as this badge is required for First Class. SO is First Aid. Mr. Sanders will be teaching this later during the winter.
Then in December we will be having Citizenship in the Nation. This badge is required for Star rank, and Tomas B., Alex F., Jeremy M., Jeff P., Mike and Ray R., Danny S., Jason M., and Alex N. should be present for these sessions.
Scouts who are not able to make the above Citizenship classes will have to do the badge on their own during the year.
During the winter we will also have the Reading Merit badge as well as Public Speaking. While these badges are not required for advancement, scouts who have taken them in the past have found them to be very helpful later on in school.
So we look forward to another good year in scouting. See you at the Court of Honor.